2007 Fall

Special Report

Education

Fashion & Beauty

Industry Trends

Fifth International Congress of Hair Research in Vancouver, British Columbia

Explore the World of Hair Fantasy

A New Approach to Hair Extension Grafting

Health Insurance May Pay, says Harvey Russo

pg. 14

pg. 16

pg. 8

pg. 7

The National Hair Journal

VOLUME 11 NO. 43 THE PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATION

OF

HAIR REPLACEMENT & RESTORATION

AND

Lab Hair - Lab Skin, What’s Next? $500 billion will be spent on Regenerative Medicine by 2010 Cambridge, UK, 8/07 - Regenerative medicine is in ‘the vanguard of 21st century healthcare” with a ‘worldwide market for regenerative medicine conservatively estimated to be $500 billion by 2010”, says recent U.S. DHSS report.

Previously the field has been limited by an inability to create tissues in the laboratory that the human tissue accepts as natural and can therefore be fully integrated into the body.

Intercytex Group, plc, a UK based cell therapy company focused on aesthetic medicine and tissue repair, reports completion of Phase I clinical trials (safety) in seven volunteers at a single UK transplant centre, and claims no safety issues have arisen. Five out of the seven patients are showing increased hair numbers. A Phase II clinical efficacy trial on 20 subjects with male pattern baldness is under way in the UK, soon to be fol-

Guyliner Goes Mainstream If girls look good in eyeliner, why not the boys?

Los Angeles, 07/07 - Metrosexuals on the fast track to becoming “Bad Boys”. Regular men are stealing the dark and brooding looks musicians like Dave Navarro, host of CBS’s reality

Also undergoing clinical trials is VAVELTA™, Intercytex facial rejuvenation product intended to improve the appearance of facial imperfections.

VAVELTA™ is a suspension of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) in cell storage medium, for injection into the skin. Fibroblasts are responsible for the production of collagen and, when injected into the skin, they are intended to produce collagen. It is anticipated that preliminary results from these trials will be available at the end of 2007. lowed by further trials using variations in delivery technique under similar conditions. The trial is designed to demonstrate efficacy of ICX-TRC, the hair regeneration product currently under development, its dosage regime and delivery device. It is intended that ICX-TRC will be used by hair transplant centers, dermatologists and plastic surgeons in the treatment of male pattern baldness. If all goes well, they plan to include treatment of patients with female diffuse alopecia. A commercial product is not expected to be available before 2010.

This look isn’t new of course. Silent movie star, Rudolf Valentino’s female fans swooned over his heavily eye penciled image in the early days of moving pictures. Rock bands in the seventies and eighties continued the eyeliner tradition. The most visible current bad boy in guyliner, admired by both men and women, is Pirates of the Caribbean megastar, Johnny Depp. (cont. on pg. 14)

Hair Art Installation Hanover, N.H.- 8/19/07 A massive banner in Dartmouth College's Baker-Berry Library runs the length of the vast foyer, bright green lettering stretching from end to end: made out of 420 pounds of human hair!

The reactions to artist Wenda Gu's latest installation provokes mixed reaction from its viewers: the freaked out and the fascinated.

Sophomore Julian Ng, whos job involves handing out brochures on the artwork and explaining the unrecognizable green lettering that spells the words "educations" and "advertises" says, "A lot of people don't understand that it's hair." When they do, "they get really freaked out."

Hair for the 80-foot-by-13-foot banner was collected over several months last year from 42,000 haircuts of Dartmouth students, faculty, staff and residents in Hanover. It was shipped to China, where workers in Gu's Shanghai studio dyed and shaped the locks into paper-thin panels held together by a film of Elmer's glue and tied together with twine.

Rock Star Supernova show and actors such as Johnny Depp have been displaying for some time. With heavily tattooed parts of the body becoming the norm in the mall these days, average guys are on the hunt for the next hot fashion statement. Startling black outlines around the eyes of the suburban male are showing up everywhere, giving them that rebel, outcast attitude, historically so admired by girls.

A second work, "United Nations: United Colors," displayed in another part of the library, is the latest installations in Gu's worldwide "united nations" project that begun in 1993 and all made from human hair. It is a braid of roughly 71⁄2 miles of hair purchased from wig factories in China and India. Rising from a spaghettilike mass and hanging in long loops on both sides of the library's central corridor, it elicits a generally positive reaction.

Stainless steel medallions attached to sections of the braid dyed in electric colors bear the names of 207 countries. Written backward, the familiar becomes unfamiliar, leaving viewers to puzzle over the letters.

The installations are on display at Dartmouth College's Baker-Berry Library until mid Oct.

Two other products currently under development are ICX- PRO, designed to stimulate active repair in chronic wounds and ICX- SKN, being developed as a skin replacement. In June of this year, Intercytex announced a clinical breakthrough in regenerative medicine at the end of a clinical trial in which “laboratory-made living human skin was fully and consistently integrated into the human body for the first time”. ICX- SKN contrasts with all other living skin graft alternatives which biodegrade after a matter of weeks.

Pink Hair for Hope October is National Breast Cancer Month.

When your client donates $10 to The National Breast C a n c e r Foundation at your salon during September and October, they will receive a free pink hair extension graft courtesy of SO.CAP USA Hair Extensions Pink Hair For Hope Campaign.

Hopefully they’ll want at least two or three! These unique bright pink hair extension grafts signify a unifying bond between women. To learn how to participate call 877-855-HAIR, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation at www.NationalBreastCancer.org and www.PinkHairForHope.com

SKIN HEALTH FALL 2007

Hair Club Shuffle Minneapolis, MN 7/07 - Regis Corp. announced that as of June 28, 2007, Fraser Clarke, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hair Club for Men and Women, ceased employment with the company and its subsidiaries. Darryl Porter, previously Chief Operating Officer of the Hair Club for Men and Women, has assumed this position Porter has served as Chief Operating Officer of the Hair Club for Men and Women since 2005 and also as Chief Financial Officer from 2000 to 2002. From 2003 to 2004 he served as Chief Financial Officer for a national staffing company.

Hair Club is a wholly owned subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Regis Corp. (NYSE: RGS); the largest hair salon operator in the world.

Some of the other famous hair and beauty brands owned by Regis Corporation include Supercuts, Mastercuts, Smartstyle, Cost Cutters, Jean-Louis David and Vidal Sassoon.

TV With a Heart New York, NY, 9/9- Producers from CBS, The Early Show spent two days shooting footage about Wigs for Kids to air sometime in the next few weeks. From ponytail donations to having the piece cut-in on a special little girl with leukemia, this program is sure to touch the lives of many across the nation. For nearly 30 years Wigs for Kids has provided complimentary hair replacement systems to eligible children experiencing hair loss due to medical circumstances such as chemotherapy, alopecia, burns, accidents and more.

Wig for Kids is a non-profit organization, and relies on volunteers, organizations, companies and foundations for support in order to provide hairpieces at no charge. Founder Jeffrey Paul is proud that 91% of the funds raised are used towards programs. For more info contact Susan L. Ross, Executive Director, Wigs for Kids or visit www.WigsforKids.org

NAHA Winners Las Vegas, 7/07 - The Professional Beauty Association announced the winners of NAHA 18. The North American Hairstyling Awards are some of the most prestigious honors for hairstylists.

Hosted by Steven Cojocaru, the event was held at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

Chosen from over 600 entries the 2007 winners are: Master Stylist of the Year, Dusty Simington from Salon Gregorie’s, Newport Beach, CA; Hairstylist of the Year: Allen Ruiz from Jackson Ruiz Salon, Austin, TX and Salon Team of the Year: Pure from Montreal, Quebec

What’s colored in Vegas... stayed inVegas... or did it?

(See pg. 10)

2 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

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How many serious players?

It sometimes seems as if the rest of the world takes hair replacement more seriously than the US. Here at the Journal, we are receiving more and more requests for information from overseas and many of the new products and technologies don’t start their professional life on our shores. What is happening?

Is hair replacement in the US failing to attract innovators and entrepreneurs?

We often hear people say that of the 4500 salons that focus exclusively on hair replacement, under 500 are serious players. These are the people who go to the manufacturers’ shows and conferences. They are the same people who track the new technologies, phone up for information when they do not understand something and participate actively in the life of the National Hair Society. These are not necessarily the biggest shops or the oldest, simply the best run. The time they take to build new skills and read about new developments is not considered a luxury but an investment. These are not the secretive, protective people who won’t talk to you for fear of giving away a trade secret. Rather, they are people who share their success with everyone around them. You know their names and faces. They tend to be a quiet, confident, generous to a fault owners and managers and I wish there were more of them! Show me a secretive, tightfisted, always looking over his shoulder manager; and I’ll show you tomorrow’s failure. Show me, Tom Magliaro, Virg Christoffels or Tim Pfeiffer or - three names that just happen to come to mind, and I’ll show you the expanding businesses of tomorrow!

Cross market or die - We’ve said it before and we’ll keep on saying it. It’s tough to be competitive if you only offer one hair loss solution. I don’t care whether you are a doctor, pharmacist cosmetologist or laser therapist, if you do not combine modalities, you are not going to keep your clients happy. No one today has the time to run around for multiple consultations.

I attend conferences and shows all over the world and one thing is clear wherever I go and whoever I talk to, clients want one-stop shopping. Like it or not, you are now a hair loss supermarket. We all know what happened to the corner store. Unless you are located in a remote country hamlet, country stores don’t feature high on the food chain.

Scientists are today’s cavalry - I attended the Fifth recently International Congress on Hair Research in Vancouver, Canada and I have to admit that I only understood half of every presentation. I did not have the medical or scientific knowledge to follow the research abstracts.

But for three days I sat riveted in the auditorium, realizing that what I was seeing was tomorrow’s hair loss marketplace. As is pointed out elsewhere in the Journal, hair loss is now entering its Fourth Wave; the cellular wave.

Hair loss solutions are now being created in the laboratory. Whether it is the shampoo and conditioner scientif-

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ically tailored for your hair type (Head & Shoulders has nine varieties), light energy that can be directed to stimulate the hair bulb, or hair cells that can be cultivated in the lab, the science is real, lifestyle changing, and just over the horizon. For some, this is a scary time, but I see it as a period of huge opportunity. There is a chasm between the laboratory and the consumer who wants to know what the technology means for them. That’s where established hair loss professionals come in. We know how to talk to with men and women with hair loss.

We’ve been doing it for years. No one else has these skills and relationships.

It’s our future. But if we want to be more than the industry’s foot soldiers, we’ve got to get involved in the science.

Not a tabloid -The summer months saw their fair share of gossip and scandal. A number of our favorite companies said a hurried goodbye to key executives, and some popular industry figures turned out not to be so nice after all. Some readers would like to see us become the National Enquirer of hair replacement and spice up their work week. This would certainly be a lot of fun; after all, Rupert Murdoch is a richer man than me. But that is not our mission. The National Hair Journal is an industry resource. We try to tell you what’s new, what it means to you, and how to find the people who will show you how to do it right.

We’ve been doing this for 10 years now and the formula works. The Journal has never been stronger. We keep thinking we should probably organize a 10th anniversary event of some kind, perhaps a gala dinner, or fashion event or awards ceremony.

