Hair That’s Never Touched Scissors

Some people get cars for their graduation, or computers, maybe money. One teen in Canada decided to cut her hair – for the first time ever.

The graduate, Jennifer Greenland, thought it would be a good thing to do to mark the occasion and when Joanne Tetlichi, a custodian at the school heard of Jennifer’s plan, she decided she would cut her long hair as well. Add to that list, Kyla Ross – a worker at the school – who made the decision to cut her hair as well.

The women did some searching and decided they would donate their hair to a group in Alberta that makes wigs for cancer patients.

The wig makers require at least 10 inches of hair to make a wig. The three women each donated between one and two feet of hair.

The group even got to have their hair cut on the stage after the graduation ceremony – and several people walked around the room with buckets asking for donations towards cancer research.

You can read more about this somewhat unusual donation here.

Shoot at Atelier Emmanuel

We were at SF hair salon hot spot, Atelier Emmanuel, this week to shoot some of owner Emmanuel’s amazing haircutting techniques. The spot itself was amazing – in a highrise near Union Square – and the salon was immaculately laid out and very creatively decorated.

Of course, Emmanuel had some great tips for cutting a basic style – he gave pointers on thinning techniques, layering and more. Here are some pics to give you a taste – including the finished product. But you’ll have to wait till we release the full video to see his step-by-step guide!

Hairdresser Refuses to Show Hair, Sues, and Wins

A Muslim woman in London has won a £4,000 lawsuit against a hair salon who wouldn’t hire her because she wouldn’t remove her head scarf.

Bushra Noah accused Sarah Desrosiers, the salon owner, of religious discrimination after failing to land a job at an interview in May last year. The salon owner said she was simply shocked that someone who didn’t believe in showing their own hair would be in the hair business.

Desroseirs told Noah she needed stylists to showcase alternative hairstyles. The panel found Mrs Noah of Acton had been badly upset by the interview and awarded her £4,000 damages for “injury to feelings”.

To read more about the case, go here.

Balding be Gone?!

When it comes to the male anti-aging market, the latest trend is toward hair restoration laser therapy. it sounds like something from the space age, and the apparatus is definitely very “Meet the Jetsons.”

A low-level laser therapy (LLLT) unit aims to restore and strengthen thinning hair silently beams red light while hovering overhead. And, at $3000 for a three month treatment, those who are utilizing the LLT in salons are hoping it’s working. One Toronto salon owner, Tony Chaar, thinks it is, and says he’s seen demand rise.

“I’ve had this for five months and haven’t advertised it,” says Chaar. “The treatment has spread through word of mouth. I have clients ranging from their early 30s to 60 years old. They are all men but there are two ladies in their 50s with thinning hair who are also interested in trying it.”

Dr. Martin Unger, a Toronto plastic surgeon – who acts as a consultant to the treatment given at Tony Chaar Salon – cites a clinical study he supervised that found that the laser therapy resulted in 86 per cent of patients regrowing hair, while another 11 per cent stopped losing hair.

To read more about LLT, its benefits and possible side effects, click here.

From Zohan to Grease: A Tale of Hair

As we mentioned, Adam Sandler’s hair-related flick opened Friday, June 6th, adding this movie to a list of others that feature the hair care profession.

In Grease, for example, Frenchy laments over the downturn her beauty career has taken in the song, “Beauty-school dropout” – eventually inspiring the character to just go back to high school.

This setting is in contrast to the serious look at Afghan women and the hope brought to them by American women hairdressers in Liz Mermin’s documentary Beauty Academy of Kabul (2004). In the film, a group of NYC hair stylists show up in post-Taliban territory and manage to infuse their students with both humor and serious inspiration.

Add to this list UK comedities like An Everlasting Piece, Blow Dry and The Big Tease. The list goes on and on – to see more hair-related movies, check out the article.

Montreal: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?

A city that was once host to a number of classic, “old fashioned” barber shops is the hair-cutting equivalent of a ghost town. At least that’s the observation of one Montreal reporter who says that the city was once a “haircut heaven,” playing host to nearly 800 barber shops.

Since then, one out of every three barbers packed up their tools and left the city or the business altogether.

Read more about the rise and fall of vintage barber shops in Montreal.

New Zealand Mayor Isn’t Afraid to go Under the Needle

A mayor in New Zealand is holding onto the title of “Sexiest Mayor” after undergoing an extreme makeover – but it’s not all frivolity. The makeover was part of a benefit to support the charity, Look and Feel Better, and was put on by a salon.

From botox to eyebrow plucking Tim Shadbolt has had it all, but he said the benefits for his appearance remained unclear

The two-week treatment gave him a new appreciation of what women went through, sometimes on a day-to-day basis.

The mayor also had laser treatment, acid-based skin care treatment, and was sporting a new hair style.

He was revealed as the “mystery guest” to a crowd that gathered at the event, and auctioned off idems donated by local businesses, with proceeds going to the charity.

The mayor – along with four women – underwent an eight-week makeover, which ended when the public voted to pick a winner.

To read more about the contest and find out who won, click here.

Gimme Hair!

Although it’s a bit of a break from what we normally discuss on this blog, we thought it merited a mention: The musical “Hair” is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of its opening on Broadway.

Mark Danni was the percussionist on the 25th anniversary tour of the production and directs the current revival. “This play started my fascination with the late 60s. It spawned me to study the era-the summer of love, the Vietnam War. Everyone who was promoting peace was being shot.” He goes on to say, “1968 was an incredible year, so monumental in so many ways. That one year defined an entire generation.”

The play is known for showcasing the events of that era that rocked the world- the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy assassinations, the anti-war movement, Black Power, the Tet offensive, the generation gap, the birth of the women’s movement, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.

To read more about the 40th anniversary celebration, go here.

Danielle Steel’s Daughter Graces Shu Uemura’s Gala

Shu Uemura in San Francisco teamed up with Oxenrose Salon to celebrate the launch of the makeup brand’s “Art of Hair” collection.

That wasn’t all that was happening at the event – participants got to enjoy sushi, kamikazes, free false eyelashes at the Tokyo Lash Bar, and the opportunity to win a free treatment!

Attendees included Zara Traina, daughter of novelist Danielle Steel, and other fashion-conscious urbanites.

A Day of Reposturing

ScissorBoy was in Burlingame this weekend, shooting the first episode for our new online education site, TheCuttingEdgeHairshow.com.

Our first guest was Aaron Parnell, of Reposturing Dynamics. His company teaches people how to achieve better health, wellness and success through correct posture and healthy living. This things are especially important to stylists who are on their feet all day, using their arms and hands, and whose posture can easily erode causing discomfort, pain and even lost income. Aaron said he had one stylist he treated who was having to cut down the number of appointments they took each day due to wrist pain. This person was able to re-align their posture, and begin seeing more clients – which means, more money!

Special thanks as well to the salon that so graciously let us shoot while they were open for business. Trio Salon in Burlingame was a great host – special thanks for being the first salon to be a part of

The Cutting Edge Hair Show!

You’ll be able to catch episodes on the site starting in July. Stay tuned for launch updates and special promotions!