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Let your hair do the talking 

27 Oct 2021

  • Iraj Toussaint on the art of hair styling and maintaining 
It is said that the most important thing a person can have – next to talent, of course – is their hairdresser. Iraj Toussaint, a hair stylist that's been in the industry for over 25 years now, spoke to Brunch about his career and shared a few hair tips and tricks as well.  Before he chose his career in hairdressing, Toussaint was presented with three options by his father: “One was to become a chef, a fashion designer or a hairdresser. Hairdressing is what popped up first, and after about a month of engaging in this career, I realised it was a skill that was already in me.”  Toussaint's career began at Ramani Fernando salons, where his aunt too, used to work. When he first broke into the industry, he had no educational qualifications. "Back then, it was the norm for the seniors in the industry to mentor the newbies; I was introduced to Ramani Fernando and that is how I picked up hairdressing.” Over the years, upon recognising the need to up his skill values, he earned a Diploma in hairdressing, attended a course in London and Singapore under Toni and Guy salons, last year, just before the lockdown, he underwent further training in Australia. On this topic, he added that the biggest challenge he faced during his career was sticking to one place, “Finding what I thought was the perfect place to work was difficult for me. Moving around while maintaining a loyal client base was also quite difficult,” he added, but Toussaint seems to have found a home to his liking at Chagall Colombo.  Toussaint told us that from the very first months of his now 25 year long career, he had a liking towards short hair. When asked why, he responded that it's always very trendy and can be styled in various ways. He noted that keeping up with the ever changing trends is a difficult feat but he noticed that short hair seems to always be in trend and noted that it's always fashionable. Because of his liking towards this style, he specialises in cutting and styling short hair – shoulder lengths and above. In his experience, a certain style that has never died is the pixie cut, “it never goes out of style!”  He also added that a constant in the hairstyling world is straight hair and curly hair; the only change is the way one would style it. He further observed the change in hair colour trends. “Back in the day, the Global Colour technique was in style – it’s a colouring technique where your hair is coloured with the same colour from root to tip, and highlights were quite popular as well. Now, balayage and ombre techniques seem to be gaining more interest and popularity.”  Hair colour is something that one needs to put some thought into before deciding on a colour. We asked Toussaint for his advice on how to pick the right hair colour for your skin tone. “Now, there is no such thing as dark-skinned people shouldn’t have certain colours, or certain colours don’t suit light-skinned people. Any colour could work on any skin tone, it just depends on the shade of colour one chooses,” he explained. He always advises his clients to place their hand next to the colour that they want on the colour chart and see how it looks next to their skin. Once they have decided on a colour, he will put in his two cents as well, so the client knows exactly what they are getting into. “The lighter you go, there is a higher percentage of you damaging your hair, and the only way to prevent that is high maintenance, so if the client is unable to meet those standards, then I will advise against the colour,” he told us.  When talking about his favourite part of being a hairdresser, he commented that it’s undoubtedly being backstage during fashion and bridal shows. “They are always interesting and fun. We start really early in the morning and go on till really late in the night,” he explained, adding that it’s always a pleasure to meet the top models in the country.  According to Toussaint, the mark of a professional hairdresser is whether or not they do a consultation first. He makes it a point to arrange a consultation with his clients to understand their requirements. “If it is suitable, I tell them and if it’s manageable, I do their required style for them, but it is very important to have a consultation beforehand.” This, he noted, was the best way to avoid miscommunications and disappointed clients; he sits down with his client for over 20 minutes, making sure he thoroughly understands what they want, while also ensuring that the client understands what they will be getting. This is how Toussaint has managed to avoid client horror stories over the years. Having personally had my hair done by Toussaint, I can promise you that this is no lie, he certainly is very precise and helpful and made sure to listen to my requests and go over it with his own opinion so we could both meet in the middle. We all know how important it is to show our hairdresser a reference picture, but just to put Toussaint’s skills to the test, I took the risk of simply explaining the look I was going for, and after a good 15 minutes of going back and forth in discussion, and an hour and a half snipping and blow drying, he had blown my expectations away. His years of experience have honed his knowledge and skill with hair that in fact, with just one look at my hair, he was able to accurately guess my daily water intake.  Of course, after listening to his long and interesting career story, I had complete trust in him and allowed him to work his magic – which turned out for the best, my hair has never looked better. We can assure you that once you book an appointment with Toussaint, he will leave no room for disappointment and leave you with a glow of confidence all day. You know what they say; never underestimate the power of a good haircut.  Obviously, after being berated for not maintaining my hair, we had to ask him for tips on how one can maintain healthy hair while balancing all the tasks of everyday life. He highlighted the importance of using a good shampoo and conditioner that is specifically catered towards your hair type, and to book a consultation with a good hairdresser so you can work out a hair treatment. He also stated that it is essential for a woman to have her hair trimmed at least every two months, especially if they want long hair; “The end of your hair will always dry off, so a good conditioner and shampoo will help maintain your pH levels.” Once you go for a hair consultation, they will help recommend a shampoo and conditioner for you.  Toussaint is prepared to take on the new trends in the upcoming season, with Christmas fast approaching, there is no better time to invest in yourself and walk into the new year, feeling like a new person. “Whatever you want, you name it and I will make it happen!”  Instagram: @hair_by_irajtoussaint

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