Any ideas?

Show time - We are entering the fourth quarter of 2007, a time when everyone traditionally starts work on next year’s marketing plan. Manufacturers and distributors are planning their year end conferences and I urge you to attend as many as your time and budget will permit. Your suppliers have new products to tell you about, I know because I talk to them, and they’re also facing unique challenges as the market changes faster than it ever has before. World shortages of quality human hair, the rising cost of labor in Third World countries, the impact of the Olympic Games next year on China’s traditional hair production centers, all these are things you need to be aware of and manage with the advice of your preferred supplier.

So make your reservations early and find out what’s really going on. And, if you see me at one of these events, please be sure to come up and say hello…

Chris Webb

Editor in Chief Christopher L. Webb

3 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

IT’S A STAND OFF… DO GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES…?

According to a recent Sunsilk.com survey of over 4,000 men, brunettes are the new sex kittens Chicago 7/07 – There is no question that women have come a long way – from heading global companies to reporting from the men’s locker room – but do men’s views on blondes and brunettes still belong in the Ice Age? To get to the root of the debate, Sunsilk™ conducted a national Blonde vs.

Brunette Survey.

Survey Says…

Here’s what more than 4,000 men ages 18-34 said about blondes and brunettes: Valentine’s Day. Ah yes, the biggest date night of the year. More than 65 percent of men would rather spend their money on a romantic dinner

Hello, My Name Is Joe. I’m Your Genetic Counselor!

Boston, MA. 07/07 - Later this year, 10 ordinary members of the public will share their personal genetic information as part of a groundbreaking research study conducted by Harvard

for a brunette than a blonde, and with good reason! Nearly the same percentage (63 percent) said they have a better return on their Valentine’s Day investment with a brunette.

Brunette Ambition. More than 87 percent of men said they have more intelligent conversations with brunettes than blondes and nearly 75 percent plan to marry a brunette, if they haven’t already. Almost 80 percent of men would prefer to bring a brunette home to meet mom.

Stereotypes Live On. Blondes lead the pack in the following categories: * Life of the party (48 vs. 9 percent) * Air head (63 vs. 2 percent) * Gold digger (51 vs. 5 percent) While brunettes’ true colors came through in these categories: * Intelligent (58 vs. 3 percent) * Serious (64 vs. 4 percent) * Good sense of humor (32 vs. 15 percent) Obviously believing in the power of brown, Sunsilk has r e c e n t ly released a new line Beyond Brunette Color Collection™, complete with an upscale soft floral and fruit fragrance.

Their Sunsilk Color Boost™ is the first mass product to use salon brand color technology; it is suggested for non-highlighted brunettes.

next-generation health care providers will be able to target medical treatment directly to patient vulnerabilities.

Collecting data like this has lawyers and human rights activists up in arms since personal information that falls into the wrong hands could have devastating consequences for employment prospects, insurance coverage and even personal relationships. For this reason, information about “marketers” pointing to a major medical condition, will be closely guarded, or perhaps never harvested at all.

However, benign information such as an inherited predisposition to hair loss, is much less threatening, and may enter the commercial arena without those ethical barriers.

It is significant that at the recent Hair Research Conference in Vancouver, Canada, most of the research presented covered interventions at the cellular level. From a medical perspective therefore, to provide prophylactic hair loss solutions, it is merely a question of joining the dots.

University. Every biological detail, inherited, acquired or potential, will be available to researchers participating in George Church’s Personal Genome Project. Armed with this information, the scientists will be able to predict probable future medical conditions. Looking further ahead,

Armed with your genetic blueprint, your personal geneticist should be able to recommend a hair management regimen that will intervene before your hair begins to thin and maintain optimum follicular cellular activity.

Readers who wish to follow George Church’s personal genome Project may visit the project’s website at www.thepersonalgenome.com

4 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

My Road Trip to San Diego

By Heather Simon

These past months I had the chance to visit some of our dedicated Society members in the San Diego area of California. They shared with me news about their clientele and what has worked well for them throughout their years in the hair replacement industry.

A Diva’s Hidden Hair located at 524 Stevens Ave #4 in Solana Beach, CA is owned by Louticia Grier.

I was able to sit down with Louticia and speak to her about what is happening in the ethnic market and learn about her hair replacement systems that she designs. Louticia has supplied many clients with her hair systems for the BET, MTV and Grammy Awards. She has had the chance to touch the lives of many different celebrities.

Louticia Grier

Louticia has two buildings to her salon. On one side of the building area she has her hair replacement systems and designing area.

On the other side of the building is where her clients come to have their hair systems fitted. Louticia wants to concentrate on creating her hair replacement systems and has trained her daughter and other stylists to fit the systems on her clients.

One of Louticia’s systems that I found interesting involves braiding pieces of the clients own hair and putting a tight hair net over it before putting the lace front hair system over it. Louticia Louticia’s Hair Design Systems says she doesn’t want the client to shave off their hair in order to put the hair system over it but to give the hair a chance to rest and grow at the same time. It gives the client a chance to preserve their own hair. Louticia showed me the hair that she makes her systems with and the quality is very good. She provides very nice European hair.

One thing she would like to Store Front- Diva’s Hidden Hair Center address within the ethnic market is the need for lace fronts that match African American Skin. Many of the Asian hair suppliers do not address the fact that there are variations of skin tones for African American scalps. A lot of the companies manufacturer very dark black skin tones for the scalp. Not all African Americans have dark black scalps. Louticia would like to see more manufacturers develop lace fronts that have variations of skin tones for the ethnic clients.

Louticia’s Work Room

I would like to thank Louticia for sitting down to speak with me about her business and concerns within the hair replacement industry. Please visit Louticia’s website at http://www.adivashiddenhair.com.

.

Thick Hair Enhancements owned by Louie Misagal is located at 3852 3rd Avenue in San Diego, CA. He recently joined The Society last December and has been doing well at his newly opened hair replacement studio which officially

working with Louie for a couple of years and was in attendance with Louie at the event that took place at Isaac Brakha’s Hair & Compounds company in December last year. Louie recently hired another associate by the name of Brian.

Most of Louie’s clientele consists of about 65 percent women and 40 percent men. A lot of his business comes from client word-of-mouth. He also used to work at another salon and many of his clientele followed. The studio is nicely decorated. The environment is very friendly and clients can definitely feel at ease. To learn more about Louie’s business, please visit his website at http://www.iwanthairextensions.com.

Louie Misagal

opened on May 1st of this year. He has been very busy since his opening. Louie has been in the hair replacement industry for many years and used to work for Hair Club in San Diego, CA. He

Consulting and Styling Room

Styling Room is an expert in the hair replacement industry.

Louie has 4 assistants working for him in his studio. Eileen is the color specialist. David is another one of the hair replacement specialists that works at the studio as well. Eddie has been

Styling Room

5 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007 Bridget’s Essence of Beauty is located at 3914 Murphy Canyon Road #A228 San Diego, CA and is owned by Bridget Winton. I had the opportunity to sit down with Bridget and find out what new things she has been up to lately. In the beginning, she used to concentrate on styling techniques but her focus is now on hair replacement.

Currently, 90 percent of her business is now hair replacement. She has been a licensed cosmetologist in California and Arizona for 20 years.

Bridget Winton Bridget is an accomplished actress and plus-size model with numerous credits as a beauty advisor. When called upon she devotes her time to the film and television industry as a hair & makeup artist, where she also provides them with her quality hair pieces.

Seminar and Training Room ing where her studio is located. The training room can hold up to 80-100 people. Within her studio she has a smaller training area where she hosts smaller events. Bridget teaches at some of the local beauty colleges and is able to introduce

In Studio Training Area hair replacement options to the students.

Massage and Skin Room

Bridget not only focuses on hair replacement but also offers massage and skin services as well. Her

Bridget’s focus is now on training and so she is moving away from fitting the hair systems to concentrate on holding trainings and seminars in order to make sure that people who are interested in getting involved in hair replacement are given the correct techniques to use extensions and hair

Front Lobby of Bridget’s Essence of Beauty replacement systems. She states that there a lot of people that get into the hair restoration business and do not know what they are doing because they are not given the right methods or trainings.

Many people want to start right away without professional advice because they are interested in making money fast. Bridget says this is not the way to go. She holds seminars within her buildAdvanced Hair Concepts owned by Melinda Beck is located at 5565 Grossmont Center Drive, Medical Office Building One, Suite 202 in La Mesa, CA. I had the chance to visit with Melinda a couple of months ago.

She recently relocated to this new building at the beginning of this year.

She told me that her relocation to this new building Melinda Beck has proven to be very successful. The Grossmont Hospital is located very close to her building up on the hill.

Many patients from the hospital are being referred to Melinda for hair replacement options.

Hallway of Displayed Hair Systems studio is quite large and she is looking to acquire the space next to her so she can open up a day spa.

Bridget is very successful at what she does.

Please visit Bridget’s website at http://www.bridgetsessenceofbeauty.com.

Styling Room

Hallway

Melinda is a Cyberhair dealer and is very successful at what she does. Her studio is very nicely decorated with hard wood floors and has a spa like environment.

Outside Courtyard

For more information about Melinda’s studio please visit her website at www.phathair.com.

Sharon Mason is the owner of New very happy to be able to help people Horizon’s in Alpharetta, GA. I had who suffer from hair loss. the chance to meet Sharon at the IHI Cyberworld Conference in Orlando, When she first began hair replacement FL in March of this year. She recentmost of her clients were men but she ly relocated to the Alpharetta locahas now taken on more women over tion and told me it has proven to be the years. Her clientele consists of 50 very successful. Her business has percent men and 50 percent women. been growing and she has expanded Recently, she has seen an increase in Sharon Mason from 2-6 rooms over the past 3 locayounger clients between the ages of tion moves within the past 19 years. She started 16-26 who suffer from trichotillomania. I asked (cont. on pg. 15) hair replacement in 1988 and informed me she is her if this was perhaps a

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6 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

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7 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Navigating The Muddy Waters of Insurance Re-imbursment Yes! Your insurance MAY cover your hair - A conversation with Harvey Russo

The diagnosis has been devastating, but you’re determined to fight back. A team of experts and the advances of modern medicine are behind you, you’re certain you can win. You decide on the most aggressive treatment. Along with the nausea and malaise of chemo, the specter of hair loss is hanging over you. While many are strong enough to embrace this stage openly, you are feeling increasingly humiliated by the stares from your colleagues, and feel unable to cope.

Your doctor emphasizes a positive attitude is key to your recovery. Braving a new world - you look for a wig or hair replacement to make you less conspicuous at work. In a culture where Viagra and hormone therapy is covered by insurance, you expect assistance for this part of your treatment. Time for some nasty shocks, welcome to the uncharted world of insurance reimbursement!

But some hair loss experts have an above average success rate steering their clients through these muddy waters. One of these experts is Harvey Russo. So, who is Harvey and what does he know that we don’t? Harvey was keen to

Harvey Russo share his tips with us in a recent conversation.

