2009 Summer

Marketing

Fashion The Journal

Marketing with the

Your Head...

in Paris

“Energizer”

The New Canvas

The road trips of Lance Centofanti

With Elite Hair International

Features

Trends

The Italian Job

The masters who shaped an industry

With Stacey Morris

Chapter III pg. 16

pg. 14

pg. 8

pg. 15

The National Hair Journal VOLUME 13 NO. 50

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF HAIR FITNESS , HAIR REPLACEMENT AND RESTORATION

Send in the Clones

‘Hair Endurance’

Cell Multiplication Enters Phase 2

New protection from Head & Shoulders

Atlanta, GA. 05/09 - Aderans Research Institute Inc. (ARI) has launched Phase 2 of its clinical study to assess the impact of its regenerative cell treatment on pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia. It is being conducted in six U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, New York, Raleigh, Houston, and Washington DC. Phase 1 was conducted exclusively in the United Kingdom. ARI is actively engaged in the study of state-of-the-

art cell-based hair regeneration for men and women. Cell treatment represents a major advance on traditional hair transplant procedures, promising to overcome a key limitation of conventional transplantation: a finite hair supply for any one person. Aderans Research is pioneering efforts to multiply existing hair cells and provide patients with a comprehensive solution to hair loss regardless of the quantity of their existing hair.

Lithia Springs, GA - Just in time for the summer, NIOXIN Research Laboratories has announced Scalp Shield Sunblock SPF 20, a sun protection spray that is specially formulated to protect sensitive scalp skin against harmful UVA/UVB rays. This non-greasy formula is suitable for all hair and skin types, will not stain clothes and leaves no sticky or pore clogging residue on the scalp. The spray can be reapplied throughout the day after exercising, swimming and toweling and is recommended to reduce scalp stress and improve the condition of all hair types during the warmer weather. NIOXIN Research Laboratories was acquired by the Procter & Gamble Company in September 2008.

Korea Outpaces US As Transplant Market Surges

Seoul, Korea, 04/09 - Plastic surgery is gaining popularity among South Korean men seeking better social and job prospects. Men now account for 15 percent of Korea’s nip-and-tuck procedures, compared with 9 percent in the US. “For many women, this is a luxury; for men, it’s more about survival than vanity,” said plastic surgeon, Kang Jang Seok.

“Appearance is one of the most important aspects in getting, and keeping, a job in a nation where men are the main breadwinners in 80 percent of households,” said Kang who has performed more than 3,000 surgeries on men in the past four years. “Men have cut down on their bar bill and vacation budget. But they are still investing in their appearance. People believe it pays to look good.”

About 31 percent of Korean job-seekers said they were willing to undergo plastic surgery because appearance has become an important factor in finding a job, according to a survey by recruiting firm Saramin. Hong said men in their 20s are the biggest age group to go under the knife, while older men prefer wrinkle smoothers like Botox injections and facial fillers that plump up sagging areas. Adapted from a report by Shinhye Kang in Seoul, Korea

Oh Baby!

Hair Care for Mom-to-Be Chicago, IL/PR Web 04/09 – “Oh Baby!” from NINE Naturals is first hair care line for the pregnancy market. "Our babies are being born pre-polluted", announced Newsweek in February. The Oh Baby! collection features two products, a minty moisturizing shampoo and a conditioner, that are free from common chemicals associated with health risks, including sulfates, phthalates, parabens and DEA. For beauty, the all-natural products are packed with essential plant oils, organic aloe and B5 so that moms get the extra hair hydration they need while expecting. For an extra kick, the Oh Baby! Line has natural aromatic oils that fight fatigue on sleepy mom mornings.

Reproduced by permission from Nicholas French.

Summer Hair Shield

Extreme hair from celebrity stylist Nicholas French; Nicholas has produced over 1,500 high energy educational shows for professional hairdressers worldwide. He has recently expanded his interests to working in print, video and even motion pictures.

The Science of Beauty New Journal Integrates Science and Medicine Washington, DC (PRWEB) 04/09 -- The journal Science, published by the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), has announced plans to launch a new publication devoted to research in “translational medicine.” The first issue will appear in Fall, 2009. Translational Medicine is described as the effort to carry scientific knowledge "from bench to bedside." It is becoming ever more interdisciplinary. For example, researchers need new computational approaches to deal with the large amounts of data pouring in from genomics and other fields, and as new advances in physics and materials science offer new approaches to study or diagnose medical conditions.

London, England. 04.09 - P&G scientists have developed a new formulation to help protect men against hair loss. It is designed to treat hair that gets damaged by scratching, which is often triggered by the irritation of the scalp due to dandruff. Scratching at the root, where young hair is normally in its best condition, can lead to loss of the protective cuticle layer, the first step towards hair loss through breakage.

Head & Shoulders UK website gives some background to the new product: “To discover more about men’s attitude to hair, dandruff and hair loss associated with breakage, Head & Shoulders conducted a major worldwide survey amongst 8,800 men and 2,200 women in 11 countries across the globe in the summer of 2008. 53% of women believe being well-groomed and cleanshaven is the most important aspect when it comes to deciding if a guy is hot or not. Next most important factor at 27% is a full, healthylooking head of hair, while only 9% believe a tan is the most important factor.” UK consumers concerned about hair loss are encouraged to “Love your hair before it leaves.” Hair Endurance is available in several European countries, but is not yet sold in the US.

I’ll Have a Plasma –

And Make Mine a Double!

There’s a new hair cocktail behind the bar and it’s got a name to bring out the James Bond in you. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is spun, not stirred, by a special centrifuge, then platelet-enriched before being served to thinning (but well-to-do) customers. PRP is produced using a small amount of the customer’s own blood, drawn from the top of the head. The spinning separates the plasma so extra platelets can be added. It is then ready for consumption.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Enrichment is actually a method of concentrating the body's natural healing power into a highly-concentrated solution that is claimed to enhance hair growth. The procedure was pioneered by two hair transplant doctors, Carlos Uebel from Brazil and Joseph Greco from Florida., who reported improved healing and hair graft survival after using of PRP. Today, several other hair transplant doctors in the North America are continuing the research and reporting similar results. One of them, Dr. Robert Jones of Toronto, Canada has created a special video to explain how the procedure works and posted it on his website.

Dr Cooley, writing for the Hair Loss Forum explains that, “Platelets are key players in the body’s wound healing mechanism. Whenever there is a wound (e.g. an incision to place a hair graft during hair replacement), the platelets are trapped in the clot and are activated to release various hair growth factors that stimulate the healing process.” Responding to the question. “Why aren’t more hair transplant surgeons doing platelet rich plasma?” he replies. “There is a cost factor: the centrifuge costs many thousands of dollars and with each case, hundreds of dollars of disposable supplies are used.” James, it’s time to sell the Aston Martin and take care of the hair!.

Only in California!

Green Beauty 2009: The Dynamic World of Natural, Organic, and Sustainable Beauty Products Portland, ME. 06/09 - “Focus on the Future - Green Beauty 2009” is a new conference covering the mushrooming natural/organic/green beauty products industry. This event is the first conference of its kind in California. It will cover ten significant areas impacting the successful marketing of natural/organic products. Green Beauty 2009 will be held October 14-16, 2009 Santa Monica, California.

™

SUMMER 2009

Pink Hair for Hope New York. 06/09 - SO.CAP. USA Hair Extensions is taking the breast cancer awareness campaign, Pink Hair for Hope, to a new level with a fundraising event featuring Nicholas French, his avant- garde hairstyling and an exclusive education seminar for all sponsoring salons. Fall Fashion Fantasy ~ Celebration of Hope will take place on October 4, 2009 in Fairfax Virginia and will entail a brunch, Pink Hair For Hope donation tables, professional bonding for Pink Hair For Hope strands, a Nicholas French demonstration and a runway show featuring the latest fall fashions. Representatives from the National Breast Cancer Foundation will be on hand to talk about breast cancer research, as well as local celebrities such as the Washington Wizard cheerleaders and TV personalities.

Breast Cancer is the second most common form of cancer found in women next to skin cancer. In 2009, an estimated 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 of them will die. SO.CAP. USA Hair Extensions is one of the largest contributors to the National Breast Cancer Foundation with last year’s donation totaling $480,000.

Interlocking Scissors

Boca Raton, FL. 06/09 - Harmonix Corp has been named the official distributor of VERN Shears in the US by Vern Hairdressing Style College, Taiwan. The eight “Intelligent Interlocking Scissors” have the ability to connect/snap together at the handle with special interlocking system to allow for thousands of creative possibilities. The set is divided into 3 series The Cutting Series, for cutting layers and creating contour lines; the Texturizing Series to create multi-layers and extensity by texturizing at multiple points, and the Styling Series for creating hair fragmental effects and special designs. VERN Shears were created by four Chinese artists who saw the limitations hairstylists had with traditional cutting systems. Their goal was to reinvent the way hair is cut, allowing stylists to cut, thin and texturize at the same time.

Nanofibres Nominated for Award London, UK. 05/09 - Nanofibres, a cosmetic microfibre hair camouflage product which instantly disguises the appearance of thinning hair has been nominated for the Estetica Beauty Innovation Award 2009 as Most Innovative Product of the year. Elliot Isaacs, founder of Nanogen, a British Biotech start-up, commented, “We’ve worked hard for years to deliver the best hair loss treatments in Europe.

It’s fantastic to be recognized in this way.”

Nanogen’s Nanofibres are microscopic hair fibres that bind securely to individual hairs by electrostatic charge, giving every hair, even fine and nearly invisible “vellus” hairs more weight and volume. Nanofibres conceal the scalp exposed by thinning hair or hair loss, even under bright light, wind or rain.

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Big Dog Update -We continue to watch the big cosmetic companies to see how and when they will make a move on the thinning hair market. It’s like watching “military exercises” before the first ground assault.

Everyone knows it’s coming; it’s just a question of stocking up on essentials and trying to stay out of harm’s way. Meanwhile P&G has plenty of ammunition. After an eight-year study, the P&G Hair Care Research Foundation, in cooperation with Beijing Medical University, has identified nine herbs that can assist in hair growth. I expect they will to use Nioxin as their Trojan horse in the US. Nioxin has always promoted its brands as “Skin care for the scalp,” promising, “Eight different hair care systems designed to help improve the appearance of thinning hair.” It’s interesting to see P&G’s top shampoo, Head & Shoulders, now urging consumers to, “Respect the Scalp - Love the Hair.” Wonder where they got that idea.

Our weakest link -The hair industry is only as strong as its weakest link. In our case, the rubber meets the road… or should I say the hair system meets the scalp… when a technician applies a medical adhesive or bonding agent to the skin. We have written repeatedly about the risks of skin irritation, toxic shock… or worse, that could arise from the use of substandard (cheap) adhesives or products that are out of date. It will only take one high visibility lawsuit to create an adhesive pandemic. So what are we doing about it? Nothing! We have offered some of the top companies the opportunity to educate Journal readers through informative articles in our pages, but they do not see the need. We visited the offices of one prominent company and spent an hour with their president, but there was no follow-up.

Far be it for me to guess what’s in their marketing minds. Perhaps they don’t share the same concerns as the rest of us.

Is it because their clients have few other choices? Or is it because they are satisfied with the status quo? The rest of the hair replacement market is moving forward with new designs and technologies but the adhesive companies seem happy to take your money to the bank the oldfashioned way! Could there be a marketing opportunity for an astute company to introduce a superior adhesive and educate clients about its special qualities?

Isn’t that what free markets are all about?

A perfect storm - The energizer is back!

Lance Centofanti talks about “a perfect storm” in his interview in this issue. He’s referring of course to the combination of difficult economic conditions, rising advertising costs and all the other things I don’t need to tell you about. But there is one challenge we need to confront and it’s direct selling via the Internet. In the past, online stores would sell on price.

Letters to the

Editor Dear Editor, I am writing to you with great appreciation for the fabulous Hair Loss Confidential article in the Spring 09 issue. We have been overwhelmed with enthusiastic responses from all over the country . . . from people nominating friends and loved ones for the show to

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But now they are directly targeting salon operations. The following are extracts from one website.

“Not a day goes by that I do not hear horror stories from shoppers who have been dissatisfied with Salon operators.

Most of the complaints are centered on a limited selection that does not match their hair color...” “We have also been told many stories of glue being used to attach the wigs which eventually left sores and scarring from these poor practices.”

“Another poor practice at salons is to remove the tags from the Wigs. Not only is this illegal but it prohibits the purchaser from knowing exactly what the quality of the product is.”

They’re able to get away with this because our guard is down. In fact, we have no defenses whatsoever because we have no industry campaign that tells the consumer why trained professionals are the best investment in personal grooming, or why quality merchandise, backed by warranties and service agreements is the only responsible solution. The Internet can make or break the industry.

Don’t let it happen to us.

Natural creativity -A lot of people have written to us to say how disappointed they were by the beauty show in New York. They saw fewer exhibitors and little creativity. We had the opposite experience when we attended the Spectrum show in Los Angeles. We were so impressed, we tracked down Doris, the show’s founder, who explained that she never set out to create an event especially for AfricanAmericans – in fact the name “Spectrum” was supposed to signify people of all colors. However, over the years it had morphed into a hair celebration for people of color and we’re sure glad that’s the way it worked out! We saw more energy and creativity at this event than ISSE and IBS combined! We feature some of the stars of Spectrum in this issue. When you read the interview with Stacey Morris, I’m sure you’ll agree that her work is spectacular!

