Say goodbye to bad-hair days

If there is anything men and women spend hours on – whether they admit it or not – it’s their hair! I certainly don’t deny that, especially now that my long hair is back in fashion! Seriously, one of the first things you do when you get up in the morning is to look at yourself in the mirror, right? If the hair looks great, you feel good. But if it’s a bad-hair day, it sort of dampens your mood. 

It was one of those days when I woke up in despair wondering what to do with my long, dry hair. When my dear friend Andie (Andrea Recto Montenegro) called to tell me that her big boss was coming in from Paris, I had the pleasure of meeting the renowned French hair expert Jean Francois Lazartique who, I was delighted to discover, is armed with an unusual passion for achieving "the most beautiful hair in the world" for both men and women.  

Lazartique first earned recognition in Europe and the United States. His brand quickly earned wide acclaim for its truly effective hair care products and their very careful formulation done by Lazartique himself. As such, his products have been the choice of celebrities like Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Elle Macpherson, Harrison Ford, Calvin Klein, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth Hurley, Heather Graham, John Galliano, Bianca Jagger and Denise Richards.  

The history of Lazartique’s obsession with beautiful hair started way back when he was an engineering student growing up in the romantic city of Paris. His mother was a much-sought-after hairdresser in a fashionable salon. This exposed him to the salon business at an early age. 

Right after graduating from a military school, he partnered up with his mother and together they put up their very first salon near the Arc de Triomphe. Not long after, they opened their second branch.  

He worked very hard in researching and mastering the latest salon techniques. As a hairdresser, his greatest moments were seeing the joy on the faces of satisfied customers. His greatest frustration was encountering an overwhelming array of hair health problems that he was unable to resolve using commercial products available in the market at that time. 

"I have been working as a hair care specialist for about 29 years now and my aim has always been to revive and revitalize hair using genuine treatment products geared to individual hair types. We are all different and our hair is different, too," Lazartique said. 

He discovered that most people’s hair and scalps suffer greatly from stress, fatigue, anxiety, sickness and pollution. Such conditions result in dry and oily hair and scalps that eventually lead to a myriad of hair problems as well as distressing hair loss. 

"Everything that is harsh on the body and stressful to the mind will have the same effect on the hair," he added.  Lazartique said one’s hair reflects the general state of one’s health. If you look and feel good, your hair will shine and bounce. If you are going through hard times, your hair will look as dull as you feel.  

"Your hair is one of your major assets. Take care of it on a daily basis, just the way you take care of your skin. Caring for your hair means caring for your beauty. We don’t have an infinite amount of hair, and it is therefore important that it be well looked after," Lazartique advised. 

Founding j.f. Lazartique in 1977 with the development of an unprecedented pre-shampoo treatment formulated with bone marrow in his own kitchen, he further developed products based on the best active ingredients and raw materials available.  

Not only has the presence and availability of j.f. Lazartique products spread throughout France and Europe, it is also being actively distributed in over 60 countries – in Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. 

After over three decades, the brand created by Jean Francois Lazartique has managed to expand and create a network of over 320 diagnostic and advisory centers worldwide. 

One of the highlights of Lazartique’s Asian sojourn was when he saw two Japanese ladies who went to a salon to have their hair colored but instead got severely damaged hair. After trying too many other failed remedies, they had given up and were resigned to their cruel fate.  

"I couldn’t stand to see their pain so I personally treated their hair using my latest products and I was simply awed by their reaction. They were overjoyed and kept touching their hair with so much glee. They were not only relieved but claimed they felt beautiful beyond their wildest expectations. At that moment I was so high and happy," he reminisced. 

Another unforgettable moment for him was the experience of a very young lady born with a very big, hard, kinky and unmanageable head of hair. Since one of Lazartique’s specialties is hair straightening, "I straightened her hair and it changed her life. She was immediately transformed. She developed a new found confidence and beauty like never before. You should have seen the joy on her face. That joyful look is something I will never forget. That for me was the greatest gift I could ever give. It was one of the happiest days for me, too."  

His success in this most fulfilling and glamorous family business is shared by his dynamic wife and business partner Jacqueline. "She is also an experienced hairdresser like me. We used to work together at the salon before we got married," he said lovingly as he stroked his two-toned white and yellow gold wedding band. He added: "She now takes charge of product development and, by the way, she has the most beautiful hair." 

The marketing side, he beamed with pride, is ably handled by his 29-year-old daughter Joy. It isn’t easy being a boss and father at the same time but he handles both these roles with ease.  

Lazartique loves spending the weekend with his family in their country home situated 65 kilometers outside of Paris. There, he tends his garden and enjoys his wife’s exquisite gourmet cooking. Fine French food is his weakness. At times, he spends time in the kitchen experimenting on his ideas and cooking up recipes for his new hair products.  

"Preparing good products is like gourmet cooking. You have to have that certain taste," he said adding that he has also concocted fantastic hair products for men.  

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Dynamic businessman Danilo Dimayuga first discovered Lazartique’s products in Singapore. So impressed was he with the products that he wanted to bring them in immediately. He enthusiastically shared this information with Noemi Casino, who, in turn, couldn’t keep it to herself that she told her best friend Marilou Magsaysay. Marilou wanted to try the products first so she used the entire hair care line on her problem dry hair. True enough, the products worked beautifully. Next, she tested them on her cousin who had a severe case of dandruff. It proved successful. Teaming up with Teresita Lagman and Ma. Victoria Villanueva, the five of them formed a company called Lisse et Cie, Inc. and brought in the French brand in 1993. 

There are two diagnostic and treatment centers located at Rockwell in Makati (898-0921) and Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong (633-7083). Here, j.f.lazartique offers all its clients a unique hair analysis service with the use of a video hair analyzer that looks deep into the hair and scalp to identify specific problem areas. If necessary, a customer is handed a prescription that will address his or her particular needs. 

Today, they are joined by Andrea Recto Montenegro, director for operations, who shares their new attractions. "We offer an extensive array of reliable and premium hair care products that treat all types of hair problems including hair loss, dry damaged hair, oily hair, combination hair, dandruff, limp hair, frizzy hair, straightened or curled hair."  

Have a great hair day!

(E-mail me at miladayjewels@yahoo.com)