An expert in the hair replacement industry for over 40 years, his early career found him working for industry leaders such as Embassy, Paoruque de Roma and Charles Alfieri. Starting his own hair replacement company in 1979, it evolved into Top Priority, Prosthetics for Hair Loss. Russo has been specializing in custom, hand-made hair replacements for prominent musicians, actors, celebrities and his personal favorites – those suffering from medically induced hair loss. In 1980 Russo became a Blue Cross/Blue Shield provider for medical hair prosthetics, his clients suffer from chemotherapy, alopecia, burns, head trauma, brain surgery and aneurisms. A strong patient advocate, Harvey has always shared his knowledge freely. Russo continues to operate his boutique studio on Fifth Avenue, New York.

NHJ: Harvey, you’re obviously passionate about the subject of insurance reimbursement for hair!

RUSSO: I believe that a client (or indeed any one of us) with a serious diagnosis which will lead to profound hair loss should learn how to take action regarding their hair loss, well before it occurs. It speeds recovery and wellbeing. I work with men, women or children recovering from or under treatment for an illness or injury that causes hair loss. We suggest they investigate the purchase of a good custom-made cranial prosthetic prior to or at the latest by commencement of treatment. Knowing the facts of insurance at the outset makes everything easier, less stressful.

NHJ: How many medical insurance plans cover wigs or hair replacement systems for patients who are losing their hair due to a medical diag-

nosis? We’ve all heard stories about people being turned down by their insurance company, what is your experience?

RUSSO: Insurance Companies are realizing cranial hair prosthesis is increasingly a necessity for those recovering from Alopecia and cancer treatments. Many health insurance plans do now in fact offer up to 80% reimbursement for “medical hair prosthetics” or “cranial prosthetics due to medical necessity”. Prosthetic is a term used by insurance companies and the medical profession to explain the replacement of a body part. If a person requires a “cranial hair prosthesis” while undergoing cancer-related therapy, they may, and I do stress MAY, be eligible for reimbursement under their health insurance plan. It’s all in the language. Ask your physician to write a prescription for a “cranial prosthesis”. If you file an insurance claim for reimbursement for a “wig” instead of “cranial hair prosthesis”, you will very likely be turned down. Your physician should be able to supply all the details and make the referral for the purchase of your hair prosthesis.

NHJ: Does that mean that any wig, as long as it’s called a “cranial prosthesis”, can qualify?

RUSSO: No, prosthetics must be custom-made for the client to qualify for reimbursement and a regular wig would not qualify. It is also essential that the prosthetic is in contact with the scalp and not attached to any existing hair.

NHJ: What’s the next step?

RUSSO: When receiving your hair prosthesis, have your stylist complete an invoice for “cranial hair prosthesis”—not a “wig”—and use the following guidelines for filing an insurance claim: Check the benefits of your insurance.

There should be a section under “covered expenses” relating to prostheses, prosthetic devices or medical durable equipment. Most companies don’t spell out exclusions so pay attention to the actual coverage; this will help your case. Make sure you complete the insurance form and have it signed by your physician.

Request that your physician write a “prescription” for a “full cranial prosthesis” (not a wig) and a letter explaining hair loss and its effects.

Make sure the doctor explains that it isn’t just for cosmetic reasons but for emotional wellbeing as well. Keep copies of your sales or invoices for your cranial prosthesis. (Portions of unpaid items by insurance are tax deductible.)

Enclose a letter to the insurance company stating the necessity of this prosthesis. Some optional suggestions are: include a letter from your employer, take pictures of yourself without hair, hand write a letter detailing the emotional effects that your condition has had on your life, bring a copy of your prescription and paid bill to the American Cancer Society for partial reimbursement. If your insurance coverage is denied, you can appeal it by: asking for review by a medical review board, include the original claim; asking for a written reply as to why the claim was denied; sending a letter to the claims department supervisor.

NHJ: Are there any other savings opportunities or tips you tell your clients?

RUSSO: Any approved medical expenses would be 100% tax deducible and tax free at point of purchase.

NHJ: Would you encourage the client to touch base with their tax accountant?

RUSSO: Yes and additional service appointments for the up-keep of the prosthetic may also be itemized as a tax deductible medical expense.

NHJ: Any tips for those who do not have health insurance?

RUSSO: If you don’t have insurance, contact your state or county agencies. The county department of social services offers medical assistance in many states for individuals who meet certain income guidelines.

NHJ: What kind of hair do you use for cranial hair prosthetics?

RUSSO: We use the Ultra-hair method I developed as we can reproduce our client’s unique style down to the minutest detail. Through the use of “the ultra-hair blend” and “the ultra hair ironing method”, the sets are permanent and can last for the life of the prosthetic if properly maintained. Unlike human hair, it remains color fast. It is easily washed and fast drying without traditional hair dryers. The benefits of synthetic materials are several; heat-sets memory into the fiber, enabling the style to last indefinitely.

NHJ: Does the insurance company care what type of hair is used in the prosthetic?

RUSSO: .Many large insurance providers require that medical hair prosthetics are made out of synthetic materials for reimbursement.

Synthetic fiber provides a stable material without the organic quality variables of human hair and does not carry the labor-intensive processing costs of human hair.

NHJ: Any last comments?

RUSSO: These steps are for reference only.

Remember to follow the procedures outlined by your insurance company to receive the fullest benefits possible.

NHJ

Wanted by Michael Garcia & Associates

COMPANIES WITH COMMITMENT TO GROW This is a critical period of confusion and transition in the hair management industry.You may not be aware, but this industry is in the midst of a second stage change and the old ways are being rightfully challenged. In my experience there are two types of companies: those who still operate within their historic boundaries business as usual, and those who are dismantling the existing ‘mind set’and go beyond - with commitment to grow.

Alternative Future - Internet.

I have coined Garcia’s Law, which states that “the most successful companies in the hair management business regardless of physical infrastructure, will attain a 5% increased market share from Internet traffic by December 2007.” With my proven track record to plan, launch and measure Internet campaigns effectively and grow a relatively high ROI, the question isn’t whether to be online or not, but rather how to capitalize on The Power of Internet Marketing which is yours for the taking!

The Joy of Being Found.

Instead of having to identify prospects and write follow-up letters, all which takes time effort and money, in a reverse of fortunes,your prospects will find you. And because your prospect made the first contact, the conversation starts at a different level; they have a particular need, and have already determined that you might fill that need. Are you with me in the traffic?

You should be!

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8 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

EDUCATION

7

Thin Skin Hair Extensions Grafting Method

By Dawn Harrison This technique is best used on women with baby fine, fragile hair. It allows the client to wear her grafted extension for 58 weeks. You can customize the colors by using a variety of shades on the same client. No cutting or shaving the client’s hair is necessary.

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7&8. Un-pin the newly created Graftable thin skins strip from your mannequin and trim off the excess red liner tape, making sure the corners are trimmed to rounded edges.

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1. Select two different colors of any manufacturer’s brand of thin skin poly based hair extensions that match your client’s hair colors

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2. Pin 1/2” wide red liner tape sticky side facing you, onto a mannequin

9. Trace the strip against the client’s scalp, using a watercolor pencil, where you will be grafting it. Section off all surrounding hair with clips.

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10. Peel off red liner film from extension, apply a very thin, even layer of Max Grafting Solution to extension, on top of sticky side of tape.

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4 11. Apply a thin even layer of Max Grafting Solution over client’s hair and scalp within the traced outline. Wait 4-5 minutes to allow the grafting solution to cure.

12 3 & 4. Peel off white tape liner from thin skin P/U extension, and apply first thin skin to the lower half of the red liner tape, securely sticking it on.

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5. Apply the second thin skin directly above the first, to create a 1/2” wide, bi-color thin skin strip

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6. Press thin skins firmly onto red liner tape

12-13. Apply extension to client’s head, pressing firmly, creating an airtight, watertight seal.

The result is a very flat, virtually undetectable extension that does not rely on the traditional “hair-to-hair” attachment method. Grafted Extensions are attached “skin-to-skin”.

For more information on Non-Surgical Hair Graft Technology, please call 1-800-300-0498 NHJ or visit www.invisiblehair.com

9 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

SOLVING THE TRANSPLANT PUZZLE What the non-surgical industry can learn from the surgical industry

By Steven DiManni Much has been written about “convergence” in the hair management market; the coming together of different hair loss solutions to provide clients and patients with a program tailored to their specific circumstances. While convergence makes a lot of sense, it is unrealistic to expect that the rivalries and competitive spirit between different hair loss disciplines should disappear overnight. In fact, it’s healthy that this competition persists, since this is what encourages innovation.

In 1998, the industry reacted with alarm to the introduction of Propecia. Sy Sperling, Hair Club’s president, and the industry’s top spokesperson, went on the Letterman Show to ridicule its supposed side effects. Then there were the traditional hair replacement companies that built their business by asking clients, “do you really want to go under the knife?” and making them anxious about hair transplantation. More recently, the industry has shown some skepticism about low level laser light therapy, despite compelling scientific evidence about its effectiveness.

Today, as cosmetic surgery gets more and more media exposure and surgeons become stars, it is not surprising that the traditional hair replacement should be asking itself how it became cast as Cinderella, and what it will take to get invited to the ball. In this article, Steven DiManni shared with NHJ some of the lessons that can be learned from the PR efforts of hair transplantation and points out that hair systems still offer benefits the no other product can match.

Hair transplants are considered the “gold standard” of hair restoration by most everyone.

They’re a medical procedure, they’re expensive, they produce growing hair, and they have widespread cultural acceptance.

Compare them to non-surgical procedures, which are performed by licensed beauticians and barbers, are relatively inexpensive, and are widely stigmatized by most everyone culturally.

But are we comparing reality? Or perception?

Whenever I think of transplants I recall a leading Miami transplant surgeon who once told me

that the best results that a majority of men can hope for from a transplants is to produce the appearance that the man is losing his hair—albeit an earlier stage of hair loss than before the transplants.

This doctor went on to explain that it is medically impossible to create a full head of growing hair since the amount of hair that can be transplanted is fully dependent upon the donor area.

Since most good transplant surgeons don’t want to create a bald spot in the back of a man’s head, they’re limited in the results they can achieve. It’s either create light density over the entire top of the scalp, or heavy density in a smaller area.

Hmmm, the gold standard of hair replacement is a surgical process that makes you look like you’re still going bald? That doesn’t sound quite right, does it?

And then, you consider some of a hair transplant’s other liabilities such as cost, the pain of surgery, the time lost from work, and the fact that no matter how expertly performed, most people can still tell it’s a transplant. So….this is the gold standard? I personally find that very puzzling.

The fact is that a combination of good luck, and good management in marketing, has helped transplants achieve the status they enjoy. Could the non-surgical hair replacement industry learn a thing or two from its surgical counterpart? Can it solve the puzzle to help move the non-surgical business forward?

Good luck vs. good management The good luck that the transplant industry enjoys is that it’s a medical procedure performed by doctors. Physicians enjoy enormous credibility in this country, as you well know. And it is the physician who “sells” the transplant. Now, how often do you say “no” to your doctor?

Beyond this, every hair transplant commercial or infomercial that I’ve ever seen has a doctor as the presenter. Given the high credibility that physicians enjoy, is it any wonder that this “pitch doctor” comes off as extremely believable and sincere?

