The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Fashion Focus on Beauty

Marketing

Education

Industry

Be Careful What

Italian Passion!

The Perfect Hairline

Style is everything

The “General” raises the bar...again

You Wish For

Aderans on the runway

Anti-aging takes off

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pg. 15

pg. 17

pg. 4

The National Hair & Skin Journal VOLUME 16 NO. 61

THE PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATION OF HAIR AND SKIN REJUVENATION

Salon & Spa Industry Rebounds Tracking Indices for the Salon & Spa Industry See Increases After Three Quarters of Decline Phoenix, AZ. 04/12) - Driven by stronger sales and traffic levels and a more optimistic outlook for sales growth and the economy, the Professional Beauty Association's (PBA) three main tracking indices for the salon/spa industry, which include the Salon & Spa Performance Index (SSPI), Current Situation Index, and Expectations Index, rose in the fourth quarter of 2011. Following three straight quarters of decline and having hit their lowest levels in two years in the third quarter of 2011, the positive results for fourth quarter 2011 are a welcome relief to the professional salon and spa industry.

The SSPI, which is the main index of the three, is a quarterly composite index that tracks the health and outlook of the U.S. salon/spa industry. The SSPI rose 1% from the third quarter of 2011 to stand at 102.9 in the fourth quarter. A base level measurement of 100 is used, with values above considered positive.

“The salon and spa industry remains resilient. As with the broader economy, it is encouraging to see positive growth and expansion as indicated by the

The Expectations Index, which measures salon/spa owners' six-month outlook on five industry indicators (service sales, retail sales, employees and hours, capital expenditures, and business conditions), increased 0.7% to a level of 104.2. Overall, salon/spa owners are more optimistic about industry growth in the months ahead. Service sales, the core of most salon and spa businesses, was the most encouraging with sixty-seven percent of salon/spa owners expecting to have higher service sales in the coming six months. Sixty-one percent of salon/spa owners also expect higher retails sales as compared to seven percent that expect a decline.

The SSPI is based on responses to PBA's “Salon & Spa Industry Tracking Survey,” which is fielded quarterly among salon/spa owners nationwide on a variety of indicators. It is constructed so that the health of the salon/spa industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values below 100 represent a period of contraction. The Index consists of two components - the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

Despite the stronger outlook for sales and the economy, fewer salon/spa owners said they plan to expand staffing levels in the months ahead.

Forty-three percent of salon/spa owners said they plan to have higher staffing level in six months. In comparison, only six percent of salon/spa owners expect to reduce staffing levels in six months, matching the proportion that responded similarly last quarter.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in five industry indicators (service sales, retail sales, customer traffic, employees/hours, and capital expenditures), rose 1.3 percent to a level of 101.6. Four out of five indictors were positive in the fourth quarter. Most notably, fifty-nine percent of salon/spa owners reported an increase in same-store service sales between the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011, up from fifty percent who reported higher service sales in the third quarter. Fifty-four percent of salon/spa owners also reported higher retail sales.

Employee hours were only slightly down and

The full SSPI report and the "Salon & Spa Tracking Survey" can be found at www.probeauty.org/research.

Lady Gaga, Poker Face video.

Stars Show How

ly through children’s hospitals and other hospitals treating children with cancer throughout the U.S. and Canada, directly reaching girls who are most affected by hairloss.” This move was the result of a social media campaign started by Jane Bingham and Beckie Sypin in December 2011, when they created an official "Bald and Beautiful Barbie!

Let's See If We Can Get It Made" Facebook page.

The decision to distribute the dolls exclusively through hospitals and clinics was not without critics however, "If you're wanting to make a Barbie doll that's different, and you're wanting to show kids who are different that they can be different, why not show it to normal kids so that they can accept the different kids?" 15-year-old alopecia patient Olivia Rusk told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. To which this publication adds, “Why not be positive and show that excellent hairloss solutions exist for people of all ages; Why not a Barbie with a wig?”

Hair is back on the red carpet. If anyone was in doubt, Brad Pitt is wearing his hair long again and barbers nationwide are shelving their razors and sharpening their shears. Lady Gaga, queen of the wigs, never stops showing how different styles, colors and cuts can transform you in a flash, even covering her piano with wigs in one famous performance last year! And why should the world of politics be left out? While the rest

THE BALD ECONOMY New York, 04/2012 - It’s not often hair loss gets this kind of exposure. But at the end of March, Bloomberg LP, a $16 billion financial news corporation, devoted one week to a series of special reports on hair loss solutions.

Special reporter, Matt Miller, investigated “The Bald Economy” delving into every aspect of the business from hair systems to medical hair restoration and hair growth drugs and presented his findings daily on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg Rewind," Mar 27: “The Big Business of Hair Loss” – Over the counter solutions. Matt reviews the lotions, shampoos, cosmetic thickeners that can be found in the average drugstore or supermarket.

New Baldness Drug?

Researcher, George Cotsarelis(left)

Philadelphia, PA. 04.2012 - Researchers led

by George Cotsarelis, chairman of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia have discoered that men with male pattern baldness have three times more of a protein called prostaglandin D2 (PDG2) in the bald areas of their scalps compared to the other parts of the head which still have hair growing. The protein is thought to work by stopping the growth of hair follicle stem cells in the scalp, responsible for hair growth. So if drugs could block the production of PDG2, they could potentially be used to prevent hair loss Men may be able to regrow all their hair if the inhibiting protein is removed, commented Cotsarelis. US drug company, Merck and Swiss drugmaker, Actelion are already testing drugs that block these proteins.

Lay Off Photoshop

by David Edwards- © 2012- DailyCeleb.com

El Segundo, CA. 03/2012 - Mattel Inc., the largest toy company in the world, has agreed to produce a bald Barbie for children who have lost their hair due to illness or cancer therapy. A company spokesman announced, “This doll, which will be a friend of Barbie, will be distributed exclusive-

SPRING 2012

were the one negative in the report.

Salon & Spa Performance Index,” said Steve Sleeper, Executive Director of the Professional Beauty Association.

Barbie for Cancer Patients

™

Brad Pitt

Michelle Obama wig

of Washington is deadlocked in political bickering, the first lady is emerging as an engaging role model. In this picture we see the Michelle Obama wig, one of several designs that are reported to be selling briskly across the country.

Republications, take note! And if you’re into reality shows, Dancing with the Stars contestant, Sherri Shepherd, referred several times to her “weave” during conversations with co-host, Cheryl Burke. Yes, hair is center stage again where it belongs.

Mar 28: “Matt Miller Meets the Toupee King.” Matt gets a makeover with Joseph Paris, founder of Joseph Paris Naturally in New York. He is impressed with the possibilities.

Mar 29: “Big Pharma.” Matt explains why Merck’s $447 million Propecia sales are in jeopardy when patent protection expires in 2013 and how Johnson & Johnson continues to bank $73 million from Rogaine.

Mar 30: “Surgical Solutions to Hair Loss.” Drs. Bernstein and Avram talk about advances in hair transplant technique, with an emphasis on FUE. Dr. Bernstein presents the new ARTAS robot.

April 3: “Bald is Beautiful.” Matt examines the other choice – leaning to live with no hair.

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Companies that run glamorous cosmetic ads or sideby-side before and after pictures have been warned

by The National Advertising Division (NAD) not to mislead consumers by retouching photographs with Photoshop. The latest company to run afoul of the NAD is marketing giant, Procter & Gamble which agreed to never again run an ad for its CoverGirl mascara because it had used, “Enhanced postproduction” and “Photoshopping” to make eyelashes look thicker than they really were. Advertising regulators around the world are taking a closer look at the use of computer software to modify real-life photos. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority recently banned cosmetic ads featuring Julia Roberts and Christie Turlington because the use of Photoshop was misleading. In the US, the NAD has advised cosmetic companies to be cautious in the use of Photoshop.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is more severe and now holds celebrities personally accountable if they make claims in ads they know to be true.

The National Advertising Division is part of the Council of Better Business Bureaus and is the agency that imposes self-regulation on the advertising business.

Advertisers normally respond promptly to NAD recommendations because of its close relationship with the FTC, which has the power to fine or take legal action if they do not modify or withdraw misleading ads.

SOCCER LEGEND LOVES TRANSPLANT London, UK. 03/12 - International soccer legend and Manchester United super-star, Wayne Rooney is not bashful about his hair transplant. He announced his intentions prior to surgery and candidly showed the results a few days later, twittering, "Just to confirm to all my followers, I have had a hair transplant.

I was going bald at 25, so why not? I'm delighted with the result." Here he proudly displays his new head of hair as he scores another goal for his team Manchester United.

3 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

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years, the hair replacement industry failed to respond to the fact that 40 million women also had concerns about their thinning hair. It was easy to do because the men’s market was still growing and was highly profitable. This was not surprising because most of the salon owners were men and ex-clients themselves. They only understood the men’s marketplace. Women were more “difficult.”

They were pickier about their hair additions and service visits took much longer.

They don’t make them like that anymore. – It was with great sadness that the hairloss industry said goodbye to one of its founders, leaders and just one heck of a great guy! Arnold Zimmerman, founder of National Hair Centers in Phoenix, AZ, the world’s largest hair replacement center, passed away in February at 81years of age. We publish several tributes to Arnold in today’s issue, but The Journal wants to add its own word of thanks to Arnold for his vision, his generosity and his irrepressible goodwill. We cannot remember him without smiling – which is the way we know he would like it to be.

ISSE Long Beach 2012 - If attendance at hair shows is anything to go by, then 2012 is looking to be a terrific year! The Long Beach beauty show (ISSE) had a record attendance and the platforms were teeming with excitement. The show, as always, was saturated with hair extension companies, some well-known names, but many newcomers. Another new feature was the tremendous interest shown in health and skin rejuvenation. The Journal has been writing about this for some time, and classes featuring nonsurgical facelift and micro current/LED facial rejuvenation were crowded with attendees standing at the back and even sitting on the floor.

This is certainly an area of tremendous interest and is being presented as a logical new profit opportunity. We saw several good friends some in their booths, and some walking the aisles. SHE by SOCAP, USA had an attractive booth, manned by Joe Guzman and Linda. And Hair Art had a huge four-stage display area to launch their new Russia Collection. Also seen walking the aisles and doing his “due diligence” was Les Martin, founder and chairman of New Image. So much for retirement!

Who reads The Journal? The results may surprise you. They certainly surprised me. Nobody has much time anymore, so it’s easy to assume that The National Hair Journal gets pushed to one side to be read when things slow down. Well, it turns out it’s exactly the opposite. The president of one major hair manufacturing company confided that he takes his copy of the Journal to the men’s room and reads it there the moment it arrives because if he were to leave it lying around in his office, he would never see it again! We were also surprised by the number of salon owners who keep all the back issues in their office to refer to again, perhaps reading an interview with someone they are considering doing business with or researching a new technology. I was reminded of the importance of printed media when I picked up a copy of Esquire magazine and read the following commentary; “The state of magazines is sticky, 43 minutes per issue sticky.” It continued to state, “media” continue to proliferate. Attention spans continue to shrink. And free content is available everywhere, from the Internet to the insides of elevators. Why then are 93% of American adults still so attached to magazines? Why do so many people, young and old, spend so much time with a medium that’s paper and ink, a medium you actually have to pay for in order to read it? In a word, engagement. Reading a magazine remains a uniquely intimate and immersive experience. Not only is magazine readership up, we just spend an average of 43 min. per issue.

Further, those 43 minutes of attention are typically undivided. Among all media–digital or analog–magazine readers are least likely to engage in another activity while reading. Their postscript… Advertisers take note!

Let’s Talk About Women - “It’s a transformational moment in our history—much as the opening of the West, industrialization, the great 1960s civil rights campaigns, and the flowering of the Internet age have all irrevocably altered the fabric of American life. With working women now the New Normal, striving and succeeding in areas where they never have before, so many assumptions and underpinnings of our society are cracking open.”

(Maria Schriver).

And so the industry failed to evolve in synchronization with the changing consumer marketplace.

It was only when hair restoration surgery began to promote itself aggressively as a painless and affordable alternative, and the FDA agreed that certain drugs could indeed grow hair that the men’s market realized it had to change or perish. And change it did. A quick survey by The Journal indicates that in a high percentage of salons, fully half of their clients are now women.

That women should be such a powerful component of the hair market should not be surprising. Not only do women experience hereditary and medical hair loss, the emotional and psychological impact for women is particularly acute. They are also a powerful social and economic force. Based on recent statistics women are going to fundamentally redefine our business environment in the years ahead. According to a 2010 Bureau of Labor statistics report, women now hold 51% of managerial and professional jobs in the United States. Nearly 60% of bachelor’s degrees go to women. In the highly influential fields of law and medicine, they earn about half of all professional degrees. And in the business world, fully 45% of MBA’s go to women. Your next boss is likely to be a woman. If you’re eyeing the future, your next management hire should probably be a woman.

For the first time in our nation’s history nearly 4 in 10 mothers (39.3 percent) are primary breadwinners, bringing home the majority of the family’s earnings, and nearly two-thirds (62.8 percent) are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, bringing home at least a quarter of the family’s earnings, (‘The New Breadwinners’ by Heather Boushey). The deep economic downturn is amplifying and accelerating this trend. Men have lost three-out-of-four jobs so far since the Great Recession began in December 2007, leaving millions of wives bringing home the bacon while their husbands search for work. (A Woman’s Nation By Maria Shriver).

Given the intellectual and economic power of today’s young women, it should come as no surprise that they are already moving from clients to directors and owners in the hair management and personal care business. The sales and marketing director of Aderans Hairgoods, the world’s largest manufacturer of hairgoods is a young woman with impeccable credentials. Elvira Amankwa, VP Sales & Marketing at New Image Labs, a leading importer of hair systems is a dynamic young woman with bold plans. The Technical Director at International Hairgoods is a woman with technical expertise in the field of synthetic hair that is virtually unequalled.

The president of The American Hairloss Council is a woman. The list goes on. In future editions of The National Hair & Skin Journal, we will go out of our way to introduce you to some of these shakers and movers. We start today with Judi Meola, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aderans Hair Goods in Beverly Hills, California, Trisha Kemp, Director of business development for Malibu C., Bobbi Russell owner of Hair Therapy for Women in Tampa, Florida and styling director for Miss America 2011!

Trends to follow – I devoted a lot of space to the women’s market because it is one of the key growth categories of the future. The other trend to follow is anti-aging. This is by far the biggest opportunity the market has encountered and one that will separate the winners from the losers. If you have not thought about the needs of an aging clientele, now is the time to do so.

In the next issue – Over 85% of the hair sold in North America is bought, processed and distributed by Asian companies. Why are Chinese manufacturers investing so heavily in the US? Why is the Chinese government encouraging manufacturers to expand into sales and distribution? And what does this mean to you? To find out, The Journal will interview the Asian decision makers and tell you what lies ahead. Don’t miss it.

Chris Webb The women’s hair addition market has been a lifesaver for many salons across the country. As growth in the men’s market has slowed, and some would even say contracted, it has been the women’s market that has shown energy and vigor. For

Editor-in-Chief

4 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

The Europeans Part I

Ron Cardillo, President of She by SOCAP USA is excited. Find out why.

