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TRAUMA-DUMPING IS REAL AND HERE’S HOW TO COPE

TRAUMA-DUMPING IS REAL AND HERE’S HOW TO COPE

Mar 1, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS

CATEGORIES > INFORM

LEARN TO THINK DIFFERENTLY

Feeling overwhelmed? A new book will help you reconnect with life – and it’s been written with neurodiversity in mind.

How to love and be loved book cover
‘How to Love and Be Loved – Tiny steps to connecting with love and life’ book cover
How to love and be loved book illustration
Ink drawing illustrations of Indigo Violet by Mikyla Limpkin
When it comes to offloading emotional distress, hairdressers are out there on the frontline, listening to the stories, dispatching compassion, sharing love and all for the price of a cut and blow-dry. Customer conversations can be emotionally exhausting and sometimes so painful that they leave you lost for words in the moment and stuck with sadness long after the customer has left your chair. Where do you park this pain? How do you stay afloat? Who nurtures your needs?  

A new book, ‘How to Love and Be Loved’ is a step by step guide to re-connecting with life and rediscovering a love for life. “I have met so many people struggling with feelings of overwhelm and isolation,” says its author Mikyla Limpkin.” I want to help make their lives better. My lived experience led me to research so much that could help people, that I had to find a way to share the knowledge.”  

‘How to Love and Be Loved’ was designed with neurodiversity in mind and follows guidelines from the British Dyslexia Association in its layout, font and page colour. Short chapters and sub-chapters make reading easier for anyone with concentration issues, whether as a result of ADHD, stress or depression, and the key messages are illustrated to help visual learners alongside lots of opportunities for hands-on learning. With an estimated 55 per cent of hairdressers having either been diagnosed with, or related to, a neurodiversity such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD, ‘How to Love and Be Loved’ is particularly relevant within our industry. 

“I designed a book that is easy to read and could be scribbled in, where you could join a voyage of wellbeing, see the science behind various techniques, test them yourself and record what works for you,” says Mikyla.

Mikyla was determined to make the book beautiful and uplifting, which is where Indigo Violet came in. “She’s a character I drew in ink, who turned out to be quite cheeky and fun to be around.”

Every chapter begins with a drawing to illustrate the topic, often with a splash of humour. “Drawing Indigo Violet is quite entertaining for me – she’s a character who likes to live life to the full. If I’m ever feeling down, I think ‘now what would Indigo do?’ And I see her in my mind’s eye, leaping for joy, or getting some sky on her head, or getting into her body. I follow her lead and feel much better.” 
‘How to Love and Be Loved – Tiny steps to connecting with love and life’ is published by The Company of Smiles Ltd, RRP £12.99. Available from all good bookshops and online at Amazon.

How to love and be loved book illustration

Ink drawing illustrations of Indigo Violet by Mikyla Limpkin

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SUPERLATIVE SUPERNOVAPRO

SUPERLATIVE SUPERNOVAPRO

Mar 1, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS, INFORM

CATEGORIES > INFORM

SUPERLATIVE SUPERNOVAPRO

Promotion – Supernova PRO

Hair straightener, curling tong and wave wand – all in one tool. The new SupernovaPRO is a game-changer. 

Supernova PRO tools

The SupernovaPRO is a world’s first – a heated styler incorporating a fully functioning straightening iron, curling tong and wave wand in one ultra-sleek hair tool, no attachments required. Use it to create defined waves, bouncy curls and straight hair, all while softening, smoothing and hydrating the hair. Honestly, it’s a game-changer. Let us talk you through it.

Retailing at £299, SupernovaPRO is exclusive to salons across the UK and Ireland. To become a stockist or purchase at the wholesale price of £199 plus VAT, visit supernovahairtools.com/pages/creativehead

Backstage at Fashion East A/W24

Firstly, this tool is professional standard (it was the tool of choice for the team at Fashion East A/W24), with a 9ft swivel cord and featuring a nifty patent-pending DoublePivot™ system that relieves pressure on the median nerve, reducing your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (how cool is that?). Heat-up time is just 30 seconds, with variable heat modes of 165C, 185C and 205C, and it’s compact, lightweight and has universal voltage – your ultimate travel companion!

Now to the performance part. The straightening iron evenly maintains your chosen styling temperature from root to tip, with contoured, floating plates that allow for quick and snag-free styling on all hair types and lengths. The ceramic plates are infused with proprietary Trionic™ technology that restores and strengthens the protein structure of the hair, locking in moisture, adding shine and boosting elasticity.

The curling tong creates fast-forming, dramatic curls that stay locked in, with a unique tapered design that offers styling from 36mm width to 26mm width. Innovative safety features include a protective cool tip to hold the hair in place while you curl and a built-in safety stand so you can put the tong down safely during styling.

The wave wand helps you create modern, tousled waves, with a unique tapered design that means you can style all hair types. No wonder celebrity stylist Alex Foden calls it the “Tesla of hair tools”. 