So basically, the viewer watching a transplant infomercial or commercial is gong to attach extreme importance and value to everything that is said. Very few commercials for other industries enjoy that advantage.

And the good management?

Hair transplant commercials and infomercials tend to very focused on the product. You’ll see many close-ups of the transplant surgeon’s handiwork. You’ll see diagrams and graphics that show how the procedure is performed. You’ll even hear a few testimonials from satisfied patients.

What you won’t see is lifestyle shots of a man and woman walking arm-in-arm along a promenade. You won’t hear a man telling the audience how the transplant got him a new job. And you won’t view a beautiful woman rubbing her hand through the transplant patient’s hair.

These are all smart moves. The best advertising emanates from the product itself and doesn’t rely on borrowed interest. The mindset of most transplant commercials/infomercials is that the viewer already knows the advantages of having hair, so they don’t have to be sold on that. What they do have to be sold on is that transplants are the best way to restore hair. And that becomes a total product story.

Forget the negatives I’ve never seen a transplant commercial that addresses some of the negatives associated with transplants. There’s no blood and gore, no talk of recovery time, and no warnings that the procedure is entirely dependent upon the patient’s amount of donor hair to be successful.

Instead, they talk of the “miracle” of today’s transplants without mentioning the liabilities of the transplants offered years ago. Again, the transplant industry is constantly focused on the product and its advantages, while never bringing up some of the negatives that have always been associated with transplants.

Find an enemy One transplant infomercial I saw showed a men’s hair graft upside down, displaying the base to the camera. The pitch was that all men’s non-surgical procedures are no more than toupees and wigs glued or sewn to a man’s head.

Another commercial, with the same message, showed a puffy, full-head wig on a head form, and lambasted anyone who believed anything that was said about hair systems, weaves, etc.

Obviously, the transplant industry believes that the non-surgical business is its competition and

wants to dismiss it in its entirety.

Where does that leave the non-surgical business?

The key word, I believe, in describing transplant commercials/infomercials would be “assumptive”.

They Steven DiManni assume that the viewer already knows that he’ll look and feel better with hair than without it. They assume that the viewer has never heard any of the negatives about transplants. And they assume that anything other than a transplant is highly dubious and ineffective.

However, taken that stand, we can build quite a case for non-surgical hair restoration. First, it provides full cosmetic coverage; second, the results look better than any other alternative; third, the process is performed by licensed industry professionals; finally, there’s no pain, no loss of work time, and no ambiguity about the results.

Concentrate on our product and its advantages If you look at a hair graft, properly cut in, and a transplant side-by-side and ask men which looks better, the majority are going to say the hair graft: it looks more natural than even the best transplants. This is truly our best selling point.

(Though in comparing the two, I certainly wouldn’t bash transplants the way the transplant industry lashes out at non-surgical methods.)

In fact, if you go back to my earlier thought about showing a transplant side-by-side with a hair graft, you’ll see what I mean about the advantages of sticking to a product story. Even in an extreme close-up shot, you never see a base. So there’s no need to address the issue since in all probability, it’s not in the mind of the viewer. Why bring up or infer a negative?

What I’m saying is that just as the hair transplant industry doesn’t get into negatives about their own product, neither should we. We don’t have to show shots of a man with a hair graft riding a jet ski to prove that it’s secure.

Why even bring up the implication that the viewer should be concerned about security in the first place?

Be assumptive We don’t have to get involved in lifestyle scenarios as so many hair replacement commercials have in the past. We should make the assumption that each and every person who watches our commercial or views our ad is aware that it’s better to have hair than not to have hair. (cont. on pg.. 17)

10 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Beauty Shines at Cosmoprof

By Heather Simon It was an event not to miss and I was there to cover this conference for The National Hair Journal. 699 exhibiting companies and more than 25,000 attendees were at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from July 1517th. This event encompassed all sectors of the beauty industry in one venue.

This event was a forum for beauty companies and professionals who are trying to expand their distribution and attempt to enter the North American market. There were cutting-

Discover Beauty assists emerging brands to find the proper market, while spotlighting the newest trends for retail buyers.

Discover Beauty participants had the opportunity to meet with buyers from North America’s top retail institutions such as Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Sephora, Nordstrom, etc. I had a chance to speak to the owner and creator of Just Good For You, which features an organic skin care line from Germany containing a natural fragrance of wild rose in a body cream, body oil, and a milk cream bath.

There were many companies presenting great skin care products. The focus was on products that contained organic ingredients such as Ahava, the ‘essential dead sea treatment skin care line.’ There was also a skin care company from Brazil called Vita Amazonia which featured products containing ingredients from the Amazon. Some companies demonstrated LED Photopulsation, light technology designed to help diminish the visible appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots on the face, neck and body by promoting collagen firmness. LED light passes through the skin to increase blood flow.

edge companies in the cosmetic, wellness, spa, hair care, skincare, nails, product development and packaging industries. The show featured international ‘Country Pavilions’ which included Thailand, Brazil, Italy, France and China among others.

Several exhibits caught my attention. Berjang USA Inc. located in Los Angeles, CA, offered beauty products for men and women and intriguingly… for children. The company offers a perfume line just for children with distinctive and original packaging.

Another unusual product came from Betty Beauty. If you haven’t already seen the photo on the front page of this edition of The Journal, I invite you to check out www.bettybeauty.com.

Vanina Aronica and Phillipe Mercier from Vita Concepts, France Vita Concept came all the way over from France. They manufacturer the number 1 Anti-Hair Loss Treatment in France which includes a 2 step process of a lotion and nutritherapy capsules. They have been in business since 1991 and provide natural and organic products.

Blinx Bling developed by Silly Stuff in 1997 uses an innovative and patented system in which small crystals let your hair appear in a new gloss and can very simply and firmly be attached in your hair. The crystals are drawn simply in the hair and can simply be removed from the hair and used again. Silly Stuff uses genuine Swarovski crystals.

You would not expect anything less from the Hair U Wear Exhibit. It was a great display and, as always, everyone seemed to be buzzing around the booth. This was a chance for women to experiment with different hairstyles, and they were quick to take advantage of it. There’s no question about it; hair extensions are still hot!

Next year’s Cosmoprof North America conference is planned for July 13-15th, 2008 at NHJ the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

11 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

New Image European Symposium, Barcelona 2007

By Oscar R. Urzola Whenever feasible, The National Hair Journal personally covers all major events for our readers. We couldn’t be in Barcelona in the Spring, but we asked Oscar Urzola, New Image’s European and International guru, to tell us what happened and what the atmosphere is like at an International event of this nature. Oscar has the most astonishing career, he travels constantly all over the world - watch out for an upcoming issue when he gives the Journal an exclusive on his busy life and work. Meanwhile enjoy these excerpts from information Oscar Urzola sent us about the Barcelona Symposium hosted by New Image.

In May, New Image hosted its second annual European Symposium in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain, at the prestigious Hotel

Mr. Michel DeBaly of the Norgill Group in France shared his accomplishments in combining the NX GEN skin effects with surgical hair transplant procedures, making the Norgill group the largest and most successful hair replacement and transplant company in Europe.

Now that our attendees were hungry for more, Mr. Tony Sciara and Mr. Thomas Hoyer of Norway introduced the new FlexForm technology, “The Alexia”. After a typically delicious Spanish lunch and a little “siesta”, the day continued with an introduc-

Rey Juan Carlos I, located on Barcelona’s main avenue, The Diagonal. Barcelona has over 50 museums and is a major economic center with one of Europe’s principal Mediterranean ports. This rich cultural heritage makes Barcelona one of the hottest tourist destinations, worldwide.

Some of the top hair replacement specialists from Europe, Middle East, South America, Far East, and the Ex-Soviet Republic participated in the event, representing over 20 countries. Attendees from exotic places like the Canary Islands, Luxemburg, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Hong Kong, Argentina, Brazil and Poland were treated to technical presentations, hands-on demonstrations, new products and also new selling techniques, all from an elite group of instructors.

New Image Hires Marketing Specialist West Palm Beach, FL - New Image Labs announced the addition of Tracy Crumb in the role of Marketing Specialist. Ms. Crumb will be implementing marketing campaigns to support multiple corporate initiatives.

Before coming to New Image Labs, Ms. Crumb provided graphic design Tracy Crumb and account management services for Quantum Communication, PDG Consulting & WXXI Public Broadcasting in New York.

Ms. Crumb’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design and Marketing, with a minor in Photography (from Mercyhurst College, 2004).

Rhonda McCarthy named new On Rite Business Development Manager

(L to R) Mr.Gilberto Febles and Model, Mrs. Maria Branis from Greece, Mr. Mihaly Szegedi from Austria, Mrs. Gerda Khan from Austria, Mr. Michel De Baly from France, Mr. Uri Gross from Israel, Mrs. Penny Zigali from Greece, Silvia Hofer from Austria, Mrs. Nuria Escabet Farre from Brazil, Mr. Gerard McAleavy from England.

Mr. Fredd Hoyer from Norway, Mrs. Chantal Smedts from Luxemburg, Mr. Lars Berg from Sweden and Mr. Alex Adorian from England

ON THE MOVE

Gilberto Febles and Tony Sciara

tion of “Skin Wefts”; Gilberto Febles again scoring high points for his presentation of this new hair extension program.

Due to the high number of first time attendees and by popular demand, we re-visited the NX Gen skin effects and had an instructional class on “How to Master this Product” Taking the stage to demonstrate on live models were Mr. Guido Pujol from Argentina and Mr. Fredd and Thomas Hoyer from Norway.

To conclude the first day of the Symposium, Oscar Urzola presented his basic, simplified approach to program selling, with the introduction of “Selling Techniques Made Simple”.

On the social side, New Image hosted a cocktail dinner and treated us to the sounds of Spanish guitars, accompanied by an unforgettable night of Flamenco dancers and

Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The On Rite Company has promoted Rhonda McCarthy to the newly created position of Business Development Manager.

Previously, she held the title of Director of Sales at On Rite. In her new position, Rhonda will work directly with hair replacement studios to help them further their growth objectives. She’ll concentrate on helping them develop marketing initiatives to Rhonda McCarty attract new male and female clients by utilizing all elements of the marketing mix, from public relations to direct response advertising to data base marketing. Rhonda began her career in the hair replacement industry in 1992 with Hair Club for Men. She was a general manager for several Hair Club studios before becoming a Regional Director of Sales and Operations for locations that included Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Palm Beach. McCarthy joined On Rite in January, 2006.

We kicked off Sunday morning with a welcoming speech by the President of New Image, Mr. Tony Sciara, who shared New Image’s pride in being the leader in innovative products and techniques revolutionizing our industry.

Dr. Bernstein has been promoted to Clinical Professor

Attendees were introduced to “Loop ‘N Lock”, New Image’s most recent contribu-

NewYork, NY - Hair transplant surgeon Dr. Robert M. Bernstein M.D., has been promoted to Clinical Professor by the Department of Dermatology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University in New York. This promotion was based on Dr. Bernstein’s teaching, lectures, research, original scientific papers, and outstanding patient care.

Robert M. Robert M. Bernstein M.D Bernstein, MD, FAAD, is an attending physician at the New York Presbyterian Hospital and specializes in surgical hair restoration.