Italian Passion If France is the country of romance and sophistication, Italy is land of flair and passion. Just say, “Italy” and it conjures up images of fast cars, fine wine and fiery women. SOCAP’s roots go back to Naples where the DeBiasi family had created beautiful hair additions for the beautiful women they saw in the coffee bars, restaurants and opera houses. Ron Cardillo grew up in Naples before relocating to the US. He is committed to bringing the same excitement to women in North America.

NHJ: Ron, take us back to the early years.

Rod Cardillo: In the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s, Italy was still recovering from the ravages of the war. In order to raise money to buy necessities and the occasional luxury like lingerie, women in remote villages began to grow their hair and sell it to hair merchants that went around the country. At that time, no one was coloring their hair, so it was in pristine condition. The hair was brought to a central processing location where it was processed and sold to wig makers. This premium hair was called “Blue String” because it was wrapped around with a blue thread. Blue String became a hallmark of Remy hair, and it signified that the cuticle still intact and was of Italian origin. Our company came into existence about this time, so it was there at the birth of the Italian quality hair industry. It was run by the DeBiase family, based in Naples, and they became very skilled in hair processing.

As Italy became more industrialized and women in the countryside became more sophisticated, the supply of raw, uncolored hair began to dry up. People had more money too, so there was no need to grow hair and sell it.

So the Italian market became depleted and SOCAP started looking somewhere else for suppliers. They turned to Eastern Europe where women were still selling their hair.

Later, India became the key supplier and even Pakistan and China entered the hair market. By that time, I had moved to America and was involved in hair replacement and wig making.

I had a friend who imported hairpieces and hair into the US so I asked him to contact the DeBiases and see if we could bring some of their top quality products over here. That was the beginning of our relationship.

NHJ: When I pick up any one of the men’s fashion magazines, I see ads from Armani, Canali, Ferragamo, Gucci - the list is endless.

These are all Italian names. Italy creates style and flair. Italy is sexy. How does SOCAP capture the appeal of Italy and express it in your designs?

RC: We are part of Italy. Our world headquarters, our designers, our production centers are all located in Italy. That flair you talk about is in our blood, it’s part of our DNA. NHJ: How do you maintain that style when you are shipping all over the world?

RC: Good question. It’s not just about creating great designs at our factory in Italy, we go to great lengths to package it in such a beautiful way that it reflects the prestige of Italian products. Antonio, who is the President of the company in Italy, is obsessional about presentation. I went to his house once, it a gorgeous home. It has a beautiful swimming pool with a beautiful deck around it. I said, “That’s wonderful.” He replied, “I’ve had this done three times.” I learned the contractors had finished it over and over and if Antonio didn’t like it, he ripped it up and did it again until he was

satisfied. So we’re dealing with a man that not only preaches quality; he practices it in everything he does. He believes that the technology that goes into our products, plus the exterior packaging, are both essential to our company’s success.

NHJ: We attended one of your conferences a couple of years ago. The Italian marketing team had come over to attend the meeting and every single one of them dressed with flair.

They were a fashionable bunch. It seems the commitment to style goes right from the design studio all the way through to the sales and marketing department.

RC: No question about it. If you look at a video of our factory, you will see that the interior design, the furniture, the artwork, everything reflects a commitment to style.

We’ve just completed a photo shoot in Milan; take a look at the models we’re introducing in our new brochure. They’re beautiful girls, in beautiful clothes with beautiful hair!

NHJ: In your New York office I see that same the commitment to color and style. There is a yellow or mustard colored back wall and a blue wall with huge posters of beautiful hair everywhere.

RC: No surprises here - my background is also Italian – I was born in Naples. I go to Italy constantly, so I want to carry the Italian influence over into our office. We are into colors. We need bright colors that reflect the beauty of what we do.

NHJ: You’ve told us about the origins of SOCAP and we’re sold on the flair of the Italians. Now tell us what makes SOCAP hair different.

RC: We have a history of excellence. Our quality speaks for itself. Everybody claims to be high quality, but anyone who has tried our product knows that it lives up to its reputation.

That’s because we are totally integrated. Our designers and our factory are all located in the same place – which, of course, is Italy.

NHJ: Most people have never heard of a factory in Italy. China, yes. Vietnam or the Philippines, maybe. But Italy, probably not!

RC: There’s European hair… and then there’s European production. We combine both. In fact, we’ve just completed a new factory. It’s only four years old. Much of the equipment was developed to our specifications. We don’t settle for second best. Hair itself is just a raw material. What makes the difference is how that hair is processed and fashioned. If you take a kilo of hair, probably as much as 50 percent is rejected by our factory. Now you only have half of what you started with to work with, but it is premium hair. The next thing to check is the color, especially the light colors. You have to create the proper colors to match the color ring every time. And, of course those colors have to last. We have a showroom in Yonkers with a special display unit that the sun hits all the time. Some hair had been exposed in this way for nearly three years and we were planning to refresh the display and put new hair

there. But when we looked at the color of the original hair, believe it or not, the color still matched the color ring! That’s unheard of. So we then tested it on our model’s to see how it would behave, it behaved like it would if it just came out of the factory. Why am I saying this?

Because I want to emphasize that hair that’s processed right will maintain its integrity and good looks for a very long time.

NHJ: Is your processing technology different from other hair companies?

RC: It is more refined. In the old days, hair merchants would spread out blankets in a big courtyard and lay out the hair on them to dry, hoping it wouldn’t rain. Then of course as the weather changed, they’d bring these hundreds of kilos of hair back inside the factory, only to put them out again when things improved.

We’ve come a long way since then. We designed a computerized ventilation system with special dryers carefully positioned in a huge processing room. What took weeks now takes two or three hours.

NHJ: Where does this all take place?

RC: Naples.

NHJ: Back in the United States you have your own Creative Director; a famous European stylist and platform artist. But of course there’s also the design team in Italy. How do they work together to create styles that are right for today’s woman?

RC: We are fashion-forward. We follow the shows and read the fashion magazines. We keep a finger on what’s hot and what’s selling.

NHJ: So SOCAP monitors fashion, watches what is happening on the runways, then finds the best stylists to capture and reflect those styles in a new hair collection?

RC: That’s exactly right, yes.

NHJ: Then you take the best of those European styles and introduce them to the American marketplace?

RC: We get great advice because our creative director has done a lot of work for fashion magazines and he understands how hair can make or break a shoot. It also helps that he is European himself!

NHJ: So you have a creative foot on both sides of the Atlantic.

RC: Absolutely. We have great creative talent and good products. Our hair might look like any other to the average hairdresser or layperson, but the lady who wears it down the line soon notices the difference. Our hair looks better the longer she wears it. The more she washes it, the more she dries it, the more she works with it, the nicer it looks.

NHJ: Do you offer products for men as well?

RC: Not yet. We have created styles for men and even done some photo shoots. But we have been waiting for longer hair to become fashionable again before launching a commercial collection. In the ‘60’s long hair was part of the men’s fashion. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, John Travolta etcetera, were the role models. We are now beginning to see that longer look return, which is good for us because you have to have

a certain amount of length in order to create a distinctive style. So we’ve been waiting on the sidelines for longer hair to return.

NHJ: We’ve talked about the style and the flair. We’ve talked about the Creative Directors in Italy and your own European Creative Director here in the United States. Let’s fast forward to the products that you’re offering today.

RC: We have expanded our clip in line. We realized that there is a market for women who might want a special look temporarily to go to a show or a wedding and then go back to the office the way they were. So we came out with this product called Extend Clip. The packaging is beautiful as you can see. There’s a magnetic closure. When you open it, it breaks a protective seal. Inside the package there are nine pieces of blue-tip wefted hair with nice comb clips. It’s packaged with a mesh to hold it in place. After use, the customer can put it back into the box, close the lid and the magnet keeps it closed. There’s also a special seal confirming that this is indeed human, Remy hair, together with a factory warranty.

NHJ: Any other new products?

RC: We have completed a new Afro-American line that we’re very proud of. AfricanAmerican hair is usually kinky. But our new collection lets women adjust the degree of kinkiness. The hair I’m showing you may be

tightly curled right now, but it could be easily straightened. But here’s the difference; if the customer wanted it back curly, she would only have to wet it and scrunch it and it goes back to kinky again. This took a couple of years of research to perfect, but we’ve done it!

NHJ: And again, we see that innovative packaging.

RC: We also have a heat-resistant fiber blend that we use for our latest ponytails and bangs.

The ponytail wraps around the hair with Velcro.

They come in straight and wavy and are very well priced. Our bangs are available in short and long. They are designed to blend into your own hair. It’s called Young line. It’s a thermal fiber, but eventually we’re going to produce the bangs and ponytails in longer lengths with human hair.

NHJ: Do you have anything for the baby boomer market?

RC: Yes, we have added gray hair to our line.

For 2012, we have six new colors.

NHJ: What about styling tools and accessories?

RC: We have a beautiful new cold fusion machine. Do you see our logo? It’s made with real Swarovski crystals. We spent a ton of money with the engineers developing the cold fusion applicator. We tested it over and over again because this is such a vital function and we wanted to get it right. Two mini-fans are actually built into our applicator to cool it and make sure the ultrasound waves are delivered properly. The unit is also designed to be light and easy to handle. A hairdresser can work all

5 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

lengths with human hair.

NHJ: Do you have anything for the baby boomer market?

RC: Yes, we have added gray hair to our line.

For 2012, we have six new colors.

NHJ: What about styling tools and accessories?

RC: We have a beautiful new cold fusion machine. Do you see our logo? It’s made with real Swarovski crystals. We spent a ton of money with the engineers developing the cold fusion applicator. We tested it over and over again because this is such a vital function and we wanted to get it right. Two mini-fans are actually built into our applicator to cool it and make sure the ultrasound waves are delivered properly. The unit is also designed to be light and easy to handle. A hairdresser can work all day with this and not get tired because it’s so well balanced. Every little detail was carefully designed – even the swivel cord is made so that no matter what you do to it it never tangles.

NHJ: What about the keratin; is all keratin created equal?

RC: As a raw material, yes most keratin is similar. But the way we prepare and apply it is

revolutionary. If you apply keratin manually to the hair or extension, you will never get the same consistency. Even modern application devices that release ultrasound waves cannot deliver constant keratin thickness. Eventually the software in the machine gets corrupted and stops working. It might take six months. It might be a year. But eventually it stops working. So SOCAP went to work with the engineers in Italy and designed a machine that applies the keratin in the form of a sheet, which is cut to a uniform thickness. It is accurate to 1000th of a millimeter. We then put two scores on the keratin tip so when the hairdresser folds the extension unto the customer’s hair to envelop it, it always folds in the same place.

NHJ: What is keratin made from?

RC: It is a synthetic product, which mimics the molecular structure of human hair. Why is this important? Because when you envelope the customer’s hair, you want the bond to match and penetrate the customers’ hair shaft so the attachment will last a long time. That’s why

our extensions stay on for three to six months.

It’s also beneficial to the hair. It doesn’t damage it at all. As for the fallacy that hair extensions are damaging; there’s really no real truth to it if you do it properly. While we’re talking about safety, I should also mention that our warm fusion machine works at the lowest tem-

perature possible, which is 100 to 110 degrees. If you were to put a thermometer on the tip of most other applicators, it would read 200 plus.

NHJ: How do readers get their hands on one of these devices?

RC: We do not sell our equipment to just any hairdresser. They have to have a license and they must attend one of our training classes, which are held every Monday around the country. Nothing is given to anyone unless they know what to do with it.

NHJ: Talk to us about prices. Many retailers are complaining that the quality of hair is going down while prices are going through the ceiling. Are you going to be able to hold your prices through 2012?

RC: Well, the truth of the matter is raw materials are getting more and more pricey.

Because we’re so big in the industry we still have a lot of bargaining power, but we can’t change the world shortage of hair. That’s just a fact of life. I foresee that this year, we’re going to hold where we are, but it’s a moving target. The hair merchants are getting smart.

They’re bending the rules. Things aren’t always what they seem.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies will say, “Remy” hair when it isn’t. There’s a very simple way of telling if it’s true.

Just take a small section of hair, and move it back and forth with your fingers like this. If there is cuticle on the hair, your fingers will move away from the scalp automatically. This shows that the cuticle is there. If you remove the cuticle, and rub those two fingers together, they won’t go anywhere. That means there is no cuticle. Now why is cuticle hair more expensive? Because the ends all have to be aligned; the part closest to the scalp should lie in the same direction as the customer’s own hair. If you invert that, you have a nightmare.

NHJ: There are other performance problems also. Explain those to readers.

RC: Hair without cuticle does not have the luster and sheen of unprocessed hair. It also loses its moisture and looks dull and lifeless.

So manufacturers spray silicone on it to make it soft and shiny. This only lasts about four weeks because the customer washes her hair and the shampoo strips away the silicone coating. Now you expose the cortex of the hair and it doesn’t take a genius to know that hair that has no cuticle has no sheen.

NHJ: Any other news?

RC: There’s one other product I want to introduce to you. It’s an ultrasound flattening iRod. We’re not saying we’re the first one in the world. But it took seven engineers to develop our technology and it is clearly light years ahead of the competition. We open the magnetic closure and inside the box is the flattening iRod, together with a special thermal bag. Even the thermal bag has its own special box. So you’re not just buying a flattening iRod; it’s the total package. The One Fusion Flattening iRod is brand new also. It is an infrared flattening iRod. The one you’re looking at comes in a distinctive leopard print design and again, it comes with our seal of quality.

NHJ: That is a remarkably big box.

RC: It is. But if you give somebody a gift, you want it to look special. I happen to wear a Lamborghini watch? You know what attracted me to the Lamborghini watch on a cruise? It was the box. The package was this beautiful wooden box made in Italy. I think it’s a great watch, but if it weren’t for that box, I would NHJ never have looked at it.

6 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

FOCUSING on BEAUTY Aderans Hair Goods Judi Meola, is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aderans Hair Goods in Beverly Hills, California, the largest manufacturer of hair goods in the world today. She has enjoyed a successful and varied career in the personal care and beauty market before joining Aderans a year and a half ago. At that time, Aderans was re-organizing its worldwide operations and streamlining its multiple subsidiaries for greater efficiency and tighter brand management.

That process is now largely completed and the results are already apparent in more focused marketing programs and a more robust bottom line.

NHJ: Aderans could have reached into its worldwide personnel database and promoted an existing executive into this key function.

But they did not. They searched outside the company for a very specific skill set. How did they find you?

JM: We actually found each other. I have been working in the beauty industry for over 20 years in every field from cosmetics to hair care to skin care and that broad experience was important to Aderan’s forward planning.

NHJ: Aderans has restructured its North American divisions and consolidated most of them in its Beverly Hills headquarters. What products are now under your control?

JM: First, there is Rene of Paris. Rene has three brands, ‘Rene of Paris High-Fashion,’ ‘Amore’ and “Noriko.’ They are all well established and offer a wide variety of colors, styles and cap constructions to meet the needs of multiple clients. Rene of Paris customers are extremely brand-loyal. As the name implies, the company was originally founded by a Frenchman, who sold it to Aderans many years later when he retired.

