At long last, our friends in Northern Ireland are able to get back to work, as the barbering/ salon industry opens back up. 

As of today, Friday April 23, Barbers, hairdressers, and other close contact services are allowed to reopen across Northern Ireland.

“It has been a rollercoaster, so it has!” said Barber, Matthew Postlethwaite. “Not knowing when we were going to open, waiting to open, and just really praying that we can back to work ASAP.

“So it is just a big relief to be getting back!”

Best of luck from Barber EVO to all out friends in Northern Ireland!

A barber who was given a generous tip by a mystery customer has asked for the anonymous do-gooder to reveal themselves so he can say a simple, ‘thank you’.

David Cardoso, owner of new barber’s shop, Billions, in Victoria arcade, re-opened his doors on Monday, April 12, ready to get “hands on” now that the restrictions were lifted.

Billions Barber Shop originally opened on July 4 last year, but – like other businesses – had been repeatedly closed due to lockdown. 

After a haircut on their first day back open, Mr Cardoso was surprised to see an envelope on the floor.

Inside was a card wishing him the best of luck as well as £60 in cash.

The card read: “I am so impressed that you started your business during a pandemic.”

David Cardoso was “really touched” to receive such a gesture, and now hopes to say thank you to the anonymous donor.

Mr Cardoso said: “I thought this was very kind and it really did touch me.”

With both bars and barbershops back open today, April 12, one brand-new barbershop is taking the pressure off decision making, by offering fresh pints while clients get their post-lockdown cuts.

As of today, April 12, Head Quarters Barbers & Beverages are opening three brand-new shops in Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Middlesbrough.

Wanting to create a traditional barbershop with a modern twist, owner Mike Racz said: “Our mission is to bring one of the oldest professions into the 21st Century.

“We’re introducing new technology across the board from booking systems to the shop floor.”

Booking is available via their app, with live waiting times – so customers know when the next barber is free.

The stunning shop interior features traditional personalised barber chairs from REM as well as have a complete self-serve bar.

So far, some of the first customers of HQ today have been Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, Glenn McCrory, former IBF World Cruiserweight Champion, and Leo Percovich Middlesbrough FC Coach.

Richard Bland, HQ managing director, a former director and shareholder of the well-known SAKS Franchise chain, said: “When I heard about this new business idea, I knew I had to be part of it. We’ve had a lot of fun – mixed with a lot of hard work – to perfect what we want to be an exciting change to the way barbers are run.

“Hairdressing has been hit really hard by Covid. We are thrilled to be able to offer 30 jobs across our first three salons. We will also be offering conversion courses for hairdressers wishing to work for HQ – working for us will be a career, not just a job.”

For more information, go to https://head-quarters.co.uk/

Barbers across the UK will support those willing to discuss their mental health, as millions of men prepare to get their first post-lockdown haircut.

Barbers across the UK have today joined forces to launch a new initiative that aims to inspire men to open up about mental health issues. As hairdressers in England finally reopen their doors to eager customers, barbers from Torquay to Tynemouth and beyond are launching the #OurDoorIsOpen campaign in a bid to ensure those whose mental health has been badly affected by lockdown get the support they need and deserve. The campaign is being led by The Lions Barber Collective which has trained over 2,500 barbers around the UK and beyond to further support their customers, through its clinically backed Barber Talk programme.

This is the latest initiative from the Lions Barber Collective which encourages barbers to create safe places for men to open up and offload, and provides training to empower the barbers themselves to listen, recognise the signs of poor mental health and signpost clients to appropriate support services.

What will you learn from BarberTalk Online training? BarberTalk is an in-depth session that builds on the four pillars of core training to equip you with the skills to help your clients to better mental wellbeing.

BarberTalk Online Training will:

• Give you the tools to recognise mental health issues in your clients.
• Equip you to be able to ask direct questions about the emotional wellbeing of your clients.
• Refine your listening skills to be present at a critical moment for your clients.
• Provide you with the resources to help your client find support.

