Okay, mamas. Meet Rhonda. She’s my friend and also my hair stylist. I met her years ago through another friend whose hair consistently looked so healthy and fabulous that it was starting to secretly tick me off. So instead of envying my friend’s good hair fortune, I finally asked her who was cutting her hair. One month later, I was sitting in Rhonda’s magic chair.

What I really like about Rhonda is that she isn’t one of those fakey-fake, syrupy sweet hair stylists who will tell you exactly what you want to hear, take your Mastercard and send you on your delusional way. If you ask for her professional opinion, she’ll give it to you. She’s never brutal, but she is honest.

I asked her to host this hair forum because she really knows hair but also because she’s funny, she tells a good story and she’s got two teenage daughters so she completely understands the complexities of hair drama. When your hair looks like crap, your mood often goes right along with it.

So, if you need hair wisdom or a product recommendation or a good laugh, you’ve clicked on the right spot.

E-mail Rhonda by clicking here.

Dear Rhonda,

I go to the salon on average once every 4 to 6 weeks for various things. Cut/color on one visit, color only on the second, cut/color/highlight on the third visit, and then just a bang trim. It seems that every time I go in the door, my colorist/stylist changes her prices! Is this how it’s generally done? Wake up one morning and decide to re-price everything? I love the job she does but it makes it really hard to budget my money. Any advice?

Dear Checkbook quandary,

This is a really great question, so thanks for asking it. Your stylist/colorist should have some set prices for various services. At times these prices may vary when prices for color supplies go up for the stylist/colorist. Like most retail stores, a beauty supplier does not send out anything letting stylists know when they’re implementing an increase. Color supplies have become very expensive over the last six months. It might really surprise you to know how much one tube of color costs a colorist. Remember, it’s not just the tube of color you, the client, are paying for. It’s also the experience and knowledge of your stylist/colorist. That’s worth a million if you’ve ever suffered through a really bad color job!

If I were you, here’s what I’d do: Talk openly about your concern with your stylist. Let her know you’re trying to maintain a budget and need to stay within some pre-set boundaries. She’ll certainly appreciate your honesty and should give you a menu of pricing so you’ll know the least and the most you’ll be charged for individual services. I agree with you that it’s very frustrating to get that final charge and be slapped in the face with a whopping amount! But I also bet that when you look in the mirror and your hair looks great, you’ll think it’s worth it and so are you.

Rhonda Moulder is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist at Blue Door & Co. in downtown Bentonville. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at the salon at 479-273-4433. Have a happy hair day.

Dear Rhonda,

My husband gets his hair cut every 2 to 3 weeks. Is this REALLY necessary? It seems a little obsessive-compulsive to me. He says it irritates him if he can feel the hair on his collar. How often should a man have his hair cut? What’s normal?

Dear To cut or not to cut,

Most men get a cut about every 3 to 4 weeks. Usually men’s hair is much shorter and requires more upkeep for it to look “cleaned up”. They also tend to have more hair growing on their neck, which probably does bother them when their collar rubs it.

Now about “normal”… I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong person to answer this one. What is “normal” anyway? My theory is that perhaps the people who accuse others of not being “normal” are really the oddballs after all. Tune in next week for more “deep thoughts” from the mind of Rhonda, the hair mama.

Rhonda Moulder is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist at Blue Door & Co. in downtown Bentonville. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at the salon at 479-273-4433. Have a happy hair day.

Dear Rhonda,

My hair is extremely curly and very difficult to manage. My stylist suggested I get a permanent. Really? A perm? That makes no sense at all to me. If my hair is already curly, why should I curl it more with a perm? Please explain.

Dear Curly Girly,

Your stylist is right! If your hair is curled so tight that you are having a mess to deal with, a permanent wave is the right answer. (A straightener can also be the right answer in some cases.) By rolling the hair on much larger rods, you’ll get a looser curl and one that’s much easier to manage.

The chemicals in the perm solution will literally “break down” the bonds or formation of the hair and “re-form” it to the size and shape of the rods. It’s really cool how this works. Think of it like “Spanks” for your hair – it gives you the shape you really want. It will literally cause your tight curls to soften and loosen up, thereby giving you more control. Sounds to me like you have a good stylist. Talk to her more about it and let her know your concerns.

Rhonda Moulder is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist at Blue Door & Co. in downtown Bentonville. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at the salon at 479-273-4433. Have a happy hair day.