13^th – 19^th June is men’s mental health awareness month here in the UK. This is the perfect time to think about what we can be doing as an industry to help protect men’s mental health and ensure we move forward in a healthier, happier space. We caught up with some leading names in the hairdressing industry who are focusing on mental health and got their take on the men’s mental health week and what we can be doing. 

Simon Hill, Owner of SESH Hairdressing  

Men’s mental health awareness week is a great opportunity for us as an industry to look at what more we could be doing and to learn from each other, too. At SESH Hairdressing, we are always placing focus on mental wellbeing and work with our team to ensure they are cared for and mentally healthy. One of the biggest points to note when looking at men’s mental health is definitely communication and encouraging men to open up and talk about their feelings and emotions. Typically, men are more known for remaining quiet and avoiding discussing their mental health in comparison to females. In 2022, we need to remove this stereotype and there is definitely a shift in this, amongst our industry and wider culture in general.  

At SESH Hairdressing, we operate with complete open lines of communication. We believe this helps our team members come forward with any issues instead of allowing it to fester and potentially become more dangerous in terms of their mental health. Ensure that your team know they have your full support and they can access you on a one to one basis to discuss anything at anytime. Little things such as introducing things such as a quiet space for men to take a short break could help to ensure mental wellbeing.  

Brian Leo McCallum, Owner of ROAR Hair and Beauty  

Men’s mental health awareness week is definitely something to be highlighted and appreciated. However, at ROAR we believe gender is neutral. We are all human and we should all place awareness on our mental health at all times to ensure we are healthy inside too. One of our tips for everyone when it comes to mental health is to always ask your team, friends and family twice if they are okay. In Britain, we are known for asking ‘how are you’ and replying with a surface level answer to gloss over what may really be going on. By asking a second time, you give your loved ones the chance to open up and actually share what’s going on. Try to reduce the taboo around mental health with your team, let them know that as their employer you take mental health as seriously as physical health.  

Education is also key when it comes to mental health. I am currently working on an HNC Level 3 on mental health first aid. Knowledge is power so the more you know, the better!  

Jim Shaw, Owner of TONI&GUY Billericay and Award Winning Men’s Hairdresser 

Mental health is a topic we are starting to talk a lot more about and this is extremely important to help remove the stigma and to be able to help and support people and encourage them to get treatment for their mental health should they need it. 

Men in particular can find it harder to talk about their mental health and at TONI&GUY Billericay, where I have a men’s area in the salon, as well as a main salon area for our client’s, I felt it was instrumental to learn more about mental health to ensure myself and the team could chat openly to our clients in a safe place about any mental health struggles they may have and be equipped to support them and point them in the right direction of resources and further support should they need it. 

In the salon, we talk to a large number of clients daily and it’s crucial that we are prepared for difficult conversations should they arise and that we can make our clients feel comfortable and space in the salon environment.  

Not only is it important to be able to talk to your clients openly about mental health but also your team and this should be a top priority for salon owners. Always have an open-door policy where your team can come to you should they have any concerns or need any support and try to hold one-to-one regular team meetings with each of your team where you can have informal chats and monitor their mental wellbeing. 

Mental health training has become more widely available for salon owners and teams, particularly since the pandemic with us having a number of lockdowns where our mental health was impacted greatly. I decided to partake in the MHFA England Mental Health First Aider training to become a Mental Health First Aider in the salon and to help provide me with the skills and knowledge to help support my team and clients with their wellbeing, as well as my own too. The course taught in depth skills for providing first aid to people who may be experiencing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and psychosis and was incredibly insightful. As hairdressers, we want our clients to leave the salon looking and feeling amazing but knowing we have the skills and knowledge to take this one step further and be able to help and support clients who may have struggles and promote good wellbeing is so rewarding. 

