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Saturday, 23 January Fully booked out until April and not yet taking bookings beyond that date (see below). This means unless there's an unexpected opening, the system will display, "no availability found for the next 12 months". Please do not email or text enquiring about availability or booking. All essential communication is always shared here, with direct and clearly labelled links to this page placed all over the site.
2021 Release Schedule
Note the following changes for 2021.
 As an individual whose primary focus is to constantly improve, I welcome constructive criticism and feedback from clients. That said, intentionally leaving out key information from a negative review is a deliberate act of deceptional retaliation. Actions like this are unwise as I will enthusiastically return serve with accuracy, finesse, and conviction. The truth always matters.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. A waitlist has been the most highly requested service since switching exclusively to online booking 10 years ago. The answer to this request was always "there's no waitlist"' and for very well-considered reasons. That said, COVID changed things here. The need and requests for a waitlist increased substantially. A decision was made to give it a go, despite my hesitations.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Aside from the obvious concerns relating to our current health crisis, I've heard that this website overall presents in a way which gives the impression that I take this whole cutting hair business rather seriously. It has also been commented that much of what is written about is particularly critical. While many seem to inherently understand why this is, I felt it best address this topic for those, particularly new clients, who might have questions or curiosity.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Let's begin this writing exercise with a strong opening statement; a thoroughly researched and well-considered observation distilled through an abundance of first-hand experiences. Hair salons that choose to curate and actively maintain a social media profile are pretty much all the same, regardless of their individual focus. The following post will attempt to validate that statement by asking some important questions. The purpose of which is to shine a light on a fatal flaw regarding that which I believe to be of utmost importance, a great haircut.
 I am a cutting specialist. Success in this particular endeavour has leaned heavily on a constant and consistent evolution of the tangible skill set which my career relies on. This ongoing refinement has always been paired with a focus which is readily influenced by the area, city and country I am working in. Currently, my practice is aligned with and best suited for women with challenging hair types (or situations) who live with their hair in a natural, low-fuss and low up-keep manner. This is a deliberate directive which offers a much needed alternative for individuals for whom the conventional salon industry does not readily support.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. What do most religions have in common - besides the basic tenets of love, kindness, tolerance and compassion? A book. A prophet. Places of worship and of course, loyal followers. While the Curly Girl Method (CGM) isn't technically a religion, it does have at its core a book, literally referred to as a bible, and a 'prophet' of sorts standing behind it. There are indeed dedicated 'churches' (CGM salons) with enthusiastic pastors ardently reinforcing the key message and a loyal congregation who have a very strong sense of faith in it all.
 There are quite a few online groups which offer help and support for people with curly hair. 'Curly Girl Sisterhood Uncensored Australia and New Zealand' is a newer group with a different approach. They are a little more difficult to find at the moment so I thought it would help give them a bit of exposure. I like their statement: "Let this be a comfortable place to seek help and share information with free exchange of questions, perspectives and issues around the Curly Girl Method in a safe, respectful environment. This is the space you come to if you want to talk about curly hair, that isn't always strictly CGM. Sometimes we have to bend the rules to make things work."  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Do you subscribe to the notion that ammonia-free hair colours are better and or safer for you or your hair? Does the salon you frequent like to promote that their hair colours are healthy, organic or natural? This post will take a close look at the healthy, natural, organic, ammonia-free hair colour marketing hype and provide some crucial information you're likely missing. To be clear, I do not offer hair colour services of any kind. This information is to help those who get them done.
