Blow-Drying The Helmet

Also: teasing the bump.

The Bump.

The truth is that looking good enough for public appearances, let alone high-def TV, takes a lot of time, whether you’re married to a prince, aiming to be first lady, or husband of the secretary of state.

The Globe asked several local hairdressers for a professional assessment. How much time would Callista Gingrich need in the morning before she could comfortably hit the campaign trail? Almost to a stylist, they said the “helmet’’ look doesn’t come quickly.

“It takes at least 45 minutes to an hour to do that kind of blow-dry,’’ said Clifford Bouvier, artistic director of Crew International, in Brookline. “She’s really bleached out, and to smooth out over-processed hair you have to do a lot of work. You have to use products that put moisture back in the hair.’’

Helena Cohen, owner of Ardan Medspa + Salon, in Wellesley, said that Gingrich’s hair appears to be teased, and that would add time to the morning routine. “She does that bump on the top that gives it height.’’ Time taken away from kissing babies: about 15 minutes.

Celebrity hair guru Sandy Poirier, at Shag, in South Boston, said Gingrich’s hair might take as long as 90 minutes, although he couldn’t be sure. He contrasted her high-maintenance hairstyle with that of a far better-known public figure: “Look at the Queen of England,’’ Poirier said. “She puts on that hat and she’s out the door.’’

Previously on Callista.

More misery: Contemplate the many horrors of the words "Celebrity hair guru Sandy Poirier, at Shag, in South Boston."