NHJ: Rene of Paris is just one of several brands being managed out of Beverly Hills.

What are the others?

JM: There is ‘Revlon,’ which at one point in time, was a part of the Revlon cosmetic company. Revlon’s wig division was spun off as ‘General Wig’ and operated in Miami for a number of years under several different brand names. However, the only one we brought to Beverly Hills is Revlon. Revlon wigs are youthful and fashion-forward. They’re clip-on hair, ponytails and prom hair. They attract people like cheerleaders and contestants in dance competitions.

NHJ: Where does TressAllure fit in?

JM: TressAllure originally came about because salon owners wanted something available exclusively through professional salons. They didn’t want to compete with the consumer market. We recently trimmed the TressAllure product line to hair extensions only and we now sell them under the ‘Simplicity’ label. Simplicity is tightly controlled. Distributors must have a cosmetology license and complete our official education/certification to use the product.

NHJ: Are there any other divisions or brands our readers should know about?

JM: We should not overlook International Hair Goods (IHI). It is located in Minneapolis and focuses principally on men’s hair replacement products. Peter Gensler is in charge of that business.

NHJ: Obviously, it is good to have multiple brands with different personalities so you can move with changing fashions, but how do these products co-exist without cannibalizing each other?

JM: Of course, they all share the same playing field, but each brand has a distinct profile.

There are a lot of places where Revlon is sold but where Rene of Paris is not carried, and viceversa. We are careful to protect the design and features of each collection. For example, we do

“seamless hair extensions”.

NHJ: What is so unique?

JM: There are different hand-knotted versions of the product. For example, one is for the sides and back of the head and it mimics the downward growth of the hair. It’s flat and

not make clip-on ponytails for Rene of Paris.

NHJ: At the ISSE West Coast Beauty Show, you carried out a live photo shoot on stage. It got a lot of attention.

JM: This is actually the second time we have done this. We are fortunate to be working with a very successful and charismatic industry icon, Vivienne Mackinder. She has been working with TressAllure since March of last year and I don’t have to tell you how talented she is.

Vivienne is a big believer in this product and we are teaming up together to expand our hairstylist education and training programs. Early in our relationship, we brainstormed and decided to do a live photo shoot in Orlando at the Premiere show. It was fabulous! We had such big crowds that you could hardly walk through the aisles. So we said, we’ve got to do this again. In Orlando, we did a bridal photo shoot on the first day because this is a big area of interest and revenue generation for the hairstylist. And the next day we did the ‘red carpet.’

But when we came to California, we had to stretch our imaginations so we looked for new material and finally chose to do one day of ‘rock n’ roll’ and one day of ‘ethereal beauty’ whimsical, fairytale hair and beautiful outfits – like something out of a dream. They were polar opposites from one day to the next and we had great fun doing it!

NHJ: What first attracted Vivienne Mackinder to the Simplicity line?

JM: Simplicity extensions are made from the highest quality human hair that is hand knotted into a thin, comfortable polyurethane strip that is pre-applied with a medical-grade hypoallergenic adhesive.

NHJ: Aderans invests heavily in R&D investment, so we’re assuming this is a novel technology.

JM: Yes it is. We actually have two patents: one for this product, and one for a predecessor to this innovation called

very comfortable. If you ran your hands over the models’ head, you wouldn’t feel the extensions at all. The grafts are made with onequarter the density of the hair and tied in a knot which mimics hair growth at the top of the head and can be redirected for multiple hair styling options.

NHJ: At the recent ISSE show, there was an abundance of hair extensions. What does it take to stand out in this overpopulated market?

JM: Education and product.

NHJ: Is it really about the product, or is it about the excitement and buzz generated around the product? For example, HairUWear believes in celebrity and Hollywood connections, “Dancing with the Stars” is a recent example. If somebody were buy a Simplicity product, would she really notice anything different?

JM: The attachment is what makes our product different. Clients who wear Simplicity tell us, “They’re so comfortable, I forgot I was wearing them.” That, in itself is a difference.

Every client will notice their beautiful hair, but they will quickly forget they are wearing something that is not physically part of them.

NHJ: Extensions are exploding in sales volume and yet the level of penetration across the beauty market remains low. How do you see the future of hair extensions?

JM: A product like Simplicity opens up the category to women who may not have considered wearing hair extensions before. If their hair is thin and weak, they don’t want to do anything that might cause breakage or traction alopecia. So we’ve opened up a new opportunity for women like them. Simplicity extensions were created by a company whose goal is to help with all thinning hair problems. So we don’t just add length or volume, we try to address every situation, whether it is, “I’m going to lose my hair temporarily due to cancer,” or “I’ve permanently lost my hair due to

alopecia,” or “I was not born with beautiful hair but I would like it to be thicker and longer so I can enjoy the fashion styling that it allows.” We see ourselves as a revolutionary force because we really can expand the marketplace.

NHJ: People talk about the “need” and the “fashion” market. Is there really a difference between the two?

JM: The solutions may be different, but they all point to the same end, helping a woman feel good about herself. Attitudes towards hair loss, or for that matter, hair additions and enhancement, vary considerably. I’ve heard women say, “I want to wear a wig in public to look my best, but when I come home I want to take it off.”

Other women do not want to see themselves at any time at less than their best. So we have multiple solutions that get to the same end point, feeling good about the way you look.

Depending on your lifestyle, you’re going to choose a product and style that fits in with the way you live.

NHJ: You talked about the high quality of your hair and yet there is a world shortage and many retailers are complaining about the quality of the product reaching them today. How have you managed to beat the shortage?

JM: The Global Sourcing Division of Aderans has many resources that another manufacturer or distributor may not have access to.

NHJ: We have talked a lot about human hair, let’s switch to synthetics. Aderans owns a patented nylon-based man-made product. Do you sell synthetics as well?

JM: Not under Simplicity, but in our Wig Division we do.

NHJ: Do you see synthetic hair becoming more popular?

JM: I think there will always be a market for both.

NHJ: How would you direct a customer to the right technology?

JM: Oftentimes a customer has a preconceived notion about human hair wigs and won’t consider anything else. Then there are women who will try on everything before deciding which one is most comfortable for them. If they are looking for something light and airy, they may go for one of our Amore wigs that are made from a synthetic fiber. So it’s very individualized, based on how the customer wants to feel when they’re wearing their wig. My best advice would be to experiment and see what works best for your lifestyle.

NHJ: One of the problems in establishing a glamorous wig collection has been the fact that you are caught between two markets neither of which is a perfect fit. Hair replacement salons tend not to be glamorous places. Their focus has been on problem-solving, not creating a fashion environment. Then you have the beauty salons, which have been reluctant to stock wigs because they may lose a customer. How do you navigate between these two extremes?

JM: Historically, we have marketed primarily through the wig shops and beauty supply stores rather than the hair replacement centers. But we are now working with a PR firm to expand consumer awareness of our Aderans brands and grow into future markets through our partnerships with retailers, both online and offline.

NHJ: Returning briefly to the hair show that has just concluded, it seems the beauty business is bouncing back; there was a new energy. Did you feel the same thing?

JM: Oh, absolutely. People were very excited to learn about new opportunities. That’s the primary reason they come to these shows and this year they are hungry for new profit centers.

NHJ: Many readers of the National Hair & Skin Journal were not able to visit the West Coast to see your photo shoot and new product presentations. What did they miss?

JM: An opportunity to learn about Simplicity, which you’ve graciously allowed me an opportunity to speak about, and our commitment to helping hairstylists build skills and please more clients.

NHJ: You refer frequently to education.

Clearly, this is very important to you. Why? JM: Because a product that has been misused will be labeled as a bad product. And if something is a wonderful product, I need to stand behind it and make sure that everyone who gets their hands on it is using it in NHJ the best possible way.

7 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012 26, 2012 in his beloved Phoenix. The celebration of his life was attended by well over 100 people including family, neighbors, long-time friends and associates from the hair industry. Many attendees paid tribute to Arnold with funny stories; others shared personal memories of how Arnold had touched them. Many attendees from the hair industry spoke. Greg Taylor, owner of Taylormade Hair Replacement and administrator of Transitions International Group, said of Arnold, "I met Arnold 20 plus years ago, when he was one of the founders of Transitions. The organization was put together to help retail hair restoration centers do a better job. Up until that time, the industry was very secretive and no one shared ideas. There could not have been a greater man to be involved in the organization than Arnold Zimmerman. Sharing was built into him. It came from his heart. A lot of us were in awe of Arnold in what he had achieved and what kind of business he ran. And, very soon, we began to recognize he shared with everybody and he shared everything. There were no secrets to him.... He helped move Transitions forward. Now, Transitions, International is 70 members, worldwide. Arnold was, is, and will always be such a big part of the success of Transitions and the success of the people who do and love the business he was part of for so many years."

he hair industry lost one of its pioneer icons with the passing of Arnold Zimmerman in late February after a short illness. He was 81.

Arnold founded National Hair Centers in Phoenix, Arizona in 1975. He was known as a tireless advocate for the hair restoration industry. Arnold was among the first to actively promote elevating the standards of the industry, nationwide. To accomplish this aim, he shared information freely with others in the industry. Arnold was affectionately nicknamed the "Godfather of Hair Restoration" because of his mentoring efforts. He was one of the founders of Transitions, International, one of the largest groups of independent hair restoration centers, worldwide.

T

Born in Washington, DC in 1930, Arnold held a variety of jobs and owned a multitude of businesses including an anodizing and plating business, building contractor companies and nightclubs. Additionally, he had short stints in the entertainment business and held various sales positions. He even worked as a mechanic before he discovered his life's passion in the hair restoration industry. In 1975, he moved to Phoenix, AZ and began National Hair Centers in a 600 square foot office suite with two employees. He used the entrepreneurial skills he had acquired in other businesses and worked long hours to make sure National Hair Centers was a success.

Never missing an opportunity, in the beginning, he often made "house calls" to consult prospective clients privately in their own homes. National Hair Centers has now grown to an over 13,000 square feet facility including a surgical center with more than 30 full-time employees. Arnold retired from NHC in 2000, but continued to be active attending and contributing to industry events and meetings. Throughout his retirement, he visited NHC on almost a daily basis saying hello to long-time clients who had become life-long friends and meeting new clients and making new friends.

"My Dad left us with an incredible vision for what is possible." Said daughter Lisa Zimmerman, who joined Arnold in business in 1975 and resides as current NHC president. "He taught us to embrace innovations and advancements, and to always provide clients with the best products, service, and techniques." She said, "His focus was always on the experience of each individual client. His legacy will always be with us."

Among his marketing innovations, Arnold was one of the first in the industry to recognize the incredible opportunity television offered to communicate the message of hair restoration. Acting as his own "spokesman", Arnold became a local Phoenix celebrity who was recognized wherever he went. At the height of his televi-

Remembering The "Godfather of Hair Restoration" Arnold “Zim� Zimmerman Passes Away sion marketing, he was awarded "Best Performance by a Local Businessman Starring in his Own TV Commercial" by the Phoenix New Times Weekly. He also introduced many innovations to Arizona. Under his leadership, National Hair Centers began offering consumers the options of surgical transplants, non-surgical solutions, and laser hair therapy, the first hair restoration center in the state to do so. He wanted to give people the options to choose from the most effective hair restoration solutions. During his storied career, Arnold was honored with many industry awards including: "The Randy Martin Lifetime Achievement Award" and he was the first recipient of his own namesake award, "The Arnold Zimmerman Lifetime Achievement

Award" by Transitions International.

In his personal life, he was a devoted family man to his wife of 55 years, Pat, who passed away in 2005, his daughter Lisa, and grandson Jay. Upon his retirement from National Hair Centers, Lisa became the president of the company. Jay, in addition to being a senior at Arizona State University, also works for NHC, making the company a three-generation family business. More active than most men half his age, Arnold loved drumming, karaoke, and dancing on weekends. Until his recent illness, he worked out every day in his home gym and participated three times a week in Zumba classes!

A memorial service for Arnold was held on February

Mel Laudolff, President of Transitions Of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, said, "He became a friend and mentor. He was the owner of the largest hair restoration center in the world, yet he always took the time to answer my questions. What a wonderful man!" According to Marty Greenblatt of Eldorado Hair Replacement Center in Baltimore, "I think I was the last person Arnold mentored. When I met him, I had just bought a fledgling, bankrupt company; he helped me transform that business into one of the most successful hair companies in the mid-Atlantic Region. Then, he called Arnold a mensch. Mensch is a Yiddish term that means a person of integrity. Marty further elaborated, "A mensch is someone who gives of himself freely. They always seemed to know the right answer to the hardest questions. A mensch never asks for anything in return.

Everyone knows how important, kind, and decent a mensch is. My life has been richer and fuller by knowing Arnold." Willy Campagnolo, of Continental Hair Consultants in New Jersey said, “Arnold taught me how to enjoy the business. How to live life. It was a pleasure to know him."The legacy of the "Godfather of Hair Restoration" will live on in the lives he touched and in the industry he loved and worked so hard to improve.

NHJ He will be missed by all.

8 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Give Me a C! The Journal met with Trisha Kemp, director of business development for Malibu C, to learn how this 26 year old company progressed from a line of products formulated to protect the hair and scalp that has been exposed to minerals, pool chemicals, salt water, and direct sunlight, into an advanced skincare collection. Malibu C is a highly focused company with several patents to its credit. As Journal readers consider expanding their business base from hair replacement to skin rejuvenation, we thought Malibu’s story would inspire other forward thinkers to take the plunge. That decision will come more easily when readers learn that Malibu C products not only look terrific and perform well, they are also very profitable.

NHJ: People are accustomed to taking their vitamins every morning, but the idea of a haircare line based on vitamin C is a new concept. Is topical vitamin C on the outside of your body just as beneficial as the vitamin C you ingest?

TK: Vitamin C, in the L-Ascorbic Acid form, is the most powerful antioxidant there is for topical use. It has many healing properties, but it is also able to eliminate the minerals and chlorine from the water and prevent them from accumulating on your hair, skin and scalp. Malibu C took advantage of these antioxidant properties to develop a product line to help take care of the conditions that arise from exposure to these impurities.

Beauty professionals began to realize that their customers were affected by the tap water, which is full of minerals and heavily chlorinated. They started to look for products that could remove

those elements in order to get more predictable color results and healthier hair in general.

NHJ: There is no shortage of vitamin C. You see it in health food stores and supermarkets. So why aren’t more beauty companies incorporating this powerful antioxidant into their products?

TK: Besides the fact that we own the patent for

the unique application on the hair, vitamin C is difficult to use in formulations while still maintaining stability to guarantee results. Once vitamin C is in liquid form, it begins to deteriorate and turn to caramelized sugar. In order to get the full benefit, it is necessary for a product to retain at least10 to 12% of active vitamin C. It took a lot of research and substantial investment for us to develop a way to maintain the potency of the vitamin C while allowing the products to be used in the salon or spa.

NHJ: I suspect you are holding the answer in your hands. I see a small tube and what appears to be a serum for skin.