Dr. Bernstein joined the staff at Columbia in 1982 as an Assistant in Clinical Dermatology, after completing his training

singers, bringing the true ambiance of Spain to our guests.

(LtoR) Thomas Hoyer, Oscar Urzola, Michel De Baly

tion to the hair industry. Who better to do this presentation on a live model, than Mr. Gilberto Febles! Displaying his usual skills and charisma, Gilberto amazed the audience.

Not long ago, the idea of organizing an International European hair replacement symposium, exclusively for professionals, seemed an impossible dream. With a lot of dedication and teamwork at New Image, we took up the challenge and built a tool for communication, for developing know-how, for promoting innovations and for building better business relations.

Our 3rd Europe Symposium is already scheduled for May 2008 in Mykonos, Greece. Hasta la vista!!!

as Chief Resident in Dermatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, N.Y. In 2000 Dr. Bernstein was promoted to Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University, he also holds an MBA from Columbia, a degree he received in 2004. Dr. Bernstein is Board Certified in Dermatology and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery. For his pioneering hair transplant techniques, Dr. Bernstein received the Platinum Follicle Award, the highest honor bestowed by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Lexington International hires new Director Boca Raton, FL - Melissa M. Lallo, recently joined Lexington International, home of the HairMax Laser Comb, as their Director of Commercial Marketing. Lallo earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in International Business from Lynn University, moving to Paris, France to earn her Master of Business Administration with specialization in Luxury Brand Management from The Paris Graduate School of Management/ESG. In 2003, Lallo launched a clothing line, SIMARA, in Boca Raton, Florida. The clothing line quickly Melissa M. Lallo evolved into American Logo Company, a full service logo, silk screen and promotional goods company, which she sold in May 2007.

During that same time, Lallo was also a Managing Partner with one of the largest hair salons in Boca Raton, Florida, and is a Professor of Business at Lynn University, her core areas are Entrepreneurship, Marketing Research, Retail Environment and Product Development.

Bosley Does Kansas Kansas City - 8/07 New Bosley Surgical Office Location. Bosley has opened a new state-of-the-art surgical office to serve Kansas City, Missouri and surrounding area patients. The new office is located at 460 Nichols

Road, Suite 350, Kansas City, MO 64112. Bosley is celebrating 33 years in the field of hair restoration, and told NHJ their physicians have now done nearly 200,000 procedures.

12 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Benergy names Nioxin Employer Of The Month ®

Atlanta, May 2007- Nioxin® Research Laboratories, the leader in professional skin therapy for the scalp and hairstyling products, has been named Benergy Employer of the Month. Recognized for its sustained professional growth and success, Nioxin® has also been honored for implementing an effective, userfriendly online employee benefits forum.

By utilizing Benergy’s information-hosting services, Nioxin continues to improve internal communication, efficiency and information flow.

Benefits services through My Benergy.

Nioxin® is a provider of advanced skin therapy for treating the scalp to improve the appearance of fine and thinning hair.

Founded in 1987 by Eva Graham, this

“Nioxin is extremely proud to be recognized as a Benergy Employer of the Month,” said Art Hansen of Nioxin. “A simple examination of past Employer of the Month winners confirms the prestige of this award and reinforces the value of our relationship with Benergy. Moreover, Benergy has helped us respond to our employees’ needs. And that’s extremely gratifying.”

Benergy is a Human Resources solutions provider that designs and hosts streamlined Internet- based applications for employee benefits and health management.

privately-held company has been dedicated to providing education, training and products for the professional salon industry around the world, and is distributed throughout 39 countries on six continents.

Previous winners of the Benergy Employer of the Month award include J.D. Powers, The American Lung Association, Heidrick & Struggles, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and Heineken US. Nioxin® is one of over five thousand companies that utilize the On Line

Benergy™ is a division of OnlineBenefits, an A.D.A.M. company (nasdaq: adam), and it is a leading provider of web-based solutions serving the benef its and health management needs of brokers, employers and employees/benefit consumers.

JUST ONE STITCH IN TIME... MAKES FACELIFT PATIENTS FINE! Beverly Hills, CA - For those men and women who aren’t quite ready for a full facelift but still desire a more youthful look, there are many options being touted at medi-spas and physician’s offices as the latest and greatest.

Everything from radio-frequency devices, threads, cosmetic fillers and more have all proven to be temporary at best and disappointing for most people in the long run.

Los Angeles Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Renato Calabria, M.D., F.A.C.S. developed a procedure called the One Stitch Facelift that he says can give patients the long lasting youthful results they desire. Dr Calabria, is Board Certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, San Diego. As part of the voluntary faculty for the Department of Plastic Surgery at USC, he helps train the next generation of surgeons.

“The concept for this procedure was originally inspired by an old Hollywood beauty trick in which actresses used tape to pull loose skin upward, for a smoother, younger look,” says Dr. Calabria whose Beverly Hills office sees many “A-list” actors and actresses who don’t have the time in their schedules for the long recovery a full facelift requires. “My technique is taking that original beauty trick to create a more permanent result.”

According to Calabria, what makes the One

Stitch Facelift unique is that it does not use any external synthetic threads to hold the tissue in place. Instead, by overlapping the patient’s own tissue (loose skin over fat and dermis) he creates a natural anchor that holds the muscles and tissue in place to form a more youthful look. This natural anchor is strong enough to hold the tissue indefinitely, as opposed to some of the highly touted “thread lifts” and non surgical facelifts which use a few simple threads or sutures that have proven to not be able to bear the weight of the face, resulting in puckering of the skin and breaking of the threads.

During this one-hour procedure, a small incision is made in the temporal area through which the entire procedure is performed. The loose skin is de-epithelialized, tunneled and tightened and then overlapped onto the fat layer that is then anchored securely under the hairline. Because the overlapped dermis and fat are stitched together underneath the external tissue, together they provide a much stronger anchor for the face and can hold the tension. The original incision is then closed, leaving the patient with only one stitch externally and, within a week or two, there is apparently almost no visible sign of surgery. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, with no sedation so the patient can drive themselves home afterwards if desired. The procedure is supposed to be optimal for patients concerned with the long downtime of other surgeries; patients who don’t want to go under anesthesia; younger patient who desire a mini-lift or even older patients who just need a “touch-up.”

“Swelling is minimal, generally there is no bruising and patients can return to work the next day. The One Stitch Facelift can, in some ways, be considered the first ever ‘natural’ facelift,” added Dr. Calabria. “We don’t add any unnecessary sutures or threads to the mix. We only use what the patient already has naturally”

13 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

14 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

The National Hair Journal PROMOTING

Medical Section

COOPERATION BETWEEN THE ARTISTRY OF HAIR REPLACEMENT AND THE SCIENCE OF HAIR RESTORATION

biostimulation is believed to promote micro-circulation, activate cells in the epidermis and in the case of your hair, extend the androgen, or growing, phase and sometimes “jumpstart” dormant cells. But cellular research does not stop there. For over seven years, scientists around the world have been exploring a new field, cell multiplication. Leading laboratories, Aderans Research Institute, USA and InterCytex, UK have successfully demonstrated that hair cells may be harvested, cultivated and multiplied in vitro and then injected back to a different part of the donor’s body without deleterious side effects. There are estimated to be 40 laboratories worldwide now working on cellular solutions to hair loss.

CELL-BASED HAIR LOSS RESEARCH -THE FOURTH WAVE A Report from the Fifth International Congress on Hair Research The North American Hair Research Society held its Fifth International Congress of Hair Research in Vancouver, British Columbia earlier this summer. Seasoned researchers and young investigators from all four continents came together to help direct the future of hair research in what was the largest scientific hair meeting ever. In the words of Jerry Shapiro, MD, Conference Chair, and George Cotsarelis, MD, NAHRS President, “The purpose of the conference was to bridge the basic scientist and clinician in their pursuit of helping patients with hair diseases. This exchange of ideas has a major impact on the field of trichologic medicine, and helps determine directions of research. It stimulates interactions and development in the field.” The principal corporate sponsors were Johnson & Johnson health care products, Unilever, L’Oreal Recherche, P&G beauty, Shire, SkinMedica and Barrier Therapeutics.

Propecia, an oral medication containing finasteride, followed shortly after. Both drug companies have since evolved their products and restructured their marketing efforts, but they remain the only medications officially approved to grow hair. A new foam delivery system was introduced by Johnson & Johnson in 2006, offering greater ease of application, less irritation and better absorption benefits.

The health care products division of McNeilPPC Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson, was in Vancouver to present this enhanced product to doctors and researchers. Low level laser light therapy is the new kid in town.

The power of light - light therapy has been around for years, but it was only when Lexington International demonstrated to the satisfaction of the FDA that their HairMax LaserComb could grow hair that this technology began to receive serious attention everywhere. There are still skeptics, but significantly R. Rox Anderson, MD from the Wellman Center for Photo Medicine,

Combination therapies - despite the spectacular advances in cell-based research, experts agree that for the foreseeable future most hair loss solutions are likely to be based on a combination of procedures and therapies. The most probable synergistic pairing is likely to be low level laser light therapy combined with cell multiplication. Already, light therapy has been shown to “jumpstart” newly transplanted hair into the anagen phase, and it would seem logical that it would deliver similar benefits to newly injected “multiplied” hair cells.

Strangers are defining your future -Your future, and possibly livelihood, is being defined by research already underway in leading laboratories around the world. Your clients now look to science to solve everyday problems, including their health, physical appearance and aging. Media coverage of new technologies has moved medical research from the back room to center stage. In today’s technology-driven world, research is now glamorous.

If you do not offer the latest technology, your clients will find someone who does.

Cellular level - the hair industry is now entering its fourth wave. First came wigs and toupees, which owned the market until the early 1980s when cosmetic surgeons perfected hair restoration. Hair transplantation progressed slowly at first, but grew steadily and overtook hair systems by the turn of the century. Hair regrowth drugs were the third wave.

After the FDA stepped in to outlaw sham remedies, Pharmacia & Upjohn stepped in with serious research and demonstrated that minoxidil, applied topically could grow hair.

To illustrate some of the topics discussed at the fifth international Congress on hair research the following is an extract from the program: • Hair Pigmentation • Hematopoietic Stem Cells • Mesenchymal Stem Cells • Melanocyte Stem Cells • Tissue Engineering • Lasers and the Future • Pathology: Animal and Human • Loss/Ectodermal Dysplasias • From Bench-top to Bottle • Morphogenesis/Follicular Cycling • Follicular Growth Controls • Chemotherapy Induced Hair Loss • Hair Treatments: What’s on the Horizon?

• Shape of Hair/Hair Shaft Abnormalities • Nutrition and Hair Growth NHJ

Beauty now technology driven - hair research

Guyliner (cont. from front page) Pete Wentz, bad boy of the trendy band, Fall Out Boy, which releases tracks with catchy titles like “The Carpal Tunnel Of Love”, has worn eye makeup since his band burst onto the scene in 2003. “I think guyliner has had a resurgence because of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow,” Wentz recently told People, adding that he wears it himself to “test boundaries.”

