If ever there was a health and safety warning to take heed of, it’s this! A Boston area barber is lucky to be alive after he fell onto the scissors he was holding at work.

The freak accident happened on February 12. Surveillance footage provided by Boston Barber Co. shows Steve Silva slip and fall onto the scissors he was holding and accidentally stab himself in the chest. The image shown here is Steve, seconds before his fall.

According to Boston Barber Co. owner Rob Dello Russo, Silva required open heart surgery and is currently in the ICU, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

“The entire Boston Barber Co. is grateful for the fast actions of emergency responders,” Russo wrote in an email to Boston 25 News. “Steve’s doctors have told him he was extremely lucky he was able to get to hospital as fast as he did, or it could have had a different outcome.”

Russo added that Silva had just returned to work after being laid-off for portions of the last year due to the pandemic.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for Silva to cover medical expenses and his time off of work. So far, more than $17,000 has been raised.

After opening up to social media about her hair disaster, Teresa Brown’s story went viral, leading to over $21,000 raised to help.

After running out of her usual styling spray, Brown used the strong spray adhesive, Gorilla Glue, on her hair. In her video, Brown showed the world how her hair stuck permanently to her scalp, “I have washed it fifteen times and it don’t move!”

After a month of trying to extricate the glue using coconut oil and tea tree oil, Brown still was having no luck washing the product out.

After putting up the video, Brown set up a GoFundMe page with the target of $1,500, to help pay for the inevitable hospital bills. However, due to her unlikely internet fame, viewers sympathy of Brown led to surpass her target by $20,000.

Additionally, LA doctor Michael Obeng carried out treatment to fix her ordeal, which would have cost $12,500, for free.

To sort out the damage done by the glue, Dr. Obeng placed Brown under light-anaesthesia for the four-hour procedure. After figuring out the compound in the glue, Obeng used a combination of medical grade adhesive remover, aloe vera, olive oil and acetone to break down the compound. He also experimented with real human hair on a model, before working on Brown’s hair.

Gorilla Glue have issued a statement saying: “We strongly discourage misuse of our products. Please consult all packaging labels for proper use.”

Let’s hope Brown’s ordeal is a lesson for future, for anyone who has run out of their usual styling products.

The NHBF, have released the following statement updating members on the latest ruling by the Supreme Court on insurance claims.

“On 15 January 2021, The Supreme Court ruled that policy holders with certain types of insurance policy can make a business interruption claim due to the pandemic. It has told insurers to pay out in these cases as soon as possible.

However, we were very disappointed to hear that Salonsure policy holders were told this decision did not apply to them, and they would not receive any payments under the ruling.  

We asked our lawyers to check this, but unfortunately, they have confirmed that this is correct. The wording of the policies means they do not cover business interruption or compulsory closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The NHBF is reflecting on what we can do next and will get back to you shortly with a further update.”

Find out more details about the Supreme Court ruling on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.

Financial Ombudsman If you are unsatisfied with how an insurer responds to a complaint, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman. 

On Monday, Phorest UK successfully held their live stream event, Uplift! After some technical issues on their first attempt on January 25^th, The Uplift! event came back bigger and stronger for its rescheduled date of Monday February 8^th. Along with motivational and uplifting presentations from guest speakers such as Chancellor of the British Fellowship of Hair and mindfulness leader, Ashley Hodges, and Royal Marine Jason Fox with an inspiring speech about resilience, Phorest professionals shared many inspiring stories as well as tips and tricks to persevere through the pandemic.

The day started with an introduction by Ronan Perceval, CEO of Phorest, introducing the speakers, presentations, and prizes. The prizes that were offered this year included an Apple Watch, an iPad, and a one-year subscription to Headspace App for mindfulness.

Chief Technology Officer at Phorest John Doran, and Head of Product, Evelyn Balfe, then presented on How 2020 Changed Our World. John and Evelyn shared stories from several salon owners and hairdressers throughout UK and Ireland, and how they coped and adapted through Covid with the help of some of the features Phorest Booking and Management Apps have to offer. They also included videos from Phorest users from all over the world, talking about their concerns throughout Covid, and some of the ways Phorest had been able to help.

“Phorest was the first of our suppliers who contacted us and told us, that we didn’t have to stress about the invoicing. They would spread our payments, and take the pressure off us. Phorest were definitely leading the way.” – Gerri Dangerfield Keane, UK.

The next presentation was offered by Head of Product Marketing and Retention Rob Hewitt, and Aisling Scolard, Product Manager. Rob and Aisling’s presentation focusing on marketing, what that means for salons in 2021, and some helpful tips and advice on how to make marketing work for you this year. According to Rob, “Marketing starts with clear, strategic goals, if you want proper results.” In this session, Rob and Aisling discussed all the challenges of the last year, the impact on consumer habits, and what are some ways we can adapt to consumer demands. One change that is certain is the shift to digital. Rob and Aisling offered several solutions to make sure that salons are able to effectively reach their clients online, through Phorest features like: Email Marketing Editor, SMS Marketing Editor, and Client Reconnect.