TK: You’re right. The vial contains a complex of pure vitamin C crystals dissolved in a serum. This activates the vitamin C. Once the activation process is started, the product should be used in approximately 30 to 45 days.

NHJ: So everything remains in optimum condition and inert until you mix them. Only at that point do they become active?

TK: Correct. Once activated, you have the necessary level of potency of the vitamin to be really effective. To ensure the vitamin maintains freshness and stability, we provide a one-ounce sized vial. We recommend the product be used twice daily for approximately 30 days and then a new vial should be mixed.

NHJ: We started off talking about protection for

the hair, but now we’ve jumped to skin. I understand that both are subject to oxidation and chemical damage, but what led you to expand from hair protection to skin care?

TK: It was a very logical progression. Oxidation is the primary cause of hair damage and from the beginning we knew that oxidation was also the primary cause of skin conditions.

NHJ: We are already telling our readers that good hair and good skin go together. So we are in agreement on that point. We are also encouraging them to explore new technologies like skin rejuvenation using microcurrent. Are you familiar with microcurrent technology and would Malibu C be a good support product?

TK: It would be a perfect companion because it could be used beneath the conductivity gel that is used in microcurrent therapy. This way, the antioxidant vitamins would be driven into the skin for optimal efficiency. Afterwards, you could send the customer home with the product to keep the benefits going. Clients would get an extended benefit from their microcurrent therapy by providing natural protection against the

environment. As a company, we encourage treatments such as microcurrent therapy because they are not invasive and do not remove the protective layers of the skin. Microcurrent encourages healthy cell activity that is beneficial for the skin in the long run.

NHJ: You have an extensive product line. With summer just around the corner, what skincare regimen would you recommend?

TK: We have 2 basic skincare treatment regimens. One is for sensitive skin, especially recommended for use by clients who have acne, contact dermatitis and other inflammatory con-

ditions. It consists of L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) at a 12% concentration, and it also contains 1% zinc. Our research confirmed this formulation is able to kill bacteria including Staphylococcus (Staph), which is very important when you have inflamed skin. For a complete regimen you would follow the vitamin serum with our Sensitive Skin Moisturizer, which is going to help protect all of the cells.

These products provide a two-step regimen to help normalize problematic skin conditions. For everybody concerned with antiaging, dry skin, or hyper/hypo pigmentation, we also have the WrinkleLess System that provides a 12% concentration of L-Ascorbic Acid followed by the second step WrinkleLess Moisturizer, formulated with 5% natural vitamin E. Again, a twice daily regimen should be followed. Microcurrent therapy at a deep tissue level with a vitamin therapy on the surface is a perfect combination.

NHJ: Are the Malibu C products you recommend available in drugstores and beauty stores, or only professional salons?

TK: You will only find Malibu C in professional salons and spas, doctor’s offices and dermatologists’ clinics.

NHJ: Is this formulation unique to Malibu C? TK: Yes, Malibu C is the first company in North America to use freshly activated ascorbic acid in a formula for topical use on the body.

NHJ: Is it patent protected?

TK: Yes, Malibu C owns a use patent for ascorbic acid.

NHJ: So what’s your advice to a smart vitamin C shopper?

TK: The only way to ensure ascorbic acid is active in a product is if it is freshly activated just prior to the first use. Liquid forms of vitamin C such as Ascorbyl Palmitate and Magnesium Ascorbyl phosphate are not stable and usually contain such a small amount of ascorbic acid that they are not technically vitamin C and will not provide the same benefits as freshly activated vitamin C. Also, it is important to be ingredient savvy. For example, Malibu C products are 100% vegan, contain food grade ingredients and are free of propylene glycol, parabens, sulphates, DEA and gluten.

NHJ: And that’s what sets you apart?

TK: Very much so. We are proud of our differentiation from any other beauty manufacturer.

NHJ: Congratulations!

With summer approaching fast, and chlorine in my future, I know we will be talking again. Thank you for sharing this information with our readers. NHJ

9 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

10 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Well Intentioned Donation...

A disaster For small Businesses This past February 10, 2012 on Fox’s Neil Cavuto show, Raquel Welch announced that her company had donated f ifteen Million Dollars in free human hair wigs to the American Cancer Society this year. A tremendous gift, and anyone associated with helping women suffering from such a debilitating disease could not help but be touched by such a gesture. A common mantra throughout the hair replacement industry is that women with cancer have enough to worry about and hair shouldn’t be one of them. Hence, her company’s contribution is to be commended.

But, there are unintended consequences of such a gift. To speak to the contrary about such an offering somehow feels inappropriate, but small businesses that specialize in providing wigs to cancer patients are now faced with a troubling dilemma. The trickle-down effect from the free wig program creates two issues: Cancer patients facing hair loss can request free wigs from hospital supply closets instead of working with a qualified hair replacement specialist.

The businesses that have traditionally provided hair loss products and individualized support stand to lose fee-paying

customers and may suffer significant economic loss. Some of them may be forced to close for good.

Businesses that specialize in hair replacement options typically spend up to four hours working with a patient just to ensure that he or she not only has a wig, but has one that looks and feels natural. Custom-sized, fitted, and individually colored hairpieces enable patients to look their best and restores their confidence and self esteem. The “Beautiful Lengths” program however, undermines this professional support system. Why? Because it places no limitations or qualifications on the people who can receive a free wig. Anyone diagnosed with cancer can get as many free human hair wigs as they want, anytime they want, as long as there is inventory in the hospital wig bank. So why would they go to a hairloss center or wig shop? They have never worn a wig before and they know nothing about the different designs and choices available, so they will never know what they are missing.

In short, this admirable undertaking risks shortchanging the cancer patient and the retail wig salons, as well the manufacturers.

The greater good is not just about free wigs for cancer patients. It’s about the entire support system. The individuals fighting a terrible disease, the hairloss consultants who provide valuable services to families in need of qualified support, and the manufacturers who offer a wide selection of designs and materials for different needs and different lifestyles. Remove any one of these from the equation, and everyone suffers.

A simple solution is to introduce an income stipulation to qualify applicants for a free wig. If you can afford a wig, you should make a small contribution to

support the system. If you can’t, the system will always be there to help you.

Each year, wig salons across the US donate thousands of dollars and hours of assistance via volunteering, hospital consultations, discounts on merchandise and complimentary services. Let’s work together to keep it that way. The strong relationships between salons, manufacturers and service providers ensure that each patient receives the time and attention that they deserve.

Perhaps it is not too late to implement a strategy that will benefit everyone.

NHJ

The Way I See It

The Journal recently invited its advertisers and writers to let us know what major changes they saw ahead and how they would impact the hairloss industry. The first company to reply was International HairGoods, and we publish below an extract from their predictions.

Women and Hairloss - A lot of women are losing their hair because of an obsession with fashion. What do I mean? Well, we have seen the extension market hit an all-time high; everyone wanted long, thick beautiful locks of hair. Some extensions were done very well, but others were not so good, and instead of adding volume, they actually created a hairloss problem.

So these women had to look for solutions such as wigs, hairpieces or hair systems to fill in the damaged areas. Many of them found that lighter-weight extensions, such as Micro Point Solutions by Cyberhair, were a good solution to add volume while allowing their own hair to grow back in. In more extreme cases, some women had to turn to full cap wigs, because of permanent damage to their hair. If self-induced hairloss through poorly applied extensions created problems, excessive color treat-

ments and chemical straightening at home made things worse. Lightweight synthetics can help women do things right the first time… and help fix the problems they’ve already created.

What baby boomers want - Baby Boomers, want a simple, easy, stress free life! They want to look good and feel good, but with the least amount of time and effort. They do not want to spend time in the hair replacement studio. And they don’t want to spend excessive money on their hair. That’s why some men are tempted to shave their heads. That said, men would wear hair if we make it comfortable and easy. How? By giving them hair that does not fade or need to be replaced every month or two. They also want it to be lightweight and comfortable and be able to maintain it themselves. What is it? Of course, given the company I work for, I’m going to recommend Cyberhair. But this is not about brand loyalty or vested interests; I truly believe the time for synthetic hair has arrived. Cyberhair is lightweight, has style-memory and does not change color.

Attach it with Admatte tape and clients can take it off daily, or wear it for 4 weeks.

Give a client a Cyberhair system that lasts 6 months, and everyone will be happy; the client and the studio. Why the studio?

Well, they provide the client with new hair every 6 months, that’s two cut-ins per year (not 8 or 12). No coloring and no hair-adds means fewer technicians and lower salary bills. So baby boomer have less stress and studio owners make the same $$$ they did selling multiple human hair systems.

Human hair is stressing many studios out right now. The quality is dropping and the prices are going up. The shortage of good quality hair is not reversible... and you’re paying the price! To my mind, synthetic hair makes more and more sense.

Darla Smith, International HairGoods

11 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Bobbi Russell is the founder and owner of Hair Therapy for Women in Tampa, Florida. You probably know her as the stylist who created the hair worn

by Miss America, but just as the Miss America Pageant is about more than physical beauty, so Bobbi’s talent is about more than stunning designs. Bobbi wants to make a difference in people’s lives.

Not just the beauty queens, but every woman who needs a lift.“Many women are stressed out. They don’t have the money or the connections to maintain their good looks when the going gets rough.”

So a few months ago, she gave away more than 100 wigs at a charity event she hosted.

“Women going though cancer treatments have enormous medical bills and may not have the funds to buy really good hair. As a small business owner, I want to reach out and give back to all the women who support stylists like me everyday,” said Russell.

NJH: Behind every trophy, there’s always a history of hard work. Teresa Scanlan’s success at the Miss America pageant did not come about by chance.

What brought the two of you together?

BR: I already had a relationship with Miss Delaware, Kayla Martell who was currently wearing one of my creations and it was Kayla who made the initial introduction. Teresa told me her hair was damaged by over-processing so we arranged for her to fly in so I could see the problem for myself and we could decide what to do about it. I was horrified. It was two to three inches long basically all over her head, and this was someone who was going to compete in the Miss America Pageant.

NJH: You told us earlier that Teresa had everything a beautiful young woman could wish for… except hair.

BR: She did. She was one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met in my life. She actually stayed at my house while she was in Tampa because she was still only 17 years old. She couldn’t rent a car. She couldn’t rent a hotel room.

So she lived with us for three days, and in that time, we got to know her pretty well. She just had this energy and this glow about her that was not just something she turned off and on but something that radiated from her every second of every day. When we put the hair on her, she transformed. I remember looking at her that day and said, “You’re going to win this thing.” I knew. I just knew she would own that thing.

NJH: What was the creative challenge?

Try to break it into steps so we can follow your planning.

BR: As far as challenge was concerned, Teresa was very easy to work with. She gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted, but she definitely wanted length… and she liked blonde. However, she

made it clear she would follow my professional advice and let me pick the final color. My only concern, since she was so young, was how she would do at styling.

A human hair wig requires shampooing and blow-drying. It needs to be styled and flat ironed and curling ironed, and I didn’t know if she could handle that.

That was really my only concern when she left that day.

NJH: How did you go about making decisions like, “What style? What length? What color?”

BR: Well, because she was 17, we wanted to give her a bit of an older image. So

all of those factors together, the supplier I chose was American Hairlines.

NJH: How much customization did you have to do? Could she have bought a wig like this for herself?

BR: Absolutely not because it was customized on every level. Darker in some places, lighter in others. It was cut exactly to her face, exactly the way she liked it. The length was precisely what she requested. I even did a little tuck on the base so it would fit her head perfectly. This was a highly customized product.

NJH: Did you help accessorize Teresa in

STYLING WITH THE STARS BEYOND THE RED CARPET with Bobbi Russell we decided not to go too long. In the very beginning, we stayed in 14-inch hair. We did a very soft, sexy swoop in the front which also gave her an older appearance. The wig design we selected had a nice lace front, which allowed us to take her hair up off her face while keeping a natural hairline. As far as color goes, Teresa makes an incredible blonde, but we gave her depth at the root and

other ways?

BR: No, I strictly do hair.

NJH: Are you still working with Teresa?

BR: Yes, but this year, we did something different.

As she looks older, we used the same hair, but changed the color. We lightened it and made it blonder. We also added length so her hair went from 14 inches to 18 inches. And instead of the look being

From L to R : Brian & Bobi Russell, Teresa Scanlan and Lance Centofanti

added some lowlights to bring it all together. This enabled us to give Teresa her a more mature look so that she didn’t look 17 on stage.

NJH: How long did it take to complete the analysis, draft a design and then prepare her hair?

BR: It took us three days. The first day, she arrived in the afternoon, and we decided what hair we were going to use, did her fitting and got the hair ordered right away. We got the hair the next day and went to work on the coloring. We were devoted to getting the coloring right. That’s all we did that day. The following day, we did the cutting and the styling and making sure that it fit right.

We had a videographer actually film the whole procedure for us. You can see it on YouTube.

NJH: Any manufacturer would have been thrilled to provide hair for Miss America, I’m sure. You could have chosen synthetic or human. What were some of the basic decisions you had to make?

BR: I work with several manufacturers and most of their wigs and hair systems seem to have a different shape to their bases. When I took Teresa’s measurements I needed something that would contour to her head right away.

Remember she still had a lot of hair underneath. She was 17 years old with a full head of hair, albeit damaged hair. I also needed something that was going to be durable and long lasting. The lace front was another essential. When I put

subtle and soft, we made it more glamorous. I also did an up-do that was lots of fun. It’s beautiful doing an up-do with a wig.

NJH: Did you have to train Teresa to style her hair to maintain the looks you created?

BR: I did last year. We met a couple of times, and I brought all the equipment and showed her how to blow dry properly. I met her again in Michigan over the summer, and we worked on the proper techniques of blow drying, curling and styling her wigs. We wanted to make sure she took the best possible care of her wigs and supplied her with products for the year so that she had what she needed - shampoo, conditioner, hair spray.

NJH: What are the qualities the judges look for when they vote for Miss America?

BR: That’s a big question…

NJH: Is it personality and poise and giving back to the community in addition to looking glamorous?

BR: I think the outside beauty part is only the tip of the iceberg. Of course, it’s an important part because Miss America will be traveling all over the country speaking on behalf of the organization. But the judges are looking below the surface to find strong values and self-confidence. After two years of working in this environment, I can tell you the girls who have these special qualities really stand out.

NJH: Teresa gave up an enormous amount of time to pass on her values to her learning with other people.

BR: Whenever I talk to her, she’s on the road. Sometimes she visits two or three different places in one week where she talks about a topic that is important to her. Last year, her topic was on children with eating disorders. Overnight Teresa has become a polished public speaker.

NHJ: Meanwhile, how did Theresa manage her wigs?

BR: She wore those wigs every single day for a year, and she looked great.

Every picture that was taken of her everywhere she went, she always looked amazing. So to answer your question, she did a good job with her hair.

NJH: What sets you apart in the market is your ability to individualize hair solutions for different clients and different circumstances. Every day you customize hair additions for your own clients, just like you did for Theresa.

BR: Every consultation is different.

