Bimonthly haircuts

Mary Richardson, co-host of WCVB's local newsmagazine "Chronicle," has been getting her hair done every weekday for the past 28 years at Leon & Company of Belmont . That is, every day except Mondays, when the salon is closed. "That's when I look a little ragged," she says. "Leon is always after me to change my color and cut, to stay current."

Richardson, like most TV anchors, pays special attention to her appearance not only when she's on the air, but also when in public; broadcasting requires that on-air personalities focus on their appearance and image almost as much as the news.

Currently Richardson is wearing her hair in an above-the-shoulder style, and because of high-definition cameras, which exaggerate every flaw, her hair must look perfect. So she gets highlights every three to four weeks, and a cut once a month. "Even when I've experimented, I always go back to Leon," she says. "Leon is big on education and keeping up with trends."

Richardson also swears by ReVive , a luxury skincare brand made with epidermal growth factor, which is available at Neiman-Marcus. "I get a lift from it," she says. "I did a story on it, which sold me. It's my favorite winter pick-me-up," she says about the moisturizing renewal cream that retails for about $150. But, most of all, Richardson attributes her energy and appearance to her daily runs of 3 to 5 miles. "It wakes up my brain and makes my eyes sparkle," she says with a laugh.

Kim Carrigan , co anchor of the FOX25 Morning News , wishes she could get her hair done every six months -- just like regular folks. But her broadcasting job requires that her tresses always look terrific. That means having her hair colored every four weeks, and then, "every other week I go in and get the ends chipped," at Persona Hair Salon on Newbury Street, she says. "The lighting is so strange in TV," says Carrigan. "It's nasty and drying to your hair."

Carrigan's crowning glory always looks great in the morning -- but not necessarily when she first wakes up, at exactly 2:40 a.m. every day. "I shower at home, then put on sweats and a baseball cap," she says. "The rest is all done here at the station. Sometimes I sit in the newsroom with rollers," she adds. Her beauty regimen is simple -- Chanel products to cleanse her face (bought at Macy's); Hydroderm anti-aging formulas (bought online); and Crème de la Mer moisturizer (bought at Saks). (Crème de La Mer, $110 for one ounce, was developed by an aerospace physicist who was a burn victim.)

"I work with a trainer three times a week in Marblehead," Carrigan said. "I am addicted to it -- I have two young children and I need to stay fit. I start off the morning with a protein shake, and I eat a high-protein, low-carb diet. I rarely eat bread, pasta, and rice, except at breakfast, when I have a bowl of oatmeal," she says. "It's God's gift to the world."

Like Carrigan, Randy Price of WHDH-TV has to be concerned with his hair. But forget about Newbury Street; Price gets his done by a barber in Kittery Point, Maine, where he lives.

"But I have to admit -- I do get into the newest products," says Price. "I like Gillette products. Whatever they come out with, I get. I like to support the local team."

Diet and exercise also play a big part in his regimen. "Like everyone else, I'm fighting 'delicious' versus 'healthy,' " he says. "In a perfect world, I'd be vegan."

His biggest weakness? "I love popcorn from the convenience store."

Price exercises daily in his home. "In my business, what you wear, and your health, give you your best physical presentation. Having phenomenal clothes is one thing -- but you need a good hanger to put them on."

How does Frances Rivera , also an anchor at WHDH-TV, combat all those hours of sitting behind a desk? Stairs and walking are a key part of her exercise routine. Says Rivera: "I go out of my way to go up a flight of stairs."

As far as beauty supplies, she's a fanatic about lipstick. "I'm a sucker for lipsticks. I buy them in bulk wherever I go," she says. "I could supply everyone at Channel 7 for the next 10 years. It's kind of a neurosis."

Rivera relies on Suave Herbal Essences hairspray that costs $1.99. "It's dirt cheap and it works." Her favorite makeup brand? "MAC, MAC, MAC," she says, referring to the prestige brand .

She gets her hair styled every three weeks by Kent Newton at Mario Russo Salon. "I just changed my part for the first time in 10 years," she chuckles. "That was a big step for me."

Over at New England Cable News, anchor Beth Shelburne never goes on the air without using Christian Dior's Diorshow mascara. "It costs $23 and it's the best mascara in the world," she says. Along with regular facials and eyebrow-shaping appointments, she gets her hair cut by Rosie Salvador at the Daryl Christopher Salon in Boston every three weeks. Foil highlights and lowlights are also put in every seven to eight weeks.

Shelburne, like all TV anchors, realizes that hair upkeep is a must; many TV viewers have commented on her hair in the four cities around the country where she's held on-air TV jobs. Once, in California, after she had lowlights put into her hair, an angry, eagle-eye viewer sent her a nasty e-mail about her darker tresses.

"You used to be a babe," he wrote. "Now it looks like a skunk crawled on your head and died."

Debbi Kickham can be reached at Debbikkickham@hotmail.com.