Harry King has more stories to tell about his days with Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Andy Warhol and even president’s mistresses past and present than anyone I know. And why wouldn’t he? He’s been glamming them up since the days of Studio 54. But in the name of True Enhancement, I appealed to Harry’s down-to-earth sensibilities for all of us mere mortals who’d like to bring out the best in our hair's true personality.

KJ: So is it true that big hair is coming back?

HK: It really depends where you live. Here in New York yes we’ve seen flat, flat, flat, which I think was a mistake for a few but beautiful in general, and now of course, we’ve had our fill. Anything could be called "big" in comparison to this straight obsession Hair "dependency", overworked hair, obsession with straight hair. Trouble is everyone damaged the hair so much in the process of getting it stick straight that they have to use equal effort to get the hair to look shiny and naturally wavy again for the new trend.

KJ: Some women blow their hair straight every day. Do you encounter a lot of women who don’t really give their "real hair" a chance.

HK: Absolutely. They want whatever they don’t have. I’d like to see women regain a sense of their own individuality as so many women had in the seventies. Renee Russo, who was such a confident girl and who still maintains a unique style was never swayed by trends in the seventies. Patty Hanson also had a definite look about her that we worked with, not against, on our photo shoots together. I’d like to see more women connect with their individuality and show off it by giving their God given hair a little more credit!

KJ: Do women tend to blow their hair’s idiosyncrasies out of proportion? Cowlicks, for example?

HK: Oh, yes. Cowlicks should be respected and worked with, not against. I’ve never seen it fail, but some women are so insecure about hair imperfections. Perfect is so boring!

KJ: There are so many beautiful takes on wave and curl right now. If a woman wanted to work with her natural curl, should she stay away from rollers, use her fingers?

HK: First she should blot as much moisture out of the hair as possible, gently. Then apply a leave-in conditioner. For super fine or particularly flat hair she can use a light setting lotion which is less greasy. Then comb through with a wide-tooth comb and let the hair dry naturally. I she wants to emphasize her texture, she can throw in tiny Velcro rollers when the hair is almost dry, or choose curls that have already begun to form and wrap them gently around her fingers, them pin them up with a bobby pin. This can also bring wave into straight hair. When she’s ready to go, she can complete the drying with a little heat from a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment, which keeps the hair from getting frizzy. I like KMS Liquid Gold for blow drying. It adds just the shine and texture you want. Or a product called Phyto 7, which really draws moisture into dryer hair. Kiehl’s Shine ‘N’ Light is great for working with the finished product for shine and flexibility. All of the products should be used very sparingly to avoid weighing the hair down.

KJ: Harry, you were an innovator of "wash and wear hair" in the early seventies in London, which liberated stylish women from time consuming hair rituals for the first time in recorded fashion history. What should women know about making their hair "wash and wear" now?

HK: The key is the cut. Back then it was a shorter, layered cut that looked fresh. Now I think the best cut that becomes most women is basically one length, but with a bit of fringe around the face. Not bangs necessarily, although a few, nose-length wisps can be skillfully chipped in with a razor. That way they can be made to disappear, or to fall out sexily from a ponytail. The shaping around the face gives a much softer look that doesn’t steal focus from the woman, as a true blunt cut might. The fringe also encourages natural wave -- even in straighter hair -- and springier curls. The other key is to maintain good condition in the hair, which means laying off the blow dryer whenever possible. Those super-absorbent hair chamois towels help natural drying along, And when you blow dry, always use a protectant like the ones I mentioned. The cooler the air, the better. Changing shampoos can also keep the hairs inherent "personality" alive and kicking.