Next, the Feature Reveal was presented by Richard Cullen, Senior Product Designer, and Verna Wall product researcher, with the topic: Resilience, Motivation, and the Team Effort. Through the data system that Phorest has access to, they were able to compile a list of trends and patterns that successful salons all have in common. There are many misconceptions about what drives success, such as being located on the high street, being expensive, and having a massive team. But Phorest analytics found that these are not always indicative of success. Instead, what they found every successful salon to have was an educated and focused team. The rest of their presentation shared tips on how to motivate staff, how to help them be self-reliant, and to monitor personal and shop goals through the My Performance tool in the Phorest Go app. This tools monitors staff performance, and increases awareness, and helps to avoid awkward one-to-one meetings. This is a free tool and will be available from next week on.

The next presentation was given by guest speaker Ashleigh Hodges, who began her presentation with a group meditation to promote mindfulness. Ashleigh Hodges offered some advice on wellbeing, and how to juggle busy lives. Ashleigh’s presentation encouraged listeners to allow themselves and their staff time to look inward, take care of themselves, and recharge, before they to spring into action to help everyone else, as they are used to doing. During Covid, Ashleigh explained, “we have all had time to think about what is important to us, and clients have had time to realise how important we are to them.” Ashleigh’s advice to listeners is: learn to say no, set boundaries, and treat your wellbeing as just as important as your clients.

The next session was presented by Niamh Greaney, Head of Adoption & Client Education, who educated attendees on how to evaluate and improve your own online health, to ensure businesses are reaching their clients to the best of their abilities. Phorest have created an online calculator to assess your online health, in terms of online marketing, social media, online reputation, and your salon website. This tool is available on Phorest’s platform and online. Niamh encourages owners to check their score, create a strategy, and revisit the calculator, until they are happy with their online health.

Finally, the last presenter of the day, Jason Fox spoke to the audience about resilience and mental health, and his experience in Afghanistan as a Special Forces Officer. Fox shared an inspiring story of how he dealt with a hostage rescue mission in Afghanistan. Fox shared with the attendees his personal ethos of:  courage, determination, unselfishness, and cheerfulness in the face of adversity, and it is these four qualities that have helped him get through traumatic experiences, and will help others face day-to-day struggles throughout their lives, such as getting through this pandemic.

Overall, the day with at Phorest’s Uplift shared inspiring stories of perseverance, adaptability, and determination from salon owners, public speakers, as well as Phorest professionals. Phorest also shared many tips and tools that their software platforms offer to help salons throughout the pandemic, and into the tech-based future.

To learn more, go to https://bit.ly/2MQ8ts5

 For Wahl Professional, providing high-quality education has always been at the forefront of the clipper manufacturer’s agenda. Lisa Finucane, Wahl’s National Director of Education, shares the same passion and goal of providing education to barbers and stylists in a way that helps them reach their creative potential. In an effort to reach Wahl Professional’s end users, Finucane reorganized the Wahl Professional Education Team to touch on different creative aspects of the barber and cosmetologist educational needs.

“Dividing the Wahl Professional Education Team into three “sub-teams” ensures that we are reaching customers at all levels of skill and creativity. There is such rich diversity and legacy in Wahl Professional Education, and my goal was to showcase the talents of the education team and leverage our stellar reputation while providing the end-user with the flexibility to choose classes and educational events for all skill levels,” says Finucane. “Our goal is to present educational offerings that can provide the barber or stylist the opportunities to learn fundamental clipper hair cutting up to the most creative cutting techniques that utilize multiple Wahl Professional tools.”

The Field Education Team comprises the majority of the Wahl educators, who all share the goal of helping barbers and stylists learn new skills and master classic cuts. The educators on this team are tasked with teaching at distributor classes and trade shows, while continuously helping build a strong foundation of education for the barbers and stylists.

The 1919 Artistic Team has been established to influence and create high-end editorial styles. Led by creative consultant Jamie DiGrazia, they will provide education for those barbers and stylists looking to turn up their creativity with their tools, including the Wahl 1919 styling and finishing line. DiGrazia identifies as a stylist and barber, which allows her the creativity and skill to create hairstyles that are a hybrid of the two. The other educators on the team share similar knowledge and collaboratively will be helping create a connection with stylists. However, hair cutting will not be the only education provided by this team; the 1919 Artistic Team will also be creating finishing techniques, retail classes, and product knowledge classes all with a focus on Wahl Professional’s 1919 Men’s Grooming Line.

