Nicola Colehan runs the Excel Hair Studio in Lidget Green, Bradford. She’s passionate about the health of her clients and raising standards in the industry. Over the last few months she’s been undertaking a survey of salons in her area on how often they skin-test before they apply colour – and it’s been a depressing […]
Christine Watts runs a luxury hair spa and hair loss clinic in the picturesque village of Biddenden in Kent. Her commitment to quality ensures she has an international clientele. The High Street in Biddenden has timber beamed cottages, a village green, church, pub and tea room. It’s also home to Wattz International, owned and run […]
The old Freelance Hair and Beauty Association (FHBA) went into liquidation last year. This left freelance professionals without a voice in the wider industry. Now the new Freelance Hairdressers’ Association (FHA) has been launched to fill the gap. The objectives of the FHA will be to maintain standards within the industry, promote training and personal […]
Being a freelancer means being your own boss, but it can also be tough out there on your own. Freelancers are the Cinderellas of the profession. They may be able to choose how, when and where they work, but they have no security, little support and less access to regular training and refresher sessions than […]
We’ve seen a rash of stories about allergic reactions recently. So hair and beauty professionals beware! If you use colour or tint – and nearly everyone does – make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions on testing for allergy first. And pass this important message on to your clients too. Actress Pauley Perrette from the […]
It can be a salon’s worst case scenario. You’ve coloured a client’s hair and they’ve come back to you showing a reaction on their scalp or face. If you’re alert and sufficiently knowledgeable to identify that the reaction is an allergic one, and not a temporary irritation, one of the most important pieces of advice […]
There may be optimistic signs for the economy but it’s still tough on the high street – as we find out at one salon in Kent. Anthea Mitchell and her stylist husband Philip run the Hair Professional salon in Maidstone in Kent. You’d naturally think they met through hairdressing. But no. They met in a […]
FE Colleges are reporting a significant trend. The percentage of male students applying is on the increase. Why? It seems the popular unshaven look means that barbering skills like beard and moustache trimming are in demand. The fashion for stencilling and patterns shaved into the hair is helping too. Colleges that offer these skills are […]
Charmaine Haughton is a highly experienced salon owner from South London. Not only is she a fully trained hairdresser, but Charmaine also has a PGCE teaching qualification and a Masters in Education. She divides her time between her salon and working part-time as a technical trainer for L’Oréal. Charmaine’s hair and beauty salon is called […]
Four thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians developed a home test for pregnancy. The woman’s urine was sprinkled onto bags of wheat and barley seeds. If the barley grew, the woman would have a boy, if the wheat grew it would be a girl. If neither sprouted, then the woman wasn’t pregnant. Amazingly, when scientists […]