Remembering Randy -10 years ago the industry lost one of its most charismatic leaders; Randy Martin. He was larger than life and the industry has never been the same without him. No doubt, there are other young Turks in the wings who will one day grasp the baton and pick up where Randy left off. And when they do, we will introduce them to you. Until then, here’s to you, Rocket Man!

PEDICULUS HUMANUS CAPITIS

By Jimmy (The General) Toscano I'm going to talk about a subject some people are uncomfortable with and some people are unknowledgeable about. Head lice. Head lice are a very common condition. As many as 6 million to 12 million people worldwide get head lice each year.

It has been estimated that up to one in every 10 children in school acquires head lice at some time. The annual cost of head lice infestations in the United States is reckoned to be nearly $1 billion dollars.

You need to know how to deal with head lice because there are important cosmetic, health and even legal implications for your business. Sooner or later, one of your clients is going to be infected, so here is some information to help you.

An adult louse is a parasitic insect about the size of a sesame seed. It is brownish in color and has six legs. It has no wings.

Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, they feed on the blood of their host. If a louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days. Outbreaks of head lice occur often in schools and places where people gather. Infestations are extremely contagious. Head lice are an increasing problem because lice-killing medicines are becoming less effective.

In most cases you will only find the eggs or "nits" on the hair shaft. If the eggs have matured, you may also find the louse.

Can head lice live in human hair systems of any type, whether processed hair or not? Definitely!

I, for one, didn't think that was possible.

But three months ago, one of our clients came in for service and the technician came and asked me to join her in the room. She had seen something "moving” in her client's hair and wasn't sure what it was. Lo and behold - head lice! I'm used to seeing lice in regular hair since we have a beauty salon and barber shop, but this was probably the worst case I'd ever seen.

I've always told my technicians to comb through the hair to check specifically for these types of things. And if this technician hadn't combed through the hair and had started the service - removing the bonded system - we would have had to complete the service, risking spreading the lice through our salon.

Here’s why. The law in our state is: if you

Have a Safe 4th of July!

Chris Webb

Editor-in-Chief studios wanting to become Transformation Centers. Since we last spoke, we filmed the next episode – this one in Phoenix about a 40-year old man suffering from male pattern baldness.

The impact on his family was nearly catastrophic. We look forward to telling more about Rob’s story in the September issue.

Thanks again, Lisa D. Zimmerman Executive Producer Hair Loss Confidential

July 4th, one of our most enjoyable holidays, is approaching rapidly! To keep it fun and healthy, here are five simple health tips from Dr. Max Lebow, Medical Director of Reliant Immediate Care, an urgent care medical facility.

No.1 Bee stings and bug bites usually cause little more than discomfort and can be treated with an alcohol swab. If there is excessive swelling, abnormal breathing, tightness in the throat or chest, loss of consciousness or nausea and vomiting, seek immediate medical assistance.

No.2 BBQ's can cause serious burns.

Never put lighter fluid directly on a lit BBQ. If using propane, check that all hoses and valves are in good condition.

Supervise children near a lit BBQ.

start cutting the client's hair and you find head lice, you must finish the cut.

But if you comb through the client's hair, find lice, and haven't yet started cutting, you can Jimmy Toscano inform the client that you found lice and go no further. Then educate the client about the right product to purchase to eliminate the lice and have them go home and start treatment. Have your client return to the salon in 7-10 days to recheck their scalp and hair. If the lice are still present, the client should be instructed to see a dermatologist.

Being dirty or neglecting your hair has nothing to do with getting lice. At one time, the headrests on airplane seats were covered with clean linens. This was to keep passengers from passing lice to each other through contact with the headrest.

Of course, this is not the only way to contract lice. There are literally hundreds of ways to get them.

What procedures should you use in your salon after there has been a contamination? If the contamination is in a private room, thoroughly scrub the room with Clorox water. Dispose of the cape and any towels and combs that were used on the client. Make sure to sterilize and sanitize all of you tools. Make sure that your technicians are informed and knowledgeable about head lice. Check the internet for pictures and more information. There’s even a nonprofit health agency founded in 1983 that’s dedicated to head lice (www.headlice.org).

I hope this has helped all of you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 1-888-372-4247 or jamestoscano@mac.com.

Have a great… and healthy… summer!

James Toscano (“The General”), a Pennsylvania native, is an eighth-generation hair stylist. He graduated from barber school in 1968 and has been building his hair-management skills ever since. Always in high demand at industry events, he is a Technical Advisor to New Image University and Educational Development & Style Director for Spectrum Salon Systems of Nebraska. He also consults for Professional Hair Labs of Tampa, FL, assisting in the research and development of surgical-grade adhesives for the hair replacement industry. Jim maintains a 60-hour workweek, but still finds the time to write a series of educational articles for The National Hair Journal.

No.3 Food poisoning is a potentially very serious problem. Remember to wash your hands before preparing food.

Mayonnaise, dairy, meat and fish either cooked or uncooked should be kept out of the sun, covered against dust or bugs and kept cool.

No.4 Many holiday accidents happen because of alcohol. Choose responsible moderation.

No.5 Most of us are not used to being in the hot sun all day, so wear a hat, use sunscreen and drink plenty of water.

And, of course, protect your hair.

Moisture is your hair’s best friend. Use a good conditioner. Load your hair with fresh water before swimming in a chlorinated pool or the ocean. Rinse with fresh water afterwards. Try one of the new sun blocks designed especially for your hair and scalp. And for your body, there’s even a sun tan lotion with a bottle that changes color in the sun to tell when it’s time to reapply!

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The Rx for the Men’s Business My prescription for returning the men’s business to its former glory…before someone else does.

By Steven DiManni Men are still losing their hair. Advertisers, from the Bosely Group to Rogaine to Hair Club, are still seeking their business. How about you?

Sure, you’re finding it harder than ever to get men to come to your studio. Yes, things have changed greatly from the halcyon days of the late 1980s. Indeed, the market has evolved, the cream has long been skimmed from the top, and the days of the “dead head” lead who walks into your studio waving his checkbook are gone forever.

To quote the Anthony Soprano character from the eponymous show, “Poor you”.

Life is harder nowadays and so is business.

It is my belief that you either have to get used to it and adjust to these changing times, or find something else to do.

Some of our brethren in the hair replacement industry have done just that. Leaving.

You’ve seen the Hair Club ads in the very pages of this publication advertising for studios to sell their businesses to them. If that’s your choice, so be it. And good luck to you.

Truly.

Tougher times in a capitalistic society are always marked by the so-called “thinning of the herd”. Unfortunately, to quote the 20th century’s greatest entertainer, “that’s life”.

Yet there are other hair replacement operators who have used their wits and talents to explore new profit opportunities, ranging from the women’s business to multi-therapeutic offerings. Good for them.

Even that bellwether of the business, Hair Club, is making substantial changes in its approach to sell men. Have you seen their latest infomercials and commercials? If not, you should. Their changes are subtle to the layperson, but to the hair professional, and advertising professional, they are profound.

The fact remains that more men lose their hair than women. As well, the trend in the late 90’s and early 2000s to shaving heads and/or donning baseball caps is grossly out of fashion and totally anachronistic.

This is good news. And for those opportunistic enough to exploit changing cultural trends, new business awaits.

So…”how do we do this?”

My previous article In my last article in this publication, I compared the maladies of the men’s hair replacement business with the trouble that the American automotive industry faces. At that time I wrote that I would use this analogy in a subsequent article, this one, to make some recommendations based on what we learned from Detroit’s mistakes.

Here goes: There are three areas in which the auto industry and the men’s hair replacement industry can find some parallels in mistakes that were made. They are as follows: a resistance to change; a mis-reading of market trends; and finally, the desire to continue to offer what the industry wanted rather than what the consumer wanted.

Allow me to address the solutions one by one.

Resistance to change From the post-war through the early 1970s, Detroit had great success with building big, gas-guzzling cars. Though they were comfortable and roomy, they suffered from a variety of maladies, chief among them, bad fuel economy, slip-shod handling, and poor quality control. When the oil crises of the midseventies had everyone in the United States concerned about gas mileage, the public turned to automobiles from Japan and Europe that were more fuel-efficient. In so doing, they also discovered that these cars

handled better and were of higher quality.

When Detroit tried to change, it did so with “new” cars that were merely reflections of what they had produced in the past, albeit smaller. Moreover, Detroit tried to communicate the advantages of their new offerings by touting that they were “longer, lower, and wider” than the imports. New cars, same old message.

Now, let’s take this to the hair industry.

From the early ‘80s through the late ‘90s, the men’s hair replacement business saw phenomenal growth. Television advertising had come into its own, with a plethora of commercials created by manufacturers for their studio clients.

But at the end of the ‘90s, the bloom was off the rose. Consumers were no longer buying into the messages of the past, namely, “increased confidence,” “more youthful appearance,” and “acceptance by the opposite sex.” They’d heard this, they’d seen this, and they had either accepted or rejected the promise that “hair systems” and/or “non-surgical hair replacement” offered.

However, studio owners clung stubbornly to the belief that if these appeals had worked in the past, they would do so again.

The “lower, longer, wider” approach that propelled Detroit sales in the 70s and before were still being stubbornly clung to by the men’s hair replacement business. Even with the advent of new and improved offerings, such as lace fronts and lighter, almost nonexistent base materials, advertising did not communicate these advances. So consumers saw them as just “more of the same”.

Not seeing the signs Just as in Detroit, when the appeal of what the hair replacement industry was offering waned, no one really paid attention.

Obviously, the men’s business was not reading market trends either.

The “after” shots that had propelled the industry in years past were now dragging it down. The “built-up” look that was associated with “hair systems” was no longer in fashion. Neither was the “forward look” that had predominated in hairline design. “Less is more” was the order of the day. Yet neither the photos, nor the words that accompanied them, communicated that.

Yes, the market had changed. And alternatives, such as hair transplants, had, too. The days of the “corn row” effect were over thanks to the advent of mini-grafts and similar techniques. Hair transplant centers trumpeted these changes with great alacrity.

But back in non-surgical hair replacement land, nary a word was said that would communicate these improvements to a process that consumers saw as outdated and out of touch.

Some, if not many, studio owners declared, “advertising no longer worked”. Not true.

The same appeal that had been so successful in years past was no longer relevant. That’s what wasn’t working.

Forgetting the consumer The biggest indictment against Detroit was that they continued on, producing what they wanted, rather than what consumers wanted.

In hindsight, the result is fairly obvious: consumers will not buy what they don’t want.

Detroit was not interested in improving the quality of their vehicles, nor in offering the advanced technologies that were part and parcel of the imported cars.

From disc brakes to overhead camshaft technologies, Detroit lagged behind. And so did sales.

Now, take this analogy over to men’s hair replacement. Men no longer wanted to look like a parody of a “disco king”. They wanted to blend in, rather than stand out. “Natural” was the key word, even if it meant shaving one’s head or wearing a basball cap.

5 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

offers, how many people in the area they’ve satisfied, et. al. Pure branding for the purpose of building awareness.

Go beyond television. The internet is an effective marketing tool, if it is used correctly, meaning, that it is optimized for search engines and supported by offline advertising such as print, out of home, and Steven DiManni yes, television.

Also, remember that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”. Just putting up Yet, no one chose to communicate this. a website on a server guarantees no visibility. Conversely, “pay per click”, by purchasWhy? ing key words, and selectively targeted Again, in my opinion and in my summation, online advertising will. a resistance to change that is rampant in the Beyond “traditional” advertising industry; secondly, ignoring market trends By “traditional” advertising I’m referring that valued “natural appearance” over “covering hair loss”; and finally, a total dismissal to paid media advertising, whether it be online or offline. Call it “guerilla marketof what the consumer wanted and desired.

This is where we are today. And here is ing” if you will. I call it “alternative marketing.” what we need to do to repair the damage.

Remember the old referral programs of The big fix days gone by? You’d partner with a barber or Men’s non-surgical hair replacement has a women’s salon and pay them for referring been given a bad name. The butt of jokes by potential clients to your store. You say this late night talk show hosts and commercials approach never worked? It will if you paper by national advertisers such as Geico and the referring party with money. Offer money Budweiser have taken their toll. So, too, for the referral itself, provided he comes in. have recent advertising efforts promulgated Then an additional bounty if he buys. And by the industry that play into these very neg- still more, on a monthly basis, when he comes to you on a monthly basis. The key ative stereotypes. is to convince the barber/stylist that he or she How do we combat this?

Let’s start with new language to communi- can make more money through referral than through actually cutting hair. Being paid for cate what we do and what its objectives are.

Let’s continue with a new effort to depart NOT working is a big incentive.

Here’s another idea: list procurement. Go from the past, both in how we approach the prospect through direct selling and telemar- to barbers, stylists, hair transplant centers, et. al. Pay for a list of their clients and you keting, as well as advertising. will do the solicitation, in the case of barbers Let’s finish by focusing on the relevancy of and stylists. For the hair transplant industry, what we have to offer to today’s man suffer- or individual doctors, offer to buy the contact information of men who did not puring from hair loss. chase. Then put icing on the cake: offer a substantial bonus for those who actually buy.