Some people come in thinking they need a wig when the reality is they just need a little topper. Or maybe they want hair they put on and take off every day. Or maybe they want to wear and shower with it and live with it. Finding out what their true needs are is the first step. By far, the most important thing is to understand the client’s expectations then look at their color and their face shape. Look at their lifestyle, what type of activities do they do? Are they at the gym all the time? You have to provide a product that is going to fit perfectly within that lifestyle.

NJH: How much more time does it take to give this kind of individual attention?

BR: It’s unpredictable. Sometimes, it’s really easy. But the hair that our industry provides is unpredictable so you never know what corrections you might have to make. It can take anywhere from three hours to a week to get something the way that it needs to be. That’s one of the reasons that I love working with hair from Europe. I know where I stand.

NJH: Do you price your services according to the effort required?

BR: I have a set pricelist and I provide basic adjustments like adding the root color or doing a haircut and styling, that’s not extra. But I if I have to go in and highlight and lowlight and change colors or add hair, things like that, then that is an extra charge.

NJH: The men’s hair loss market is contracting and many traditional men’s hair replacement studios are either entering or eyeing the women’s market. What advice would you give them?

BR: The men’s market in general, has such a bad reputation. I think the ’70s and early ‘80s was really bad for that industry. The products now are more amazing than they’ve ever been, but I don’t think that they have done a very good job of letting men know that they don’t have to live with thinning hair. I don’t think people know that really good hair replacement exists. There’s a missing link there with the communication.

NJH: What is the biggest challenge facing the industry today?

BR: I have two, maybe three companies I work with that are giving me good quality products today. But I don’t know what I’m going to get in the future. I think that, as technicians, we need to be tougher on our manufacturers and demand consistently good products. But I also think that we need to also be willing to pay for it. So it goes both ways. The other big challenge is the stigma of hair additions. People are still embarrassed to wear them. Thanks to events like Miss America and people like Teresa Scanlan things are beginning to change. She stood on that stage and proved to everybody that a wig can really look like your hair.

NHJ

14 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Miss America 2011 The Real Meaning of Beauty Teresa Scanlan is from the state of Nebraska, the middle of seven children, and will be attending college in the fall of 2012 at Patrick Henry College. Teresa made history in 2011 when she became the first Miss America to win this prestigious award wearing a full-length wig. In this interview, Teresa talks about her role as America’s most beautiful woman and the opportunity it gave her to share her values and opinions. And, of course, she also describes how she decided to wear a wig in the competition and whom she turned to for professional guidance.

NHJ: 2011 was almost certainly the most exciting year in your life. You got recognition and publicity most girls can only dream about. What led you to compete for Miss America?

TS: Growing up, this was never something I was remotely interested in… or even on my radar screen. I was very focused on what I wanted to do academically and career wise.

Ever since I was six or seven years old, people would come up to me and ask, “So what do you want to be when you grow up, little girl?” And I’d say, “A lawyer, judge, president, or a supreme court justice.” That was my plan, my entire life. Miss America was nowhere on that plan.

NHJ: But somewhere along the way, you took a brief detour…

TS: When I was just 13 years old I competed in a local county pageant. I only did it because my older sister had, and, of course, I wanted to be like her. But from that point forward, I found it was something I really enjoyed being part of. It promoted values that were important to me, things that I was already dedicated to in my own life. I thought it would help me become the well-rounded person I wanted to be. So I continued to compete. 2008 was the first time I watched the Miss America pageant. I believe I was 14 years old at the time, and I never dreamt that I could possibly participate in it, much less win. But when I turned 17 and graduated high school, I became eligible to start competing so I entered one of our local competitions in Nebraska. This qualified me to compete for Miss Nebraska, just two weeks after high school graduation. And six months later, I found myself nominated as Miss America!

As you can see, it was a whirlwind process.

NHJ: What is it that excites you about participating in these competitions?

TS: It’s because it’s more than a competition - it’s a showcase. It’s an opportunity to showcase what you believe in and what you want to share with the world. I find it empty and meaningless to simply go on stage to show the judges how you look. I try to go out and showcase where I come from and what I’m about. I’m representing my family, those who have made and

shaped me and molded my life.

NHJ: So it’s not just Teresa Scanlon who wins, it’s all the people who helped you become who you are today.

TS: That’s right. I want to thank those who have always been there for me; to represent them and make them proud. To represent Jesus Christ, and to do all that I can to give glory to him. So the fulfillment and satisfaction comes from much more than a stage competition. To me, competing is a culmination of everything I’ve worked so hard for in my life. In turn, it gives me a powerful platform to voice my opinions and values. There’s no way a 17 year old girl from a tiny town in western Nebraska would’ve ever had this opportunity without being part of this organization. I learned so much, grew so much.

That’s the true satisfaction I gained from competing.

NHJ: You make it sound as though beauty is almost a responsibility. That you want to add depth and dignity to beauty.

TS: So many people think beauty comes first, and the rest of it follows after. I believe who you are as a person comes first - your values and the way you present yourself. Not beauty defined by someone else, but beauty by your own definition. That means you are the most confident person that you can be because you know that you are truly beautiful from the inside out. It’s sad but true, that people today are very visual and you must satisfy their expectations before they will take you seriously. So I try to restore the balance.

Being Miss America has opened up so many doors, especially with young kids who think you’re special because of the glamour that surrounds you. They say, “Oh, I want to be like that,” and they start to look up to you.

From there, it opens a door, and a gateway, to being able to speak with them and influence them. That’s how I hope to help build their values and make them more complete.

NHJ: Is beauty a responsibility? Does it carry with it a responsibility to propagate the values you just described? Because to be beautiful is one of life’s great privileges.

TS: That’s an interesting way of putting it.

Yes, I believe that everybody has a different definition of beauty, but when you are beautiful by your own standards, it’s important that you set an example in other areas as well. To use your own words, you have a responsibility be an example and to show it to every person that it is not only about physical appearance. Again, I simply don’t find much purpose in trying to be beautiful by others’ standards. I think every person has in their mind what they believe is beautiful, and what they think Miss America should look like. That’s not what I competed for. I was trying to live up to my own ideals of inner beauty – the title Miss America was just part of that journey.

NHJ: Putting our metaphysical feet back on

the ground, what made you decide to wear a wig for the most important professional challenge in your career?

TS: When I was growing up, my hair was blond, but it started getting darker as I grew older. It has always been thin and curly. For a while, I just left it alone, and it was fine. But toward the end of my high school years, I started coloring my hair to make it lighter like it was before and I began trying to straighten it. The constant bleaching was really damaging my hair and it kept breaking until it got shorter and shorter and was not growing fast enough anymore. So, by the time I competed for Miss Nebraska, not only was I constantly struggling to upkeep the color, but also having to blow dry and straighten my hair, not to mention the clip in extensions that were becoming necessary! Every day I was doing more things that damaged my hair, so, leading up to Miss America, I was trying to find a better option. I began researching various extension options and things like that when I met Kayla Martell, who has alopecia, and wears wigs. Wigs were not an option that had ever entered my mind, but when I realized how realistic they looked, I thought maybe, just maybe, this could work for me.

NHJ: Have you continued to wear a wig after the pageant?

TS: I’ve been wearing a wig over the past year and a half. It is incredibly helpful to let my hair grow and rest and get back to being healthy. Not putting heat on it for an entire year made a tremendous difference.

I also had lots of public appearances as

Miss America, so this was a huge convenience as well.

NHJ: How did you find a stylist once you had made the decision to work with a wig? A wig gives you all the styling possibilities in the world - long, short, any texture, any color you want. That’s a huge range of choices, so this was an important step.

TS: I already had in my mind what I wanted, because of what I had been trying to obtain with the coloring and extensions. I simply wanted a better version of what I was trying to do.

NHJ: How did you go about this?

TS: I was fortunate to be referred to Bobbi Russell, who is an expert in women’s hair additions and extensions. We started speaking over the phone at first. And of course, I’m in Nebraska and she’s in Florida, so we were trying to figure out how to work together. For example, would it be okay for me not to travel and for Bobbi to simply send the pieces? But it quickly became clear that I needed to go there and try out some of the possibilities first hand. I flew to Tampa and spent a few days with her. We tried on a couple of pieces, got them ordered, got them colored and cut, and they were exactly, I mean exactly, what I had always pictured, and dreamt of, but far better!

NHJ: What was that dream?

TS: I knew I wanted long blond hair, and I knew that I wanted to have options styling it, so I could have it straight, curly, put it up, all of that. So, I already had that vision in my mind of what I was trying to achieve. But what Bobbi was able to give me was beyond

what I had imagined possible with wigs.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t believe it.

NHJ: Did the other contestants know that you were wearing a wig?

TS: Yes, almost everybody did, because we all shared a dressing tent backstage, and we were all getting ready together. During the preliminary night, you can have a hair person and a makeup artist come and work with you and we’re all together in the one room for that.

The final night, of course, you have to do your own hair and makeup. But because I had one up-do for talent, and then one down, they saw me changing my hair. By the end of the week everybody knew I was wearing a wig, but it was crazy how many had not known prior to that. They were all very surprised.

They were saying, “We couldn’t even tell,” which was great. Obviously, that’s what you want. I also heard several women say, “Oh my goodness, that’s so smart. I should’ve done that. It’s so much easier that way.”

[Laughs] NHJ: You’ve just taken the next question out of my mouth. I would imagine, in the dressing room, everybody else was asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

TS: Exactly. When you have to do your own hair that final night, it’s so nice when you can just special order in your hair exactly the way you want it, carry it in with you, and it’s ready to go. So I would advise any Miss America to use wigs, because it’s just so much easier. In fact it’s a great option for any woman in a busy position, where their hair has to look good.

NHJ: Are wigs now going to be part of your future?

TS: I believe so. I’m still trying to grow my hair out, but I want to keep my public look consistent, so I will certainly continue to wear my wigs for quite a few years and certainly while I’m appearing as Miss America 2011.

NHJ: You’re about to go to college where you’re going to have a very relaxed lifestyle.

I don’t want to say a bohemian lifestyle, but if it’s anything like my son, he certainly wasn’t the most well groomed student… Do you think wigs fit into a student lifestyle too?

TS: Oh, absolutely. I feel comfortable with them. I mean, I wore them all summer long, inside, outside, hot or cold weather, casual or fancy. They absolutely fit with anything. I’m even playing with different lengths. The college I’m going to expects you to dress in business casual or business professional every day, so it’s not as relaxed as some campuses.

It’s meant to get you used to the business world. I think looking well groomed and making sure your hair looks nice shows respect for your employer and co-workers.

NHJ: Many women don’t have the luxury of adding hair as an accessory. They need more hair because they are going through chemotherapy or are afflicted with alopecia.

What is your message to women who feel their beauty is being stolen from them?

TS: Although you should not derive your identity from your hair, I understand how huge hair loss can be. So, if any woman feels her hair is undermining her self-confidence, she should know there are alternatives. She could be someone like me and not have the most desirable hair but wanting something better, or she could be losing her hair. No matter the circuMisstances or background, every woman has the right to feel beautiful. And a good wig can play an important part in that.

NHJ: Where do you go from here? Will hair always be part of your life?

TS: Absolutely. It makes life much easier for me and it’s a lot of fun. I love experimenting with it and trying out different things. I know my life is going to get busier from here, so I will need my hair even more in the future.

NHJ: Would you be interested in pursuing a career in the world of beauty?

TS: I’m planning on going into law, government, and politics. I’d like to do criminal prosecution and then become a judge, and eventually join the political arena.

That’s the route that I plan on taking in the future. However, on the side, music will always be a huge part of my life, as will the field of style and beauty. I have been fortunate in my life and I will do whatever it takes to help every woman find the same NHJ self-confidence for themselves.

15 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Six Figure Esthetician Shares Secret It could work for you too…

Lori Crete is the author of “The Six Figure Esthetician System,” which helps estheticians build a lucrative business. She has been featured on many news channels and is an industry expert for Guthie Ranker and their skin care department.

Lori has helped many celebrities develop and market new products. When she is not on the road consulting, Lori directs two salons of her own, which are pioneering skin rejuvenation through the use of microcurrent technology. Lori Crete is an advisor to The National Society of Hair & Skin rejuvenation, which is introducing a new anti-aging program based on a new full-spectrum microcurrent technology.

NHJ: Lori, you are enjoying considerable commercial success in the field of skin rejuvenation. It’s a unique technology… a lot of people don’t even know what microcurrent means. How did you come across it?

LC: When I was a fairly new esthetician, I saw a demonstration on Oprah, and I was floored. It was a short segment all about microcurrent, and it really resonated with me. I was a holistic girl from Vermont… I was ‘green’ before it was the trendy thing to do and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on something like this. So I started doing the research on the technology and the machines available.

NHJ: What did you discover?

LC: I had discovered an amazing, noninvasive, holistic approach to skin care. I also discovered a machine that gave phenomenal results that my clients could see after only one session. Better yet, the benefits were cumulative. The more you do it, the better you look. It’s a great way to retain your existing clients and bring a lot of new repeat business into your salon.

NHJ: When you did your due diligence, did you find multiple machines, or was there one company leading the pack?

LC: Well, I stumbled across a company that seemed to offer all the right things and I got a machine from them. It was OK. Then I found something even better. It was developed by a company called Neurotris and I was blown away by their technology. So I bought that machine and told all my clients, “I’m going to give you this facial. It’s the same technology, but a different machine. I have to charge more, because this is way more powerful and updated piece of equipment. If you don’t like it, I’ll go back to the old one and you can pay your regular price.

If you do like it, then we’ll set up a new monthly plan.” And I am happy to say, I retired my old machine in about two months.

Nobody wanted it anymore.

NHJ: Readers of The Hair Journal don’t want to have to go through the same learning curve. So they don’t buy the wrong machine, can you give them some caveats? What are the things they should be looking for, and what should they avoid?

LC: My whole theory in business is that you get what you pay for. So I recommend the Neurotris SX-3500. It may not be the most inexpensive machine on the block, but

I’ve had mine for five years now and have never had one problem with it. Another thing is, it’s built in the United States, which is important, because some of my friends in this industry have had machines that are built elsewhere, and I’ve seen them receive boxes of spark plugs and different types of tools to put the machine back together when it breaks. And they’re in their treatment rooms with hammers and screw drivers.

You’ll never experience that with a Neurotris machine. Also, the customer service is unbelievable. I swear, I could call this company at midnight and they’d solve the problem for me.

The machine gives a very smooth delivery of current, which means it’s much more comfortable for your client. People get a little nervous at first, when you move toward them with metal probes, but this machine immediately takes that anxiety away when they don’t really feel anything scary, but do see wonderful results with the machine.

NHJ: Let’s go back to the timeline… here was this newly minted cosmetologist who stumbles across a new technology. She experiments with one device, upgrades to a superior machine and adopts the very latest iteration of the microcurrent. What’s happened to her business?

LC: Right away, my sales tripled. Because this machine works and it gets a lot of good publicity. That’s huge. The company has also been featured in fashion magazines and TV shows nationwide.

NHJ: How did you build your clientele?