Anil Salhan, Owner of BLACC + BLOND 

Mental health is something that is incredibly important to us at BLACC + BLOND and we take pride in creating change and awareness and we are constantly looking at ways we can do this. For example, during the first lockdown, we innovated and adapted our service to offer clients “Virtual Haircuts” to keep people looking and feeling good when they were not able to visit the salon. All proceedings from this service were donated to Birmingham Mind and CALM, two Mental Health Charities. 

We communicate with our clients that if they are suffering from poor mental health, to know that they are safe to discuss such matters when in our store. 

Making clients comfortable in expressing themselves is key for me. Especially now in a post pandemic world where humans don’t necessarily socialise or communicate with people as much. I believe it is a modern-day duty for stylists to incorporate higher levels of communication into their service, especially for men, as we’ve been programmed to bottle up our feelings.  

When creating our salon, I thought long and hard about how it could promote mindfulness and improve client’s mental health and wellbeing, and this is something salon owners can also be aware of, especially if they are starting up or looking to make changes to their space and the experience they provide to clients.  It can be daunting for clients to walk into a pretentious salon, or an intimidating barbershop and that experience is even worse if the client feels like they have been rushed.  Therefore, we created a space that doesn’t fit into a stereotyped image and where clients can simply be themselves.  

Traditionally male focussed shops or salons would be darker, moodier and quite intimidating. They would have a stags head on a wall and give off an image that if you didn’t have a big beard, drink whiskey and smoke cigars then you aren’t “a real man”. Similarly female salons would be draped in glitter, gold and diamonds and be quite pretentious. Instead, we decided to design our salon to coin the concept of “neutralism” and have abstract and natural aesthetic. We also incorporated the Japanese concept Wabi Sabi, which is about embracing natural tones, textures and ageing processes – to see the beauty in imperfections. 

To ensure clients don’t feel rushed we created a Slow Hair Space, whereby all clients are offered a minimum of an hour of our dedicated time. That hour not only gives us the time to get to know the client’s hair and make them look great, but to also get to know the client and build a long-lasting relationship. It allows us to take our time on our clients and focus on the quality of the service we are providing to them. 

We also offer an optimum cleansing experience within our space for our clients to fully indulge and relax. Nobody enjoys having their hair cleansed in full public view and our highly considered wash area provides the modern solution to “traditional” salon design flaws. It’s private, intimate and cosy.  

Aside from our calming and relaxing space, we have additional touches to further promote mindfulness and good wellbeing within the salon, this includes an aroma diffuser with essential oils, which helps clients to unwind and boosts their mood and a music sound system whereby we play a mix of everything including Somalian Jazz to French House and Hip Hop, as well as our very own BLACC + BLOND – House Party playlist, a feel-good summer playlist. 

The Fellowship’s Hair & Vision is coming to Glasgow, with an evening of inspiration guaranteed for hairdressers and barbers from across Scotland!

Hosted by Executive Board member, Colin McAndrew, and sponsored by Wella Professionals, the evening will feature a special up close and personal interview with British Hairdresser of the Year and Fellowship President, Robert Eaton, who will give a personal insight into his career and creative processes.  

Held in the cool surroundings of Drygate in the heart of the city, the evening will see a stellar line-up of hairdressers presenting their work around the theme of Blondes. Whether it’s commercial or creative, avant garde or something a little bit different, there will be plenty of tips and techniques for you to take back to the salon and boost your blonde business.  

Teams to present on the night are: 

Paul Paterson and Craig Parvin, Medusa 
Erin Marley, Rein & Co 
Sophie Laidlaw, Wonderland 
Brian McCallum, Roar 
Amy Christie, The Gym 
Simon Hill, Sesh Hairdressing 
Linton & Mac  

Colin McAndrew says: “It’s very special that the Fellowship has decided to relaunch its Hair & Vision event in Glasgow. It’s traditionally been one of the most exciting events in the hairdressing calendar and the Blondes night will see some of the best hairdressers from British hairdressing presenting on stage in this hairdressing spectacular. It’s definitely one not to miss!” 