 "Oh wow, your hair is so dry and damaged. We really need to do a treatment today. It's going to make your hair so much more healthy." No doubt you've heard this nonsense before, and likely paid for it too. Aside from the 'you need to get your ends trimmed every 6 weeks' myth, moisture treatments are another example of hairdressers (and product manufacturers) promoting and selling misinformation. Throughout my entire 30 year career I've seen time and time again salon websites and beauty blogs promoting and talking up the importance of getting treatments. As I have to regularly state in this site's blog, do not believe the hype!  As a 30 year veteran with a highly regarded reputation, I have an obligation to use my voice responsibly. I know people often listen to what I say and take my words or advice on board. Thus it is paramount that any readers know my intentions and how we got here. The decision to forge an independent career path meant I was not indoctrinated by the hairdressing industry or the product manufacturers. This provides a unique opportunity to see things from the outside in. It wasn't long after I started working that I discovered situations from discussions with clients which didn't seem quite right. As a result, I started to define ideals which directly challenged conventional hairdresser thinking and contradicted industry practices.  Without fail it seems, every few years we learn of another hairdresser claiming to have 'invented' a new way to cut curly hair. Funny how it's always an American right? Interestingly, never an Italian, a German or a Dane. Anyway, this time around it's called a 'Rezo Cut' and claims to be salvation for anyone wanting volume and length. As an individual who has been working with curls for over 30 years, these supposed new methods are anything but and certainly aren't necessary to achieve the things they claim to.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Transformation. This is the main theme in Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew', and the inspiration for this post. One of the greatest lessons we can learn in life is the practice of accepting that which we cannot change and in doing so, find a way to make it serve us positively. Frizzy hair is absolutely one of those things that those who are born with it, struggle to align with. This certainly isn't made easy by the abundance of media, advertisements and products all telling we need to 'fight' it and solve frizziness like some sort of pathogenic virus set on destroying our very existence. Conventional salons, even curl specific ones, often are guilty of instilling an innate fear and loathing of that which many people were genetically born with. These are the same ones who bombard your wallet and your hair with copious amounts of products and time-intensive ritual. It doesn't need to be this way.
 Quite a few times I've been asked, "When did you become a curly hair specialist?" I had to stop and think. Well, I don't think that I am. I'm a cutting specialist who focuses on challenging textures of hair. Does that make me a curl specialist? For some, I suppose so. That said, literally one of my very first haircuts almost 30 years ago was on the fine ringletted curly hair of a co-worker. For some reason, cutting those curls dry just seemed to make sense, so I did. While absolutely inexperienced back then, I did keenly understand the challenges the texture presented as a direct result of my personal experience and frustrations. People were open to trusting me because I had curls myself and thus started the long road to proficiency that continues to this very day.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. Many think a lack of photos online solely relates to being strongly against social media - something which I've been vocal about in several interviews. While that is true, it's only a minor part of the much larger topic presented here. Overall, this entire notion of client photos resonates to the very core of my professional philosophy and therein, continued success here in Australia. In fact, many of the posts on this websites blog cover a wide range of topics that all contribute to the positive reputation that I have established.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. "I just need a good haircut." This is something which has been stated countless times at the start of a client consultation. While this certainly is a reasonable request, it is often an emotional one too. A lot of that has to do with what appears to be a notable difference of opinion. It's fair to say that every single haircut a client had prior to sitting in my studio, their hairdresser thought that they had performed a good haircut. If you're reading this right now, chances are you probably disagreed with that assessment. This is exactly where the frustrated and at times emotional plea for a good haircut comes from.
 Often I'm asked, “You’re so booked out, why don't you train up an apprentice?" The short answer is this: quality hairdressing isn't something which can simply be taught, certainly not within a few short years. The road to proficiency is a long one, particularly for gaining real skill with anything other than similar, conventional, easily managed hair types. Generally speaking, most people (including a high percentage of people currently working in the industry) know little about what it takes to become a refined and mindful hairdresser.  Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. There are a lot of people searching for information about the Curly Girl Method or Deva Cutting. Unfortunately, what once started out as an empowering movement now has transformed into something which many think is an overly obsessed cult. As a result, I do not advocate for the method and have developed an aversion to much of it.
 Reference photo only. Tom does not photograph clients. The decision to not sell retail in my studio was well-considered and thoroughly researched. The consensus here overwhelmingly indicates that one of the most annoying aspects of an experience at a conventional salon is being sold products at the culmination of a service. There are numerous psychological studies which directly explain why there is specific resentment surrounding this long standing practice. It largely comes down to the following.
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