After the death of his friend Alex, in 2015 Torquay-based barber Tom Chapman founded the charity ‘The Lions Barber Collective’ to create non-clinical, non-judgmental safe spaces where men feel comfortable to talk about their mental health and can be signposted to support and information.

Recognising that barbers and hair professionals are often a trusted confidant and friendly ear to their customers, Tom collaborated with experts to develop the clinically backed, BarberTalk training programme for hair professionals to support their clients and communities.

The BarberTalk and Hair&BeautyTalk training series aims to arm barbers and hair professionals with the skills to recognise signs of poor mental health in their clients, ask direct questions to facilitate conversation, listen with empathy and no judgement, and help to signpost their clients to the support they need.

Founder and CEO of the Lions Barber Collective, Tom Chapman said: “When we opened up again in July, I cut a friend’s hair, he seemed fine when we had the consultation but once I started cutting his hair he started to cry. I stopped and asked him if there was something he’d like to speak to me about. His reply shocked me. He lived alone and this was the first human contact he had had in months.”

“This made me determined to ensure that others in his position have someone they can talk to when barbers reopen in April, while also giving barbers themselves access to tips and training they need to be able to listen and support those who are still struggling.”

‘A barber can see up to 200 people a week! Although majority of the industry will see about 12 people a day and in a post lockdown world opening hours will be extended to fit in their desperate clients. The hair & beauty industries reach is just phenomenal with an infrastructure that is accessible to most.’

To find out more about the Lions Barber Collective visit https://www.thelionsbarbercollective.com/ or to donate £5 to help train and support more UK barbers, text THELIONS to 70970.

Those in Ohio thinking about getting into barbering or cosmetology, might be able qualify more quickly, if a bill that seeks to reduce the number of training hours is enacted into law.

Ohio lawmakers are holding hearings on a bill that would reduce the number of hours required to become a licensed cosmetologist or barber. It’s an issue that’s been debated in the legislature for years. 

Sen. Kristina Roegner  says reducing the required hours of training to become a cosmetologist or barber lowers the hurdles for a person wanting to join the profession in Ohio. 

“Individuals that want to work. A lot of them would be single moms and they want to be able to get a job and not have to incur this huge amount, excessive amount of tuition,” she said. 

Currently to get a license, a barber needs 1,800 hours of training. For a cosmetologist, 1,500 hours of training. The bill, SB133, would cut the hours for both professions to 1,000 hours. Roegner has introduced similar legislation in the past, dating back to 2017 (HB189) when it was a bipartisan bill with a Democratic co-sponsor.

To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau

As of today, 15^th of March, hair and barbering services can resume practicing throughout Wales. Hairdressers and barbershops have been allowed to reopen strictly on an appointment basis, and only for ‘services that relate to cutting or treating hair on the head.’ Other barbering services such as shaving, waxing, threading etc, are still restricted as they fall under the ‘high risk zone.’ Other beauty services are projected to not reopen until the 12^th of April.

Mobile services can also resume from Monday 15 March, but only if there is not a ‘reasonable practical alternative to a home appointment,’ such as if the client is unable to physically leave their home, or if leaving their home might have significant detrimental effect on the wellbeing of the client.

Hairdressers/barbers also must wear a Type II mask and face visor for the entire time they are in a client’s home, and salons and barbershops must comply with Coronavirus Regulations set, such as maintaining physical distancing when possible, and using PPE properly and consistently.

For more information see the Welsh Government Guidelines for Hairdressing  and Barbering

The Hair and Barber Council have just announced the following regarding their collaboration with Salon Owners United:

The Hair & Barber Council (HBC) together with Salon Owners United (SOU) are forming a collaboration to further strengthen and amplify the voice of Hair Professionals and Barber Professionals throughout the United Kingdom.

As the ONLY Statutory Authority for the sector, campaigning amongst other things for mandatory registration of the industry, the Hair & Barber Council continues it’s work with industry and the Government representing it’s 10,500 registered members, Associate and Corporate members, and together with Salon Owners United 5,500 members, will work closely together to ensure the voice of our sector is heard.