Retailing at £299, SupernovaPRO is exclusive to salons across the UK and Ireland. To become a stockist or purchase at the wholesale price of £199 plus VAT, visit supernovahairtools.com/pages/creativehead

Yolanda Cooper

Yolanda Cooper

The SupernovaPRO is the brainchild of Yolanda Cooper, whose Conscious Beauty Group is committed to sustainable, clean, conscious beauty. In the Supernova PRO this translates to an automatic safety cut-off after 45 minutes to conserve energy, while the patented SmartSwitch™ technology only switches on the heaters you need for styling – inner for straightening or outer for curls and waves. All external packaging has been uniquely designed in non-plastic alternatives and the brand also offers a recycling programme for end-of-life hair tools.

The SupernovaPRO is revolutionary. How could you have lived without it?

Retailing at £299, SupernovaPRO is exclusive to salons across the UK and Ireland. To become a stockist or purchase at the wholesale price of £199 plus VAT, visit supernovahairtools.com/pages/creativehead

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L’ORÉAL COLOUR TROPHY OPEN FOR 2024

L’ORÉAL COLOUR TROPHY OPEN FOR 2024

Mar 1, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS

CATEGORIES > INFORM

L’ORÉAL COLOUR TROPHY OPEN FOR 2024

From Future Talent to Moving Image, the iconic competition is now open for entries in both the UK and Ireland.

2023 Irish winners

2023 UK winners

The legendary L’Oréal Colour Trophy has opened entries for its 2024 competition, welcoming all hair pros in the UK and Ireland to take part. 

With six categories in the UK and four in Ireland, the competition shares a platform with professional colourists to showcase their artistry, shining a spotlight on creative colour with a firm eye on future trends and commercial looks. 

Now in its 68th year, the L’Oréal Colour Trophy’s mission is to uncover talent from all corners of the UK and Ireland. Entrants across all categories are invited to create a colour look on any model, of any gender or any gender identity of any hair type. The deadline for entries is 19 April. 

Alongside the original Colour Trophy category in both the UK and Ireland, there is the STAR Award, and also the Future Talent Award, for younger colourists to make their mark.  

Unveiled last year, the Moving Image Award returns to both the UK and Ireland to celebrate colourists excelling on social media. Entrants are asked to create a reel on Instagram or TikTok between 30-60 seconds of a finished hair look that illustrates real skill and delivers impact. 

In addition, UK entrants can also compete in the Afro Award, specialising in a hair type texture between 3C and 4C, in addition to the Colour Specialist Award, aimed at those stylists who have completed the Colour Specialist education programme with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris. 

In 2023, Sheffield’s Scullion and Scot won the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final in the UK, while Zeba Hairdressing scooped the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Ireland title. 

For more details on all the categories, visit lorealcolourtrophy.com or lorealcolourtrophy.ie. 

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NEW VISIONARIES TEAM ANNOUNCED BY REVLON PROFESSIONAL

NEW VISIONARIES TEAM ANNOUNCED BY REVLON PROFESSIONAL

Feb 28, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS

CATEGORIES > INFORM

REVLON PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCE ITS VISIONARIES TEAM 2024

The names were revealed following an intense final. 

Finalists for the programme gathered at the Westrow Academy to compete for a place on this year’s team. A year-long mentorship programme, directed by Revlon’s global ambassador, Mark Leeson, gives aspiring stylists the chance to supercharge their skill set. Opportunities include photo shoots, shows and demonstrations, as well as the chance to attend colour and cutting courses and social media workshops.

Judges Richard Darby from Mark Leeson, Emma Simmons from Salon 54, Steven Smart from Smart:EST 73 and Marney Lian from Gritt watched on as 18 finalists demonstrated their cutting and colouring skills in two heats. The day’s challenge was to recreate the photographic looks the finalists had submitted as part of their entry on the competition floor.

The Visionaries Team for 2024 is…

  • Sophie Cookson: Gray’s Salon, Leeds
  • Taylor Borthwick: Myka, Bathgate
  • Stephanie Dwyer: Teresa Weller Hair Art, Dorking
  • Hollie Varney: Salon Couture, Chatham

Commenting on the quality of the finalists, Mark Leeson said: “This was an awe-inspiring group of individuals. Calm under pressure but impressively creative, they came up with some seriously promising work. Being part of the Visionaries is an unmissable chance to push outside your comfort zone and experience things you’d never have believed were possible. I’m fired up for the year ahead. Our previous finalists have all gone on to flourish so let’s see what 2024 has in store for our next talented quartet.”

For their first assignment, the four Visionaries will be treated to a two-day colour and cutting course at the Revlon Academy in Leeds. “The Visionaries programme offers opportunities like no other. We have an incredible year lined up, all geared around giving this skilled team the tools, knowledge amd confidence to elevate their careers,” says Matt Horder, general manager of Revlon Professional UK & Ireland. “We’re excited to see this year’s lucky four absolutely shine!”

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DYSON UNVEILS ITS NEW PRO-EXCLUSIVE DRYER

DYSON UNVEILS ITS NEW PRO-EXCLUSIVE DRYER

Feb 27, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS

CATEGORIES > INFORM

DYSON UNVEILS ITS NEW PRO-EXCLUSIVE DRYER

The Supersonic r Professional hairdryer is smaller and lighter with no heat damage. 

