INow that I've bridged the gap from hair color to hair growth, I can get into the multitude of items I have on celebs that have recently reemerged with more hair.  Let's start slow and build by first reporting on the lead singer of No Doubt, GWEN STEFANI.  Just before No Doubt hit it big with their album "Tragic Kingdom", Gwen had very long, straight blonde hair.  By the time No Doubt began showing up on MTV, however, she had changed to her more familiar platinum blonde, shoulder-length locks.  As the last few singles were being released from the album and the band was touring, Gwen cut her hair very short to wild, pixie-ish 'do.  Since then, she has been letting it grow back out and now it has reached her shoulders (don't you wish there was a synonym for that word by now?) in a flippy, winged, layered style, vaguely remeniscent of the feathered glory of the 70s.

Then
 

Now

FLEA'S CALL:   Gwen is actually pretty cute, but since she concentrates more on her music and performance than her looks, it's not always very evident.  That became even more difficult when she went short, since the pixie and subsequent growing out phases weren't especially becoming.  Gwen needs the softer edge that the additional length provides (which is also why the platinum crew cut sported by Joan Jett does NOT work) and this particular style is quite appealing on her...except, of course, for the big blue patch. J

Moving up the new growth scale, we come to country songbird FAITH HILL.  When Faith first appeared on the country music scene, she had the traditional big hair associated with stars of that musical genre.  After her first album and just before her career took off, Faith cut and colored her mass of blond curls into a neck-length, almost platinum version of the layered, tucked style.  As her popularity increased, her hair decreased.  By the time Faith's song "This Kiss" hit big, her hair reached its shortest iteration: an attractive and hip very short shag.  Since that time (and since having her baby), Faith has started moving in the other direction.  She's not only returned to a honey blonde, but grown her curls back to shoulder-length with long layers.

From curls to crop...
 

...and back to curls

By the way, since there wasn't six or eight months between when the TV Guide picture was taken (the first "After") and when she appeared at the CMA Awards (the second after), the additonal 3-4 inches of length you are seeing is a result of extensions.  Oh and thanks to Hal for the TV Guide scan.

FLEA'S CALL:   Though somewhat surprised when Faith made the initial big snip, I didn't bemoan the decision.  Much like Rene Russo, Faith's hair was beautiful, but just not necessarily on her, looking just a bit too "late 80s teen movie high school cheerleader".  The shorter hair definitely changed her image and even if you preferred the old Faith, you have to admit the pixish shag was quite striking.  Even so, she's now appears to be intent on reclaiming her length and I have to say that I much prefer this incarnation of her long style.  Heck, and even if she did cheat, those are some of the best looking extensions I've seen in a while.

ASHLEY JUDD has also been letting her dark wavy locks grow out a bit after several years of wearing various short styles.  The lovely, non-singing Judd has grown her hair into bob with few, if any, layers (then again, what style today DOESN'T have layers in it somewhere) that rests on her shoulders when left naturally curly and below them when pulled straight.  Nothing overly dramatic, just quite a bit longer than it has been anytime recently.

FLEA'S CALL:  Ashley is another one of those women who manage to look good in any hairstyle.  Sure, in the multiple styles and colors she's been through, mid-back to short layers, brunette to blonde (no red, since there has to be one non-henna headed Judd), some flatter more than others, but none look bad.  If, like me, you really like the longer hair on her, enjoy it while you can, since Ashley is rather impulsive when it comes to change.  Remember, the first time she went short was when she was getting her hair styled for an awards show in her hotel room, decided on a whim to lop it off instead of putting it up, and left over a foot of hair on the floor for housekeeping to deal with.  Needless to say, I'm not getting too attached to the length.

One last bit o' hair growth news before I get to the only other haircut related item (of which there was a shocking lack this month).  The ex-Mrs. Jim Carrey, LAUREN HOLLY, has returned to TV on CBS's "Chicago Hope".  Not only does she bring a breath of fresh air to the show, she brings a bunch of blonde hair.  Lauren's stick straight, nearly waist-length locks not only bring her hairstyle almost full circle back to what it was when she first broke into the 'biz (except for the bangs), but give rise to the question, "Just how long HAS it been since I've seen Lauren Holly?".  I mean, I knew she had been steadily growing her hair since she went with the pixie back in 1996 (as evidenced by the pictoral evolution below) and that based on a minimum of a 1/2 inch a month growth it would have grown at least 18 inches in that time, but I really had no clue it had gotten THAT long. 

The growth process until... 
 

...Now

And just for comparison purposes...

1992	1999

Thanks to Dave U. for the "Chicago Hope" screen captures.

FLEA'S CALL:  Though this will almost sound trite coming from me, Lauren's hair looks quite beautiful.  Sure, I liked some of the other iterations, such as the shoulder-length shaggish style in the second picture above, but this is really just stunning.  After going from her natural blonde to red and back and trying every short and medium length style imaginable, she's returned to style that not only looks fantastic on her, but knocks a few years off her appearance as well.  Don't believe me?  Well, does she look closer to 25 or 35?  While you are considering your answer, remember to wish her a happy 36th on October 28th. J

Before we get to Snippets, I do actually have another bit of hairCUT news in the form of the postergirl for nepotism, TORI SPELLING.  If you remember (or care), last year Tori finally realized that her lifelong quest to find the perfect shade of blonde (climaxing with her platinum bimbo bob) was fruitless.  The consequence was a drastic change to a dark red color, shoulder-length lightly layered cut with heavy bangs.  Heck, Tori even grew back her virtually non-existant eyebrows.  The end result was the most flattering hairstyle daddy had ever paid for.  Apparently not satisfied, however, over the summer Tori kept the color, but let her bangs grow back out and shorted the length by about 4 inches to a bob falling just above the chin.

Before	After

FLEA'S CALL:  The appeal of Tori's fish-like countenance (a direct result of eyes that almost appear to be on the sides of her head) continues to escape me.  However, the style in the "Before" picture moved her the closest to "attractive" on my rating scale that she's ever been.  Alas, twas not meant to last.  For some inexplicable and ill-advised reason (if she was advised at all), Tori thinks the bangless bob works better for her.  I say ill-advised because even though Tori's face first appears to be the "wear any style" oval, closer examination reveals that it's closer to triangular, given her somewhat narrow forehead and pronounced jawline.  She needs either bangs or a section of hair swept to the side to offset her forehead and length with volume below her chin so deemphasize her jawline.  In other words, the bangless, chin-length bob is a "90210-no".  Man, I can't believe I wrote that.  Sorry.  

Gwen Stefani picture courtesy Fashion Dish, Faith Hill pictures courtesy TV Guide and Country.Com, Ashley Judd pictures courtesy Reuters, Lauren Holly pictures courtesy  CBS and TVGuide, Tori Spelling pictures courtesy FOX

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