A few specifics Let’s get down to business with a few exam- Again, paying people for not working, and ples of how the industry can extricate itself paying people for information that they now regard as useless, is a big lure. from this predicament.

The key is to be creative. To think outside For one, we don’t sell a product, such as a hair system; rather, we sell a service, which the lines. To go wherever men with hair loss is an alternative to baldness. How we get are and figure out how to contact them. there isn’t the issue; the final result, most A final, and sobering, word assuredly is, however.

So sell the sizzle, not the steak. The results Finally, even though I exonerated you to are what count, not how we get there. As in, “go beyond television”, a recent study by a “this is how you could look. Would you like division of the A.C. Nielson Company to look like this?” demonstrates the following: first, television Next, change the avenue of how you advertising results in more sales, dollar for approach men. Some studios have started dollar, than any other medium, including the utilizing a more non-threatening multi-thera- internet; second, one third of all search peutic approach to draw new leads. The On engine searches are initiated by a television Rite Company, with whom I am associated, commercial; third, the most effective medihas come up with the Regen System, not just um for reaching men (and women) under a minoxidil-based product that can be thirty remains television, despite the mirabought in any drugstore, but a series of prod- cles and hoopla of the digital age.

There is an interesting “1A” to the point I ucts designed to optimize minoxidil’s effect along with the added benefits of laser thera- made above about advertising in being most effective in return on investment. The study py.

Finally, learn what men are thinking and also showed that one half of all television adjust your advertising accordingly. commercials fail. Think about that. In other Proprietary research in the form of focus words, despite the fact that television genergroups recently conducted by On Rite show ates more money, dollar per dollar, it does so that despite men’s initial resistance, they in such an overwhelming way that it can ARE amenable to non-surgical hair replace- compensate for the over half of all TV comment if it is properly presented. The old mercials that lose money. Amazing, isn’t it?

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the lures such as “self confidence” and “getting your life back” have strong negatives. So too variance, about why one half of commercials do phony emotional appeals, such as “now I succeed greatly while the other half fail miscan get a date”.

Whether or not these erably, well, the study it showed it all came appeals have any real intrinsic value is not down to one element: creativity. The right the issue; the fact that men associate them creative will produce overwhelming results; with the same negatives that they do with the wrong creative will produce abysmal failure? non-surgical hair replacement is.

Which type of advertising are you running?

Alter your thinking, Obviously, if you’re not seeing great results, open your mind blame the commercial, not the television.

In conclusion, I would like to offer the following to all of you who have so steadfastly Steven DiManni is a 27-year veteran of read this article in its entirely: be open to Madison Avenue, serving as Creative Director of many of New York’s top agencies for clients new ideas.

Here’s one: consider branding your studio ranging from Coca-Cola to Hitachi to General as a one-stop shopping venue for all hair Cigar, and having won almost every major crereplacement solutions, no matter what they ative award the industry has to offer. He is also may be…rather than concentrating on a spe- Executive Vice President/Creative of the John cific service such as non-surgical, multi- Caples International Awards for whom he cretherapeutic, et. al. On Rite has recently ates the advertising that promotes the direct introduced such a program, called response industry’s preeminent awards show. A Corrective Hair Solutions, that offers a 26-year veteran of the hair replacement indusgeneric message up front, and then con- try, Steven is a long-time consultant to the On cludes with specifics about the studio run- Rite Company and is widely published in indusning the commercial, such as what the studio try magazines.

The irony is…. ….that men’s hair replacement had changed and was finally producing what consumers were looking for: an utterly natural replication of their own hair. If one were to place a hair transplant client and a hair replacement client side by side, there was no doubt that the hair replacement client had a more natural looking head of hair.

6 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

REMEMBERING RANDY Randy Martin 1950 – 1999

In honor of Randy Martin, and to embody his love for the hair industry, the Martin family and New Image are proud to announce the

RANDY MARTIN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Reflecting Randy’s pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial zeal, the award will be presented to hair industry professionals who have made an outstanding contribution to the hair community. The first award will be made October 2009.

Eligibility Any person(s) with long term achievement in the Hair Loss community is eligible to be nominated.

Nominees can be a current, past or retired member of the hair community.

Someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry or to the community they live in and work in.

Categories for significant achievement include; the advancement of the industry through innovation, creativity, marketing or their benevolent role in business or their community.

Nominations will be accepted throughout the year up to June 30th.

Candidates will be reviewed/selected by a panel.

Their story will be published in the National Hair Journal in a special feature article describing their outstanding achievements or contribution.

Successful candidate will be presented with the Randy Martin Memorial Trophy at a special event during the annual New Image Conference.

Their name will be placed on the Members of Honor Plaque. Their story will be permanently posted on a specially designed website www.thehair-icons.com We are proud to be continuing Randy’s tradition of innovation and invite you to submit your own candidacy or propose a colleague.For more information or nominations please write to: svigneault@newimagelabs.com.

Beyond Good Looking Hair A Trichologist’s perspective Rodney Barnett is a respected expert in the field of hair-management who has appeared on national television and been quoted extensively in magazines and newspapers throughout the country. He is a graduate of the International Institute of Trichology, Huntsville, AL, and is certified by the National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals, Warsaw, IN. Barnett’s method is individual and thorough, beginning with extensive questioning, a digital microscopic exam and a biochemical assessment. Most importantly, he brings into the equation, the client’s diet, exercise and other elements of his or her lifestyle. “All aspects must be considered.” he says “People sometimes want a quick fix, thinking a topical application of a product will solve the problem. But if they don’t consider all the possible causes, and address them, they won’t get to the root of the disorder, and even if it is eliminated in the short term, it can easily return.

Barnett has been interviewed on ABC’s “Good Morning, Texas”, CBS’s “Positively Texas,” Fox’s “Insight,” and UPN “City Magazine” among many news programs. He has been quoted in articles in Essence, Star, and Heart & Soul among other magazines, and has written for several newspapers. The National Hair Journal met with Rodney Barnett at the Spectrum Beauty Show in Los Angeles where he was conducting one of his professional seminars.

NHJ: It seems that we share a common

philosophy. You are committed to “natural health” and we write about “hair-management,” meaning preserving the natural health and vitality of the hair.

RB: We have very similar outlooks.

NHJ: What led you to move from the world of regular hair replacement into the “natural” world of healthy living, good nutrition and responsible hair care?

RB: It all started in 1991. I had just finished doing a chemical relaxer on one of my clients. While her hair was being rinsed, I noticed a lot of hair in the sink.

This lady had been a client of mine for about six years and I hadn’t done anything different: I hadn’t changed the strength of the chemical relaxer and my processing time was still the same. While I was standing there, trying to figure out why so much hair was coming out, she said, “I’m going through menopause, and my doctor said one of the side effects would be excessive shedding until he can balance out my hormones.” That’s what started me on my journey towards a better understanding of the underlying causes of hairloss.

NHJ: You were already successful. Most people don’t want to change something that’s been working for them. As they say,” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

RB: I was just entering my 40’s at that time, and as most hair dressers will tell you, the majority of your clients are either 5 years your junior or 5 years your senior.

So, I knew most of my clients would be entering their 40s and this kind of hairloss was something I was going to see on a regular basis.

NHJ: What was your first step?

RB: I began studying the effects of menopause. I learned there was a lot more than hormones that affected the hair. It

7 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

became clear the market needed therapies that would satisfy not only cosmetic needs but would also address more fundam e n t a l imbalances and disorRodney Barnett ders.

NHJ: Where did you turn for technical and medical information?

RB: My research led me to David Salinger who had started a program through USC (University of Southern California).

His course was called “Trichology” and it focused on disorders of the hair and scalp. I started studying trichology, working with a scientist in the Dallas area who made me bring in hair care products for analysis. He taught me about the structure of the hair, the chemistry of products, and how the two must work in harmony. He felt passionately that cosmetologists must have at least a working knowledge of chemistry before they start applying products to the hair.

NHJ: If my memory is correct, the next stop was Indiana?

RB: That’s right. It dawned on me that I was taking the same approach as a dermatologist; working on the outside of the human body, addressing hair and scalp issues, but ignoring what was going on internally. I needed to start working from the inside. There was a two-year course in Indiana that would prepare you for certification as a Certified Natural Health Professional and those were the credentials I needed. The course ended up taking five years and it wasn’t until 1998 that I was able to start incorporating health and wellness principles into my hairloss therapies.

NHJ: Education doesn’t stop in the classroom does it?

RB: About a year later, I was working with two clients and couldn’t understand why after six-months, my therapies weren’t working. My clients were still gaining weight; their hair was still shedding and they were tired all the time.

That’s when a health professional told me that iodine is one of the hardest minerals for the body to absorb and the only way to know if it’s being absorbed is to do a pH test of their urine and saliva. So I gave them two strips to test their pH levels and both tests came back in the acidic range.

They both had a thyroid disorder. I started using urine and saliva pH testing in 1999, and since then it’s been instrumental in helping me see if a client is incorporating a balanced diet into his or her daily regimen and the amount of emotional distress they’re experiencing.

NHJ: At what point should a natural health therapist hand over to a doctor?

RB: For me, it’s when I’m not able to use nutrition. Sound nutrition can solve a multitude of problems. I am still surprised that during the 12 years a doctor goes to medical school, he gets little or no instruction on good dietary habits. Nutrition is my primary therapy, along with changes in unwholesome lifestyles. I tell my colleagues, “We don’t diagnose; we don’t prescribe, and we don’t cure.” If we detect that a client has some type of degenerative type of disease or other health issue, we bring in a medical doctor.

NHJ: Many trichologists claim they actually know more about hair care and hair loss than the average MD. RB: That’s because the average MD has never been instructed in hairloss solutions.

It’s perceived as a cosmetic issue, not a medical problem. Trichologists are hair specialists who are trained to look at the total individual. Even though a person may come in (cont. on pg. 9)

8 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

Why are black women losing their hair?

Stacey Goes to A Conversation with Stylist to the Stars, Stacey Morris The Hair Journal met Stacey Morris at the Spectrum show in Los Angeles as she was about to receive a prize for creativity. We were astounded to see the work she had done on her models and thought you ought to see it too!

NHJ: Stacey, congratulations on winning a prize for these fabulous creations! What do you call this technique?

SM: I keep things simple. I just call it a graphic “design.”

NHJ: Who are the nation’s top head “designers?”

SM: There’s a bunch of people who do this. It started back in the 80’s, went away and has now come back again. There’s a lot of talent out there;

I’ve seen work that supersedes what I do. I try to stay in my own lane and not compare myself to other people.

NHJ: You may be modest about your work, but it seems the judges have a different opinion. Prizes are awarded for talent.

SM: I was fortunate. I just went and performed. I was prepared and knew what I wanted to do. There were two different sections. One of them was portraits, which is something new. People are now actually doing portraits on people’s heads. It’s like a painting. To me that’s incredible.

NHJ: What were the two designs you did?

SM: One was a graphic design; kind of a tribal look. The other one was an abstract. I used color to bring out the design.

NHJ: How do you prepare a design? Do you work it out on paper first?

SM: I come up with the design in my mind. The client’s head is my canvas. I look at it and picture where I’m going to begin, where I want to end, and where I have to place things to get there. For my first design, I started by cutting the hair down to an even length, and then I began etching my designs.

Once the designs were outlined, I continued to cut different lengths and different levels so I’d have contours and contrast.

NHJ: Who is a good candidate for one of your designs? Are some canvases better than others?

SM: Most definitely. As for telling you who’s a good candidate, it’s easier to tell you who’s NOT a good canvas. It’s hard to do designs on someone who has thinning or very fine hair. It’s much easier if they have a lot of density. When you cut it down, it lays even and smooth.

NHJ: What about texture?

SM: You can do this with straight hair or curly hair.

It doesn’t matter. Most designs are easier to do on African Americans, but I’ve seen a lot of great work on Latinos and Caucasians. It really depends on the density. Some African American hair that has a small curl or wave pattern can be difficult because if you try to cut a straight line, the wave pattern interferes with the lines that you’re trying to create.

NHJ: What are the tools you use to create your designs?

SM: The main tool is an edger, which is a very small, close-cutting clipper. Barbers fine tune their clippers and edgers to suit their personal style and comfort level and get the best results. They’ll examine how the teeth are spaced and how close they cut. Then you can use a straight razor because you want your lines very clean and sharp. The last thing that I did was incorporate bleach and color. I had a really small space to work with, so I actually applied them with a tiny paint brush.

NHJ: What is the most ambitious design you’ve created?

SM: In the late 80’s or early 90’s, I had a guy come to me who wanted to create a whole theme on the side of his head. He wanted it to represent the California lifestyle and show birds, a sunset and

palm trees.

NHJ: What kind of person wants a design like this? Surfers; showbiz personalities; or just extroverts who want to make a statement?

SM: Mostly people who want to make a statement.

The designs have now developed into a cultural thing. When I say “cultural,” I’m talking about the hip hop culture.

NHJ: Once you’ve created one of these elaborate designs, the client obviously wants to keep it forever. How does he maintain it?

SM: When the hair is short, it’s just like shaving your face, or beard. After a day or two days, you’ll see growth. If the client really wants to keep the design, they’ll have to freshen it up once a week. If they didn’t, it would grow out in a couple of weeks.

NHJ: How did you get started doing this?

