John Frieda along with some top salons in Boston, have launched HAIRraising, an organization that brings together the salon industry to raise money for Children’s Hospital Boston. HAIRraising plans to raise funds during the month of May and are looking for salons all over the country to participate.

Children’s Hospital is one of the best and biggest medical research hospitals in the world. However, due to the current economic climate, donations have slowed and that has impacted the works of Children’s Hospital Boston that rely heavily on charitable contributions.

John Frieda says, “We in the salon industry have a unique ability to lend a “helping hand” and make sure our children continue to receive the care they so desperately need. “ His initiative in the form of HAIRraising, plans to bring the salon community together to raise money for a critical cause, and a chance (for salons) to win prizes generously donated by icons of the hair industry.

Participating in HAIRraising is easy and will require very little of your time. If you are a salon owner, you need to register your salon today and during the month of May, ask your patrons to add $1 or more to their bill. You can then send in your donations by June 11, 2010 to make sure all the needy children continue to receive the care they so desperately need.

While raising funds, salons will also have the ability to win prizes and publicize their participation in HAIRraising. Some of the prizes include lunch with Frieda, helping Orlando Pita at a fashion show in New York, assisting Serge Normant on a celebrity shoot, tuition to a two-day seminar at the Arrojo Academy and an opportunity to work closely with Sally Hershberger, Danilo and Rita Hazan.

“This is your chance to join with some of the biggest names in the salon industry and across Massachusetts and save a child’s life in the process” says John Frieda. Register your salon for HAIRraising today and also encourage other salons in your area to register online.

To register your salon for HAIRraising, click here

Tabatha Coffey – you must have heard her name, specially after two inspiring and jaw-dropping seasons of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on BravoTV. If you are a professional stylist or salon owner or cosmetology student, you get a chance to pick her brain by entering a contest.

By entering the Matrix Mannequin Mania contest you have the opportunity to spend the day with Tabatha Coffey and win $25,000.

What is Matrix Mannequin Mania?

Matrix Mannequin Mania is an opportunity to express your creativity to its fullest. The Contest is a skill contest that invites the hairdresser community to create a complete makeover on a mannequin and enter it to win $25,000.

You may submit more than one mannequin as there’s no limit whatsoever. Another cool thing about this contest is that you can actually name your mannequin. Once your mannequin is ready, download this form and submit your entries via www.MatrixMannequinMania.com or by mail.

The Contest Entry Period will begin at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on April 1, 2010 and end at 11:59 PM ET on July 31, 2010. Please make sure that you go through the Contest Rules and Submission Guidelines before submitting your entry.

Matrix Mannequin Mania is open to all stylists, salon teams and students, which is great because you can enter individually and then use the same mannequin in a group collaborative effort. This contest provides an awesome opportunity to all salon owners to re-energize their staff and build teamwork.

To spend a day with Tabatha Coffey, you also have to impress the panel of judges. They include Mary Rector-Gable, Lotus Abrams, Managing Editor of American Salon, Karrie Fonte, Assistant Vice President, Matrix US Education, Jeryl Spear, Executive Editor, Beauty Launchpad and Maggie Mulhern, Beauty & Fashion Director of Modern Salon.

Matrix Mannequin Mania is super easy, fun and provides a lifetime chance to spend a day with Tabatha Coffey and win $25,000. To enter online, visit the Matrix Mannequin Mania site at: www.matrixmannequinmania.com

Bravo’s creative hair-styling competition series Shear Genius saw the elimination of another stylist in Episode 5. Amy Michleb from Toronto, Canada was eased off as she could not impress the judges during the elimination challenge.

Amy is a young and dynamic stylist who is actively involved in the hair industry. She was the youngest stylist on Shear Genius season 3 which has gone international for the first time. Her elimination means that the competition is over for the youngest competitor.

The elimination challenge on Episode 5 of Shear Genius 3 was that the women will be styled in 1940’s hairstyles of finger waves and pin curls. The guest judge was Robert Vetica, a Hollywood hairstylist.

The stylists were given a challenge in which their models had husbands who were all currently serving in the military overseas. Their hair had to be given a 1940s style so that the women looked beautiful when they filmed messages to their men.

Amy, April and Janine found themselves among the bottom three as judges gave their verdict. Amy struggled because her hairstyle was turning 1930’s depression era. The judges came down on Amy, telling her that it wasn’t a style, it was a set, and that led to her elimination from Shear Genius season 3.

Amy’s husband – Woody Michleb, an award winning stylist himself was featured on ScissorBoy’s cosmetology program. In that episode, he demonstrated new hairstyling trends for Fall/Winter 2009.

After Amy’s elimination from Shear Genius 3, there are seven stylists who will now compete for the ultimate prize of $100,000 and prove they are the best of the bunch.