Free to Fellowship members, tickets for non-members are £19.95 and are available from the website https://fellowshiphair.com/events/hair-vision-glasgow. 

Booksy, the leader in booking and business technology for the beauty industry, congratulates Ivan Zoot, its Brand Ambassador, on being honored with the Barber Lifetime Achievement Award at the Barber Grammy’s held at the Connecticut Barber Expo in May. 

In addition to working with Booksy, Zoot is President and CEO of Zootcuts, as well as a trainer, coach, mentor, and industry educator with 30+ years of experience. He is also the winner of three Guinness World haircutting records including World’s Fastest Haircut, Most Haircuts in One Hour, and Most Haircuts in 24 Hours. Zoot is also the author of 13 books including the “ClipperGuy Says” series, Be a $100,000 Haircutter and 100X100, 100 New Haircut Clients in 100 Days. Zoots has been an Ambassador for Boosky since 2016.  

“On behalf of the entire Booksy team, we congratulate and celebrate Ivan’s award and many accomplishments. He has been instrumental, through his passion and talent, in helping share our mission and educating savvy beauty pros about our App.  His skills as a barber, educator and leader allow him to engage with all levels of beauty professionals, and especially with the barber community. Well done and well-deserved on this award, Ivan!” commented Dee Hadley, Head of Marketing, Booksy.  

Book anytime, from anywhere, 24/7 with Booksy. Download the Booksy App for free, or visit Booksy.com.

The Fellowship for British Hairdress Project: Men team leader Simon Shaw took the team to his home of barbering, Wahl HQ for a day of education as well as a tour of the history of the brand from its inception to the current day.  

The team were joined by Fellowship Spotlight Award winner Yasmine Hassan from Joe and Co, who joined the team working on mannequin heads learning new techniques with clippers on all lengths of hair.  

Member George Smith said: “For the first time ever I did a full haircut with a set of clippers and I loved it! It really opened my eyes that there is so much you can do. To jump back into the traditional barbering techniques was really interesting and I just loved it! Best day of our mentoring year so far!” 

Janene Hawkins added: “The day kicked off with an amazing tour of the Wahl heritage, then onto the academy where a lesson on the maintenance of clippers was given. During the afternoon we completed two haircuts the Rocker and a low mushroom fade.  Mic Damiano was on hand to give us lots of help where required.” 

Roisin Murphy said: “I absolutely loved the day at Wahl headquarters. It was really great to see the history behind the brand. We started with some demos then we recreated the look straight after. Overall, the day was really insightful to learn about the brand and the barbering industry. I felt I’ve come away with new knowledge to using different clippers.” 

Yasemin Hassan who joined the team, commented: “Highlight for me was actually seeing the history of Wahl and the innovation. There were three parts to the training, I loved how hands on it was and creating looks with equipment I haven’t used before. One thing for me which I thought was incredible, especially because I love working with long hair, was using a Wahl Clippers to create a long hair look. I loved learning about the different equipment. Simon was great with the demonstration, and I loved creating the long hair look using clippers which is something I definitely want to experiment with a model at Joe and Co!!! It was fun learning new techniques to fading and brushing up on barbering essentials like clipper over comb and clipper over comb.  

PROJECT: MEN TEAM LEADER: Simon Shaw 

PROJECT: MEN TEAM MEMBERS: 
Alex Burt – Teddy Edwards Cutting Rooms   
Emma Simmons – Salon 54 
Sophie Fedoriw – Safy B’s 
George Smith – Toni&Guy 
Tammy Reynolds – Tammy Reynolds for Hair 
Leanne Jones – Leanne Jones Hair Studio 
Janene Hawkins Bush – Sir & Co Barbers 
Blayre Turnbull – Urban Hair & Beauty 
Scott Musgrove – Scott Musgrove Hair 
Ian Young – Pompadour 
Roisin Murphy – Hairven Salon Group 
Lucy Melvin – Diamond Appearance 

Learn from the Andis International team for inspiration and education to ‘CREATE YOUR WAY’ 

As a world-leading manufacturer of barbering and grooming tools, Andis’ recent global rebrand has not only repositioned the company across every aspect of its products, culture and value proposition to the industry, and professionals at every stage of their career, it has redefined expectations.  

