Holiday Party Hair for December Evenings

Plan the month around your invitations

Once the invitations arrive, look at the whole month at once. Decide which evenings deserve a professional blow-dry or style and which you will happily manage yourself. Then reserve styling times for the most important nights right away, because the hours before December parties are some of the most requested of the year.

Book color for early in the month, so the shade looks fresh through New Year's Eve and there is time for a small adjustment. If a new color product is involved, ask about a skin patch test, which the FDA advises every time before dyeing hair.

• Color: the first week of December
• A trim: a few days before your first big evening
• Styling appointments: for the two or three evenings that matter most
• A gloss: midway through the month, if your color needs a lift

Choose the look by the kind of party

Holiday parties vary widely, and the right hair depends on how you will spend the evening. Tell your stylist whether you will be standing and mingling, seated for a long dinner or out on a terrace, and the style can be built for it.

• Cocktail party: soft, brushed-out waves or a smooth, swinging blow-dry that moves well as you greet people
• Seated dinner: a half-up style or hair tucked behind one ear, keeping the focus at eye level and showing off earrings
• Terrace or garden party: something secured, such as a low ponytail or soft knot, since breeze and damp evening air unsettle loose hair
• Dancing: a sleek ponytail or a low knot that stays off the neck and holds through movement

One style, several evenings

With a little care, a professional blow-dry or set waves can carry you through two or three evenings. At night, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase and loosely gather long hair on top of your head with a soft scrunchie, which protects the shape without leaving a dent.

The next morning, mist a little dry shampoo at the roots and brush it through once it has settled. Refresh the ends with a curling iron on a low setting, only where the shape has dropped. By the third evening, turn the remaining waves into a smooth low ponytail or a soft twist, and you have a new look with no extra appointment.

Festive finishing touches

The holidays are the one time of year when a little sparkle in the hair feels entirely right. One accessory is usually enough. A velvet bow at the nape, a jeweled barrette above one ear or a slim embellished headband all look festive without competing with your outfit.

Match the metal of your hair accessory to your jewelry, and bring it to your styling appointment so it can be anchored securely. Shimmer sprays are fun, but use them lightly, since they can transfer onto clothes and upholstery as the evening goes on.

Let the outfit guide the hair

Holiday clothes have their own needs. Sequins, beading and metallic threads can catch and pull long hair, so a style swept to one side or back from the shoulders saves both hair and fabric. High collars and turtlenecks look most elegant with hair up or cut close to the jaw.

If you plan to wear a wrap or stole, ask your stylist to keep the back of the style low and smooth, so it is not crushed when you put it on and take it off. Velvet and wool can create static on fine hair, and a light smoothing balm on the lengths keeps everything in place.

Caring for your hair through a busy month

A month of styling asks a lot of hair. Use a heat protectant before every blow-dry or curl, and keep hot tools on low or medium settings, as the American Academy of Dermatology suggests. After an evening with plenty of product, wash gently and condition well.

A weekly conditioning mask keeps the ends soft between parties. Then book a quiet appointment in early January for a trim and a gloss, which brings hair back to its best after the festivities and before the rest of the season begins.

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Hair Dyes · American Academy of Dermatology: Tips for healthy hair

This guide is general information, not medical advice. For scalp, skin or hair-loss concerns, see a dermatologist.