SM: I started cutting hair at a very young age. I was about 12. I grew up with brothers, and my mom would pull them in the kitchen and try to run the clippers through their hair. If she messed up, she’d just cut it all really low and even. So I said, “Hey, I can do that.”

And that’s how I started.

Sometime later, hip hop music and the whole culture started to become popular and people were doing wild things to their hair so I started experimenting. The rest is history NHJ: Obviously your experimentation was successful because you have some very well known clients now.

SM: I’ve come a long way. From there, I started getting into films. It began when I worked at one of

or we try to be like someone else. I’ve learned that just being myself has gotten me where I am.

There’s a saying, “just stay in your own lane.”

NHJ: Anything else?

SM: I’m a woman in a position that most of the time you see men doing. If you respect yourself, then other people are going to respect you. When you’re surrounded by celebrities don’t let your eyes get too wide because all this glitter isn’t gold.

There are highs and lows to this. Just keep your mind focused on what you want, not what you don’t have.

NHJ: Where do you go from here… or are you already there?

SM: That’s a funny question. I don’t think I can answer it because I’ve been asked it so many times at different points in my career and I could never actually imagine getting to where I am now. As you go along, you just try to be the best you can be. I do have some other endeavors I would like try.

Some of them do have to do with the hair industry and some of them don’t. But somehow they all have something to do with my journey in getting here. I’ve met a lot of people, gained a lot of respect and now have the resources to succeed at anything I set forth to do. Since I’ve been given this, I’m going to take advantage of it, and try to turn it into something bigger than what I’m already doing.

NHJ: Before I conclude our interview, I’m going to ask you to brag a bit and share some of your achievements along the way. Tell us about movies you’ve worked on and famous people you’ve had the privilege of working with?

SM: Okay. Well, currently I am the personal stylist and barber to Eddie Murphy, Columbus Short,

the popular salons in Beverly Hills that’s was owned and operated by a choreographer for Janet Jackson. His name was Frank Gatson. He kind of mentored me and helped me build my clientele.

Things just took off from there and I found myself surrounded with the right people. Today, I work in film, television, print and video. I am represented by an agency, have a private studio for my clients and do house calls. Stuff like that. I’m very lucky.

NHJ: Are you working on a movie at the movement?

SM: At the moment I am working on a film with Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Columbus Shorts, Kevin Heart and Danny Glover.

It’s quite a cast.

NHJ: You really have a dream job don’t you? It’s what every stylist dreams of.

SM: Most definitely. It’s been very rewarding.

I’m a member of our union; the local 706, the hair and makeup union. That alone is more than anyone could ask for. You get your pension and health benefits, and your worker’s rights are protected by the union. I couldn’t have made this happen the way it did if I tried.

NHJ: With all the good luck that you’ve had in your career, what advice would you give to a young stylist starting out today?

SM: The best advice I can give, and I’ve said so many times, is there is really no road map to where I am today. But persistence beats resistance, I’ve learned that in life. If you believe in what you’re doing, don’t let anyone discourage you. Just hone your craft and be the best you can be. So many times we try to compare ourselves to someone else,

Brian White and Anthony Anderson. In the past I’ve done The Rock, Tyson and Martin Lawrence. I still do Will Smith from time to time. I did his show for four years. I did three years on Martin. I did Will’s movies up until Men in Black. I did a lot of projects with Martin… it’s endless. I’ve done Riddick Bowe, The Wayans, Jaimie Fox, Puffy and as far as the music industry goes, the list is too long to start. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, so I’ve put my hands on a lot of people.

NHJ: Now I have to bring you down to earth. Can you share with us a boo-boo that you’ve made with somebody prominent?

SM: You know, I can’t really recall ever… well actually, yes, I can… but it wasn’t a boo-boo like I messed up their hair or something… Here’s what happened. I was working on this production - and when you work on a movie it’s all about the scheduling. On this occasion, I had one of those mornings where I was late for my call time. That started a kind of domino effect. If they’re not done with hair, they’re not ready to begin makeup or wardrobe. Every department needs they’re allotted time with talent and if they’re not ready for camera when they’re supposed to be, the whole shooting schedule goes out the window. I felt terrible, because little old me who just does hair is holding things up just because I didn’t get up when I was supposed to and get to work on time. So, yeah, that’s one thing that made me feel terrible.

NHJ: If that’s the worst thing you can remember, you got off easy! Congratulations on your prizewinning designs and thank you for sharing your story with Hair Journal readers.

HJI

By Lafayette Jones It’s an all too common sight. Black women for whom hair is a crowning glory are beset with receding hairlines, bald spots or extremely thin hair.

What’s going on? By definition it is alopecia, or hair loss. But what are the Lafayette Jones causes?

Some of the most knowledgeable people on this subject are dermatologists who take care of both skin and scalp. Dr. Susan C. Taylor, a dermatologist and director of the Skin of Color Center in New York City, describes many types of alopecia in her book, “Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor’s Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails.”

Traction Alopecia has several causes: Pulling the hair too tightly into braids, ponytails or rollers can cause this form of alopecia. Sometimes braids and weaves attached to the natural hair strands can break the hair; the follicle (where the hair is produced) may also become inflamed and damaged so that it no longer produces hair.

Traumatic Alopecia can be caused by gluing weaves onto the scalp causing damage to the hair follicle.

Disease induced Alopecia – For those who have cancer, chemotherapy can destroy the hair cells; but the good news is that the hair can grow back after the treatment is finished.

Follicular degeneration syndrome - As discussed in traction alopecia, some hair care practices may damage the follicles where hair is produced—practices such as hot-combing (hot oil dripping and damaging the hair follicles), or the use of chemicals in hair coloring and hair relaxing (straightening).

Androgenic Alopecia is the type of hair loss that is hereditary.

Drug-induced Alopecia can be caused by some drugs for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis and depression.

Alopecia Areata- Small dime or quartersized round bald spots on the scalp may result from a health problem in the body that will need a medical diagnosis to discover a solution.

Because alopecia can arise for so many different reasons, it is important to see a medical professional like Dr. Taylor or a skilled stylist who is knowledgeable. Stylist Barry Fletcher wrote the book, “Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair?” He notes that a simple solution to alopecia may be just giving the hair a rest from over-processing with chemicals and from hairstyles and techniques that pull and damage the hair. If the solution is a medical one, a doctor may be able to prescribe a cream, medication or pill to help restore the hair and the scalp.

Lafayette Jones is an expert on multicultural hair and beauty care with over 30 years experience. A past vice president of marketing and sales for Johnson Products and also for Johnson Publishing (Ebony, Jet magazines), he founded the American Health and Beauty Aids Institute (AHBAI) for minority manufacturers of hair and beauty care. He is president of SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc., a marketing and publishing company reaching millions of multicultural consumers with free product samples in its proprietary grass roots networks that include multicultural churches, beauty salons and barber shops. He is publisher of its custom Urban Call publications.

9 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

Beyond (cont. from page 7) complaining about hair loss, we look at the hair loss as a symptom of something else.

Immediately we try to uncover the cause of the problem.

NHJ: A lot of people are tempted to call themselves trichologists without realizing the intensive education and instruction necessary to qualify. Who is a real trichologist?

RB: It depends on the country. When I started my research in the ‘90s, the Cosmetology Commission in the United States said that since Trichology is part of the cosmetology curriculum and is taught in beauty schools, they didn’t want to recognize it as a separate entity. So in theory, every cosmetologist is exposed to Trichology.

NHJ: But in your mind, a regular barber or cosmetologist is not a “qualified” Trichologist?

RB: They’re not a qualified trichologist.

NHJ: It was just a chapter in the textbook?

RB: It’s like the 80’s when there was very little emphasis on hair cutting. A lot of cosmetologists came out of school only knowing how to do a basic haircut. Same thing with color. You had students coming out of school knowing how to apply color, but that didn’t make them a master hair colorist. They still had to get advanced training to understand how to create the trendy styles we saw in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

NHJ: How does a member of the public find a Trichologist with that specialist training?

RB: They should look to see if the person went to some type of institute, academy or university. They should also ask what they utilize in their consultation and what their therapies consist of.

NHJ: Is there an “Ivy League” of Trichology?

RB: Again, it depends on the country. London, England, has been very instrumental in establishing trichology curricula. And South America has also instituted a special curriculum. Here in the US, we’re still trying to try to get the Cosmetology Commission to recognize trichology.

NHJ: If an ambitious cosmetologist wants to build skills like you, where would they start?

RB: Trichology involves quite a bit of academics. So, before they make the initial investment, they might look for an introductory course to see what’s involved. I have a course where I give the cosmetologists three-days’ of intensive Trichology information to help them understand things like chemistry, histology and biology. If that sparks their interest, they can look at certification in specialist fields. Do they want to do it from a health and wellness perspective? Do they want to focus just on hair and scalp care? There are different programs for different needs.

NHJ: Let’s take hair and scalp. What commitment of time and money does a course like this require?

RB: A minimum of at least one year to somewhere between four to six years of initial study.

The investment could be anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000.

NHJ: Are we talking about home-study or classroom sessions one or two days a week?

RB: Most cosmetologists have to run their salons and care for families, so, correspondence courses are very popular right now. I also suggest they check to see if their course is available in DVD format because this gives them the feeling of sitting right there in the classroom. I would also check what tests are involved so they would be motivated to move to the next level.

NHJ: Are there certain groups that need the services of a trained Trichologist?

RB: Hair loss affects 50 to 80 million Americans every year. We’re even starting to see children with hair loss. They are subjected to high levels of stress because of the alarming number of parents who are losing their homes or families breaking up. Poor nutrition is a big factor too. It’s no longer just about genetic predisposition, stress and diet are now major contributing factors.

NHJ: What about lifestyle-related hair loss?

For example, teens who abuse their hair by bleaching the tips; channeling it and shaving.

Or people who straighten their hair with strong chemicals and flat irons?

RB: From the time they enter high school, many kids are at risk. They are naturally experimental. I call it Type-A behavior, where they might want to be a blonde today and brunette tomorrow. They want their hair straight today; they want it curly tomorrow. They want it streaked today; they don’t want it streaked tomorrow. With so many different products and tools out there, it’s inevitable that their hair will suffer physical damage. As for adults, when the economy was better, they would go into a

salon and put their hair in the hands of a professional. Now they try to do their hair themselves at home. They’re coloring; they’re relaxing; they’re permanent waving and using powerful electrical tools without proper training.

Blow dryers used to be rated at 1,200 watts, now we’re seeing 2,000 watt blow dryers! There used to be a time when hood dryers were only used in salons. Now customers are going out now and purchasing these dryers themselves. We’re seeing a return to “kitchen cosmetology.” But unlike the ‘50s when people used things out of their refrigerator like mayonnaise and eggs or vinegar and lemon rinses, we’re now seeing harsher chemicals, the ones used by salon professionals.

NHJ: Are you saying it’s time to start a consumer education program to take people back to the basics of managing their hair - as opposed to trying to fix hair that’s already been damaged?

RB: Most definitely. When I write for magazines, I try to get across that hair is not indestructible.

Many clients think of hair as a rope - I try to get them to think of it as “thread.” It’s not made to be mistreated. We see so many clients in the salon who have mistreated their hair and expect us to solve the problem overnight. I tell my clients, if you paid $500 to $1,000.00 for a beautiful cashmere sweater, would you pull on it all the time?

When you take if off, would you just throw it on the floor or on a chair? And when you got ready to clean it, would you just take it to the local $.99 cleaners on the corner? No, you wouldn’t. Well, your hair is much more valuable than $1,000 cashmere sweater. So, why not take the same type of precautions with your hair that you would with that cashmere sweater?

Rodney Barnett is a Certified Trichologist & Natural Health Professional. He is founder and president of Innovations Today, a distributing company of Trichology hair products and tools and continuing education based in Dallas, Texas.

He can be reached at www.rodneybarnett.com or 888-904-0330.

Ethnic women’s hair: the final, “final frontier”?

By Steven DiManni Over the past decade, more and more hair replacement studios have decided to actively pursue the women’s market, in addition to the traditional men’s hair loss segment. More recently, these same studios have dedicated a significant portion of their marketing budgets to this end.

The success of marketing programs such as On Rite’s Methode Trapeze, as well as the advent of traditional hair marketing programs, such as Virtual Reality, to now include women in their commercials are evidence of this initiative; Hair Club for Men now goes by the moniker, Hair Club for Men and Women, reflecting their attempts to reach the distaff side as well as men.

Just like the men’s hair business in the 1980s and 1990s, the women’s hair business has heretofore been under-marketed.

Many women were simply unaware of the options available to them, just like their male predecessors of past decades.

As studios continue their efforts to attract women, they are also finding themselves confronted with a sub-market: ethnic

women, whose need and desire for more hair is historically rooted and a cultural fact of life.

Consider the following facts, provided by Lafayette Jones, the president of SMSi— Urban Call Marketing, Inc., of Charlotte, NC, a marketing and publishing company reaching millions of multicultural consumers. According to Mr. Jones, women of color are plagued by hair loss due to a variety of factors, such as Traction Alopecia, which results in the hair being pulled too tightly for purposes of braiding and ponytails.

As well, the practice of gluing weaves to the scalp results in Traumatic Alopecia, and the use of harsh chemicals can cause “Follicular Degeneration Syndrome”, in which follicles are damaged due to hot combings and relaxing and straightening procedures. These are just a sampling of the deleterious practices to which women of color are subjected.