Science & beauty converge - While hair salon and restoration clinics owners may find it easy to dismiss advanced scientific conferences like this as irrelevant to their day to day business, nothing could be further from the truth. As the Journal has repeatedly observed, the beauty industry and the scientific community are converging - and hair loss professionals are caught right in the middle. The “looking good” market of tomorrow is going to be driven by science, not by sales or marketing, and The International Congress on Hair Research is where that science is put on display. In this article, we will try to summarize some of the key trends and highlight their significance.

On the program - The three-day event covered basic science topics such as: gene delivery, follicular neogenesis, hair pigmentation cycling, stem cells, immunobiology, keratins and senescence. In addition, clinical topics such as pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, cicatricial alopecia, and hormonal regulation of the hair follicle were a major focus. Practical topics such as laser hair removal and hair restoration were also presented.

The record turnout included the world’s top hair loss authorities, researchers from prestigious academic facilities, senior executives from pharmaceutical and personal care companies and suppliers of medical equipment. There were relatively few hair restoration surgeons in attendance and virtually no non-surgical hair replacement professionals.

biology of hair loss; medical clinics will have to integrate light therapy into their practices and cosmetic surgeons will have to get used to the idea of cell multiplication and clinical robotics. Scary? Only if you fail to keep up with the market. But for those people who embrace change and understand that the hair loss market has now entered the fourth wave, the cellular wave, things have never looked better!

Keith Richards, with the face of an ancient rebel, wears eyeliner and it gives him an edge. Even Canadian figure skating champion Emmanuel Sandhu wears it, and he looks stunning.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, perhaps the leading laser expert in the world today, endorsed the technology in a presentation headed “Lasers and the Future.” In the respected publication, “Photomedicine and Laser Surgery” the editor-in-chief, Raymond J. Langzafame, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S., noted the FDA clearance of the LaserComb and observed that, “these innovations are similar in their potential importance as were the cases of the development of the personal computer relative to mainframe computer systems, or the earlier case of the transistor radio and its vacuum tube predecessor.” His editorial also noted that top personal care companies like Procter & Gamble, have partnered with laser/radio frequency technology researchers for home use products to treat various conditions, including fine lines and wrinkles, age and sunspots and cellulite. Gillette has partnered with a medical device manufacturer for an over-the-counter light-based hair removal device already cleared by the FDA. However, while biophotonics research intensifies, it has not been matched by responsible literature explaining the benefits to the public in objective terms. Indeed, many hair replacement and restoration centers are promoting light therapy with marketing materials that claim medical benefits that their specific devices have yet to prove to the satisfaction of the Department of Health. This column urges laser practitioners to be cautious in their literature, consultations and expectations. At this time, HairMax is the only product with formal FDA clearance and consequently the only device permitted to make hair growth claims.

Hair solutions go cellular - although the precise mechanism is still being studied, photo-

at the cellular level is going to affect everyone.

The combination of an aging population and an obsession with looking young means huge profit opportunities for personal care companies. Significantly, the International Congress on Hair Research was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, P&G Beauty and Unilever, to name just a few. These are the leading beauty companies in the world and they have very deep pockets. Their research grants go to the top universities, medical experts and behavioral specialists. Without question, cell-based therapies are the technology of the future in health maintenance, anti-aging solutions and yes, vanity products. The Journal attended a presentation on the effects of UVA and UVB light on the hair shaft. Data like this will doubtless find its way into the shampoos and conditioners of tomorrow. Already, some popular shampoos containing zinc have been shown to reduce hair loss. And light therapy has been shown to accelerate wound healing following surgery, including hair transplantation.

What it means tomorrow - the Internet has brought science into the living room of your clients and hair consultants. Cosmetologists and physicians are now expected to be abreast of all the latest solutions. It is going to be increasingly difficult to be a one-solution provider. Combination therapies are the future and now is the time to develop the knowledge base and skills to provide them or develop strategic relationships with partners who can.

Hair is always going to be fundamental to maintaining a youthful appearance, and as the life expectancy of the average man and woman increases, the need for effective solutions is going to rise exponentially. Starting today, cosmetologists will have to understand the

“Only a certain type of guy can get away with guyliner,” says celebrity stylist Sam Spector. “You have to be secure enough and masculine enough to balance the feminine aspect of eyeliner. If you can pull it off, it is quite hot because you still look masculine with an enhanced eye.”

Spector, who has styled fashion shoots for Flaunt, Gotham, Out, People and Maxim, says the best way to apply guyliner is carefully. “Apply with a thin line inside the eyelid, which requires a steady hand.

It is sometimes easier to have a friend apply it for you because it can be a sensitive area to apply to,” he says.

But Wentz advises a more smudged look.

“If you’re a guy you don’t really want your makeup to be perfect,” he said, suggesting even sleeping with it on. “Day-old eye makeup looks way better.”

Ingrid Montgomery, President of Male Species, which sells cosmetics to men, says they are “doing very well”. Their Waterproof Eyepencil, $12.00, comes in several shades. They suggest “use on the outer rim of your eye to make the eyes stand out, smooth out drawn in lines, smudge with a cotton swab”.

Studio 5 Skin System offers “Beard Brow & Eye Shader”, an eyeliner and eyeshadow, it double duties to give the chin that fashionable 5 o’clock shadow look. It comes with a shading brush, blending pad and instructions for $24.95.

NHJ

15 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Hair Society News F l a s h R e p o r t Hello from your Society Coordinator I hope everyone had a great summer. It’s now time to prepare for the events that will take place in the months ahead. I recently attended the CosmoProf North Heather Simon America conference in Las Vegas, NV and I happened to meet up with several Society members who were exhibiting there. I was also able to distribute The National Hair Journal at the conference where it was well received by everybody, including the spa and beauty industry. We want to feature many of the products that were introduced at CosmoProf on our Online Store website so you can see what’s new.

I am hoping to meet many of you at the New Image conference that will take place the weekend of September 29th - October 1st. I know many of you are New Image customers and I look forward to covering the event this year. The best part of my job is getting to talk with everyone and I don’t miss a chance to catch up on your news. My road trips these past months have taken me to San Diego, CA where I was able to meet with other Society members and their staff, so please read on for further updates and have fun browsing through the photos.

Take Advantage Of Your Membership - Let Me Profile Your Business - In every monthly newsletter and edition of The National Hair Journal, I profile a different Society member and their business. I want to try and write about each and everyone one of you. This is free exposure. The National Hair Journal is circulated to 4,500 readers in the US and many more around the world, so why not take advantage and let other people read about your success. Whether you are in-State or even out of the Country, please contact me for further details about submitting your information so your business can be featured on the Society pages of the Journal. I would need to obtain photos of your salon or studio and briefly speak to you over the phone about your special interests and skills and what you feel is unique to your business.

Consumer Newsletter For Your Clients – I inquired in the Society’s July newsletter about writing a Consumer Newsletter that you could send to your clients and new business prospects. It could be a great business-building tool. It would be very similar in format to the version that I send you monthly, but would be written specifically for the public and would talk about the latest hair, skin and health topics and invite them to contact you for more information. We have all the news, you have the business need, so this seems a no-brainer, but to make it newsletter worthwhile, I need to get hard numbers about how many owners/managers would be interested. There would be a monthly fee for this service – no, I don’t know exactly how much yet, but it would be a modest amount. I need to have at least 30 participants to make the project worthwhile. I could do custom versions for special groups or needs. Please Email me with your response (both yes and no) – and give me your suggestions to make it as effective as possible.

Society Newsletter - I have tried to be consistent getting out the monthly newsletters. I try to keep you aware of the latest developments between Journals. I would like to feature every Society member in the newsletter as well so your friends and other Society members can

New Horizon

get to know you. If you have not seen yourself in the newsletters this year, please submit something about a recent media event, award, or a helpful tip that would be beneficial to other members. You can reach me via e-mail at hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com or contact me directly at 951-571-3209.

Say Hello To Our Latest Retail Society Members Debbie Sturgill & (not pictured) • Adam Koloz • Arlene Price • Gaytane Cleveland • Willie Kimmons

Debbie Sturgill

Society Member Exhibits at Cosmoprof, Las Vegas, NV. Robert Ward, owner of Surfside Technologies in Garden Grove, CA had a busy stand at Cosmoprof. I had a chance to speak with Robert and his colleagues and learn about his laser hair therapy business. I noticed a lot of people inquiring about the lasers that Robert

Robert Ward

(LtoR) Wendy Osborn, Robert Ward, Dennis Davis

Surfside Laser Exhibit

had on display. Since laser hair therapy is the newest technology in hair replacement, Robert felt it would be beneficial to exhibit to the best in spa, hair and skin products. Wendy Osborn, one of Robert’s laser clients was there to tell potential buyers about her own experience. Dennis Davis was also there to assist laser buyers with questions. To learn more about Surfside Technologies, please visit the website at http://www.surfsidelaser.com. NHJ

Every woman is looking for the perfect foundation to use while recovering from a chemical peel. Now, Lycogel product creator and Hollywood make-up artist, Barry Knapp has taken the basics of his widely popular makeup brand Dermacia and reformulated it to medical grade for women (and men) to safely use after medical and cosmetic procedures. Lyco2 produces a skin respiratory factor that assists skin cells in their uptake of oxygen. In short, when wearing Lycogel, the skin receives more oxygen than when not wearing any makeup at all. Used as combination cover-up and healing solution for post-chemical, laser and plastic surgery, Lycogel Camouflage and Concealer are the first oxygen-promoting, breathable gel based cosmetics that effectively disguise, protect, and reduce the erythema, bruising and scars that often result from cosmetic procedures. Info: www.lycogel.com

Reception Room

Styling Room

The Sunflower line from Jalyd offers solutions for sun-baked hair. Imported from Italy and distributed by Amico Educational Concepts, Sunflower products claim to moisturize and reconstruct hair that has been exposed to or harmed by the sun or tanning equipment. Line includes Sun Water - a non-aerosol spray to

Millions of sprinkles. Super Million Hair is specially produced artificial hair cut into small sections which adheres to your existing hair with static electricity and is said to conceal thinning hair. The fibers came in 11 shades to color match to your own hair and because of static electricity stay in place day and night, wind and rain, even during exercise. At estimated cost of $1 per application it may be worth checking this out. Info: www.smhair.com New non-invasive solution for individuals suffering from hair loss is ReprieveT Hair. The patented system attaches to hair using a medical grade adhesive. The system is an oval-shaped base containing 100% unprocessed virgin RemiR hair and is made in many sizes.

Depending on the severity of hair loss, ReprieveT Hair covers an individual’s hair loss area using their existing hair, so the scalp remains healthy and untouched. The base has a polyurethane hinged flap with perforations along the entire perimeter, where the client’s hair is pulled through using a crochet needle. The consultant applying the system applies a strip of medical grade adhesive on each flap. When the hair is pulled through, it rests on the adhesive and the hair lies like a normal full head of hair.

Procedure takes up to 1 hour to place and remove, you can safely cut, perm, style and color to fit your clients’ preference. Info: www.reprievehair.com Loop ‘N Lock is the latest hair extension system from New Image Labs. “It’s a simple procedure… load, loop and lock… as easy as one two three”, said a company official.

