The Goan: Thirty years ago taking hair styling up as a profession was unheard of. What made you walk down this path?
Ranjit: I was nineteen when I decided to go down this path and people thought that it was just a phase. I was very much influenced by the punk movement of England and liked the way they looked. Furthermore I found out that I could use the profession as an outlet to express my creativity.
Ruchi: Even though I am a textile designer by profession, I worked as an actress in television shows like Just Mohabbat and Hip Hip Hurray which were aired on Sony TV. In the mid-twenties I was at crossroads about my life. I was asked by a friend to help her out in her salon and it was there that I discovered my passion for colouring hair which is what I have been doing ever since.
TG: In terms of styling what has changed since the time you started?
Ranjit: There have been a lot of changes and off the top of my head I can say that the texturizing techniques have changed. Back in the day I used to cut hair by keeping my scissors straight, but now you can cut your hair by keeping your scissors at different angles. Clients have also become more knowledgeable about styling and know what style they want.
TG: Do you get as many male clients as female clients? What do you think about the current trends in men’s hairstyles?
Ruchi: It depends on where we are and the culture of the place. In Mumbai we get equal number of male and female customers but in Goa we get far more women than men. As far as hairstyles go I think everyone looks the same nowadays and there is no individuality. Nowadays everybody cuts their hair too short on the sides or grows a big beard without looking at the mirror even once to see if it suits them. Back in the day people used a style because it suited them and not because it was trending.
TG: Why do you think men of the present generation have started to get more conscious about their hair when compared to men of the previous generation?
Ranjit: Back in the day a businessman could not have cared less about his looks. It was his job that was of prime importance. Nowadays people want to have their eyes pleased. Furthermore the internet has played a huge part in the evolution of hairstyles. We are more knowledgeable about hair styles across the world. In India the masses use the styles that the movie stars use and back in the 70s and 80s the male actors had somewhat similar styles and never experimented with their looks. Now every male actor has a different hair style for each of his movies. Directors and actors approach me with a look in their minds which they would have gathered from different sources on the internet.
TG: Hair styling has evolved into a multi-million dollar industry that involves a lot of chemicals and tools. Do you think the business will see anything new in the future?
Ruchi: I hope there is more importance given to hair care than blindly marketing a countless number of products. Hair stylists should be given adequate training to prescribe the right products to individuals. Hair care and styling should transcend the boundary of glamour and be simple. People should start using organic products more as those products use natural ingredients like herbs and vegetables as opposed to inorganic products that use a lot of harmful ingredients such as sulfates that strip hair of their essential oils.
TG: Do you think a newbie will struggle as hard as you did to make a name because of the increase in competition?
Ranjit: It depends on what one wants. If one wants to style hair for personal satisfaction and for the sake of creativity then opening a small salon and keeping it among friends is not very hard. A person can join a big brand, make a name and can start a salon when they are established. Along with quality of work, promoting yourself also plays a very important role. Back in the day you could promote yourself by distributing pamphlets, but now you need a public relations agent and several newspaper articles.
TG: Will a European hairstyle work in India as it is or must an Indian touch be added to it?
Ranjit: It is never about the hairstyle per se. It is more about the climate and the texture of hair. Europeans have thin hair and the climate over there is dry as opposed to India which is humid with Indians having thick hair. Hair styles depend on hair texture and you need to adapt a hairstyle for the texture of hair you have. Fashion is definitely universal, but we should adopt a European hairstyle and change it to suit our hair texture and weather.
TG: How do you take care of hair during summer?
Ranjit: First and foremost you are supposed to drink a lot of water to keep your body hydrated. Invariably most people have an oily scalp and dry hair and I would recommend using a shampoo for normal hair and not dry hair thus making your scalp less sticky. Apply oil on the lengths of your hair roughly 10 minutes before washing and condition your hair properly. I would also recommend using a hair wash once in ten washes instead of a regular conditioner. The most important thing is to keep your hair and scalp clean and if you need to wash your hair daily for that, go for it.