Now, more than simply choosing Andis for its world-class tools, the company provides an unrivalled depth of resource spanning education, support and mentoring. From people entering the profession to the most seasoned professionals, Andis’ offering has been tailored to exceed the needs of every barber, backed with leading-edge tools and accessories. 

A key part of Andis’ offering is their global education team and training resources – most notably with the launch of their new virtual education website. Spearheaded by Global Education Manager Angie Perino, some of the industry’s most renowned professionals including International Artistic Team Lead Kevin Luchmun, North American Artistic Team Lead Kenny Duncan and UK Education Team Lead Baldy, are inspiring international barbers with virtual education, stage presentations, international show appearances, creative collections and cutting techniques using Andis tools. 

The Andis Creator Stage headlines at Barber Connect  

On 12-13 June, Andis takes this interaction to new levels as over 30 Andis educators, ambassadors and speakers descend on the Telford International Conference Centre and take to the main stage at Barber Connect. As one of the industry’s most inspirational gatherings of barbers from the UK and beyond, over 5,000 visitors can expect a never-seen-before ensemble of some of the world’s most creative barbering and men’s grooming talents.  

Get set for inspiration + education 

With nine segments being showcased over the 2-day event, the Andis team will present an eclectic mix of international trends and cutting techniques. From North American to Australian and UK Trends, to visual presentation of the latest Fluid Vol.3 collection and Andis Freestyle Design, visitors can expect to be immersed in an array of creative content on the Andis Creator Stage. Additional segments include Tom Chapman, founder of the Lions Barber Collective focussing on Mental Health Awareness and Mike Taylor Education talking barber training and apprenticeships.          

“We’re flying our amazing team of educators from all corners of the world to Telford to inform, inspire and educate barbers at Barber Connect,” says Angie Perino. “Never before has Andis brought together so many talented barbers together in one place for what’s sure to be a not-to-be-missed experience. We’re leading on education and creativity and, of course, we’ll be showcasing the very latest Andis tools that empower barbers to exceed their creative potential and forge their own creative identity in this amazing industry. We’re so thrilled to be there and can’t wait to see you all!”  

Experience Andis in action at Barber Connect at the Telford International Centre on 12-13 June. 

For show information visit https://barberconnect.co.uk    

For information on Andis, Andis education and Andis tools visit https://andis.com   

For the full schedule, see below: 

Develop your barbering ability, confidence, and knowledge at the Great British Barber Bash one day masterclasses, dates have been announced around the country.  

St Austell 19 June 
Jersey 11 July 
Belfast 17 July 
Glasgow 7 August 
Manchester 14 August 
Cambridge 21 August 
Dublin 4 September 
Cork 5 September 
Edinburgh 11 September 
Galway 18 September 
Aberdeen 2 October 
Limerick 23 October 

Demonstrations by the GBBB brilliant educators in the morning followed by hands-on models in the afternoon. Perfect for barbers and stylists who want to take their barbering to the next level. 

The one-day course is for barbers who want to improve their skill set in barbering. (Not suitable for beginners).  

You will see two demonstrations in the morning, and in the afternoon work on the model of your choice.  

The day will inspire and motivate, you will see the latest techniques both in cutting and styling. 
All full day attendees will receive a certificate of completion. 

For more details click HERE.

Booksy, the leader in booking and business technology for the beauty industry, is delighted to announce that renowned international hairstylist, influencer and educator, Philip Wolf has joined as Brand Ambassador.

