Santa Barbara is a hairy experience for Janet Medford
By Stella Bednarz, Soap Opera Digest, 1988	Home   Cette page en Français

How many women would like to run their hands through Lane Davies's (Mason) hair, and get paid for it ? Though there would probably be quite a few volunteers, the job is filled, by Janet Medford and Valerie Scott, Santa Barbara's hair stylists.

"It's fun, challenging and exciting", says Janet, who's been working on the soap for two and a half years. Janet admits she got her position the easy way, she knew someone in the business who recommended her. Creating the right look for a character is a collaboration between Janet, the actor and the producer, though she admits, "the styles on this show are more or less casual. Because it (the setting) is Santa Barbara, they don't want a lot of "do's"".

Janet's daily schedule varies. "We come in at nine o'clock in the morning and we read over the script and get wardrobe. We need to know what the actors are wearing so we can do their hair accordingly. We wait for them to come in, which is any time after ten. We try to get everybody done before dress rehearsal. During dress, we touch them up. We're on stage for taping and we stay until the end of the show." That could be five in the afternoon or one in the morning, so Janet and Valerie alternate staying late.

Though the stylists enjoy creating different looks for the cast there are certain areas they prefer to avoid, such as coloring and perming the actors' hair. "We prefer the actors do that on their own. We don't want to be responsible because it is so major," stresses Janet. She does frequently trim hair. For instance, Marcy Walker's (Eden) hair only requires a trim every six month.

On the subject of Marcy, many Soap Opera Digest readers have asked about her hair color. "Believe it or not, it is Marcy's real color," Janet reveals. "When I first started working on the show, I kept saying, "I think she colors her hair." I kept looking and she'd come back and her hair would be even brighter, but it was just from being out in the sun." Other readers wonder how Marcy's hair achieves a crimped look. "That's done with a waving iron," Janet says. "It works so good on her hair. That's my favorite look on Marcy."

The men of Santa Barbara are pretty easy to handle, as far as Janet is concerned. Most of the guys take care of their own hair, though some like to have their coiffs blow-dried. Janet is especially fond of Lane Davies's hair. "Lane's hair is really nice. It's a beautiful brown and it just shines, it's so healthy. Obviously, he uses a good shampoo."

Janet offers advice for actors and non-actors alike : "Anyone using hairspray should rinse their hair very well before shampooing. Hair gets dirty very easily, especially if you use hairspray or extra conditioners; pollution collects on it a lot easier. I am a big believer in using a good shampoo. If you're using an excellent conditioner, but not a good shampoo, it doesn't replace what the shampoo takes out. The conditioner should enhance what the shampoo can't do for your hair, like adding moisture or shine."