It should come as no surprise then, according to Mr. Jones, that there are about 125,000 black stylists, and nearly 40,000 salons, which engage in correcting these problems, or perpetrating them, from their use of a plethora of “corrective” procedures.

But the number of salons engaged in these practices is much higher if one takes into account the “kitchen beauticians,” who are stylists who practice at home, due to rising rents and the depressed economy. (cont. on page 11)

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11 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

Ethnic Women’s

(cont. from pg. 9) Clearly, this is a market that is ripe for targeting. For those who think that inexpensive wigs and weaves are the purview of this market, think again. According to Mr. Jones, the woman of color is willing to pay more for quality, perhaps even more than Caucasian women; research demonstrates that the multicultural consumer dedicates a higher percentage of her disposable income to beauty enhancements.

Mr. Jones’ assertion was reinforced by proprietary research conducted by the On Rite Company before they launched their new Rio Collection of augmentations targeting the ethnic community.

“Multicultural females want to wear the latest trends more than any other consumer group,”said On Rite president Mr. Andrew Wright. When it comes to their hair, that means the very long, straight, curly and flat ironed looks popularized by many entertainers, such as Beyonce and Alicia Keyes.

Because multicultural females are also the most educated group in regards to beauty products and services, they’re wiling to spend whatever is required to get what they want—in fact they’ll give up other “luxuries” in order to spend on their hair. That’s a trend that is going to continue to grow at enormous speed, which particularly will help build this business when you give these clients what they want.”

According to Sandy Carpenter, also of On Rite, “for years industry professionals have been afraid of doing black hair unless they were a black licensed professional...hair is hair...application might be a little different but if you’re working with a quality product...it’s all the same. But for some reason, studios are afraid to accommodate the black client or advertise their services. There’s a lot of money in offering services to the black woman suffering from hair loss...Your upper middle class clients don’t want to have to go into the wig store; neither do black women of means.”

In all fairness, it should be pointed out that many hair replacement studios were reluctant to target women of any persuasion, white or black. Change is indeed hard, and at times, scary. Just as targeting women requires different tactics and strategies than targeting men, so too does targeting multicultural women.

But the ethnic women’s market is simply too large to ignore; its profit potential is quite frankly, enormous, particularly for studios residing in large urban areas. And the skill set required to sell and service this market can be easily adapted by most studios. This may well be the final frontier for the hair replacement business. To those adventurous enough to venture into it, the rewards may HJI exceed all expectations.

Women See Red Vocus/PRWEB - Every Friday, millions of Americans will wear red to highlight women’s risk of dying from heart disease. About ten times as many women die from heart disease as breast cancer in the United States each year, yet an astonishing 90 percent of primary care doctors still don’t know that heart attacks kill more women than men. That’s why “Healthy Monday” is urging women to wear red once a week and help sound the alarm.

“Go Red for Women is about getting vital information into every community and every home,” says Michael Weamer, Executive Vice President for the American Heart Association’s Founders’ Affiliate. “Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States - far greater than all forms of cancer combined, but women aren’t taking action to protect their hearts because they just aren’t aware of the risks.”

“Healthy Monday” is a project of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University Newhouse HJI School of Public Communications.

Want to Sell Your Business?

Trying to Build a Network?

Call Hair Synergies.

Professional Advisors in Mergers & Acquisitions with over 15 years of experience in the hair industry.

Inquiries treated in strictest confidence.

HAIR SYNERGIES LLC

212-888-2005

12 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

13 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

14 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

R

endezvous en

F

rance

Elite Hair International, Paris ions can be a real booster for our industry.

NHJ: You attend hair shows on both sides of the Atlantic. What are the main differences you have

our Elite Wig collection is so light in density and so natural in appearance that you’d never know a lady was wearing a wig. The design details, comfort and security are all essential, but in France, the appear-

sales stemmed from the “need” market. But the demand for hair additions and ladies’ wigs has opened up the market to new customers which insists on the most natural appearance NHJ: What can American hairstylists learn from their French counterparts?

IA: I would not talk about ‘learning’ but rather ‘sharing’ and ‘ ex c h a n g i n g ’ ideas on technological evolutions, fashion trends and customer’s needs…

her work, business, and the latest hair replacement fashions in the City of Lights. Isabelle, one of the important forces in the French hair replacement biz, has influenced trends over the years with new modern styles and innovative creations.

noticed between hair loss solutions in North America and France?

Elite Hair International was created by Isabelle in 1991 and has a reputation for providing high quality custom hair loss solutions while skillfully balancing aesthetics, price and quality.

Elite Hair International is also constantly involved in R&D and their research findings and new technologies benefit both their established and future clientele.

We spoke over espresso at her elegant 5th floor Paris office situated on the quiet rue Bessières in the 17th district.

Flooded with natural light and surrounded by modern decor, her distinctive salon exudes a discreet bohemianism. Affable and direct, passionate and not afraid to speak her mind, Isabelle Anglade is refreshingly forthright and insightful.

NHJ: Paris is the capital of fashion and sophistication. How does this influence the hair replacement market?

IA: Fashion is part of every French woman’s life. She expresses her preferences in many ways... fashion accessories, clothes and of course hairstyles. The latest hair fash-

IA: Of course differences do exist, but we share many more points in common points. Fifteen years ago, the men’s hair replacement market was based on synthetic fiber hairpieces, but, step by step, human hair became the most popular style, especially in the US. Custom orders are still important for French hairdressers since hair fashion is so important. They need to control every detail of their customer’s order color per section; density, highlights etc. On the other hand, the ladies’ market is ruled by the need for the highest natural appearance. Most of the women’s wigs sold here are synthetic and made from the finest quality of synthetic fibers. For instance,

ance must be really fashionable and trendy, otherwise the product will not sell.

NHJ: For many years, the hair loss market in America was dominated by men. Only recently have women moved to the forefront. Was this the same in France?

IA: We see the same evolution in France, with a few cultural differences: the men’s market has never been that important here due to certain attitudes and societal stigmas. Other than hair extensions, which are a specialist topic, the women’s hair industry developed mainly in response to medical needs. In fact, about 90% of

NHJ: How important is hair to the average French man/woman?

IA: It’s absolutely essential. No woman will accept a lack of hair. It is different for a man. While he

Photographed by Avi Roth

o

n a gorgeous sunny day, May 4th, 2009, The Journal met in Paris with Isabelle Anglade, owner of Elite Hair International, to discuss

men. Many old-style French film actors, and sport players like Zidane chose to stay bald. This image is still alive among our older generation. Fortunately, the younger generation is more open to the new hair replacement technologies.

NHJ: In your opinion, is thinning hair more or less important than it was five years ago?

IA: Definitely more. This is a high potential opportunity. But traditional hair reconstruction specialists will have to keep up with the latest hair fashion trends in order to satisfy their customers.

will do whatever he can not to lose his hair, he is likely to respond differently if he loses it. He may accept that his father and grandfather were bald so it’s logical that he is now bald also. Then there are cultural factors that influence older

NHJ: Does the Hair Journal bring you information that is helpful to you and your business?

IA: This is the only Journal of our industry and it brings us important market news. However, it could be more international and focus on different countries and opportunities.

NHJ

15 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

We continue to be amazed by the role Italian families have played in the development of the hair industry in the United States. In this article, we talk with another pioneer, someone you have probably never heard of, and yet he is the man who brought hair extensions to the US. His name is Ron Cardillo and he is president of SO.CAP.USA. The company is part of a worldwide group, SO.CAP. s.r.l. Hair Extensions Company, which is based in Naples, Italy, with offices across Europe and North America. SO.CAP. USA, the official North American branch, is headquartered in New York with 14 other regional offices around North America as well as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Central and South America. SO.CAP stands for Sociata di Capelli, which means, “The Hair Company.”

Hair Journal International (HJI): Ron, take us back to the very beginning. Long before Hong Kong or Korea or China, Italy was the heart of the hair industry wasn’t it?

Ron Cardillo (RC): It all began in Naples many years ago. At that time, Italy was the center of the hair market for replacement products and wigs. After World War II, women in the countryside would grow their hair and sell it to buy lingerie and other luxuries. There were peddlers who went around collecting hair and bringing it to SO.CAP in Naples where it was processed and distributed to wig makers all across Europe. SO.CAP, founded by Mr. Nello Di Biase, father of Antonio who is our president today, was the pre-eminent hair processor and distributor.

HJI: Was hair also exported to North America?

RC: Yes, like many other family businesses, I used to make my own hairpieces. My supplier was somebody called Bill Tucciaroni, who imported hair from Italy, refined it here, then sold it to wig makers around New York.

HJI: But you discovered a better way…

RC: I used to go to Bologna every year to participate in the hair and beauty shows. One day, my friend, Bill Tucciaroni asked me, “When you go to Italy, would you bring back some hair for me?” It wasn’t a big deal because I already knew about SO.CAP since I’m from Naples.

So he ordered 5 kilos of hair and I promised to pick it up.

HJI: I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop…

RC: Well, it so happened that just before I left for Bologna, I found myself at the IBS show in New York. Here I am, walking around the show, and lo and behold I see this older guy on a platform in a small booth with a glue gun attaching hair. Now I am a certified trichologist and consider myself an expert on thinning hair, and suddenly it strikes me; I’m standing face to face with a huge marketing opportunity! Why couldn’t we glue extra hair to thinning hair…? So I went over and introduced myself and said, “This is marvelous. I would like to take this on my trip to Europe. Would you go with me to a show in England, and then we’ll go on to Italy?” And he said, “I would love to, but I have no money. I invested everything in this product.” That’s when I noticed he had these little kits he had created, so I said, “I’ll take care of everything; I’ll pay for your trip if you’ll come with me and bring those kits.” So right there we made a deal. I was so excited!

So lo and behold, we go to London. One of my friends had a booth and he gave us a corner, just big enough to fit a chair. Everybody loved our glued on hair idea! We sold some kits, but still had some left over for Bologna where the same thing happened again. Everybody loved the idea of gluing hair to hair.

HJI: Up to this point in time the only people who had seen this technique were visitors to the show, meaning barbers and hair stylists…

RC: That’s right, but things were about to change. At the end of the show we had a few kits left when I went to SO.CAP to collect the 5 kilos of hair I was supposed to take back to New York. Well, Antonio and his father had heard about our success at the shows and they made me an unexpected offer; “If you have any of those kits left, give us the kits and we’ll give you the hair.” That wasn’t difficult. The deal was made and we met later in Naples on the way to the airport. Antonio handed me the hair and I handed him the kits. That’s how this

The Italian Job The masters who shaped an industry Chapter III whole thing began! When I return to New York, I give the hair to my friend. It pays for my trip and even the ticket for Salvadora!

HJI: What a classic business start up story!

RC: From that point on I continued exploring

ing, you’re going to fail because you cannot deliver what you promised to the client. So we began advertising in the trade journals, did a lot of trade shows, spent lots of money and gave a lot of sweat and tears. And slowly we built the

the idea of attaching hair to hair while Antonio in Italy worked on developing technology and adapting equipment to make the product more modern.

HJI: Was anyone else offering hair extensions at that time?

RC: Zero. There was nobody anywhere who had ever thought about using a glue gun to atttach hair. Salvadora and I were the ones that brought it to Europe. There was one small problem though; Salvadora didn’t patent the idea!

HJI: How did SO.CAP get started in the USA? RC: After working with Antonio in Naples for many years I told him, “You know, we should bring this company to the United States. I know the market. It will be very successful.”

And he said, “I will give you the opportunity to represent this company, but you’ve got to promise me that you’re going to promote it in an ethical manner. In addition to that, I want you to give up everything else you are doing and dedicate yourself exclusively to SO.CAP.” He was asking me to make a very difficult decision and give up all my hair replacement business that had given me many years of prosperity. It was a make or break moment. I took the offer.

HJI: Another leap into the unknown…

RC: When I came back to the U.S. with this tremendous responsibility, I knew it was going to take some serious planning. The biggest difference was the fact that Europe is small, but in the United States I have 3,000 miles, from coast to coast. How was I going to control such a huge market? It seemed impossible for one central office to handle everything, so I decided create satellite offices or sub-distributors (we prefer to call ourselves regional offices).

From the very beginning we decided never to sell a piece of equipment unless the hairdresser was trained properly. Based on my own years of experience, I knew that without proper train-

network up to what we have today. Each one of our regional offices was handpicked. We now have 14 offices covering all the U.S. HJI: Did your headquarters remain in New York?

RC: Yes. We obviously have expanded it. We literally started out of a closet… when I look at our initial order from Italy; I have to laugh because it was so tiny. But we grew quickly. In all the years I’ve been in business I’ve never seen anything like it.

HJI: So you made the right decision.

RC: I certainly did. Now my challenge is to convince our regional offices that they have the same opportunity. I believe we have not touched the surface of this whole idea of hair additions.

HJI: SO.CAP is fastidious about the way it uses its name in print. You have asked us to be sure to use the full company name, SO.CAP.USA Hair Extensions when we talk about the US company. Why is this so important?

RC: There are a couple of other companies that we have nothing to do with that incorporate SO.CAP into their name. So we want to eliminate any risk of confusion. We also want to make sure that “USA” is part of our identity because, obviously, there is our parent company, SO.CAP.SRL, in Italy, which is a separate business.

