From supermodel to super-sleuth, Jerry Hall is bringing her signature blonde bombshell glamour to our TV screens as one of the all-star cast members of the Celebrity Traitors. At 70 years old, she’s the oldest of the line up, and by far the most glamorous, thanks to her signature red lipstick and long caramel waves – proof that getting older needn’t mean lilac rinses and granny bobs.
Hall’s hair has long provided inspiration, from the brushed-out disco crimp she wore to Studio 54 with then-husband Mick Jagger in the 1970s to the high-fashion glossy curls she sported walking down the Yves Saint Laurent catwalk in the 1980s. By the 1990s, it was a sleek chignon and statement earrings, and for last year’s Burberry campaign, which she starred in with daughters Lizzy and Georgia May, she wore undone tousled waves with her trademark deep side parting – a perfect trick for adding volume.
“Jerry’s hair has always looked alive: swishy, a bit wild, never stiff or set. Her blonde feels warm, sunny and not too bright,” says Hall’s hairstylist, Neil Moodie. “She wears it with total ease. Plenty of people have had beautiful hair, but hers is inseparable from her personality, and that’s what makes it iconic.”
Hall isn’t the only celebrity challenging the traditional beauty rule that long hair can’t be worn later into life. At Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, Sarah Jessica Parker (61), Nicole Kidman (59) and Jennifer Lopez (57) all made appearances with enviable flowing locks.
“I’m seeing more women in their 50s, 60s and 70s keeping their length or growing it back. Jerry is a great example that long hair can look elegant at any age, so long as it’s in good condition and shaped well,” says Moodie.
From thin-hair boosters to gloss-giving products, here’s how to get luscious hair like Jerry Hall.
Avoid the hairdryer
“Jerry is very low maintenance when it comes to styling her hair. She doesn’t like heavy products and prefers it if you don’t use a hair dryer,” says Moodie. To achieve Hall’s signature waves, Moodie uses a large curling iron or hot rollers, then finishes with a small amount of Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm (£36, Space NK) to smooth any frizz.
Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm, £36, Space NK
If you can’t bring yourself to go without your morning blow-dry, Moodie advises taking a more gentle approach by allowing hair to dry 80 per cent naturally, then using a lower temperature setting on your hairdryer to finish it off. Heat protector is essential; Moodie uses Davines Love Smoothing Lightweight Milk (£31, Davines) on Hall’s hair, which also combats frizz. “I never apply any products at the roots, so the hair stays glossy without looking weighed down.”
Davines Love Smoothing Lightweight Milk, £31, Davines
Don’t skip hair-wash day
Everyone’s hair is different, so while Hall washes her hair every 10 days – as she told The Telegraph last month – if you’re looking to boost hair growth, Skjøth recommends washing more regularly to remove the build-up of products, sebum and dead skin cells. Using a soft boar-bristle brush (£29, Kent Brushes), gently but thoroughly brush your hair from scalp to ends before getting in the shower to help loosen build-up. Then follow with a nourishing shampoo and lightweight conditioner.
Soft boar-bristle brush, £29, Kent Brushes
Maintaining good scalp health will help hair grow stronger and prevent hair loss and thinning: “It’s never too late to start,” says Lars Skjøth, hair-loss expert and founder of specialist haircare brand Hårklinikken. The brand just launched the HXC-4 Extract Serum (£85, Harklinikken). Clinical trials show increased hair density and growth in four months after applying topically to the scalp every two to three days.
HXC-4 Extract Serum, £85, Harklinikken
Go blunt
A good haircut always makes hair look healthier, but a trip to the salon is even more important when growing hair long: “regular small trims are what let you keep the length, because they stop split ends travelling up the hair,” says Moodie, who advises getting a trim every 10 to 12 weeks. To prevent breakage in between cuts, swap your cotton pillowcase for a silk one (£30, M&S). It’ll minimise friction even if you’re tossing and turning.
If your hair is thinning, take a leaf out of Hall’s book and go for a one-length, blunt cut, as the solid edge makes ends look fuller. While a few face-framing layers will add movement, Moodie recommends keeping layers subtle so as not to make hair look wispy. Try moving your centre parting to the side for extra lift at the crown. And if fine hair is looking a bit limp, a spritz of Klorane dry shampoo (£11.50, Boots) will give oomph without clogging your follicles.
Klorane dry shampoo, £11.50, Boots
Switch to gentle colour
When it comes to colouring mature hair, a gentle approach will create a softer look and stop hair looking frazzled. “Instead of lifting the hair as light as possible, work with warm golden tones that are close to your natural base. Soft highlights, balayage or a root blend are kinder to hair than a full head of bleach,” says Moodie, and will also require less-frequent top-ups at the salon. To stop blonde hair looking flat, try Hall’s colouring trick of keeping hair a few shades darker underneath to create depth. Use K18 Hair leave-in molecular hair repair mask (£30, Space NK) once a week at home to keep hair nourished and shiny.
K18 hair repair mask, £30, Space NK
If you’d rather eschew harsher hair colour altogether, Florazzon (£99, MJ Guzzon) uses a bespoke formulation of plant pigments to subtly blend grey and white hairs into your base colour creating the look of highlights. Developed by hairstylist Michael John Guzzon, the in-salon treatment also contains organic oils and botanicals that help condition and soften the hair, reduce breakage and support scalp health – for a bounce that rivals Jerry’s.