LC: A lot of it was word of mouth. I had one client who was kind of hesitant about receiving this type of facial. So I said, “I’m going to do the first two treatments and only charge you for your standard European facial where we don’t use any equipment.” After two sessions, she had an appointment with a famous hairdresser - you may know who that is, because he’s the one who gave Farrah Fawcett her hairdo in the ‘70s - and he asked my client if she’d had a facelift! Now this was five years ago… and she’s still coming in monthly for more treatments. Sold! So not only are your clients seeing results, the people they’re associated with are hearing about it and they want to come in and have it done too. It’s very contagious!

NHJ: A lot of readers, by now are probably asking, “What could this do for me?” So let’s take a small salon owner who has 500-600 clients coming in every month. What could they expect?

LC: Like I said, it’s quite contagious, so once you get going, the business just keeps building. In the beginning, you have to be a little creative and use your marketing skills to let people know that you actually have the

“ So not only are your clients seeing results, the people they’re associated with are hearing about it and they want to come in and have it done too. It’s very contagious!” equipment. Pay a lot of attention to your existing client list. You’re 10 times more likely to upsell an existing client than you are to getting a new client. To recover my investment, I picked up the phone and called as many clients as I could. I also established great relationships with the news reporters in my areas. A lot of people are scared to reach out to these reporters for fear of being rejected, or thinking they’re too busy. But they actually need these kinds of stories, or they wouldn’t have a job.

NHJ: What is the optimum way of showing how this works? Did you offer free demonstrations? Did you do one half of the face so that they could compare the two sides?

LC: I did half the face the first time the client came in. Then I would show them the results in the mirror. Women are absolutely wowed by this. When they see their eyebrow

lifted half an inch after you’ve spent 20 minutes on one side of their face, they’re sold.

And I took a ton of before and after pictures, because we are our own worst critics. So even if they didn’t see it when they looked in the mirror, when I showed them their before and after pictures, they were floored.

NHJ: Did men want to try it as well?

LC: You know, I do have men coming in to try it. Times are changing. I’ve actually just devoted an entire page on my website just to our services for men. The men who have tried skin rejuvenation love it. The tightening on the neck, that’s where they really notice a difference… and the fine lines around the eyes. Anyone you can get in the door to try it, chances are they’re going to be your client for a long time.

NHJ: Do you have to create a special skin care area in your salon? What is the optimum setup for this equipment?

LC: In this day and age, with the way people are stressed out, if you can create some type of quiet environment, or a section away from the rest of the business of the salon, that’s probably going to be best for your clients. It just depends on your demographic. I’ve seen these really funky, hip salons where people may be okay doing it in a little booth-type area. I’m in a day spa, so my environment is very tranquil, and people come in here to regroup and de-stress from life.

NHJ: Is this a profitable enterprise?

LC: Well, it allowed me to buy my retirement home at 35 years old, so I would say, yes. [Laughs] NHJ: In an earlier conversation, you told me you paid for your first machine in a matter of months or weeks…

LC: Yes, I paid for it within a month. And I’m going to be honest with you, I worked 21 days in a row, probably 12 hours a day, to do that. But I was thrilled that the business was coming in. And another thing this has done for my business, it’s kind of made it international. I actually have one of the most famous women in the world fly in from Bollywood.

There’s an actress in India who comes here to get her treatments done. I’ve had people fly in who’ve read about skin rejuvenation in a fashion magazine in Australia. I have another client in Palm Springs who drives three and a half hours to get these treatments. I’m treating doctors, I’m treating attorneys, and every now and then I get an elderly woman who’s retired. People from all walks of life are investing in this therapy.

NHJ: What is the optimum regimen that you recommend?

LC: I tell my clients it’s like having a personal trainer. You go to the gym once, you work out with your trainer, and you feel really good. You go to the gym five or six times, and you not only feel good, but you start to see your muscles tighten and shift. It’s the same thing with your face. To be most effective, microcurrent therapy needs to be carried out regularly. Of course, you can create trial packages to demonstrate the benefits and you can offer ‘touch ups’ for special occasions - I have celebrities that come in just before they’re due on the ‘red carpet’ – but it works best when there is a consistent program.

NHJ: We’ve seen the results - we wouldn’t be having this conversation if we were not impressed - but how are your clients responding?

LC: Right away, they see an improvement in the texture and the tone of the skin. They see a reduction in the appearance of fine lines. This procedure stimulates cellular activity and brings blood to the surface of the skin, facilitating the detoxification process and carrying vital nutrients. My clients see super anti-aging results right away. My younger clients do it as preventative maintenance. Older clients get really excited – and they are your key prospects. I have women in their 60s who come in for this technology once a month, and they look like they’re only 45!

NHJ: What about other machines? There are handheld devices advertised in in-flight magazines that offer the convenience of being able to use microcurrent at home. Do they deliver the same results?

LC: There is no way they can deliver the same results, because the Neurotris SX-3500 machine targets specific cell types through a number of different channels, each delivering a unique electronic signature. Another thing;

the Neurotris device has a special computer program that compensates for the resistance, or impedance, the microcurrent encounters when it reaches human tissue so that the energy remains constant. Other machines lose a major part of their therapeutic energy because of the resistance from the skin and tissue. Handheld machines are okay to have in your house for a touch up, but don’t think they’re going to deliver the same result, because they’re not.

NHJ: You started with one machine, one SX-3500. Now you have several.

LC: It’s been a quick growth. A newscaster came in and started her facials, and she told me that if I opened a second location,

“ The men who have tried skin rejuvenation love it. The tightening on the neck, that's where they really notice a difference… and the fine lines around the eyes.” she’d give me the May sweep story. And that’s kind of how it started. And be careful what you wish for, because for about six months all I did was work [Laughs]. It was crazy, until I got other people trained. So be prepared for what this is going do for your business. Learn from my trial and error.

NHJ: If you were recruiting and setting it up from scratch, what is the ideal profile for an esthetician or cosmetologist operating a machine like this?

LC: It’s the same profile that you look for anytime you’re hiring a cosmetologist. For me, it’s really important to have somebody who understands skin, and represents themselves well. You want somebody who shows up looking the part. I have a 21 year old operating it, and then there’s myself. I am obviously much older. I think anyone can perform the procedure, but you want someone who believes in a healthy lifestyle and who is also committed to the company.

NHJ: Final question, for someone who has no knowledge of skin rejuvenation, but is now intrigued, what is your advice? What should they do next?

LC: Google. That’s what I did. There are tons of clinical studies that show how amazing this is on a cellular level, and how regenerative it is to the skin. And on a business level, start looking around and see what people are charging for this type of facial, because it’s high end, and it will really add an important new profit center to your business.

I’d be happy to give anyone the information they need, because like I said, I’ve been doing this for a long time.

NHJ: Is Neurotris still the way to go?

LC: I believe it is. I work the A4M, which is where doctors go to become board certified. It’s a trade show in Vegas every year, and almost every professional that studies the skin and the biology of the skin is floored when they see this technology. There are certain features in this machine that are not available in any other, mainly because Neurotris holds the patents. One of them is the bio-impedance meter that I talked about earlier. It’s the technology that actually sends information back from the client’s face to the machine. So the signatures in the waves that are sent to your client’s face are constantly being adjusted so that optimum skin rejuvenation occurs at a cellular level. You can just tell the product quality by looking and feeling the machine. It is made to medical grade standards and it shows. They have all their safety certification. I’m not aware of any other company that can match this.

The National Society of Hair & Skin Rejuvenation is the exclusive distributor of the Neurotris SX-3500 to the hair replacement, hair restoration and hair addition industry.

16 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

John Vincent becomes Director of Global Sales at the LaserCap Company John Vincent announces on LinkedIn that he has changed positions at Central California Laser Hair Therapy to Direct of Global Sales for the LaserCap Company.

Oscar Urzola starts European tour Oscar Urzola, technical Director of Product Development, Custom & International Sales at New Image Labs, West Palm Beach, Florida, has announced the start of a European tour covering London, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Paris and Barcelona. Bon Voyage Oscar!

Okyo Sthair Okyo says it best - With over 25 years in the industry, my passion is to help the professional change their clients’ lives everyday.

Human hair costs are continually rising and quality is going down. I want to get back into the business by offering something new. So we are recycling human hair. Retaping and re-tipping hair extensions and designing custom pieces. I predict that in the next 5 to 10 years human hair will be an extremely rare commodity.

With more and more Asian countries becoming westernized, we see a lot of women, who in the past did not color or process their hair, beginning to do so. Therefore, the need to

preserve our resources is evident. I want specialists to retain their existing clients in this tough economy and one of the ways to do so is to extend the life of their hairpieces and hair extensions. That’s why I am proud to announce that I am now offering wig & hairpiece repair, hair extension re-taping and retipping and custom made hair units. I believe by offering these services to specialist we are creating a non-fail plan that will sustain and increase their revenues for many years to come. And in keeping with the latest trends, which I think is a very important aspect of our industry; we are now specializing in extra long hair. It would be my honor to assist you in creating the most beautiful, natural and unique hairpiece for your most demanding clients. Okyo Sthair - Email: sthaircms815@aol.com.

Jason Lumsden joins HairUWear Jason Lumsden has joined HAIRuWEAR as VP, Global Sales. Jason brings national chain and distributor salon experience, as well as international exposure within the hair industry. With industry credentials spanning fifteen years, Jason’s senior level experience includes sales, marketing and operations. He previously served as National Sales Director at Colomer Beauty Brands, where he led a team of thirteen Regional Sales and Education Managers in charge of multiple professional hair care brands in the U.S. Jason also handled the international expansion and sales push for Abba. His other brand responsibilities included American Crew, MOP, d:fi, and Orofluido. HAIRuWEAR brands include Raquel Welch and Gabor, Great Lengths USA, Hairdo and E! Live from the Red Carpet, Dancing with the Stars and Put on Pieces and Virtual Reality/American Hairlines. The alternative hair category has more than doubled in size over the past decade, with U.S. sales estimated at north of $2 billion.

Importance of Brand Differentiation Escalates Consumers Search for Meaningful Personal Care Products Evidence shows that “self image” and “brand image” are exerting the strongest impact on customer decision-making and engagement with Personal Care brands.

“Consumer expectations have been accelerating for some time,” said Robert Passikoff, president, Brand Keys. “Many industry pundits have looked at the pressures on price and drawn the erroneous conclusion that brands have lost their value. Quite the opposite is true. Real brands are more valuable than ever. We need only look to the continuing success of luxury brands as evidence.

Brands that lack meaningful differentiation are being punished by economic and behavioral shifts, becoming category ‘placeholders.’ because consumers do not look for commodities. Given the levels of commoditization we’ve witnessed in product/services and pricing/promotion strategies, it’s no surprise consumers are looking to strong brands to offer a difference.”

Here are the Hair Care product brand loyalty and engagement rankings for 2012: Hair Color Clairol, L’Oreal, Revlon, Garnier Hair Conditioner Pantene, Herbal Essences, Suave, Aveda/L’Oreal (tie), Neutrogena, Garnier Hair Shampoo Pantene/Breck (tie), Organix, Herbal Essences, Garnier, Suave, Dove, L’Oreal

“At a time when brands are struggling to differentiate themselves and to find ways to profitably engage with customers, the changes in the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index serve as a benchmark for marketers.

Products and services that respond with a meaningful consumer-centric view of their category – delighting the customer – stand to gain the most, and will establish themselves as this decade’s brand leaders,” concluded Passikoff.

The Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Indextm is an annual syndicated study — initiated in 1997 that examines customers’ relationships with 598 brands in 83 categories. For the Brand Keys 2012 survey, 49,000 consumers, 18 to 65 years of age, drawn from the nine US Census Regions, self-selected the categories in which they are consumers, and the brands for which they are customers.

FLASH REPORT

Evolve Volumizer The Evolve Volumizer is a semi-permanent hairpiece that provides body, texture, and color without the use of chemicals and requires low maintenance. The Volumizer is specifically engineered for clients with up to 50 percent hair loss in the crown, and for people with fine, thin, and/or damaged hair. Each Volumizer is individually customized and provides both integration and transformation because of its stretchable silicone base.

It does not require tape, glue or adhesives and can be installed in about 2.5 hours. The Evolve Volumizer can be worn in addition to, or as an alternative to extensions.

For more information, visit evolvinghair.com

The Immaculate Hairline

How to achieve it every time

By Jimmy “The General” Toscano

There are no two ways about it. I am a fanatic when it comes to quality. Doesn’t always make me friends, but I have the best-looking clients anywhere!

My clients have always come first. Everything I do, everything I touch, is geared to making them look as good as my skills and years of training make possible. None of my clients sign contracts. They don’t need to. If they are not happy with the way they look, I do it over until

they are satisfied. Sometimes they don’t notice an imperfection, but I do. Once again, I will repeat the procedure and even order new hair at my own expense until, in my professional judgment, the job is done right. I am lucky to work with some extremely talented people and over the years, though trial and error, I have identified suppliers whose products are the best in

17 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

eration, bar none, when choosing an adhesive or bond is your client’s safety. I recommend the Ghost collection of products because I happen to know the personal circumstances that led the owner to make a lifetime commitment to product safety. They also happen to be among the most scientifically advanced products available. So now, let’s turn to the actual process of creating that hairline.

First things first. Everywhere we’ve been throughout the world, everyone has been taught to begin the front hairline 3-4 fingers from the eyebrows. This is the biggest mistake most stylists start off with when doing a front hairline. If you would get your client to look up and wrinkle their forehead, you can see where the frontalis muscle is. If your client has hair, this is where their hairline would begin. If you have bonded the client’s hair system down past this muscle and the front breaks loose, this is the problem.

Next, you can’t put a straight line in the front of the hair system and expect it to be 100% undetectable. You can use pinking shears to cut the front edge of a skin system. Be careful - some manufacturers don’t leave enough skin on the front edge to do this. Look for a manufacturer who does. You can also scallop the front edge. I prefer to use a surgical scalpel to do this. Not all hairlines are created equal. Most stylists, up to this point, have let the manufacturers decide the front hairline. Keep in mind, they manufacture hair.

They don’t have a clue what you do in your salon. Get creative!!! Don’t use a “round” front. Here are a few examples of different hairlines on the same client. (pictures) There are manufacturers that make hair systems with undetectable hairlines in all colors.

Some call them rootless knots. Keep in mind

aren’t cost effective. But I will tell you these hair systems close 100% of my sales. Here is a picture of the front hairline of a taped-down system. This picture is an unretouched photo taken with my iPhone.

their class. But even with the best products, the best hair, the best attachments and the best styling aids, where the rubber really meets the road is the front hairline. So in this article, I want to give you some tips to help you achieve the perfect hairline.

- these are not bleached knots that are “orange.” Here is picture of a front hairline in color 1. (picture) After seeing this picture, do you think I have any competition? Hardly andneither should you. If you can do this kind of work, you can close 100% of all your sales.

First, no hairline is going to look good unless you’re working with the right materials. If, like me, you have found great suppliers through your own trial and error, I am not here to try to change those relationships. I can only tell you what works for me. Firstly hair. Hair that cannot retain moisture will not keep its texture and will not move naturally. So quality is key. I’m talking about quality after several washings, not quality that only looks terrific when you take it out of the box. Hair that hasn’t been exposed to aggressive chemicals and acids is the best. Some people call it European Hair, others Russian Hair. If you can get it, this is the gold standard. The Journal has published several articles from experts on hair quality so I won’t go into more details here.