For over 25 years, Wolf has built an incredible career in the beauty industry thanks to his unique style and unconventional flair. With over 750,000 followers on Instagram alone, this LA-based stylist is one of the most sought-after names in professional beauty. Wolff has a serious passion for cutting hair and helping other hair artists develop, design and define their own unique style. His enthusiasm for the work he does shines bright and inspires his followers from all over the world.  

To kick off his partnership with Booksy, Philip Wolf will be making his debut for Booksy at the Premiere Orlando Beauty Show, June 5-6^th. He will be featured on the mainstage with industry veteran, Alfredo Lewis, and showcasing his unique cuts while educating the crowd about Booksy. 

“We are delighted to have Philip Wolf join the Booksy team and help share our mission to the professional beauty community. His skills as a hair artist, educator and businessperson are exceptional and I know our community will benefit significantly with him on board! His ability to connect with people around the world through social media and through education will help propel our growth in the years to come!” commented Dee Hadley, Head of Marketing, Booksy. “With the help of Philip, Booksy plans to take education to the next level!” 

Book anytime, from anywhere, 24/7 with Booksy. Download the Booksy App for free, or visit Booksy.com 

The latest issue of BarberEVO North America is OUT NOW.

Get your copy here!

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK!

The latest issue of BarberEVO North America is OUT NOW!

Our front cover shot is an incredible shot from Kevin Luchmun’s collection for the Andis Fluid Vol. 3 – all part of the Andis educational program, check out the step-by-step online for to recreate the look.

We have exciting news from BaByliss as it launches the new FX Hair dryers and the new color poppin’ Influencer collection and we speak to each of the BaByliss influencers involved – it’s a cool set, have a look on pages 26-31.

We have a round-up of the industry-energizing CT Barber Expo, what went down, what was launched, as well as a great selection of shots from our Wahl-sponsored BarberEVO front cover photo booth.

PRIDE

First up we are celebrating Pride month, with a selection of amazing styles from the barbers that are leading the way in gender inclusivity, and we talk about the education available for hair professionals to ensure everyone feels comfortable when they visit a barbershop.

BARBERSHOP ELECTRICALS

Barbershop electricals – we are surrounded by them in the shop, so we take a dive into the best on the market, and regular columnists Rum Barber talk us through the best hairdryers for barbers. And we have a look at what other electrical devices are making the lives of barbers a little easier.

SHAVING

Another barbershop essential is shaving services. What was almost a lost art is now being touted as a barbershop experience and we talk to Proraso barber Michael Haar about his shaving ‘performance’ and the retail opportunities that shaving brings to his shop’s revenue, as well as looking at the client comfort aspect of the barbershop.

FRANCHISING

Franchising in the barbering world is expanding rapidly, and we talk to a few brands that have hit on a successful model. Hammer & Nails and Diesel barbershops talk about the benefits of being a franchisee with the backing of a successful brand.

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here. 

Build your network at the Sacramento Barbers Club Industry Mixer. Barbers, stylists, aestheticians, nail techs, braiders, make-up artists are invited to come party with the industry on June 4^th.  

It’s a free event, sponsored by The Lifestyle Barber and Beauty Supply so grab your party hat and head to Union Nightclub, 112 Pacific St, Roseville CA 95678. 

You can join the Sacramento Barbers club here.

For more details follow the club at @sacramentobarbersclub.

Eco warriors Easydry are celebrating an epic week of eco-friendliness! Sustainability has always been at the core of Easydry and this week marks several milestones in this eco mission. 

Carbon Footprint – 10 year anniversary! 

Almost 20 years ago, Easydry introduced the worlds first compostable, disposable towel product. Then ten years ago, Easydry first measured the carbon footprint of their product. This incredible milestone is definitely a cause for celebration! Easydry, at this time, also looked at the entire life-cycle of their patented disposable towels and measured the carbon footprint.  