HJI: How does someone become involved with SO.CAP? RC: At the moment, all of the U.S. is covered as far as regional offices are concerned. We still have certain areas of the Caribbean and parts of South America open.

HJI: How has the product evolved from the glue gun origins to today’s hi-tech hair extension?

RC: When we first started you had no control over how much glue you were depositing on the hair. You had no control over the temperature.

So you would wind up with these big lumps.

And when you rolled them, you would burn your fingers. But with all that, they still held on for maybe a month. Today, our company has evolved tremendously; we have bonding agents that are generations removed from the original idea that Salvadora had. Over the years, as the technology evolved, the glue became finer and we were able to work with lower temperatures, but we still used a crude plug-in machine.

Then finally Antonio and his engineers developed a digital unit, and this is what’s being used today. At the same time, a new technology of pre-applying what we call “keratin tips” was evolving.

HJI: Obvious question; what is a keratin tip?

RC: Keratin is what hair is made of. We offer different formulations that combine resin and keratin at different levels. The higher amount of resin, the higher the temperature required to soften it. The higher the keratin content, the lower the temperature.

HJI: What actually creates the bond?

RC: You might think that the more adhesive, the longer it would last. But that is not correct.

When keratin tips are softened and rolled or flattened, they literally become one with the customer’s hair. The keratin penetrates the hair at a microscopic level and when it cools down, it bonds with the hair. The cooler the temperature the better. The more keratin there is, the longer lasting that tip is going to last.

HJI: Is your attachment method different to other companies?

RC: On the surface they may all look the same. Some of our competitors have similar technology, but when you look more closely you find important differences. Our machines are digital and are designed to work at very low temperature, 110 degrees. Also with our equipment, the temperature is maintained at the tip of the applicator, which is the part that actually touches the keratin. A special monitoring system constantly controls the tip temperature as you work.

HJI: You talked about the importance of training. Tell us about your education program.

RC: We conduct training all the time through our regional offices. Our educators are all certified by SO.CAP.USA. It’s a very comprehensive training program that comes with a detailed training manual. At the end of the course, candidates take a written and a practical exam. Only when the instructors are completely happy with the results are certificates issued by SO.CAP.USA. HJI: What marketing support do you provide to your customers?

RC: We have a marketing company, Marketing Solutions, that provides our salons with support materials to help them become successful in their extension business. We have boilerplate ads that have worked well for us in the past. We’re also thinking of starting a co-op advertising program since many of us advertise in the same trade magazines like the Hair Journal. We’re also looking at expanding into the consumer market.

HJI: What new products can we anticipate from SO.CAP in the months ahead?

RC: Our “Hair Perfumes” are an exciting concept for a hair company. They opens up a whole new are of opportunity. There are three different scents that mimic some of the more popular perfumes while caring for the hair.

HJI: Is this a fragrance product or a styling product with fragrance?

RC: It’s a combination of both. As the name implies, it has a pleasant scent, but it also accomplishes two other things. There’s a UV protector to maintain color longer and keeps hair looking more vibrant. And there’s a conditioner that gives hair sheen and life.

HJI: Any other new products?

RC: SOCAP wefted hair. Wefted hair has been around for a while, but Antonio decided to enter this market because we can offer a new level of quality. SOCAP now offers a superior quality of hair, a higher quality weft, and a refined attachment system.

HJI: Why would a woman choose wefted hair over extensions?

RC: It’s much faster because it is a strip of hair that’s attached. There are typically four sections that complete the full head. Application takes only half the time it would take for extensions. But like everything else, there is a good side and a bad side. The good thing is it does cut down time. (cont.on pg.16)

16 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

MARKETING WITH THE ENERGIZER You don’t get called “The Energizer” for nothing. You have to fly at least 100,000 miles a year, spend 46 out of 52 week-ends away from home and still get up every morning with more gusto than a salon full of 21 yearolds! We knew we were in for a vigorous couple of hours when we put a microphone in front of Lance Centofanti, but we wanted to hear about his road trips and how people are adapting to changing economic conditions. Lance is Vice President of American Hairlines and the innovator of the Virtual Reality concept. Here’s what he told us.

HJI: You are on the road constantly.

What are you seeing and hearing?

LC: It’s a different market today. We may be coming back from a soft economy, but salons are still having to adjust to rising prices for hair goods.

Another big challenge is clients discovering they can buy many of the same products through discounters or on the Internet.

HJI: Any one of those items would be a serious concern. But you’re saying that they’re all happening at the same time.

LC: It’s almost a perfect storm.

Unless you move your business model to a new place, it’s going to be difficult to deal with. If you don’t have a strong brand, or offer a product with higher perceived performance than the low-cost alternative, you’re going to lose market share.

HJI: Virtual Reality prides itself on being an agile group. How is it responding?

LC: I believe we’ve been a leader in creating positive brand awareness in the consumer’s mind. We’ve moved away from “cover up” advertising which is demeaning, to a “fashion accessory” positioning, which is positive. Positive imagery attracts the media, so we had to reconfigure our brand in a way that newspapers and TV would want to cover. This exposure leverages our advertising and drives our clients’ lead costs down.

HJI: You’re talking about social networking and public relations...

LC: Today, we live in a velvet rope society. Everybody wants to be a star.

Everybody wants to know what the stars are doing and wearing. The media needs news; it’s hungry to talk about your product if you give them a reason to do so. So we went out and hired a big PR firm, the same one that works for Jessica Simpson, Raquel Welch and Great Lengths.

HJI: What happens when you hire a PR agency?

LC: They impact fashion editors and TV producers. The better their reputation, the more chips they can call in.

When they call and say, “You need to be at this event” people respond.

Editors cover our story live because it’s entertaining, it’s different - and it’s not a hairpiece story. No one wants to cover a hairpiece story.

HJI: Traditionally each retailer has run his own local advertising. Is this a changing of the guard?

LC: It’s a total changing of the guard. We’re facing an advertising surfeit disorder. People are exposed to too much information. They don’t watch TV like they used to. They have TiVo and turn commercials off, especially any ad for a hairpiece.

“Get on a jet ski... have a hair system and you’re dating Ms. North Carolina...” people don’t buy that any more! Now it’s about fashion and

celebrities. Role models endorsing products. That’s the way we position VR. People want to hear our story.

HJI: Can the small independent salon still go it alone today?

LC: If they’re going to try it alone, I wouldn’t want to be one of them.

Costs are escalating. It doesn’t matter if you’re small or large. Access to good hair is getting more difficult.

Advertising isn’t as effective, even if you can afford it. So where does someone go today? You’ve got to be part of a network that can use today’s new media resources to your advantage. Our concept is pretty simplistic.

Let’s have a unique story to tell. Let’s get celebrities and highly respected experts to endorse it. Let’s get a PR firm with clout to get the message out. Let’s get our dealers in print and on television so they get free publicity... and let’s see if we can get hundreds of calls without any added expense.

HJI: You talked earlier about the importance of branding. Is there any public awareness of the name Virtual Reality?

LC: Could I tell you that we’re a household name like Starbucks? No. But the word is getting out because we’ve been featured in some impressive circles - Good Morning America, Montel Williams, Movie and a Makeover. Our product is used in

Hollywood. A lot of stars endorse it.

By my last count, it’s been featured over 120 times on NBC, ABC, and FOX News and written up in hundreds of editorials. So, yes, people are starting to ask for the brand. Not as much as we would like. But it’s a start.

HJI: How do you go from being a “cover up product” that nobody wants to talk about to a “glamour” or “lifestyle enhancement” product?

LC: That’s easy. Truth is the difference maker. You have to deliver what you promise. Our products really work. They change lives. That’s what beautiful about the concept. You don’t have to worry about what you’re saying if it’s 100 percent accurate. I just did a story in Nebraska for FOX N e w s .

Afterwards, not only did every consultation become a new c l i e n t , we upgraded nearly every existing client too - 23 out of 24 to be exact. People want results.

They will pay for the best.

After the ten minute TV segment, the local salon received 75 phone calls over two days and 20 people actually showed up.

HJI: People say hair is not as important today as it used to be.

What were these 20 people telling you?

LC: Nothing’s c h a n g e d .

Ninety-five percent of people would rather have hair if they believed there was a fashionable solution. I was a hair dresser and I never had anybody come to up me and say, “Shave my head.” What people are really saying today is, “I’ll shave my head if I don’t look good the way I am.” That’s different.

HJI: How do you persuade men to take that first step?

LC: We tell the consumer this is not a product, it’s a concept! We call it a “lifestyle lift.” You’re not restricted to only one choice. We have a whole toolbox full of fashion implements.

Things we can dip into to personalize your look based on your lifestyle. We tell them this is not something you wear; it’s something that becomes part of you. Number three, you get the benefit of a membership community. There are certified studios all over the country that can handle you in a professional manner. The next thing we tell them is it’s totally risk free. You have no reason not to try this. We will prove to you that you will be proud of the way you look.

The final thing is there’s no maintenance.

HJI: Lance, I’m sure there’s a plane waiting somewhere to take you to the other side of the country... thanks for pausing long enough to share these insights with us.

HJI

The Italian Job (cont. from pg.15)

It creates volume in a quicker way. However, this is only for short wearability. As the hair grows, the attached strip or weft moves down and loosens. So the client has to be careful when they brush their hair so they don’t snag or pull it.

HJI: In addition to hair extensions that add length, your portfolio also includes hair restoration products to add density to a thinning area. How do they integrate into your marketing plan?

RC:Because of my background, and because I know the pain that goes with thinning hair, I’ve been pressing Antonio to come out with a product specifically for thinning hair. To jump start the program, I volunteered to be the guinea pig. I’ve always had a lot of hair on my head, but now it’s begun to thin out a little. For two or three years I got away with a dryer and thickeners, but I missed the freedom of having the thick hair I always had.

So we began an experimental “micrograph” program. We take one of our hair extensions and carefully trim it down to micrograph size. It takes time and a lot of skill.

They don’t last as long as conventional extensions because you’re cutting the keratin, but we’re working on that. I want our micrografts to be done as perfectly as everything else Antonio does. We’ve got the skills and the resources to do this right.

Next year, Antonio will produce shorter, 8 to 10 inches long, mini and micrographs readymade by the factory. All a technician needs to do is apply them using our applicator technology and warm or cold fusion. We’re adding multiple new hairs where there were only a few hairs before. It’s a multiplication technique.

HJI: So it’s still a way of adding hair to hair, but in this case it’s new hair to thinning hair?

RC:Right. We can even help hair transplant patients. Today’s mini- and micrographs are creating beautiful hairlines, but sometimes patients want more. That’s where we come in. We can attach our own non-surgical micrographs to add 30% - 40% percent more volume.

HJI: How long would this last between styling visits?

RC: My experience has been at least a couple of months.

HJI: You also mentioned that you can help women with medical hair loss…

RC: We believe our technology can be a big help to women after chemotherapy. When they have completed their treatment, their hair usually grows back. But there is a transition period where the hair is too short to work with and too long to wear a wig because it becomes too bulky and cumbersome. Well, while they’re in that transition period and their hair is still only 1.5 inch to 2 inches, we have a special program. They can get a full head of hair within five or six hours without waiting a year or more for it to grow back to its original length.

RC: We also realize that we need to look at the other end of the market, which is the high fashion.

We want to be known as the fashion setters in this industry. That’s why Nicholas French is here today.

He is going to make a presentation utilizing our wefted hair and pre-tipped hair to create stunning high-fashion styles.

HJI: You told us before we began this interview about the number of companies now offering hair extensions. What sets SO.CAP apart?

RC: Obviously as the concept of hair extension evolved, other companies recognized the possibilities and entered the market also. However, very few are doing what we’re doing. What sets us apart is that we strongly believe that in order to continue to succeed, we need to deliver good education. Anybody can be a seller of hair, pre-tipped or otherwise; it doesn’t take a genius to do that.

But to do it properly and to be successful and to grow, you need to have proper training. We’re still only covering 5 percent of the salons in the United States. Ninety-five percent of salons have no grasp of hair extensions. They don’t see the potential.

There’s till a lot of work to be done.

HJI: Why is that? It’s a high-profit business; it has a dramatic effect on clients. Are they just close-minded?

RC: I wish I had the proper answer. One of the main factors is they think it’s too tedious. A lot of stylists think there’s no demand for it. Then there are others who don’t believe that this is something that is here to stay.

HJI: Far from it; if you went to the Academy Awards, virtually every actor who went up on stage had help with their hair.

RC: Absolutely. I’ve been in this business all my life and I love it. I do it with passion. Whatever I say or do is with great emotion because I know how much good we can do for our clients. It’s a win-win situation.

There is no downside to it. We’re not selling lotions and potions or vague promises of growing or not growing hair. What we do is real. It exists and it’s touchable.

HJI

17 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

Give Your Hair Some Summer Loving

wrap or a shower cap and leave on overnight.

Hair Needs UV Protection and S o o t h i n g To o !

By Jenny Hogan Summer is a great time to showcase healthy, sexy hair – at the beach, poolside and at outdoor parties. Yet the very places you spend your leisure time are also the culprits behind the summer season’s damage to your hair. Your skin isn’t the only thing you need to safeguard in the summer. Your hair also needs protection from UV damage, drying chlorine, minerals and saltwater.