Keith Conniford, Registrar and CEO of the Hair & Barber Council said: “We are delighted to be working closely with Collette Osborne and the members of Salon Owners United who share the same passion and mission to ensure our sector attains the professional status it both needs and deserves. We greatly admire Collette’s huge commitment and energy she has for our industry, together with the knowledge and experience she brings, together with her members, to this collaboration.

“Based upon mutual aims and trust, with no agenda other than the betterment of our great industry, our joint aim is this collaboration will grow and become more formal in the months to come. Our industry has been hugely impacted by Coronavirus, and never before has the industry needed a more united voice for Hair Professionals and Barber Professionals!”

Collette Osborne of Salon Owners United said: “If the pandemic has done anything it has exposed the fault lines and weaknesses in our industry, so I believe if we are to recover stronger, we need to have one collective voice, which we can use to invoke the change much needed to provide us with a sustainable future.

“The Hair & Barber Council and Keith Conniford have been a tower of strength to Salon Owners United throughout this crisis being my one trusted source of support and guidance for our members when they needed it most for which I will be forever grateful.

“I am delighted to be working alongside Keith Conniford for whom I have the utmost respect both personally and professionally and through our collaboration I can honestly say we will work tirelessly for the hair and barbering industry just as Keith has done for many years.”

The Hair and Barber Councils strapline is ‘Shaping the Future Together’

Together we are stronger – One mission – One voice!

HQ A trend offering that takes old-school barber techniques to new heights

American Crew®, the Official Supplier to Men, introduces The 2021 Collection: HQ, a new collection of techniques that fuse clean editorial silhouettes with dramatic, exaggerated shapes. HQ, short for Height Quotient, is inspired by the military crew cut while paying homage to the nineties film and music eras.

 Embodying the perfect harmony between austere aesthetics and solid fundamentals, the curated program consists of six cuts and offers styling options for various hair densities and textures. With a focus on tapered barbered fades, HQ capitalizes on height as a level for disciplines and diverse creative expressions.

 “Men’s style is constantly evolving. By taking a step back from the meticulously groomed look, we are seeing a resurgence of dynamic shapes and texture—and our HQ Collection celebrates just that,” said American Crew Founder David Raccuglia, “HQ is a bold barber-centric collection that allows stylists to adapt any texture or type of hair to achieve the style their client desires. I absolutely love the fact that the shape of a haircut can cross into so many cultures.”

YAH YAH

Highlighting Yah Yah’s incredible texture, this cut features a strong square and tall technical shape throughout the front whilst focusing on a curved silhouette and a blown out, non-textured finish. The razor fade exaggerates a clean blend of skin to hair in the perimeter for strength and scalp exposure.

Product used: American Crew® Ultra Gliding Shave Oil, Lather Shave Cream, Revitalizing Toner and Prep & Prime Tonic

 ANDREI

Andrei’s silhouette driven cut is a 90’s movies styling journey. Inspired by iconic looks featured in Rocky and Top Gun, and utilizing American Crew Boost Powder for extra volume, the hair is styled using an upward momentum to create the dramatic shape.

Products used: American Crew® Prep & Prime Tonic and Boost Powder

VIN

Vin’s structure contains a concave interior to recreate an editorial version of the traditional 50’s flat top. The strong silhouette helps build the exterior, exaggerating the clipper over comb enhanced interior, while the texture and separation results in a structured yet broken finish.

Products used: American Crew® Prep & Prime Tonic, Firm Hold Gel and Molding Clay

To learn more about the looks from the HQ Collection tune in to the digital launch on March 1st, 2021. Details to be released on @AmericanCrew on Instagram and Facebook, and www.americancrew.com

American Crew is also hosting a Facebook event HQ Collection / 2021 Trend Collection Launch at 4pm UTC www.facebook.com/events/168410511587858/)

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.