Easydry’s published their 2011 Environmental Report which included a summary of an independent Life Cycle Analysis which was commissioned by Easydry to compare their eco-friendly, disposable towels with cotton ones. The report includes a comparison of water usage, carbon emissions, the use of toxic chemicals and the use of land (which would be suitable for crop cultivation).   

They then compared Easydry to cotton towels and have uncovered the following startling quotations and statistics: 

• Easydry fibre production uses 10 to 20 times less water than cotton production. Easydry uses approximately 319 litres of water to produce 1kg of fibre whereas 7,000 to 29,000 litres of water are needed to produce 1kg of cotton fibre 
• There is no scientific evidence to support the belief that cotton is ecologically superior to industrially produced cellulose fibres. 
• “Cotton has one of the greatest environmental impacts of all agricultural commodities during its processing” according to the WWF. 
• “Modern man-made cellulose fibres have a clear potential in reducing the environmental impacts over cotton and  petrochemical synthetic fibres” according to the University of Utrecht. 

Easydry is the first disposable towel company to have a full life-cycle measured Carbon Footprint! 

As founder and CEO, Anne Butterly explains: 

“When you look at the environmental research on Easydry disposable versus cotton towels, you can clearly see that Easydry is significantly kinder to the environment. It may sound contradictory but a single-use product, in this case, an Easydry disposable towel, has a lower carbon footprint, water, lower electricity usage and less environmental contamination than a reusable cotton towel. Cotton towels require frequent high temperature washes and drying cycles. This consumes huge quantities of water and electricity while releasing chemically contaminated water and microplastics into the environment. Easydry fibres are 100% biodegradable and compostable, whereas cotton towels are often mixed with synthetics and often end up in landfill sites where they take 1000’s of years to fully break down.” 

FSC Recertification Audit Passed  – 10 years of chain of custody certification! 

The second piece of good news for Easydry this week is that they have passed their FSC recertification audit and can now celebrate ten years of being FSC Certified! 

FSC Certification means that a company is manufacturing from ethically and sustainably managed forests. It also means that the company does not participate in illegal logging, child labour, forced labour or discrimination.  

The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, not for profit, non-government organization that was established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. 

Easydry has FSC (Forest Stewardship Certification) for their product and their entire supply chain. This means that every step of the process has been externally audited and certified. This is a complicated process and is very difficult to achieve. Easydry first achieved this elusive certification ten years ago and, passed their second re-certification audit this week.  

Founder and CEO, Anne Butterly explains: 

“I saw ten years ago that this coveted external certification was a great way to show that Easydry was focused on sustainability and human rights. This was then and still is a priority for us today! FSC Chain of Custody Certification means that an external body has audited our entire supply chain and has certified us to this standard. We are incredibly proud to have achieved this and retained it for ten years.” 

Easydry is the only disposable towel company to have their entire chain of custody certified to this standard. It is incredible to have achieved this, let alone to have held this for ten years! 

Industrial Compost, Home Compost and Seedling Certifications!  

Easydry towels have always been made with 100% certified composable fibres. However this was not enough for Easydry Founder and CEO Anne Butterly. She continued to push for even more! Easydry has now achieved an exclusive trio of external certificates from global experts TUV Austria to bolster their environmental credentials.  

Easydry has now proved that their products are suitable for Industrial Composting, Home Composting and they also achieved the Seedling certification.  

Butterly is particularly delighted to announce today that Easydry towels are now certified as suitable for the newest standard – Home Composting. This newly launched standard is certified by the esteemed TUV Austria – a global expert in certification to these and other standards. Butterly explains: 

“We have always sought external certification to prove our claims. We know it is crucial for consumers and businesses to trust the brands they buy from. We are so proud to have achieved this trio of certifications from TUV Austria – “Home Composting”, “Industrial Composting” and “Seedling”. 

Easydry is the only disposable towel company globally to be certified to these three standards: OK Compost Industrial, Seedling, OK Compost Home!