One company, John Amico, has several lines of haircare products formulated just for summer sun care. Here are some of their tips to keep your mane tame this season: Sun: Your hair needs sunscreen just like your skin! Use a leave-in conditioner with UV protection that you spray onto hair daily. This is a must before all sun and water activities. Hair that has been colored or chemically treated will also be protected, preserving condition and shine.

Haircolor will last much longer with less fading or damage when protected from UV rays. Remember that the sun can be just as damaging to your hair as a blow dryer. With all the extra outdoor time this summer, try to skip blow drying hair as often as possible and let it air dry naturally. Wearing a wide brimmed hat while out in the sun is also a great way to protect your hair.

al products for overexposed hair. Use a moisturizing shampoo that gently removes mineral buildup and a leave-in conditioner specially formulated for sun care.

Spraying on this type of conditioner before and after any dip in the pool or ocean will neutralize chlorine and salt damage, while also preventing haircolor from fading.

Rescue & Recovery: Even if you’ve done your very best to protect your hair before sunning and swimming, the sun and outdoor exposure can still take its toll over time. The keratin structure of the hair eventually becomes altered, resulting in dryness and breakage. Always give your hair extra conditioning in the summer. A restructuring spray for sun damage will provide strength and integrity to the keratin-depleted hair strand. Distribute evenly into towel-dried hair without rinsing and style hair as normal. For extra repair, apply a deep conditioner or hair mask to towel dried hair, bag the hair in plastic

Summer Style Trends: Now that your hair looks healthy and beautiful, showcase it with summer’s best hair styles!

Upstyles are always a great choice for summertime, giving a classic and timeless look while keeping hair off the neck on steamy nights. Ponytails are youthful and fun; lift the hair on the crown and leave long side swept bangs for an elegant update. Even better than one ponytail – try two! Use a curl enhancer for ringlets and let hair air dry, scrunching for natural tousles. Many women opt for shorter haircuts in the summer for a no-hassle, sporty or flirty look. Using a waxy pomade to build texture, use fingers to ruffle through hair, criss-crossing layers and mussing for a sexy, tousled finish. Haircolor in the summer gets lighter, with golden browns, sunflower blondes or coppery reds.

Highlights are blonder, or even applied in fun colors like pink! After all, summer is the time for adventure and change isn’t it?

This season, use the right prevention and the right professional products to keep your hair its healthiest and give it some extra summer loving!

Jenny Hogan is the Media Director for Marketing Solutions, Inc., a marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in the professional beauty business.

John Amico, Sr. is a beauty professional since the late ‘60s. He has successfully run and franchised a chain of his own cosmetology schools and two national salon chains. John now focuses on growing his professional products company and a new marketing venture named Share the Wealth. The John Amico hair care company has several lines of hair care products formulated just for summer sun care. Their Sunflowers Line features UV protection and repair, their Chlorimed Line neutralizes chemical damage, their Biominoil Leave-in Conditioner replenishes with micro nutrients and their Smoothie line tames the wildest frizz.

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

HAIR JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL Mission - Mission - To provide hair-management professionals from all disciplines with accurate information that will allow better business decision-making and facilitate superior client service.

Editor In Chief Christopher Webb cwebb@nationalhairjournal.com

Creative Director Avi Roth aroth@nationalhairjournal.com

Technical Advisors Isaac Brakha Dr. Shelley Friedman Larry Oskin

Contributing Correspondents James Britt Marilyn Dodds Steven Dimanni Dawn Harrison Phil Fennell Gloria Ford Bobbi Russell Larry Sellars James Toscano Marilyn Wayne

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

Production Director Mike Ferreri mike@mfaudio.net

Sound Engineer Dan Feely dan@danfeely.com

Production Assistant Reggie Smith

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

Membership Director Heather Simon hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com

NE Regional Director Catherine Ingoglia

CA Regional Director Edmarie Masters

European Director Hans Diks

Humidity: Split ends, frizziness and breakage are common in the summer, as hot air opens the hair cuticle, releasing valuable moisture and leaving hair wiry.

Use professional products formulated to smooth frizzies that include botanicals such as chamomile, aloe, seaweed and olive oil to calm frayed strands. Avoid shine products or serums containing silicone that can coat the hair, leaving an oily feel and exacerbating the damage. If your hair is naturally wavy or curly, try not to fight it by over blow drying, straightening or flat ironing the hair. Instead, go with a natural style that highlights your curls while using a smoothing crème, balm or spray to finish the look.

Wind: Summertime’s damage is aggravated by windy gusts at the beach or cruising in a convertible, leaving rough hair cuticles and static. Always have accessories on hand like headbands, scarves and clips to keep hair from twisting and tangling in the wind. Use hair products for ultra control like styling waxes, pomades or gels for fixing movement while keeping flexibility. A modeling pomade with jojoba liquid wax will create an elastic control with shine and no stiffness or stickiness.

Water: Chlorine from swimming pools as well as minerals and salt from the ocean can leave hair dry and damaged and fade haircolor fast. For frequent swimmers, wearing a swim cap in the pool is the best prevention. Also vital is using profession-

SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe to Hair Journal International, send an Email to subscriptions@nationalhairjournal.com or visit www.nationalhairsociety.org/store. You can also write to us at the address at the bottom of this column or call 1-951571-3209.

ADVERTISING To place an advertisement or request a Media Kit, contact us at advertising@nationalhairjournal.com or call 1-951256-4385 LEGAL NOTICE Notice: Hair Journal International, Issue number 50 Copyright ©2009. All rights reserved.

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

HOW TO CONTACT US National Hair Group 39252 Winchester Rd., # 107-383 Murrieta, CA 92563. Telephone: 951-541-2809 news@nationalhairjournal.com subscriptions@nationalhairjournal.com advertising@nationalhairjournal.com events@nationalhairjournal.com Hair Journal International is published Quarterly.

Copyright © 2009. Single copies of most past issues of The National Hair Journal are available prepaid at $10.00 per copy. Special issues are more. Hair Journal International serves primarily the hair replacement , hair restoration and personal enhancement industries.

It sponsors conferences and trade events and produces analysis & marketing research on the hair replacement and restoration industries. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Hair Journal International, LLC 39252 Winchester Rd., #107-383, Murrieta, CA 92563

18 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

Hair Society News www.nationalhairsociety.org

Welcome to the Summer ‘09 coverage of The National Hair Society. I want to thank our dedicated members who support The Society and our industry. Great things happen to Society members from business introductions and networking.

your questions at 951-571-3209.

Don’t Miss Out! If you have been reading the Society updates in The National Hair Journal over the years but are not yet a member, Heather Simon why not support your industry and join The Society today. New changes are taking place within the marCruise With the Stars to New Profit ket every day and you want to make sure Opportunities! -You have been asking you are up to date and compliant with the for another event sponsored through The latest regulations and standards. Of

Cruise to new Profit Opportunities – You asked for it – you got it!

On October 22nd some of the top experts in the hair industry set sail with salon owners and managers to discuss new opportunities in the fast-changing hair market. Most hair conferences last two days and each presenter is on stage for 60 minutes. But when you go “Cruising with the stars” they are with you every day, every moment for four days! This is a very special opportunity to talk oneon-one with people who can change your future. You will also network with other forward-looking managers like yourself and explore joint ventures, coop-marketing… and lots of other things only you can think of!

The recession of 2009 may make people tighten their belts, but it will not take their desire for hair.

So how do you help them protect the hair they’ve got while they plan their next step? Is it laser therapy, or Revivogen? Do you recommend an FDA approved medication like Minoxidil or Propecia? Or is it a custom program combining a selection of the above? Our stars will share strategies to support today’s hair loss sufferers who will become tomorrow’s clients.

And you will be introduced to new market opportunities and taught how to help women in need.

A specialist will tell you how to connect with the clinics and hospitals that urgently need our services, then work with medical insurance companies.

Do you have a laser? Do you know how to use it to grow your business? Are you FDA compliant? If you want to be part of the light-therapy market, this is your chance to spend time with two top laser pros and, with apologies to Randy Veliky and Don Osendowski, get the facts from the horse’s mouth.

If you are serious about the future, you must be aboard the Cruise with the Stars in October.

See the ad in this issue for enrolment information!

National Hair Society and here it is!

The Society is co-hosting a new business opportunities workshop with European Hair Imports, October 22nd-26th. It takes place on a Royal Caribbean Cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend four days with the top names in hair management. This is no ordinary hair loss seminar. The objective is to guide you towards new profit opportunities by introducing you to the very best products and support services.

As Society Members you will receive a special offer when you register. For those of you with lasers, the new laser network is your opportunity to obtain the marketing support you’ve been waiting for. Please visit the website at www.regonline.com/cruisingwiththestars to register or phone me anytime with

course, we also offer special promotions and discounts, access to the Society website and links to a network of other professionals who are ready to share their tips, knowledge and experience. Integrity is key to your business and your clients. This is your industry and by joining The Society you are supporting your industry. Please visit www.nationalhairsociety.org and read the About Us section for more information. You can sign up through the website or you can contact me directly at 951-571-3209 or via e-mail at hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com for more information. This is a great time to start making changes. Make the right change and join The Society!

Our New African-American Chapter Ambassadors It is with great pleasure that I introduce to The Society our new African-American Chapter Ambassadors. The first meeting took place at the Spectrum International Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, March 23rd. Each chapter ambassador is a leader in her field and will not only share her knowledge and skills, but also tell us about

Gigi Ford

Yvonne Solomon

the latest trends within her region and introduce new members to The Society.

Every chapter member wants to maintain integrity within the hair Bridget Winton replacement industry and they feel very strongly about teaching new people entering the industry the correct way to help clients suffering from hair loss.

I am very happy we now have this powerful team to assist us.

Each year a new chapter president will be

appointed to act as a spokesperson for the group. For 2009, Gigi Ford from All About Hair in San Leandro, CA has been appointed as the 1st Chapter president. The members are Yvonne Solomon from Celebrity Hair & Skin Solutions in Cartersville, GA who is the Southeast Ambassador, Edmarie Masters from Masters Touch, HRS in Inglewood, CA who is the Southern California Ambassador, Violet Demao from Hair Medic in Bowie, MD is the Northwest

Edmarie Masters

Violet Demao

Ambassador for the Northern California region, Bridget Winton from Bridget’s Essence of Beauty in San Diego, CA is the San Diego Region Ambassador and Andrea Hayden Andrea Hayden from La Boudoir in Helotes, TX is the South West Ambassador. Please welcome these new Ethnic Chapter Ambassadors. I look forward to working with them and being able to provide valuable information to everyone in The Society.

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS Annual Event For German Wig Retailers and Hair Piece Specialists – Our thanks to Ane Rasch and Anke Becker from Haar Praxis Nord, Gmbh in

Ahrensburg, Germany for reporting on the Annual BVZ conference that took place in Saarbruecken, Germany in March. 170 members attended this three day event, which included twelve manufacturers and seven service companies.

workshops were followed by a symposium comprising a member of the Bundestag, representatives from German health insurance companies, attorneys and an alopecia areata patient.

The subject was financial support from the health insurance companies for patients suffering from hair loss.

The discussion was animated and sometimes controversial because the affected people as well as the hair piece s p e c i a l i s t s Peter Volk, President of The BVZ know that an unprofessional, unnatural hair piece can lead to discomfort and even profession-

Note: You can post comments as a member OR non member to the Society Blog at www.hairsociety.blogspot.com.

Say Hello To Our Latest Retail Society Members New Members Not Pictured: Roberta Kozel, Antoinette Harrison & Angela Robinson

al discrimination for the patient. The BVZ is fighting for more understanding and support from health insurance.

Joanne Washington

Hans Diks, Society Ambassador From The Netherlands, Will Contribute Monthly News From Europe

smaller companies. Hans has published a successful book and we will be translating this marketing advice each month for Society members. Hans states, “You are only entitled to success if you add value” and has developed the concept of “match point marketing” that includes 5 principles to help smaller businesses direct the right people to their salon.

Hans has been in the hair replacement industry for many years and is well connected with salon owners and managers all across Europe.

He was president of the first salon franchise in The Netherlands and owner of the I thank Hans for his support Hans Diks first hair transplant clinic in and look forward to sharing The Netherlands. He is now retired his monthly updates in the Society and helping others by marketing for Newsletters.

BVZ Fashion Show Model

This event is unique in Germany and manufacturers appreciate the personal contact with prospective customers.

Many members arrived early to talk with colleagues from other parts of Germany. Peter Volk, president of the BVZ said, “This vital exchange of information is unusual compared to other business branches. We work in a small industry and the BVZ members have learned that sharing information benefits everybody.

That’s why we are offering a broad range of workshops this year.” The

The highlight of the event was the fashion show. Wig manufacturers and wholesalers were asked to present their latest designs. Over 60-80 wig models took part. “This was a very successful annual event and it generated interest beyond the borders of Germany.

Next year, we will try to exceed 200 participants… perhaps even inviting hair piece specialists from the United States, “Peter Volk, stated at the end of the event.

For more information please visit www.bvz-event.de and www.bvzakademie.de.