The three step installation is termed “cold application”, because there’s no glue and no heat applied in the process. An additional benefit is that the hair extensions are also just as easy to remove and to re-install. Part of the Secret Strands Platinum line of human hair extensions, it is offered in nineteen natural colors, as well as five more trendy colors, to ideally satisfy all personal styling and highlighting needs of today’s market. Info: www.newimagelabs.com Carole Lyden Smith is the inventor and creator of the Helix Sculpting System and six different curling shears for professional designing only.

The unusually shaped shears are integral to an advanced cutting system. We are told this new tool is simple to use once experienced; simply learning the four basic rules sets the designer free to express his or her designing talents. Hair that was lanky and lifeless now has movement and curl cut right into the shape. Hair Society staff member, Kristie, was our own enthusiastic guinea pig at a show, and she loved showing us her results. Info: www.MyHelix.com Think you know everything about hair color?

Check out a new fun and risqué alternative hair coloring kit. Betty™ comes in traditional

(cont. from pg.5)

factor of stress. She stated it most probably could be because of the problems that the younger generation faces today. She does service many clients who suffer from alopecia as well.

Another factor that Sharon feels has increased her business is due to the Amy’s Presence line which is part of Cyberhair. To learn more about New Horizon’s please visit the website at http://www.hairlossatlanta.net. I would like to thank Sharon for taking the time

shades and three fantasy colors: neon pink, electric blue and sunburst orange. Betty is said to color naturally and cover gray. Whether you’re blonde (be a true blonde now!), radiant auburn, brunette, or black, they claim the easy-to-use, no-drip formula gives you the perfect finishing touch. Live wildly, get your betty ready!

Info: www.BettyBeauty.com

Design Work Room

moisturize and hydrate thirsty hair. Sunflowers Shampoo - moisturizes and cleanses sunexposed or UV lamp-exposed hair. Aloe Vera combined with Seaweed produces a calming and soothing effect on the scalp. Sunflowers Restructure protects from split-ends and frizzies often seen immediately after exposure.

Sunflowers Oil - Desert is a natural oil spray to combat the harmful actions of UV rays. Regular use is said to protect hair color and eliminate the straw-like, brittle condition of hair that has been over-exposed to the sun.

Info: www.JohnAmico.com.

Ever tried tweezing in poor light? Tweezlight stainless steel professional lighted tweezers can solve the dilemma. These tweezers work on watch batteries, with a built-in light to provide a clear view of the smallest and finest hair, normally invisible to the naked eye. Available in all the colors of the rainbow and snuggling into some snazzy storage pouches, these reasonably priced tweezers are for the fashion crowd and upscale professional. Info: www.tweezlight.com Why use an eyebrow pencil when you can have real 100% hair shaped into naturally curving brows? One of the top consumer questions addressed to our internet radio show, www.HairlossNewmakers concerns replacing missing or damaged eyebrows. This patented design, a cheap alternative to brow transplants, is said to give the illusion of hair growing right out of the skin, comes in three shades and can be shaped and trimmed as needed to fit the face.

Natural Brows marketed by Tressallure of Miami Lakes, Florida, is priced to salons at $15.95 with a suggested retail price to clients of $29.95. Info: Charles Alfieri at 800-321-2413 The new dermatology-approved Sundurance Sunscreen, in the Revenir Skincare line, uses microscopic silicate molecules to encapsulate the chemical OMC in micro-pearls that lay on the surface of the skin, never breaking open to expose the chemical into the body or irritate the skin. There is no toxic interaction and full spectrum UVA/UVB protection is provided, along with antioxidant vitamin delivery to your skin.

Info: www.RevenirBeauty.com NHJ

to speak with me and sending me photos of her studio. Don’t forget to contact me so you can have your salon or studio featured in the Winter edition of The National Hair Journal. Eventually, I would like to sit down and visit with all of you but for the time being, please submit your photos of your salon or studio and a couple paragraphs about your business. As I stated earlier, I would like to profile each Society member’s business in the journal, so please e-mail me all the information and call me with any questions. NHJ

16 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Fantasy Hair Artistry Celebrate the Season with Professional Extensions, Jewelry, Tattoos & Hair Artistry!

By Larry Oskin As progressive salon owners, hair designers, hair replacement experts and hair extensionists, we need to help our clients celebrate each season, family event and special occasion with creative hair artistry. It is important to add fun, fashion, flair and fantasy hair design options to help meet every client’s personal wish list.

We interviewed Ron Cardillo, a nationally respected hair replacement and hair extension expert from SO.CAP. USA Hair Extensions. Cardillo openly shared his expertise on how to make your clients look and feel better with many elegant and creative new fashion forward hair design options.

Fantasy Hair! Many salon clients need your help to celebrate special events and the many seasons throughout each year.

Whether your client is a normal salon haircut and style client, someone with hair extensions or a special hair replacement client, they count on you as their expert.

Cardillo notes, “There are many advantages to using fantasy hair colors with your salon clients. At SO.CAP. USA Hair Extensions, we currently offer 81 different haircolor shades. Some of your clients may want to update their traditional look with a few bright and bold fantasy colors – like fuchsia, green, blue, pink, purple, orange, red or even white. You also have many choices.

You could chemically treat their hair for a permanent solution, you could use spray on temporary haircolor or you can use clip-on hair extensions and hair pieces. To achieve bright fantasy haircolor shades, the chemical process is quite involved. You would need to strip your client’s natural haircolor and then re-deposit the desired color. This is quite an involved process requiring extra time and money while there are often few guarantees you will get the dynamic color selections your client really wants.”

Ron Cardillo continues, “With professional salon hair extensions, your clients can shop for the hair color shades they desire through your hair color rings or special merchandising displays, just as they would shop for various colors of a dress or sweater in a retail environment. By offering so many color shades in our system, complete with fantasy hair color shades, it is quick, simple and affordable for you and your clients to safely achieve any special effect – whether it be for a prom, wedding, stage play, special thematic event or seasonal holiday party.”

You can strategically attach fantasy hair color extensions to a client’s natural hair, so the look will remain intact for days, weeks or months. Using professionally bonded fantasy hair color with 100% human hair extensions will allow your client to shampoo their hair, style it and to live their normal lifestyle routine. Cardillo adds, “Like a painter, you and your clients can easily select the perfect colors from a palette. Even the cost and time factors are improved as you can easily add 8 to 12 grafts of fantasy hair color quicker and more inexpensively than double processed hair.”

Check out all of the options that are available to you today. ‘Bi-Color Hair’ are hair extensions that are actually two colors per hair strand. One end of the hair shaft may be black, while the other end is pink. Each hair strand is a combination of two diverse hair color shades. Or, it could be blonde on one end and dark brunette or red on the other end. There are many exciting combinations available to you today.

Just make sure that your client’s special fantasy meets their desired hair fashion in a wearable and elegant manner!

vices. There are many diverse conventional and creative chemical service options available to you and your clients. Once again, we suggest that you explore the use of professional hair extensions to stay safe, avoid chemical processes, save time and money, while offering highly profitable salon services to your clients.

Ron Cardillo suggests, “Instead of attempting the difficult task of transitioning a dark brunette into bold or soft highlights through a chemical process with bleach and peroxide to strip the natural hair color down to a neutral color before depositing your desired new hair color shade, you can help your clients maintain the quality and integrity of their natural hair color. This bleach actually challenges and weakens the hair shaft. Sometimes hair color and highlight techniques on clients with perms, previous chemical services and other existing yet hidden services — is like playing Russian Roulette. With some clients, there are no absolute guarantees. By using professional hair extensions for your new lowlights and highlights, you and your clients can select the perfect color from a hair color swatch book or a color ring to get exactly what they truly desire. You can begin with 5, 10 or 30 hair extension grafts, while also safely building new volume and texture for your client. You will be able to do this without damaging their natural hair. You will also be able to quickly add multi-dimensional highlights with two, three, four or more shades.”

Crystal Hair Ornaments: To successfully promote crystals, hair jewelry and hair ornamentation, you need to have strong visual merchandising displays in your salon. Cardillo suggest, “Create beautiful visual displays that can be shared at your salon stations, front desks and in your retail areas. Design fashionable mannequin heads that illustrate your diverse hair artistry with crystal and hair jewelry. Real Swarovski Crystals are used to accent design pieces as they add enhanced beauty, brilliance, shine and color to the overall hair design.

There are two types of hair crystals. These same professional crystals also come in clip-on versions. The professional Swarovski Crystals by SO.CAP. USA Hair Extensions are actually permanently bonded to the hair with keratin and their warm or cold fusion bonding equipment, like a regular hair extension. Your clients can shampoo, swim, brush and style their hair, even if they must do so carefully.

We suggest that your salon receptionists and hair designers start to wear crystals and hair fashion accessories, especially during wedding, prom and the year-end party hair seasons.” Like any salon retail product or service, hair crystals, jewelry and ornamentation must be seen to be sold. There are certainly many temporary clip-ons, some of which your clients can buy in any shopping mall or retails store. The differences are terrific and it is great to be able to offer your clients the professional options for a more semi-permanent solution.

Hair Tattoos & Body Art: Explore the latest hair crystal and body tattoos for your salon clients. These are really fun. They stick to the skin or hair in a pre-set pattern, much like applying a band-aid. These skin ornaments easily stick to skin that has been cleaned with alcohol, while lasting for many days or even up to a month. The hair tattoos are much more temporary, while they will come out with the next shampoo or hair brushing. Unlike the less expensive retail versions, you can again offer your clients many unique, high fashion and semi-permanent solutions.

Feather Hair Ornaments: Feathers and beads make another fun, yet elegant hair accessory option. Great for parties, nightclubs and discothèques, today’s professionally bonded versions can be applied like hair extensions to stay in place. Clip-ons are also available here. Research the quality of your salon’s feather accessories for the hair, to ensure they are real and not synthetic.

Brides, Proms & Special Occasions: Bridal and special occasion hair artistry is a very exciting service and marketing strategy for any hair designer. You can promote a unique service to help brides and bridesmaid’s have hair grafts that perfectly match their dresses. You can also offer this hair extension hair color service for proms, home coming dances and other seasonal events. They will love the fun of this. Cardillo notes, the women will absolutely love being color coordinated, while their hair extensions match their dress, purse, shoes and nail enamel.”

Create Fashion Options With Marketing Solutions: There definitely is a market today for fantasy hair and accessories. Fantasy haircolor, crystals and feathers are a huge hit in Europe right now and the next wave will be here in North America this coming holiday season. The best part about this exciting new fashion trend, is that it can be promoted any time of year to any diverse multicultural clientele and for any age category. When selling fantasy haircolor and accessories, a good rule of thumb is to double your wholesale cost to determine your retail or service price.

Fantasy hair extensions, crystals and jewelry will not sell themselves, yet they will easily sell if you wear them merchandise them put up photographs of them in your salon and create special marketing programs.

Highlights & Haircolor Accents: Many traditional salon clients and hair replacement clients today look for exciting hair color, highlights, lowlights and multi-dimensional color. You certainly can provide foil highlights, painted highlight color accents or even the old fashioned, yet still widely used frosting cap ser-

It’s time to use fantasy hair extensions and creative hair accessories, to make your salon known as one of the top fashion forward salons in your community!