Hair Tactics is an exhibition guest curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado. Jersey City Museum is currently presenting this unique hair exhibition which will be on view through August 22, 2010. The opening reception for Hair Tactics will take place tomorrow, i.e. on Friday, March 5, 2010.

Hair Tactics explores hair as subject matter and medium. Increasingly, artists have begun to use both real and synthetic human hair to create works of art. Some use synthetic hair because it is widely and inexpensively available in urban neighborhoods, others because it is laden with social and political meaning, and still others because they are exploring the human obsession with hair.

Texts written in hair, fancy hair motifs used to decorate a love letter, extravagant and multi-colored wigs, drawings featuring hair-covered bodies, and ladies with elaborate up-dos are all featured in Hair Tactics. The exhibition includes works in a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, prints, photographs, video, and installation.

Hair Tactics features over 30 visual artists who would be displaying their artworks. Some of the featured artists in the exhibition include Manuel Acevedo, Amina Ahmed, Elia Alba, Asha Ganpat, Melissa Calderón, Ursula Endlicher, Chitra Ganesh, Zachary Fabri, Carson Fox, Melody Boone, Irvin Morazán, Sa’dia Rehman, Roger Tucker III, Quintín Rivera-Toro, Jayoung Yoon, and more.

The opening reception for Hair Tactics as well as Jersey City Museum’s complete line-up of new Spring 2010 exhibitions will take place on Friday, March 5, 2010, 5-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Hair Tactics is highly inspiring and a must see exhibition for everyone associated with the hair industry. For more information, visit www.jerseycitymuseum.org

Allison Iraheta haircut is one of the most popular styles to flaunt these days. It is her hair color that makes it look more vibrant and playful than her actual style which is styled with professional hair shears.

Allison Iraheta who is famous for her smoky voice, electric fashion burgundy red hair color, edgy textures and creative fringes made her return to the “American Idol” stage yesterday. She was present for the show’s Top 24 result show on Thursday night, February 25. The teen rocker who finished fourth on season 8 delivered her first televised performance of from debut album “Just Like You”.

Allison Iraheta has a shaggy hairstyle that has lot of volume on the top of her head and bold bangs that are heavier on one side. Professional hair shears must be used to achieve Allison Iraheta’s hairstyle which stands out because of the vibrant red-violet color.

Allison is rocking a very new trendy haircut which is a medium cut with lots of layers, flip out ends, a side sweep bang, and lots of volume. To get a bold Red color like Allison Iraheta, you can choose either a permanent color or a semi-color.

To get that shaggy look start by applying mousse onto damp hair. With the help of a round brush, blow dry two-inch sections of hair. Make sure you apply upward tension at the root for achieving the lift and then turn the brush several times to roll the length under. Apply some pomade while slightly twisting thin pieces around your face.

If you want you can end up the job with the help of a finishing spray to achieve that Allison Iraheta haircut.

Image Credit: © Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com

Hair Salon Marketing is essential to have a successful salon business. However, it does not only mean advertising your salon through all the possible channels. Hair salon marketing can be done effectively even without spending a dime!

The basic reason for hair salon marketing is to attract clients. Every salon owner thinks of ways to get more clients and the possible ways through which they can spend more money at the salon. To achieve this objective many salon owners spend huge amount of money in advertising.

There’s nothing wrong in advertising your salon but it should be done so that it provides efficient returns. If you ask any salon owner, how they are able to attract and retain their clients, most of them would say that their USP is their service.

Its so obvious that if you are able to provide excellent service to your clients, you’ll win them for life. Also, not only will they be loyal to you but they’ll refer more people to your salon. There’s no better marketing strategy for hair salon marketing than word of mouth.

Providing the best service to your clients is an inclusive process. It starts from the moment your client enters your salon. Its very important that your receptionist greets them with a smile and makes them feel comfortable. Once they feel at ease in your salon, they’ll be more open to discussion and you can win them over by doing a consultation.

There are many more cost effective ways to successfully market your salon and services. Learn about them in detail by subscribing to Scissorboy’s online cosmetology program. The Cutting Edge Hair show is intended to give inspiration, motivation and advice to stylists/salon owners that are hungry for more.

Salons with big marketing budgets can afford advertising. If you have a small businesses with limited financial resources, make sure you learn the cost effective ways of salon marketing by subscribing to ScissorBoy. After all, hair salon marketing is not only about advertising.

Celebrity hair is often the most desired style that every salon has to entertain. Many of us like to sport a similar hairstyle that our favorite celebrity is flaunting.

To get that celebrity hair, some try to cut and style their hair at home. However, sometimes hair cutting at home can lead to messy hair and that’s why visiting a salon is a better option.

If you are one of those who failed to get a celebrity hairstyle at home, then you must be nervous about the messy state of your hair. But don’t worry, you can easily convert your current style (whatever it may be) to get Alexis Bledel hair bangs.