19 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

INTERVIEWS WITH OUR USA MEMBERS Images of Princeton, Hamilton, NJ and Images of Cherry Hill, Cherry Hill, NJ are owned by Dave Richey and his business partner Mike Bellino. Dave and Mike have been in the hair restoration industry for 22 years. In 1987, Dave and Mike started training at a company called Invisions. Dave was attending his last semester of college when he met the Invisions owner and was given the opportunity to work for the company. This would prove to be a smart move. Dave was the first employee in 1987.

Mike also started working for Invisions about the same time as Dave.

Dave Richey In 1993, Invisions was bought by Dave and Mike and they renamed the salon, Images of Princeton.

The salon takeover was successful and Mike and Dave were able to open another location in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Images of Cherry Hill.

Today, this location is managed by Mike, while

Christoffels & Co. located in Sioux Falls, SD is owned by Virg and Cheryln Christoffel and Sara Tims. Christoffels & Co. was founded as Virg’s Hair Design in 1976 in downtown Sioux Falls.

Virg’s started with one employee and a 400 square

Sara Tims, Cherlyn and Virg Christoffel

Images of Princeton Staff

ning hair. Dave states that laser therapy is a great way to attract new clients who are not yet committed to a full hair replacement. For most of their male clients, he offers 90 percent full head bonding and tape on units. For the women they offer full wigs, laser therapy and extensions.

Dave is a Virtual Reality and OnRite dealer.

Most of the challenges that Dave and Mike face at the moment is keeping up with the new trends and technology. It is challenging to maintain existing clients and obtain new business in these economic times. Their goal for 2009 is to increase their female clientele. Currently, they advertise in local women’s newspapers and have had 30 sec-

foot office space. The present location is now 4,500 square feet and has ten employees. With the move and additional staff the name was changed to Christoffels & Co. Virg was born and raised on a dairy farm. He left after he graduated high school to attend Barber College. He was fortunate to work for two progressive men’s hair salons before starting his own business in 1976. In the early seventies Virg began experiencing male pattern baldness himself and started researching different hairloss solutions.

From those personal experiences came the commitment to someday become a full-time hair replacement specialist. Cheryln and Virg are both involved

Reception At Christoffels & Co.

The clientele is 85 percent men and 15 percent women, but the percentage of women is steadily increasing. Images of Cherry Hill location offers laser therapy, with most of the laser clients being women who are just starting to experience thinRiviera Custom Hair Replacement located in Syosset, NY is owned by Dolores and Jack McRobb. Jack started in the industry in the ‘60’s selling women’s hair pieces and wigs. That was 43

Images of Princeton Lobby

ond commercials on local television targeting women. Referrals have been a large part of their business. I would like to thank Dave and Mike for sharing their story with Hair Journal International.

The Images of Cherry Hill story will continue in the next edition of The Journal. Please visit the website at www.imagesofprinceton.com. fusion bondings and try to include most integration systems. There are technical staff on hand to repair

Thanks Virg, Cheryln and Sara for sharing your story with Hair Journal International. Please visit their website at www.virghair.com.

Mike Baas is the owner of MGB Hair Designers Salon-Spa Inc in Grandeville, MI. He started his career as a barber, but quickly realized the profession was changing and began to focus on hair as a creative Mike Baas art. The turning point came when he attended his first hair show and came face to face with a world of creative opportunities. This was a time of change and experimentation in all

Mike started losing his hair in his 40’s and before long was supplying men like himself with hair pieces and attending hair replacement classes. As business grew, he began to focus more and more on men’s hair replacement. In the last 10-12 years however, he has incorporated women’s hair replacement into his business and today he is always standing by to help women undergoing chemotherapy or with other special needs.

Mike has 25 employees, including some part-time workers. All his employees are required to main-

Manicure Room

Cosultation Room

or customize any hair product. Riviera Custom Hair Replacement clientele is 65 percent male, 35 percent female. They offer program hair and medical prostheses. A key challenge is bringing young men to the salon. Currently, they are working on new

Styling Hallway

the arts and Mike wanted to be a part of it. The Beatles had a positive impact on his life and he attributes much of his success to their influence.

Reception Room

years since 1988 where she started in a hair replacement center in Connecitcut.

Their building includes two levels; downstairs there is a retail store which offers non-custom wigs and hairpieces. The upstairs salon measures 2000 square feet, with 7 service rooms, a consultation room, an office and a work room. There are 16 employees, including Jack and Dolores. The stylists and technicians are trained in all the methods of hair replacement and integration. Jack and Dolores manufacture their own extensions, perform snap-

Virg is very well known in the community. Virg participates in the Chamber of Commerce and other local activities and benefits from local referrals. He is a Transitions member and draws on the marketing materials they offer. He also participated in Virtual Reality Live and gained new clients. Virg has been successful with radio, billboards, TV and ads in specialty magazines for women.

in the day-to-day operations, with Cheryln handling the bookkeeping and financial responsibilities while Virg helps staff develop their technical skills and

Dolores and Jack McRobb

years ago. Jack, who wore hair himself, became involved with a men’s line and opened up a small retail store in 1965 where he sold men and women’s hair pieces. Shortly after, Jack started advertising and began to turn the business into a hair replacement center. Dolores has been in the industry for 20

Women’s Consultation Room

ices. For the men, Virg has found the Virtual Reality line to be very successful. Christoffels & Co. consists of 70 percent male and 30 percent female clientele. Sara is developing marketing strategies to bring in more female clientele into the salon.

Mediterranean Room

Dave heads the Princeton location. They have been able to attract a knowledgeable staff at both locations with 6 technicians at the Princeton location and 5 at Cherry Hill. The head technician/stylist has been with the company for 15 years. Both locations are about 1,500 square feet.

keeps them abreast of the latest techniques and products. Continuing education and attending industry events are an important part of their business.

Daughter, Sara Tims, is the marketing coordinator and has recently assumed part ownership of the company. It is expected that she will eventually take over the business. Sara also handles women’s consultations and technical training.

Christoffels & Co. offers all possible solutions for hair replacement, including non-surgical, hair replacement, hair loss prevention/hair treatment therapies, follicular hair transplantation and laser hair therapy. Virg tells me most of his female clients are taking advantage of the laser hair therapy treatment along with the nutraceuticals. The women at Christoffels & Co. see quicker results with laser therapy than the men clientele even though laser therapy is not as tangible as some of the other serv-

Waiting Reception Room Technician Service Room

marketing strategies for their e-commerce site and improving the website using web optimization.

They are targeting medical offices such as dermatologists and oncologists in their area. They are fortunate to receive a lot of business from client referrals and other hair salons. Thank you Jack and Dolores for sharing your story. Visit their website at www.rivierahairreplacement.com.

tain a strict set of standards set up by Mike who personally trains everyone to his exacting principals. MGB Hair Designers Salon-Spa Inc. is 3,500 square feet all on one level. There are different rooms to accommodate all the services his salon offers, including massages, manicures/pedicures, facials, hair coloring and cutting, and hair replacement. Mike’s clientele is 60 percent men, 40 percent women. When I spoke to Mike about the challenges he faces at the moment, he mentioned that a lot of the barbers in his area are offering hairpieces to their clients but they don’t have professional training on cutting hair replacement units. This reflects poorly on the hair industry. He also stated that some human hair units are too thick and cater to the older generation. He would like to see new designs that are better suited to today’s clients.

Mike’s offerings include OnRite and New Image human hair systems, Cyberhair and women’s wigs and hair additions. His clientele is 50 percent male and 50 percent female. His female clientele is on the increase.

In the Fall edition, please look forward to interviews from Daryl and Judy Grecian, Jackie Donovan, Dennis Pecorella and Daniel Brummel. If you haven’t been featured in the Journal, please let me know. I look forward to seeing many of you on the Cruising With The Stars event in October. Please call me with any questions at 951-571-3209 or e-mail me at hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com.

THE ULTIMATE

BUSINESS CONFERENCE

New Horizons...

New Profit Opportunities Limited space available - save your place and register today at: www.regonline.com/cruisingwiththestars Hair Society: hsimon@nationalhairjournal.com or call 1-951-571-3209 European Hair Imports: renemeier@earthlink.net or call 1-866-681-4247

22 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

The Fascinating Fickle Follicle

By James Britt We cut it, color it, curl it, straighten it, bleach it, perm it and burn it, and in many other ways abuse it, but do we really understand it?

Hair, and the basic process of cell communication, which causes our hair to grow and then self destruct, is one of the most complicated and fascinating biological systems in our bodies. “It’s also an excellent model for how cells throughout the body differentiate,” says Dr. Elaine V. Fuchs, a molecular geneticist at the University of Chicago. “If you can really understand the developing hair follicle and how it communicates with the matrix of cells around it, you can understand cell interactions throughout the body.”

If the hair follicle is fascinating, it is also frustrating. It generates hair in abundance in places where we want it the least, while completely disdaining those places where we desire it the most. It has a tendency to zig when we want it to zag, lay flat when we want it to “poof,” turn gray almost overnight and stand on end one day, only to be seduced by gravity the next. All in all, the average person has approximately 100,000 hair follicles on their head, most of which seem to remain in a constant state of rebellion. The problem is so much a part of our culture, that we’ve even ascribed a follicular term to those days on which we seem to be losing the battle to manage our hair.

To better understand the hair follicle, we must first understand the hair growth cycle and realize that at any given time, all 100,000 of our hairs are at a different stage of their programmed cycle. The active growing or anagen phase lasts 4 to 6 years,

after which, over a three-week period, the follicle begins to wither and is separated from its blood supply. This is the catagen phase. It is at this point that the hair follicle begins a 90 day “resting” period called the telogen phase, before it begins to renew itself; (the hair follicle is the only body part that degenerates and renews itself throughout life).

The regeneration process begins, as derma papilla cells at the base of the new follicle divide and begin to move upward to create a sheath inside the follicle. The sheath protects the follicular channel and shapes the new hair cells, which are compressed into a hair shaft of structural proteins known as keratins. These keratins harden as they migrate to the surface through the follicular channel, where they emerge at the surface of the scalp as a new hair. It is interesting to note that Caucasians, as a general rule, have oval shaped hair shafts, while Blacks have flat ribbon shaped shafts, and Asians have round tubular hair shafts.

On average, the new hair shafts, which are essentially dead tissue, grow at a rate of one half inch per month. Whatever the shape of their shafts, very few people seem to be happy with the hair that nature gave them.

People with straight hair want curly hair, people with curly hair want straight hair, and people with red hair want blonde hair.... and so on. Hmmm.. Maybe it’s not our follicles that are fickle after all.

James Britt is an industry leader with thirty years of hair restoration experience. He remains in the vanguard of hair restoration technologies and was one of the first hair loss centers to offer cosmetic and surgical hair solutions under the same roof and was a pioneer in the cosmetic application of laser hair therapy. Mr. Britt is a contributing editor to the National Hair Journal with a substantial body of work published on hair loss and emerging hair restoration technologies.

Recent articles include “Low Level Laser Therapy,” a journey into light, “Poison on Tap,” chlorine in the shampoo bowl, as well as a definitive series on the “History of Hair Restoration.”

What You Don’t See Could Kill You! All-Natural Hand Sanitizers Can Keep You Healthy Corte Madera, CA. 05/09 - Clean hands are the key to staying healthy at home or on the go. While you can't see germs they are there all around at work, home and in your daily environment. And these last few weeks, people have become aware of them like never before.

The worldwide swine flu outbreak has led to widespread sickness and even death in modern cities and rural communities alike.

Customer service businesses have seen their clients stay home and public gathering places have been asked to keep their doors closed.

In spite of this, the CDC continues to report additional cases and hospitalizations and other countries are still battling new swine flu infections.

In response to this outbreak, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4, which is a confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause "communitylevel" outbreaks. According to the CDC and the World Health Organization, there are simple everyday actions that people can take to minimize their risk of contamination: • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcoholbased hand cleaners are also effective.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Germs spread that way.

Sanitizing wipes and alcohol-based sanitizing gels and sprays are an excellent second line of defense. For alcohol-based hand sanitizers, both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend a minimum concentration of 60% alcohol; the concentration with the greatest germicidal efficacy.

One company, EO® Products, offers a full line of Hand Sanitizers that includes Wipes, Gels and Sprays all made with organic alcohol. They are specifically indicated for personal hand hygiene to prevent the spread of bacteria and are ideal for high traffic environments like hair salons. They are effective in removing impurities to provide antiseptic cleansing. All Hand Sanitizers meet and exceed FDA requirements and are the organic plant-based alternative to harsh chemicalladen hand sanitizers.

The Organic alcohol used in the sanitizing line is made from certified organic GMO-free sugar cane. All phases of the production process, including growing, harvesting, fermentation and distillation are conducted under strict organic guidelines. Farms providing raw materials follow strict organic cultivation standards set by independent third-party organizations: CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), Quality Assurance International, and Oregon Tilth. These long-established certifiers have stringent procedures that ensure compliance with their Organic Certifications of the feedstock used to produce our Organic Alcohol. EO® sanitizing spray solutions are certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). This allows these products to bear the USDA Organic Seal.

Although the company’s Sanitizing Gels and Wipes are not Certified Organic, they utilize the same certified Organic Ethanol as in the sanitizing sprays.

EO® is a Certified Organic Manufacturer of personal care products using the highest grade natural and certified organic ingredients. They are located in Marin County, California.

23 Hair Journal International Summer 2009

24 Hair Journal International Summer 2009