17 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

The Transplant Puzzle

(cont. from pg. 9)

If the man doesn’t already hold that view, then he’s not a real prospective client anyway. And besides, why is he watching our commercial in the first place?

We should also be assumptive, or perhaps the right word is “assertive”, when describing what we have to offer. We must tell the viewer/reader in no uncertain terms, and in no uncertain tones, that what we have is what everyone wants. In other words, a little “attitude” (of a positive nature) goes a long way.

Cut the schmaltz Schmaltz is Yiddish for chicken fat. It also refers to things that are overly sentimental, mushy, cloying, and in some cases, downright nauseating.

To a certain extent, the hair replacement industry has been guilty of indulging in schmaltz. I remember one commercial from years back, a testimonial in which the man said that before he had his hair replaced, he couldn’t get a date. But now that he had his hair replaced, he was dating Miss North Carolina.

Does that sound believable to you? Then how do you think it sounds to the viewer? And if the consumer benefits aren’t to be believed, the viewer can only believe that the product benefits aren’t to be believed, either.

The credibility factor Doctors who perform transplants and act as pitch doctors in their commercials/infomercials have instant credibility just because they’re doctors. Now, we’ll probably never see a physician act as a pitch doctor for a non-medical procedure, true. But, we can do much to enhance our credibility in our mar-

keting communications.

One way is to “cut the schmaltz”, as I outlined above. Another way is to stay away from the very non-credible testimonials that are frequently found in hair replacement commercials. It’s obvious that the models are scripted and are not speaking naturally. It comes across as phony, and so too does our product.

On the other hand, we do have a very credible story to tell, one that couldn’t even be argued by our biggest detractors. For example, what if we said that non-surgical hair replacement is the only way for a man to restore a cosmetically acceptable full head of hair? What if we said that non-surgical hair replacement is the only way to replace hair that defies detection; in other words, it’s the only way to go if you don’t want anyone to know you’ve done anything about your hair loss?

What if we were to say that non-surgical hair replacement is the most natural way to replace lost hair? What if we were to say that some of the most notable public figures in the world had their hair replaced non-surgically, preferring non-surgical to any other alternative? And finally, what if someone could come up with the definitive analogy between non-surgical hair replacement and contact lenses or any other accepted cosmetic device?

These are all pretty big statements. But all very true. And all a very good basis for a successful consultation.

There’s just too much money in the men’s market to ignore it.

Think of the tens of millions of men in this country who are losing their hair. Think of the billion or so dollars they spend trying to do something about it. Are we going to just walk away from the

men’s market?

You can try to develop other profit centers, and that’s fine. But the fact of the matter is that more men lose their hair than women. Around ten times more men, to be exact. So the women’s business will never be as big as the men’s business if we’re talking true hair restoration. And a long-term men’s hair replacement client is more profitable than a laser client, or a head rubbing client. Far more profitable. Because a good men’s client will be with you for five or ten years, spending money every month.

In fact, in the long run, more money can be made from a non-surgical client than a surgical client.

Which brings us full circle in this article, back to the pitch doctors and their successful marketing of hair transplants. They do a lot of things in their marketing that I wouldn’t recommend. But they also do a lot of positive things, too, that I have outlined here for your consideration.

Maybe we can learn something from them. Or come up with something new by ourselves.

Whichever way, it doesn’t matter, as long as we remember this one simple truth: it’s not non-surgical hair replacement that men don’t like; it’s the way it’s marketed that they object to.

So let’s find a marketing story that they like. They need to like it; after all, they’re the ones doing the buying. And you’ll be the one making the money.

Steven DiManni is a 26-year veteran of Madison Avenue, serving as Creative Director of many of New York’s top agencies for clients ranging from Coca-Cola to Hitachi. He has won almost every major creative award the industry has to offer. He is also a 25-year veteran of the hair replacement industry and consultant to the On Rite Company.

ABOUT US The National Hair Journal is part of The National Hair Group, a business consortium committed to the development of the hair-management industry. The National Hair Group provides information services via The National Hair Journal, a business newspaper. The National Hair Society is an educational, marketing and networking, professional support organization. The Group also provides consumer education via National Hair Broadcasting, a weekly broadcast show.

NATIONAL HAIR JOURNAL Mission - To provide hair-management professionals from all disciplines with accurate information that will help them make better business decisions and provide superior service to their patients and clients.

Editor In Chief Christopher Webb cwebb@nationalhairjournal.com

Managing Editor Penny Moss pmoss@nationalhairjournal.com

Creative Director Avi Roth aroth@nationalhairjournal.com

Contributing Correspondents Educational & Technical Isaac Brakha James Britt Bobbi Russell James Toscano Women & Fashion Marilyn Dodds Medical Alan Bauman MD Shelly Friedman DO

NATIONAL HAIR BROADCASTING Mission - To deliver reliable, objective information to men and women who are concerned about their hair loss and want an unbiased perspective on the choices available to them.

Division Director Penny Moss pmoss@nationalhairjournal.com

Production Director Mike Ferreri mike@mfaudio.net

Sound Engineer Dan Feely dan@danfeely.com

NATIONAL HAIR SOCIETY Mission - The Hair Society was created at the request of forward-looking hair-management specialists seeking educational and marketing support to grow their business. It connects manufacturers, distributors, retail salons and medical clinics and provides an ongoing network for crossmarketing and dialogue.

Membership Director Heather Simon hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com

NE Regional Director Catherine Ingoglia

CA Regional Director Edmarie Masters SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe to The National Hair Journal call 1-951-2564385 or send an Email to subscriptions@nationalhairjournal.com. You can also write to us at the address at the bottom of this column.

Hair Journal subscription billing and renewals are managed by: Receivables Management Corporation PO Box 50650 Indianopolis, IN46250 Tel: 1-800-894-9031 Email: rwarren023@aol.com ADVERTISING To place an advertisement or request a Media Kit, contact us at advertising@nationalhairjournal.com or call 1-951256-4385 LEGAL NOTICE Notice: The National Hair Journal, Issue number 43 Copyright ©2007. All rights reserved.

While great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in The National Hair Journal, the publisher does not assume liability for decisions based upon it. Readers are advised to seek further independent advice. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or persons making the statements or claims. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claim as its own, and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. The National Hair Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All materials in this issue are the property of this publication and nothing shown may be reproduced in any form without obtaining the permission of the publisher and/or any other persons or company who may have copyright ownership. Requests should be addressed to: Publisher, National Hair Journal, 39252 Winchester Rd., # 107-383, Murrieta, CA 92563.

HOW TO CONTACT US National Hair Group 39252 Winchester Rd., # 107-383 Murrieta, CA 92563.

Telephone: 951-541-2809 news@nationalhairjournal.com subscriptions@nationalhairjournal.com advertising@nationalhairjournal.com events@nationalhairjournal.com

18 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

Want to Sell Your Business?

Trying to Build a Network?

Search Spiders Spinning On The World Wide Web

Michael Garcia

The World Wide Web, otherwise known as “The Internet” can be scary enough without understanding how to deal with the Search Engine “Spiders” that crawl the web seeking information about your website so that they can add your website to the search results.

Web “spiders” (or “crawlers”) are automated programs or scripts that crawl the web in a highly methodical manner, providing up-todate data about your website to Search Engines like Google and Yahoo.

This is no time for Arachnophobia. These spiders can be your friends and setting up your business website correctly so that the spiders can better do their jobs is crucial to your online marketing success.

Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO” refers to the process by which one improves the volume of visitor traffic to their website by way of “natural” search results, as opposed to paying for placement in ads that appear off-to-the-side of the returned search results. A good SEO strategy seeks, also, to improve the quality and relevance of your website visitors.

Internet Marketing operates on one simple principle which can only be described as a Numbers Game: The more traffic that is directed to one’s website, the more leads can be collected from your visitors. The more leads that are collected, the more phone calls can be made. The more phone calls that can be made, the more consultations can be scheduled.

Finally, the more consultations that can be scheduled, the more sales can be achieved.

Cha-Ching!

First off, it is up to you, the website owner, to develop your website so that the Search Engine Spiders can read your website and understand what your website is about. Spiders depend on you to define your business and website to them through many different means. If your business happens to be a Hair Replacement salon in Chicago, you can assume that a person who is seeking hair replacement in Chicago is going to go to Yahoo and type in “hair replacement in Chicago”. When he does, you want your website to be in the number one spot. He then clicks into your website from Yahoo and the numbers game begins. If your website is set up correctly - and you play your cards right - the process will end with a Cha-Ching!

Yahoo gets searched for the term “hair replacement Chicago” almost 700 times per month alone.

But where to begin?

CHOOSE THE RIGHT DOMAIN NAME Your domain name is also known as your “web address”. Your domain name is the very first thing the Spider reads when it comes to crawl your website. If your business is called “Lisa’s Unisex Salon” and your domain name is www.lisasunisexsalon.com, the spider learns nothing about your business, services or industry. You’ve missed out on the first opportunity to define your business to the search engine by utilizing a keyword-rich domain name. A better domain name would be www.-hair-replacement-Chicago.com. It says it all, doesn’t it? If you host your website under that domain name, the Spider will crawl your website and immediately give your website credit for the term “hair replacement Chicago”. The search engine assumes that your website is relevant to those keywords.

The good news? Lisa can still use www.lisasunisexsalon.com for her advertising and marketing materials, such as brochures and business cards.

It is a simple matter to host the website at a domain name that is search-engine-friendly and then point the personalized domain name to the one that is keyword-rich.

A couple of rules of thumb to be aware of and to remember: GoDaddy.com is the cheapest domain name provider offering domain names for as little as $8.99 per year. Domain names with .com have every advantage over domain names with .net and .biz. Also, avoid purchasing a domain name with more than two dashes in it.

Lastly and most importantly, NEVER change your domain name if your website is already established and ranking well in the search engines. If your website is not performing well in the search engines or you are creating a new website, then it is worth the trouble to take the time to choose the right domain name.

Choosing a keyword-rich domain name is only one of many SEO techniques in the arsenal that we will be discussing in future issues.

Michael Garcia, of MG&A Consulting is an Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization Specialist who offers E-commerce solutions for clients who seek higher Internet visibility. He can be contacted at (888) 420-4606

Call Hair Synergies Professional Advisors in Mergers & Acquisitions We have over 15 years of experience in the hair industry.

Inquiries treated in strictest confidence

We have assisted large hair groups expand, non-surgical hair-system salons add medical services, and individual studio owners sell their businesses or relocate to new ones.

HAIR SYNERGIES LLC

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19 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

20 The National Hair Journal Fall 2007

The National Hair Journal is published Quarterly.Copyright Š 2007. Single copies of most past issues of The National Hair Journal are available prepaid at $10.00 per copy.Special issues are more.The National Hair Journal serves primarily the hair replacement ,hair restoration and personal enhancement industries.It sponsors conferences and trade events and produces analysis & marketing research on the hair replacement and restoration industries.Postmaster: Please send address changes to: The National Hair Journal, LLC 39252 Winchester Rd., #107-383, Murrieta, CA 92563