Hair is the subject of Chapter Four and again, “natural” is the name of the game. No teased and lacquered hair for the typical French woman, please. Soft, shiny, and with a bit of swing…that’s the preferred look.

It may look as if it happens effortlessly but French women are willing to make a significant investment in the care of their hair. She will take the time to find just the right cut and (perhaps) color to suit her and budget for the expense of upkeep. She will pinch pennies elsewhere in order to afford professional hair care.

One thing I found interesting is that, according to the author, French women may only wash their hair twice a week. Until fairly recently, I washed mine every day and thought that was essential. However, I’ve discovered that it’s possible to cut back and have your hair actually look better.

Hair length is another consideration, especially for the older woman. At least where I live, most women my age have short hair. I am bucking that trend because I just feel more like “me” with some length. A shoulder-length bob is apparently a popular look for women my age in France but anything goes as long as it’s flattering.

Color is the next topic in this chapter and this is where do-it-yourself is not generally the best choice. This is something I discovered for myself a number of years ago. When I quit my job as a R.N. in order to homeschool our kids, our income was cut in half. In looking for ways to cut expenses I gave up having my nails done and started coloring my own hair. The discontinuation of the color I’d been using and a disastrous attempt with a new color sent me scurrying to a salon to have the damage repaired. It looked SO much better than what I’d been doing myself that David told me to just keep having it done at the salon. Money was no longer a concern but I had just gotten in the habit of doing it myself. However, he convinced me that this was worth leaving to the professionals. There is also a discussion regarding allowing one’s hair to go gray but let me just say, I’m nowhere near ready to make that choice.

Care and maintenance finish off the chapter. Other than argon oil, there aren’t any specific product recommendations. Rather, there are general tips regarding the avoidance of stripping the natural oils from one’s hair and not overusing hair products. One tip I am going to try is applying argon oil before shampooing. I am also on the lookout for a good, deep moisturizing treatment to use once a week.

I think we all feel better about ourselves when our hair looks good and it’s worth the time it takes for every day to be a “good hair day”.

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I planned my day in order to have time to watch a French film I’ve had here from Netflix for the past 2 or 3 weeks. The film was “The Double Life of Veronique”. An interesting film and a nice way to spend a Friday afternoon.