Now let’s discuss the type of attachment you’re going to use. For all my bondable clients, I use the Ghost Collection. Not only because it is the safest adhesive on the market, but the way it “cures”, it will leave your hairline 100% undetectable. I have also found it to be the best holding adhesive on the market today. If you have clients that are taped-down, you can still make them just as undetectable with the correct tape and the correct type of hair sys-

The second element is the base. Not all materials are created equal and even the best are not suitable for all lifestyles. I have written about this extensively in the past and the procedure to be followed to ensure that you create accurate templates. If you need more help in this area, let The Journal know and I will be happy to publish a follow-up article. Thirdly, you must use a quality adhesive. The first consid-

One area I really need to touch on is the cleanup of the front hairline. If you’re still using citrus-based cleaners, you’re back in the stone ages. I welcome any of you to come to my salon and see that we have no clients with any type of scalp irritation whatsoever. The main culprit in irritated scalps is NOT the adhesive; it’s the cleaners. In the Ghost Collection, you will find a product called Ultra-Safe. This product will solve all of your scalp irritation problems. How could you possibly have a natural, undetectable hairline with a “flaming red” hairline/scalp? Many have used the excuse, “It costs too much.” It works out to be about $.25 an application. Is a quarter worth not having an anxiety attack when you remove the hair system?

This will give you an idea of how all your clients should look. (picture) If you’re not getting these results, maybe you need to look around the industry for the companies with the best technology and resources.

I used to be mostly a “lace” guy. But since designing these rootless knot hair systems, the thin skins are my No. 1 choice. These hair systems are more versatile than lace - they stay down better and are waterproof. When your client leaves your salon, they can basically get back to their normal activities - except getting overheated for the first 24-48 hours.

Do you still get excited when you come to work? I’m still as excited today as I was in 1967 when I started on this endeavor. Since I started in hair replacement, the industry has really changed - from synthetic hair to human, from thick bases that were incredibly hard to hide to ultra-thin bases that are undetectable. If you are stuck in the “one-basefits-all” rut, you and your clients are truly missing out on great technology.

tem; namely, a rootless knot hair system.

Again, keep in mind - the major manufacturers you’ve been dealing with will tell you they

I’ve given you the tools and education to move this industry forward.

The rest is up to you!!!

NHJ

Hair Talk Language as an indicator of the importance of hair

By Khalid Al Aboud, M.D. Hair is an epidermal appendage related to the pilosebaceus unit located in the dermis and grows from the follicles. It is found exclusively in mammals and is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class.

Though hair performs limited or nonessential functions in humans, its enormous social ramifications are evidenced by numerous medications and ongoing research for maintaining satisfactory growth.

Hair can grow on most external areas of the human body, except on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It is most noticeable in a small number of areas, which are also the ones that are most commonly trimmed, plucked, or shaved. These include the face, ears, head, eyebrows, legs, and armpits, as well as the pubic region. The highly visible differences between the distribution of male and female body and facial hair are a notable secondary sex characteristic.

In everyday speech, the word, ‘’hair’’ may be used to convey a variety of meanings. It all depends on the context. The mood of a person, the facial features and overall looks are often conveyed by the way he or she grooms their hair.

It is from these observations that several phrases related to hair are used in the English language.

Here are a few examples: “As fine as frog’s hair” – Extremely fine, i.e. delicate and slender.

“Bad hair day” - A day on which one’s hair seems unmanageable. Also extended to mean a day when everything seems to go wrong.

“Let your hair down” - Behave in a free or uninhibited manner.

“Makes your hair stand on end” - Something frightening.

About the author: Khalid Al Aboud, MD, works in the Pathology Department, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. E-mail: amoa65@hotmail.com Source: The Phrasefinder website, founded in 1997 by Gary Martin.

18 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

CyberWorld 2012

yberhair dealers met at the picturesque Tamaya Resort & Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the always popular annual Cyber-Conference.

Many guests have known each other for twenty years or even longer, so it was a “family� reunion in the real sense or the word.

C

IHI Vice-President, Peter Gensler and Darla Smith, IHI Technical Director, introduced new marketing materials and products including: In-Studio Marketing Kit featuring Marketing Videos, 2012 Digital Media CDs for Cyberhair/ Private Issue / Micro Point Solutions, as well as new photos and display material. Cyberhair announced a new Ventilated Curl Guide and 9 Cap Designs. Private Issue launched a SemiCustom Ordering Cap Selection. IHI also reminded everyone that they can now offer Xfusion Keratin Fibers The Annual Awards Dinner honored studio owners who had made outstanding contributions to Cyberhair Programs or achieved sales milestones. Congratulations went to Special Achievement Award winners Patricia Julkowski, Laurie Nash and Dennis Howell, the latest inductee into the $Million Club, Danielle Grillo and newest $3 Million Club winners, Frank Prasek, Bill Spitale, Jane Genesi and Jim McGowan.

19 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Nature Knows Best Fuller thicker hair naturally

By Dr. Geno Marcovici

There is a revolution happening right now in medicine and science. A revolution that's taking us away from reliance upon syntheticallybased treatments in favor of naturally-derived alternatives. This paradigm shift is being driven by several key prerequisites. Most importantly, the more we learn about the complex compounds occurring in nature, the more we see how powerful and profoundly elegant they really are. But how can this be? Surely, Merck or Upjohn are in a better position to create from scratch designer small molecules (drugs by another name) than a humble weed sitting in a corner of their parking lot, right?

Well... Not necessarily.

While it is true that humans have been synthesizing drugs since the days of ancient Egypt, our ambitious fumbling constitutes the merest blink of time compared to how long Mother Nature has been on the job. Over millions of years, delicate and remarkably complex botanical molecules have evolved to operate in plants and organisms alike, ranging from the tiniest viral entities to Tyrannosaurus Rex. Even obligate carnivores are reliant upon plant-based foodstuffs, because the animals they eat are themselves often plant eaters. You don't have to go too far down the carnivorous line to find obligate herbivores. And the plantbased substances these guys consume evolved over the eons to do lots of important things.

And here, the wonder really is in the details.

Plants have roots. So when parasites or predators menace them, they can't run away.

Instead, plants have evolved a stockpile of chemical warfare agents that would make the US Army blush. Plants wield formidable molecular tools not only to protect themselves, but also to stake out their territory and even to reproduce. Harnessing a few of these molecular tools in furtherance of human health is precisely what the scientific community is now trying to accomplish.

Actually, humanity has been stealing tricks from Mother Nature for a long time. According to WebMD, nature has been the source, or inspiration, of most new drugs created in the last century -- at least 70% if not more. Some of the most widely used drugs were originally derived from humble natural substrate. Take Streptomycin, one of the most potent antibiotics in our arsenal against the scariest of bacteria, mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Did you know that the original source of this wonder drug was a cranberry bog in a rural New Jersey swamp?

Today, there are at least 120 distinct chemical substances derived from plants that are considered important drugs. Most people know that aspirin was originally formulated from the sap of a Willow tree. But did you know that one of the most efficacious cardiomyopathy drugs was also extracted from tree bark? Quinidine, a class 1 anti-arrhythmic agent, was first created from sap oozing from a cinchona tree.

Even for lethal threats like cancer, some of the best chemotherapeutic reagents come from plants. The prototype taxane, for example, which is used in treatment of breast and prostate cancer, was originally known as Taxol, and was first derived from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree.

Serious, but non-cancerous prostate ailments, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have also been highly responsive to naturally based therapeutic agents. Interestingly, BPH shares a number of key metabolic triggers with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known as common pattern hair loss. This explains why certain synthetic drugs, including finasteride and dutasteride, have been

used successfully against BPH and AGA. Finasteride, dispensed in 5 mg strength as Proscar™, has been a first-tier BPH drug for decades. Only after noting anecdotal reports of increased hair growth was the drug repackaged in 1 mg strength as Propecia™. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the medical literature also reports side effects from this drug including loss of libido, changes in PSA (prostate specific antigen), and feminizing birth defects. Such caveats give clinicians and patients alike pause before embarking on a long-term course of treatment.

Another drug which has had its ups and downs in clinical use against pattern hair loss is minoxidil. First developed as a potent antihypertensive, minoxidil was originally dispensed as the oral medication Loniten™, until it too was found to cause hair growth side effects.

Actually predating finasteride by more than a decade, topical minoxidil, sold under the Rogaine™ label, became the first drug to demonstrate efficacy in treating AGA. Negative side effects can occur through oral ingestion of Loniten™. These include potentially life-threatening sequelae, including pulmonary edema. Though the topical use of minoxidil has been associated with less severe side effects, irritating problems still occur. A glance at the side label of any OTC minoxidil package will alert the reader to issues including orthostatic hypotension, and far more commonly, scalp irritation. In sum, the pharmaceutical treatment choices for genetic hairloss (AGA) still leave quite a lot to be desired.

Until recently, proven solutions for hairloss were limited to drug-based therapies. But in a series of basic science experiments, investigators found that certain naturally sourced compounds may actually run circles around drugs like finasteride. In one study, a form of betasitosterol demonstrated as much as a fifteen fold advantage over finasteride in its ability to inhibit a key pathogenic enzyme linked to pattern hair loss. Likewise, long term clinical trials testing plant-based compositions in a population of BPH-affected men showed comparable -- or even superior -- clinical benefits, when compared to first-line pharmaceutical therapies.

This is where Dr. Geno Marcovici and Advanced Restoration Technologies Inc. (ART) enter the discussion. In 1993 ART was opened in Denver, CO as a surgical hair restoration clinic and Dr. Marcovici and his partner, Dr. Dan Didocha, began treating patients with autologous transplant techniques that offered permanent restoration of lost hair. Unfortunately, donor hair is a precious and limited resource and it is not uncommon to see patients whose needs exceed his (or her) donor supply. Particularly frustrating is the "chasing a receding hairline scenario" where the clinician attempts to replace new hair as the AGA-susceptible hair is being lost. To prevent this, many clinicians turn to Rogaine™ and/or Propecia™).

Because of the known side effects however, Dr, Marcovici began researching alternate therapies and came across European research that showed promising results using natural substances against BPH. Realizing that BPH and male pattern hairloss closely mirror each other biochemically and metabolically, the doctor decided to try to formulate a plantsourced composition that would have demonstrable benefits for ART's patients.

Fortuitously, in the mid-1990's ART had been active in other FDA-regulated drug trials, so Dr. Marcovici already had some expertise in how empirically-valid research studies should be carried out. Over the course of three years, ART ran several open label studies on its naturally derived hair treatment compositions, each showing promising results. In the late 1990's ART's formulations were released under the Hair Genesis® brand label and in 2002, a peerreviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled study re-confirmed that the formulations were indeed safe and effective. In 2009, a follow up study undertaken by the University of Albany tested an advanced set of formulations developed by ART, and showed further positive results. This work was published in the peer-reviewed medical literature. Currently, Hair Genesis® is the only naturally based formulation that can point to valid, independent, third-party, peer-reviewed, scientific corroboration. NHJ

20 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Facing the Truth about Your Relationship: The ABC Assessment

By Susan Apollon Let’s say there’s someone in your life you feel ambivalent about. Perhaps it’s a colleague at work…or someone you’ve just started dating…or even someone you used to be friends with but who now makes you feel a bit uneasy.

According to Susan Apollon, it’s not always easy to put a finger on what you’re feeling—much less why you’re feeling it.

If this is true for you, it’s time to practice what Apollon calls the ABC technique or the “Face, Embrace, and Replace” method.

Here’s how it works: A is for AWARENESS and ACKNOWLEDGMENT. First, you must “Face” what makes you feel bad. Find a place you can be alone for a few minutes and sit quietly in a chair or on the floor.

Think about the person and relationship in question. Picture him or her in your mind.

Now, put your hand on your heart (this is the center of truth) and ask yourself, Am I feeling good (or okay) or not good at this moment? If your answer is “not good,” put the same hand on your forehead and ask yourself, What is my thought, picture, or image that makes me not feel good?

Now, take time to Acknowledge or “Embrace” the picture or thought. If you feel pain or anxiety, give yourself permission to really feel it.

Don’t be surprised if you have a strong emotional reaction. Kick, scream, or cry it out—for a few moments, or more, if needed, but not too much more, if possible.

B is for BREATH and BREATHING OUT YOUR PAIN. Learn to use the Gift of Breath and then use your ability to lift yourself energetically to a higher level of well-being. Take three deep breaths. As you breathe in, visualize yourself breathing in the colorful and magnificent energy of the Universe or God. (Yes, actually give it a color so you can “see” it more readily.)

Watch and feel this powerful healing energy coming in and filling your body with amazing warm, relaxing energy. Be aware that you are breathing in peace and breathing out the pain and anxiety that this unhealthy relationship causes you. As you breathe, you experience heaviness, warmth, and deep relaxation, as well as a feeling of lightness, enabling you to shift to a higher energetic level. Be sure to visualize yourself breathing up the energy of pain and suffering in your heart and belly and releasing it through your mouth, lips slightly parted.

C is for CHOICE and CHOOSING RELATIONSHIPS THAT FEEL GOOD or BETTER. Here’s where you “Replace” your negative energy with positive energy. Be conscious of how you are feeling, moment by moment. It’s time to make a conscious choice: do I want to continue this relationship as it is, or should I shift to a different level of connection…perhaps one that’s less intimate and more cordial?

Make your decision. Then feel the healing energy of your choice flow through your body.

About the Author: For more than twenty-five years, Susan has been in private practice in Yardley, PA, evaluating and counseling adults, families, and children who are dealing with difficult life situations. Susan comes from a family of physicians, which includes her husband, father, brothers, aunt and uncles, daughter, and cousins.

Healing and medicine are a part of her lineage.

Susan Apollon has publised three books, Touched by the Extraordinary, Book Two: Healing Stories of Love, Loss & Hope; Touched by the Extraordinary: An Intuitive Psychologist Shares Insights, Lessons, and True Stories of Spirit and Love to Transform and Heal the Soul; and Intuition Is Easy and Fun: The Art and Practice of Developing Your Natural-Born Gift of Intuition (co-authored with Yanni Maniates).

“If I loved you before, it was for your hair, now that you're bald, I no longer love you.”

- Children's song

She woke up at six to meticulously untangle her hair with a broken toothbrush with the toughest bristles.

Her hair reached almost to her waist, but now she was giving it a final straightening, a goodbye touch.

Before the end of the year she turned her wavy mane into money to celebrate Christmas. "We buy hair," could be read on the door of the narrow hallway where she went in, without dwelling on it. Two hairdressers assessed her mane based on the number of inches it exhibited, how copious it was, and especially on how well cared for. She arrived early with a long bun and left after noon with barely a bit of fuzz behind her ears. In exchange, she obtained an interesting sum in convertible pesos with which she bought pork, cider and tomatoes, and helped her mother repair her dentures. "It will grow," she consoled her boyfriend when he saw her for the first time after the scalping. "I cut it because there was a plague of lice"... she fibbed.

