The Longhairlovers Interview With Guy Kramer

Early in his career, Guy Kremer learned the importance of artfully dressing long hair. While working at the Hans of Vienna salon in Winchester, England, in the 1970's, Kremer found himself dressing some notable royal manes. These noble ladies all had long hair and all had one particular fashion accessory in common.

“They came into the salon with magnificent tiaras inside ebony boxes,” Kremer said. “I had to style their hair around the tiaras and became very good with long hair.”

Before that time, however, Guy (pronounced “Gee”) said he was just like many hairdressers still are today: afraid of long hair.

“I didn't know how to manage it,” he said. “Then I had the opportunity to watch Alexandre de Paris, the world maestro of long hair.” Guy was hooked, and said he “dove into” long hair fashion.
Today, Guy Kremer runs the eponymous L'Oreal Professional Colour Expert Salon in Winchester, England. He travels extensively dressing hair for top fashion shows, platform shows and competitions. In 1997, he was voted one of the Top 75 Educators of the Century by Modern Salon Magazine.

Kremer has immortalized his amazing updos in The Art of Dressing Long Hair (Thompson, 2004). More of an artsy coffee-table book than a how-to manual, Kremer said the book fills a void in the publishing world.

“There was a need for this book, showing what kind of hairstyles work with certain clothes” he said. “I show how to match hairstyles to different wardrobes, from haute couture to updated classics.” The book has been wildly successful, with the first printing selling out in just six months.

Believing it's impossible to create gorgeous updos without healthy hair, Kremer recommends using “the right products.” These include shampoos, conditioners and treatments from L'Oreal (he loves the Hot Style protective spray), Redken, and Kerastase. And from the Guy Kremer Hair Care Line, available exclusively through Wal-Mart stores in the United States.

Kremer advises his high-profile clients (including The Duchess of York and Jerry Hall) to avoid too much friction. "Repeatedly running your fingers through your hair is damaging," he said. He also recommends using a silicone-based serum to seal moisture in long hair's ends and says it's important to keep hair “under wraps when in the sun.”

Kremer believes strongly in regularly using deep conditioning treatments and leaving them in as long as possible. But he cautions against hot oil treatments.

“Hot oil is a myth,” he said. “It just coats the hair and gives a false impression that it's creating healthy hair.”

Perhaps the most important tip of all, according to Kremer, is having split ends professionally trimmed every 5 to 6 weeks. “It won't remove length, but will prevent damage from traveling up the hair shaft,” he said.

In parting, Kremer compared beautiful long hair to good shoes: “It's a projection of your femininity,” he said. “Don't neglect it – spend money on it and treat it right.”