The role of the Wahl Professional Creative Team is to create and inspire. These educators are featured on the Disruptour, a nation-wide barber education tour created by Finucane and Byrd Mena of SharpFade. The goal of the Disruptour is to provide high-end education in intimate settings across the United States. 2021 brings a combination of a “look and learn” stage presentation followed by a “hands-on” learning experience where attendees will learn the Disruptour Trend Cuts. The Disruptour Team is a group of highly creative individuals with a passion for educating and the skill set necessary to be visionaries and trendsetters. This team will be responsible for setting the trend cuts, styles, and creative social media content.

In addition to the new teams, Finucane will also have help from her Lead Educator, Nieves Almaraz. Almaraz continues to be a driving force in the success of Wahl Professional Education. His background as a barber, cosmetologist, and barber educator has significantly contributed to the success of Wahl Professional Education. Almaraz and Finucane collaborated on Wahl Professional’s Pop Up Academy as well as the creation of five fundamental haircuts that are now the basis for Wahl’s clipper education.  As a two-time NAHA Nominee, Nieves is also a creative collaborator for Finucane.

“Nieves has been a tremendous resource and solid partner as I approached the new educational formats, events, and team diversity. He and I have the same goal of providing education that reflects the journey of Wahl Professional,” says Finucane. “We are both traditionalists at heart. However, we also have a keen understanding that pushing creative limits and boundaries are necessary components to staying fresh and relevant. Our goal is to enrich the lives of our long time Wahl users and also attract new, young users by providing education that inspires all levels of barbering and cosmetology.”

For a list of available classes, check out wahlpro.com/education. To learn more about Wahl Professional, follow them on Instagram at @wahlpro or visit the website at wahlpro.com.

Marc Milman’s passion for cutting perfection drives Washi to the top

When it comes to thriving – not merely surviving – in the beauty business, it takes nerves of steel. “I broke into the beauty industry not knowing that this would be what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” confesses Washi founder/CEO Marc Milman.

“I just dove in headfirst. Back in 1986 I stumbled upon a career sharpening shears, and just a few years later, I bought Washi!”

At the time, Washi was a fledgling company, but thanks to Milman’s swan dive into the deep end, it’s now at the top of its game. Thanks in part to his quarter century in the business, the company’s product roster contains some of the most popular shears on the market, including the AX Ultimate, and Milman is continually creating new scissors that cater to stylists’ every need. (Milman relates that Washi will be launching a revolutionary new design slated to hit the market soon.)

But how do Washi shears manage to snip away at the competition?

“It’s our Hitachi steel. Unfortunately, our industry is plagued by companies claiming that their scissors are forged with Hitachi – which is the finest steel available – when they are not. The burden of finding quality shears ultimately falls on stylist’s shoulders.”

Quality ingredients aside, Milman prides himself on the individual attention that he gives to each set of scissors. “I inspect all shears before they go out the door,” he says. “And if a stylist ever says that his or her shears aren’t performing correctly, I personally adjust the product.”

With this hands-on mentality, it’s no wonder that Milman’s carved out an indelible niche in the pro-beauty world.

Chock up Milman’s success to the mantra that’s made his company a cut above: “The day I stop learning is the day that I’ll fail.”

There is increasing concern from the hairdressing industry and the public over the number of professional footballers sporting immaculate haircuts and so the NHBF has raised the issue with the Professional Footballers’ Association, the English Football League, The Premier League and the Football Association.

Over the past week, the NHBF has been contacted by members of the public raising their concerns that professional football players appear to have had fresh haircuts, despite the mandated closure of hair salons and barbershops.

Richard Lambert, chief executive of the NHBF says, “Of course, we realise that some of the players may have cut their own hair, or had it cut by someone within their bubble, but there seems to be a growing assumption that they must have knowingly broken the rules.”

In an open letter to each of the professional football organisations, the NHBF has asked them to remind players that current regulations mean that hair stylists and barbers, whether premises based or freelance, are not permitted to offer any services at the moment. 

Richard continues, “Hairdressers and barbers have a responsibility to comply with the rules, and it’s our job to make sure they understand what that means.  There is no exemption for sportspeople, so when the public see people who appear to think that the rules don’t apply to them, it really hits a nerve. With the whole country struggling as the pandemic continues, it’s important that those in the public eye are sensitive to the need to show that we are all playing our part.

It is also important to stress the reasoning behind the regulations themselves, which is to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and ultimately save lives. Looking specifically within football, each time a player flouts the rules and gets a haircut, they increase the risk of getting and transmitting the disease, which in turn puts the rest of the squad and team staff at risk.  As we have seen, this can lead to matches being cancelled, putting pressure on other clubs and even the wider competition.”

