Fashion: FALL ISSUE : EYES : Dyeing to Look Younger
Businessman Art Gillis, in his mid-40s, was looking for a change. He wanted something that would perk up his appearance, but he didn’t expect to find the fountain of youth.
With his wife’s support, ignoring the wisecracks of his three teen-age sons, Gillis closed his eyes and salon owner Darlene Waggoner got out her hair dye.
Ten minutes later, the vice president of D & G Associates, a business consulting firm, had gone from white to deep brown. But it wasn’t Gillis’ full head of hair Waggoner had colored. That stayed its natural, distinguished salt-and-pepper self. What had changed, and what made Gillis’ face look energized and younger, were his eyebrows and lashes. They weren’t platinum anymore. They were born-again brown.
Salon stylists say Gillis’ story is not unusual. An increasing number of men in their early 40s are starting to look for ways to energize their appearance without making a radical change. Instead of plastic surgery or anything as drastic, they are taking a chance on a paint job.
It’s fast (20 minutes or so), affordable (less expensive than many haircuts), and no longer considered a sissy thing to do. In fact, it’s becoming the rage among Southern California men.
Waggoner, owner of European Facials and Body Care in Westwood, says eyebrows take about five minutes; eyelashes, 10 to 20. Color is painted on with a small brush. Waggoner charges $5 for brows, $15 for lashes. She will also wax (it’s less painful than plucking) and shape the brows for $7.
Maintenance is the key, she says. To keep brows and lashes looking good, a client must repeat the procedures every four to six weeks. But the pluses are many: “Eyebrow- and lash-dyeing lifts the eyes,” she says, meaning that the darkening brightens the eyes.
The darker the dye, the better, which is why she recommends black, brown, dark blue and sometimes, a mixture. Before every application Waggoner cautions clients about allergic reactions--irritations that she says are rare but can result from the vegetable-based dye.
Steve Lococo, manager of Borrelli Salon in West Hollywood, says men between 30 and 50 come in to have their lashes and brows colored and contoured. “In L.A., you have guys who highlight their hair for a more youthful look, but that washes out the eyes and face,” he says. “We wash it back in by dyeing the brows and lashes a dark color. It enhances the shape of the eyes, intensifies them, makes them come alive.”
Borrelli’s prices range from $25 to $30 for eyebrow dyeing, waxing and eyelash tinting. “Most guys are not shy about doing this,” he says. “It’s what Southern California is all about: an attitude and a look to go with it.”