Hair bangs are used to fully or partially cover the forehead area of the face. People with a large forehead try to minimize it by getting Alexis Bledel hair bangs. There are various ways to add bangs to different hairstyles in order to create very beautiful looks for any occasion.

The Gilmore Girl star – Alexis Bledel uses bangs to change and create different celebrity hairstyles. The hair color of the gorgeous American actress/model is brown and it suits her face and enhances her beautiful eyes.

If your hair color is not brown and you are trying to copy Alexis Bledel’s hair bangs, then you should first think of coloring your hair. Almost any shade in the brown category will do, but make sure it suits your face.

After coloring your hair, now you need to allow your bangs to make a bold statement. To do that, pull the length back and secure into place with hair pins. Then piece your bangs by applying a small amount of pomade on your fingertips.

You are now ready to flaunt your celebrity hairstyle inspired by Alexis Bledel hair bangs!

Image Credit: © Grayson Alexander / Retna © Retna Ltd

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall ‘10 recently concluded at the New York City. The semi-annual event is one of the four major fashion weeks held in New York City. The event was held during February 11 – February 18, 2010.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall ’10 included some of the best stylists from the industry who demonstrated their creative skills. The event was fun as it marked an occasion for everyone involved in the hair and beauty industry to meet and share their expertise.

Here are some unique styles that were evident at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall ’10:

Odile Gilbert’s Blondie-inspired rock ‘n’ roll hair

Sophie Théallet works on a country-girl-becomes-a-princess theme

A swept-up, amazing moment in hair at the Christian Siriano show

Stunning J. Mendel presentation

A Brigitte Bardot-inspired, half-up hairstyle that mixed a partial French twist with soft, loose strands.

Hair loss is something most women never think about, but for a huge number of men it can be a massive and upsetting problem. Generally, nearly half of men experience noticeable hair loss by the age of 35, while others feel affected by their 60s. However, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) promises hope for men to tackle hair loss.

It’s a terrible feeling for men who go bald in their thirties. The celebrities are so driven to hide their baldness that they too opt for various hair weaving procedures. Remember, how Hollywood royalty John Travolta threaded a weave through his remaining locks!

Follicular Unit Extraction is one of the two primary methods of hair-transplantation. In this procedure, hair transplantation surgeons take excess hair from the back of the head and implant it in balding and thinning areas on the top or front of the head. FUE enables one to harvest finer hair from the nape of the neck to be used at the hairline or for eyebrows

The biggest advantage of Follicular Unit Extraction is that men will only need to go through the process once or twice in their lives because once the follicle is in place it will continue to grow naturally. FUE does not leave a linear scar and hence it is used for patients who want to wear their hair very short.

Men who suffer from excessive hair loss usually opt for some medications and drugs. Some also prefer to wear wigs and those who don’t consider losing their hair as an embarrassment prefer to sport their natural hair.

However, Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE hair transplantation is fantastic because it removes the problems with wigs and plugs. Also, there are no scars, there’s no pain and it looks natural.

Image Credit: http://www.mirror.co.uk

Shear Genius Season 3 premiered yesterday and saw one of the twelve stylists get eliminated. Joey Scandizzo, a stylist from Melbourne, Australia had to say goodbye on the very first episode of Shear Genius after he lost out to other stylists during the elimination challenge.

Shear Genius returned to Bravo for its third season and looked fresh and exciting. The changes were apparent from the start, with a new host – Camila Alves, new judges, and of course, new contestants. The fact that the show has gone international and picked up cutting edge stylists from every part of the world make it more fierce and challenging.

In the premier episode of Shear Genius 3, host Camila Alves greeted the 12 stylists who had gathered at Los Angeles and introduced them to new judge Jonathan Antin, and their mentor Orlando Pita. The guest judge was Monica Wise, creator and designer for LSpace Swimwear.

The challenges are just like the previous seasons, with two per episode, a Short Cut and an Elimination challenge. The elimination challenge for the premier episode of season 3 required the stylists to come up with a hairstyle that could go with swimwear.

The stylists had to make sure that their styles covered the top body portion of the models as they were supposed to wear only their bottoms. This challenge was a bit tough since none of these models had enough hair to completely cover themselves and that made the elimination challenge very fierce.

Joey Scandizzo’s style appeared disconnected as compared to that of other stylists and hence he was eliminated. Joey is a popular stylist from Australia who has made a name for himself by directing hair for the Perth Fashion Festival, styling hair for “Precinct and Cream.”

He was recently honoured as one of four finalists at this years’ prestigious Hair Expo Australian Hairdresser of the Year Awards. Joey is currently the artistic director and part owner of Rokk Ebony salon and has won accolades at several cutting competitions including Hair Expo, Wella Trend Visions and Star Search Collections.

With Joey Scandizzo eliminated, there are eleven stylists who will fight for the ultimate prize of $100,000. Stay tuned to all the updates from Shear Genius Season 3 by following Bravo’s website.