Those providing their services in a professional capacity as part of those sectors that remain open can continue to operate. For example, make-up artists in film and TV production, and on fashion shoots. However, these services cannot be carried out in premises required to close.

We at BarberEVO, along with the rest of the barbering world, are shocked and devastated by the loss of legendary barber and friend, Allan Stone.

46 year old Allan Stone was the owner of Stoney’s Barber Shop in Laygate, South Sheilds. Allan was a named a Grandmaster Barber by the British Master Barbers (BMB) Alliance, he was a Master Barber, and was also recognised by the British Barbers’ Association. Allan Stone was a a big supporter of the barbering industry ­– always pushing for higher standards and education, and he was a regular at most barbering shows, always offering advice and kind words.

Stone began his career in the industry as a young man, working as a Saturday worker at Saks Hairdressers in Newcastle while he was still at school. Allan Stone, was dedicated to sharing his knowledge and skills, and worked as part-time lecturer at South Tyneside College, while running two locations of his barbershop in South Shields.

We, at BarberEVO, are absolutely devastated to learn the news of the passing of our friend Allan Stone.

Full of energy and a real zest for life, Allan truly was one of the most genuine, larger than life guys you could ever wish to meet.

His presence MADE barbering trade shows worth attending alone, Allan put a smile on everyone’s face, almost effortlessly and we will cherish those memories forever.

Only last week Allan reached out to check in on Andrew and David, full of that Geordie banter and light-hearted exchanges that epitomised why Allan was liked by so many.

Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the very many industry peers throughout the UK and beyond who will be truly saddened to hear of his passing.

If you are able to do so, please consider making a donation to this fund set up to help support Allan Stone’s family with funeral costs.

The outpouring of emotions in the aftermath of Allan’s passing has been truly sad, but equally heart-warming to read all of the kind words every single person has had to say about the one and only Stoney.

Rest easy Stoney.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/allan-stone?utm_term=AxGXWgeAv&fbclid=IwAR0HwgUWVLTjoSY_X9wtDbKyzTwhojtxKj9HwwbNyWXLVBudpFQNY3Q1fN8

With uncertainty hanging over all events this year, the organisers of the CT Barber Expo X have decided to move the event date back to August 2021. The following announcement was released:

To Our Current & Previous Valued Guests,

     With recent discussions with the State of Connecticut officials, Mohegan Sun Casino management and current state of the pandemic, we are rescheduling the date of the Connecticut Barber Expo X. The dates of the event will now be Saturday, August 14, 2021, through Monday, August 16, 2021. The date change will allow for the current surge to subside and allow more time for individuals to be vaccinated. 

     The event will continue to take place at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino. This will allow for hotel, plenty of dining options and social distance protocols. For hotel room booking, you may call 1.888.777.7922 or use the following link Mohegan Sun Hotel  for special room pricing. To purchase tickets on Eventbrite, please click on the following link. All competition registration entries have been transferred to the new dates as well.

     Again, we apologize for the inconvenience. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe during this time. 

Sincerly,  CTBE Staff

Any further updates will be fully covered within the pages of BarberEVO magazine and on our social media platforms.

WELCOME TO THE FIRST BARBEREVO NORTH AMERICA EDITION OF 2021. WE ARE DELIGHTED TO SEE THE BACK OF 2020 AND LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXCITING YEAR AHEAD.

We are committed to continuing to deliver a combination of creative content, inspirational features with the biggest names in the business, and the very best of real-life business advice to ensure we keep everyone rolling in the right direction. 

With that in mind, events and tradeshows are top of our list in this issue as we talk to those in the know. The organisers of the events, that we miss so much, talk about the chances of them going ahead, the challenges they face with staging them in a pandemic and the hopes for the ones that are scheduled for this year.

This issue’s barbershop focus has some cool places featured. Barbers are so proud of their shops, whether they are traditional, cutting edge, minimalist, or are designing with Instagram in mind, the design is so personal, and how you choose to furnish your shop, and the décor you choose, can make or break the visual. We’ve found some knock-out barbershops that have opened their doors to BarberEVO, talked us through their décor decisions, what works for them and what they love about their shops.

A hugely important part of the hair industry right now is how it can be more sustainable. We have spoken to hair professionals who have taken their personal commitment to being eco-friendly and carried it through to their shops and their business practices. Whether you want to commit fully or just make a small change, have a read of our eco feature and see what changes you can make to be a little gentler on the planet. 

Last, but certainly not least, The Barber Authority’s Steve Vilot lets us into some tour secrets as he and his band of elite barbers provide grooming services for international rock starts and the world’s top athletes. It’s a great read, and his commitment to elevating the image of barbering is commendable.

You can order your printed copy of the new edition right here.