The market for hair is gaining strength in a nation that oscillates between the imperatives of coquetry and material difficulties. Late in the Havana night, a good part of the bold hairstyles seen on the streets are achieved thanks to extensions and additions. Buyers with more money look for tresses that haven't been dyed and particularly those from young women. Some of these traders travel to small towns, knowing that they will find the goods there at cheaper prices from more desperate sellers. In the hands of the stylists, what are also called "mechas" are glued, strand by strand, to the head of a new host in a process that takes hours. Although synthetic locks are also used, those of natural origin are in great demand and fetch a higher price. They are imported from Florida, Ecuador, Mexico and are a recurring order to relatives who travel abroad.

Right now, the only economic capital many women in this country have stems from their scalps. If the going gets tough, there will always be someone interested in buying their mane, an exchange of scissors for money.

Yoani Maria Sánchez Cordero is a Cuban blogger who has achieved international fame and multiple international awards for her critical portrayal of life in Cuba under its current government. This article was taken from Yoani's log.

Changing Skin…

Changing Lives

By Bridget Winton

Bridget Winton has joined forces with the creators of Proactive Solutions, makers of the #1 acne product in the world and a billion dollar brand. Founders, Drs. Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, two highly respected dermatologists, realized that aging is such a complex phenomenon that no single ingredient could offer a full spectrum of benefits. That is why they developed, Rodan+Fields Dermatologist, a multi-step, systematic approach to combat the aging process.

Drs. Rodan and Fields know the best wrinkle is the one you never get, so it is never too soon or too late to incorporate anti-aging skincare into your daily routine. Although the signs of aging manifest differently for different skin types, the principles of combating the ravages of time are the same. When it comes to skin aging, UVA rays destroy our collagen and elastin, causing wrinkles, sagging, age spots and inflammation. If you want to see real changes in your skin, the doctors believe you need to use real medicines; and in the right concentration. That’s why they developed a strategy using the right ingredients, with the right formulation, in the right order.

They call it ‘Multi-Med® Therapy.’ Their skincare line consists of Anti-Aging for fine lines and wrinkles, Reverse for sun damage, Soothe for sensitive skin, Unblemish for acne, Essentials for the body and Anti-Age AMP MD, a patent-pending delivery system that is exclusive to Rodan+Fields..

Bridget Winton is owner of Bridget’s Essence of Beauty, a full service Non-Surgical Hair Replacement & Skin Care Clinic in San Diego.

Rodan + Fields Dermatologist carries the endorsement of the Skin Cancer Foundation in their “Seal of Recommendation” program. More information is available by contacting Bridget Winton (858) 573-0875, email beob@aol.com or visiting the websites http://beob.myrandf.com

A New Way to Reduce Waste Unless you’re a salon owner, you may not think about the waste that is generated from a full day of haircuts and coloring, skin care treatments, nail services and spa procedures. A busy day can result in bags of non-recyclable garbage that gets put in a dumpster or set by the curb to be taken to the local landfill. TerraCycle, the upcycling and recycling pioneer, has a solution for much of that waste through a free collection program called the Personal Care and Beauty Brigade®, sponsored by Garnier.

A salon staff member can sign up for the Personal Care and Beauty Brigade at www.TerraCycle.net to send in difficultto-recycle packaging such as hair color tubes (including aluminum tubes), hair care product containers, skin cream tubs, cosmetics packaging and any other plastics or tubes, regardless of brand.

TerraCycle, in partnership with Garnier, awards two points for each package received, which can be put toward buying a charity gift or converted to money and given to a charity. TerraCycle will recycle the collected packaging into plastic items such as park benches, recycling bins and plastic lumber.

Becoming more environmentally friendly is on the minds of more and more spa and salon owners as they rethink what they throw away and how they operate on a daily basis. Enabling salons to recycle all personal care and beauty packaging helps bring them closer to zero waste.

“My goal from the beginning was to create a salon with strong eco-responsibility in its DNA,’ said Barbara Weigand, owner of Copper River Salon in Princeton, New Jersey. “I recycle and compost at home, so why wouldn’t I look for ways to do that at work, where I’m always running water, using electricity, and discarding chemicals and plastic all day long?”

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THE NATIONAL HAIR & SKIN JOURNAL The National Hair & Skin Journal was founded in 1997 as a business resource for salon and clinic owners. Its mission is to provide hair-management professionals from all disciplines with accurate information that will help them provide superior service to their patients. It is a full-color tabloid, published quarterly and distributed worldwide.

Editor In Chief Christopher Webb cwebb@nationalhairjournal.com

Creative Director Avi Roth aroth@nationalhairjournal.com

Legal Advisor Joel Morgenthau

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3167 St John’s Bluff Road South, Suite 102 Jacksonville, FL 32246

http://wigandhairpiecesupply.com Email: hairreplace@earthlink.net

Tel: 904-998-1444

800-752- 6465 Fax 904-998-9880

Isaac Brakha Dr. Shelley Friedman Larry Oskin Maryla Fraser

Contributing Correspondents James Toscano Bobbi Russell Mark Deo Toni Love Steven Dimanni, Editor Emeritus Marilyn Wayne

European Director Hans Diks

Editorial Policy The National Hair & Skin Journal is 100% independent and is not beholden to, or influenced by, any individual investor, manufacturer or other commercial interest. The Journal does not pay for the use of submitted material but it will give credit to contributors. Wherever possible, we encourage writers not to include company or brand names unless they are necessary for a more complete understanding of the article. The National Hair & Skin Journal works hard to ensure that all published material is objective, fair and courteous. It reserves the right to edit material it deems to be overly commercial or that unnecessarily denigrates a competitor. The National Hair & Skin Journal has a history of profiling prominent personalities in the hair-management industry. These interviews are based upon the prominence of the candidate and requests by Journal readers. Interviewees do not pay to be profiled and there is no commercial relationship between interviewees and their advertising.

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To place an advertisement or request a Media Kit, contact us at advertising@nationalhairjournal.com or call 626-709-6397

TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky says he hopes more spas and salons follow Weigand’s recycling efforts. “This is a great opportunity for them to earn money for a charity and have this packaging become a resource instead of garbage. More salons and spas are using natural or organic products that are better for their customers and better for the planet. A natural next step is reducing waste.”

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LEGAL NOTICE

TerraCycle collects more than 40 different kinds of products and packaging and through its Brigade programs, which are open to any individual or organization.

It has already kept over two billions pieces of trash from going to the landfill, and with its partners, dispersed almost $3 million to charity.

About TerraCycle - TerraCycle®, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net) is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with over 30 major brands in the U.S. (and in a growing number of other countries) to collect used packaging and products (chip bags, candy wrappers, juice pouches, pens, toothbrushes, etc.) that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade® programs, which are free fundraisers that pay schools and non-profits for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit at www.terracycle.net.

21 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Farewell & Thank You! After 53 wonderfully fulfilling years in the hair and hair replacement industry, I will be passing Embassy Studios on to my daughter Jennifer and her husband Burton Ransford. My daughter has served as the salon coordinator and manager for seven years and Burton has his own hair replacement business for 10 years.

This industry has been so rewarding to me. This has been something I loved passionately. I was fortunate to meet some of the most wonderful people while in the styling room and colleagues who shared the same career path as myself.

Thank you all for many memories and all of your friendship and support. It's been a great ride!

The views expressed in The National Hair & Skin Journal are those of the individual author or contributor and not those of The National Hair & Skin Journal, its editors or staff. The Journal’s contents reflect the opinions of the authors and are not analyzed, peer-reviewed or otherwise investigated before publication. All authors and contributors are asked to disclose any interests they have of a commercial nature. The National Hair & Skin Journal makes no attempt to validate the sufficiency of such disclosures and makes no warranty, guarantee or other representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy or sufficiency of any information provided. The publication of an advertisement does not constitute on the part of The National Hair & Skin Journal a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of the advertised product or service or any of the representations or claims made by the advertiser. The National Hair & Skin Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

All articles and letters become the property of The National Hair & Skin Journal and may be edited for clarity, presentation and space. By allowing your articles, interviews and personal commentary to be used in The National Hair & Skin Journal, you are giving the publication permission to use these materials in its pages, website and other information materials. Advertisers are required to sign a formal advertising agreement indicating that they are not violating any trademarks or other intellectual properties. Full details are outlined in The National Hair & Skin Journal Media Kit. COPYRIGHT

The material published in The National Hair & Skin Journal is copyrighted and may not be utilized in any form without the written consent of the editor.

THE NATIONAL HAIR & SKIN JOURNAL

Sincerely, Carol Monaco

39252 Winchester Road, #107-383 Murrieta, CA 92563 Tel: 626-709-6397 Info@NationalHairJournal.com Printed in USA

22 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

Hair Society News www.nationalhairsociety.org your praises to anyone who will listen. They are already actively engaged in your social media. They are the ones who are already consistently providing referrals to your business.

From the Boardroom Welcome to the Spring 2012 Issue of The National Hair Society Page. Many of you have probably heard about the Heather Simon recent passing of Arnold Zimmerman. He was a great influence in the industry and he will be missed. I am so happy I got to see him last year at the Transitions conference in Redondo Beach, CA. Below are some statements from some of our Society Board Members: Lisa Zimmerman- Arnold was my Father, my Best Friend, my Mentor, My Hero. The world has lost a Great Man. Dad, I love and miss you so much. Your loving daughter, Lisa.

Lucinda Beaty – I am so sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. My condolences to you and your family. He was a pioneer and inspiration to our industry. I was very impressed when I visited your multi-therapeutic center with Chris and Heather, one of the largest hair replacement centers that offers everything from hair transplants to laser treatment. I know you will be continuing to grow your business. I pray for your solace, strength and wisdom. Your colleague, Lucinda.

Society Name Change – I am pleased to announce that the Society will be changing its’ name to The National Society of Hair & Skin Rejuvenation. With our recent skin rejuvenation program, we are creating new profit opportunities for everyone in the hair replacement industry who wants to increase their revenue. We will be introducing more skin and health care products so that your clients can become better informed.

2. The Program Requires Regular Management Although, you want your ambassadors to honestly relate their experiences, they need guidance to provide a consistent, focused message. They need to know what is required of them. Let them know what websites and directories they should be viewing and posting on. Let them know when you require them to do a media interview or appear at a function. I have found our ambassadors are willing to do whatever is necessary, but they need your input and guidance.

3. Give the Ambassadors the Tools They Need Make sure your ambassadors are empowered to do what is asked of them. For example, not every ambassador you choose will have the Internet savvy to post on Internet social forums. They may require an Internet tutorial provided to them from you. Others may want to write on-line articles and will want editorial assistance. It is important that you support the ambassadors to help them communicate their message. It is also very important they are informed on all new features and products that are introduced to your salon or center.

4. Start Small and Grow the Program - It is not necessary to have a large number of ambassadors. It is better to start small and grow the program. Our program at NHC now has eight ambassadors, but you can start with as few as one to three. A smaller program will be initially more manageable as you discover what works for your organization. A deciding factor to consider when deciding how large to make your program is how diverse your services are. For instance, if you offer both non-surgical solutions and transplants, obviously, the same ambassador could not speak authentically about both hair loss options.

Skin Rejuvenation Program - The hair replacement and restoration market is saturated. Salon owners are looking for new profit centers. Neurotris is a bio-engineering company based in Southern California. The company has developed a skin rejuvenation device, the SX-3500, which delivers immediate and demonstrable skin tone benefits using micro-current technology.

Micro-current has existed since the late 70’s and the latest from Neurotris offers significant performance at an affordable price. The income potential is very significant and a center servicing 100 clients could gross $225,000 a year or more. For further information, please contact me at 619-928-9750 and visit the Neurotris website at www.neurotris.com. Once you have taken a look at the information, I can provide more details about how to get to see a live demo, how to purchase the device and get trained.

5. Compensate Your Ambassadors - While it is not necessary or desirable to pay your ambassadors, it is important to compensate them. Compensation can be anything from a hair upgrade to sampling new services. Here's another suggestion to consider; many of us have loyal clients who, because of a downturn in economic circumstances, are unable to continue to afford your services. Many are your best and most loyal clients. It is possible to exchange your services for their assistance in your ambassador program. It's a win/win for everyone!

Society Marketplace-The Society Marketplace is now up and running. David Neubauer is heading the Society marketplace. He can coordinate with your company to get your products on the storefront. You can visit the website at www.nationalhairsociety.org.

David has included more information about how to get involved.

Announcing the

5 Steps to Creating a Great Brand Ambassador Program Lisa D. Zimmerman, Board Director Brand Ambassadors are a great way to share with prospective clients the benefits of your business through a third party endorsement.

Brand Ambassador programs have been successfully implemented throughout the business world for every kind of enterprise from soft drinks to computers and technology.

A brand ambassador program is flexible, efficient, and an effective way to communicate and share your organization's message to the general public.

Just be sure to follow these five key steps!

Society Marketplace Hello. I’m David and I’m one of the people working behind the scenes to help make the Journal happen.

My main focus has been the database - you may have noticed that we have been upgrading the data (check the label on the front of the paper), as well as having having Leslie David Neubauer call each of you to verify your contact information. When she calls, please take the time (about a minute) to make sure your information is correct.

We are always striving to supply Society members and NHJ subscribers the best tools to make things easier and help you be more successful.

Lisa Zimmerman Board Director, NHS

So what are brand ambassadors, exactly? Simply, brand ambassadors are extremely happy, passionate clients who want to share their experience with your community. They provide a point of view from the client’s perspective. They are clients who enthusiastically embrace your core values and have benefited from your services. Here at National Hair Centers, our brand ambassadors are all loyal clients and they represent the complete array of services including transplants, laser therapy and hair systems, including Virtual Reality and Follea. They help with everything from social media, public relations and support groups, to other communication out-reach programs.

We have had an on-going Ambassador program for two years. It has been very effective for us. Here are 5 key steps to creating an effective brand ambassador program for your hair center or salon.

1. Be Selective - Only a small percentage of your clients are qualified to be brand ambassadors. If you think about it, you already know which clients would make great candidates for ambassadorship. These are your clients who are already enthusiastically singing

One of the projects I have been working on is our website and the Society Marketplace. Our website helps clarify who we are and why, and also announces exciting new products and technologies.

We now have our current advertisers’ ads displayed on our site with links to to their websites (which makes it easier for you to find them). Just go to www.NationalHairJournal.com and click on “Our Advertisers” OR... if you have one of the free QR apps, point your phone at this funny looking graphic and it will take you directly to our advertisers’ page.

The other project has also been very exciting: For our subscribers and Society members only, we are offering special discounts on products you may already be using. So, not only is your subscription/membership fully tax-deductible, but you will save money on the products you like to use! Remember, you can renew your subscription, or your Society membership, at either www.NationalHairJournal.com or by going to www.NHJSubs.com.

If you are an advertiser who would like to participate on our website, or if you have any questions or comments, please email me at DavidN@NationalHairJournal.com.

Thank you, David.

23 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012

24 The National Hair Journal Spring 2012