Dyson has unveiled an innovative hair dryer exclusively for stylists at New York Fashion Week that’s smaller and lighter, with new technology to avoid heat damage to hair.
The Dyson Supersonic r Professional hair dryer comes with a variety of attachments that include intelligent Radio Frequency Identification sensors. These communicate with the dryer, automatically adjusting the motor and heater to deliver the ideal airflow and temperature for each one. If a stylist alters any of the settings on an individual attachment from one client to the next, the sensors will also remember the last settings used. The new dryer is 30 per cent smaller and 20 per cent lighter, and more manoeuvrable to deliver fast drying, alongside smoother, frizz free and shinier results on hair.
It will be used across the four main Fashion Week cities during the A/W 2024 season, starting with Christian Siriano and Prabal Gurung in New York. The reveal follows ongoing surveys and interviews with nearly 700 stylists since 2017. Through these, Dyson identified challenges hair pros were facing, and was keen to provide a tool that responds to “real world demands” while still delivering on styling experience and results. Its research found that a stylist will typically see between 4-16 clients each day, spending on average 30 – 60 minutes styling per client, adapting their angle up to 30 times during one styling session. It pointed to the prevalence of strain related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome among stylists as a result.

At a glance: Dyson Supersonic r professional hair dryer

It has a new ergonomic design
The Dyson Supersonic r has been designed ergonomically in an ‘r’ curve and, at 325g, weighs less than a can of hairspray. The shape allows stylists to reach where it’s normally difficult, for better control when styling hair, and for better comfort while doing so.

There’s more even heat thanks to new heaters
The new curved heater ensures the dryer heats the airflow more evenly, with no hotspots. For stylists, this means you can rely on more even temperatures (including when using the attachments), a higher temperature for faster drying and styling, with no heat damage. The dryer checks the temperature constantly using Dyson’s intelligent heat control – seen in its other hair tools, too – measuring air temperature more than 20 times a second.

The attachments have sensors… and they’ll remember how you used them
There’s a range of attachments that have integrated Radio Frequency Identification sensors, which communicate with the dryer, automatically adjusting the motor and the heater to deliver what Dyson engineers have set as the ‘optimal’ airflow and temperature. For example, the diffuser is set to low flow and low temperature to reduce frizz and enhance curls without disrupting the curl pattern. In contrast, the rough dry mode uses maximum power heat and flow to minimise drying time but while keeping the airflow controlled. However, stylists can adjust these settings depending on the hair type and style of each client, and the dryer will remember that setting the next time the attachment is added.

Its filter can go longer between cleans
The 3D mesh filter at the bottom of the dryer, designed to capture salon pollutants such as hair and styling sprays, now lasts up to two times longer in-between cleans.

Stylists can join a waitlist here for the new pro-exclusive dryer. 

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NEW GUIDELINES REVEALED FOR ALLERGY TESTING

NEW GUIDELINES REVEALED FOR ALLERGY TESTING

Feb 27, 2024 | INDUSTRY NEWS

CATEGORIES > INFORM

NEW GUIDELINES REVEALED FOR ALLERGY TESTING

Collaboration of industry bodies unveils new testing protocols for professional colour in the UK.

A new allergy testing protocol for professional hair colour has been unveiled through a collaboration of industry bodies. 

Associations including the National Hair and Beauty Federation and Hair & Barber Council have blended the changes announced by Cosmetics Europe last year with existing industry best practices. The new guidelines offer a clear benchmark for hair professionals, insurers and hair colour brands to meet to promote the safe use of professional hair colour services in the UK. 

Posting professional colour to a client’s home for them to test at home is not recommended under the new protocol, as this goes against industry best practice and may invalidate insurance cover.

The new protocol recognises three systems for professional allergy alert testing:

1. The Allergy Alert Test (AAT)
Instructions designed by manufacturers and printed on packaging and instructions for use.

2. Protocols designed for professional use only and conducted by a hair professional*
Hair colour brand protocols are applicable to their own products only, whereas some hair industry, trade organisations’ and insurers’ protocols can be used with any hair colour brand.

3. Universal allergy screening tests licenced as medicines for consumers to use at home to screen for the most common hair colour allergen (PPD)
These products are available to buy online or via approved stockists and may only need to be used once.  

“Having three options that have been thoroughly researched and examined by our industry leaders makes it simpler to understand and easier for us to communicate to the public,” says Gareth Penn, registrar at the Hair & Barber Council.

“Allergy alert tests are vital to protect clients and guard against potentially expensive legal action if something goes wrong. This is a huge step in the right direction,” added Caroline Larissey, chief executive at the National Hair & Beauty Federation. “These collaborative guidelines will help raise standards and also support clients make an informed choice.”

The industry bodies working together are Good Salon Guide, Salon Employers Association, the Barber Council, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, the Freelance Hairdressers’ Association, the Hair Council, the Men’s Hairdressing Federation and the National Hair & Beauty Federation.

* Precise protocols differ and it is the responsibility of hair professionals to check cover with their own insurance provider.