It's quickly becoming that time of year once again when schedules tighten and the ability to plan ahead is often rewarded. From the first blossoms till the last festive decorations are taken down and stored away, bookings will steadily become more scarce. In fact, each year I seemingly book out sooner and sooner. As a reminder, I do not have a waiting list and do not contact clients directly regarding openings or availability. A huge thank you to each and every client for your continued support. I am so very grateful for the generous feedback regarding your experiences in the studio. Your kind words add fuel to a fire which will help this career last a lifetime. धन्यवाद. Gracias. متشکرم. Danke dir. благодарю вас. Terima kasih. شكرا جزيلا. Merci beaucoup. 谢谢. ευχαριστώ. Tack. Grazie.  I am a cutting specialist. Throughout my career, success has relied heavily on a constant and significant 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 aims to present a needed alternative for individuals for whom the conventional salon industry does not readily support.  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 new 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."  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 is about the healthy, natural, organic, ammonia-free hair colour myth. 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.  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 'new' methods are anything but and certainly aren't necessary to achieve the things they claim to. Alas, we are now waist-deep in this social media hyped era where people go to great lengths to promote themselves with the hope of driving greater success their way. Trouble is when it comes to anything curl related, the consuming public often gets caught up in this online hype and believes that it is actually possible to 'discover' a new way to cut hair. I am writing to tell you this is all complete nonsense.  Exasperated she asked, "How do I fix my frizz?!" No doubt a question he'd been asked thousands of times standing behind the chair. The response he offers now has evolved almost as much as his career it seems. "What I'm going to say may or may not be what you're expecting, however more than ever the answer resonates soundly with my overall philosophy both personally and professionally."  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.  Many think a lack of photos online solely relates to my position of being opposed to social media - something which I've been vocal about in several interviews. While that position is not at all incorrect, it contributes to only a very small, insignificant part of the overall decision. This topic resonates to the very core of my professional philosophy and consequently is a large reason for my reputation and continued success here in Australia. In fact, many of the posts on this websites blog if not the entire point of it existing is a demonstrative response to this.  "I just need a good haircut." This is something which has been stated countless times upon asking clients how I can help. It's a fair statement and certainly a reasonable request. It's also a fairly generalised one. Undoubtedly and in most cases, every single haircut a client had prior to sitting in my studio the attending hairdresser thought that they had in fact done a good haircut. It's more than fair to say this is exactly what every hairdresser likely thinks upon completion of their service - I did well.
 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 conventional, easily managed hair types. Generally speaking, most people (including a high percentage of people actually working in the industry) know little about what it takes to become a refined and mindful hairdresser.  The official playlist of Tom Zappala Haircutting is freely available via Spotify. Aptly named Behind The Fringe, it will provide much more than an afternoon of eclectic music. Shuffle the tracks for best results.
 There are a lot of women searching for information on hairdressers in Melbourne who know something about the Curly Girl or Deva. I'm regularly asked during sessions about both and my thoughts about them. The truth is I absolutely do not advocate for either. Some of the ideals of each are incorrect and most of it way too dogmatic and time consuming for the busy working woman and or mother. For certain individuals though, the information gleaned online will be a revelation and its ideologies adhered to with religious fervour. For others however, the methods are entirely unrealistic and therein lies my concern with an unconditional commitment to any of it.  The decision to not sell retail is a well-considered and thoroughly researched one. With 30 years of listening, one of the most annoying aspects of the client experience at a conventional salon is being sold products at the culmination of a service. This is a fact. There are numerous psychological studies which directly explain why there is specific resentment surrounding this practice. It largely comes down to the following. 
Many of us desire a product, service, or even tablet which can provide us with exactly what we want, precisely when we want it. We regularly go to see various professionals with the hope that they can offer us the necessary cure-all for whatever our situational needs may be. For hairdressers, a question which is asked regularly is "what specific product [or brand] would be best for my hair?" The question presented is a fair one. A client is asking for advice or guidance from someone they view as a professional. Unfortunately, the answer I provide usually isn't one they were hoping for.  I believe that a great haircut is one which can grow out really well over an extended period of time (months not weeks). As covered in the last post, a great cut should always encourage the shape and texture to naturally fall into place, looking great with minimal effort from a client. Unfortunately, most hairdressers tend to perform a cut which only looks good if styled with professional skills, products and effort. This type of design is largely driven by hairdressers creativity first and foremost. They are often strongly influenced by the Vidal Sassoon era. For many hairdressers today Vidal Sassoon was and still is, their saviour, their Steve Jobs. He is the inspirational benchmark for the sharp, precision creative hairdressing they practice. I disagree with all that, vehemently. For his time, Sassoon was absolutely relevant and a visionary. He left behind a legacy. Ironically, what renders his creative direction obsolete are the very individuals who his work specifically relied on, women.  Without a doubt, one of the most common complaints women have after a visit to the hairdresser is, "my hair never looked as good as it did when I left the salon." This exact sentiment has been echoed repeatedly in every city I've worked in across the globe. After hearing the same thing over and over again, a committed hairdresser should always aim to dissect and resolve the issue. The following opinions on the matter actively influence the philosophy I adhere to within my practice today.  Part three of three. Regardless of skill, intention or communication, things will not always result in every single client is completely happy. Life is easy when we get a win, but no one wins all the time. The greatest lesson in life both personally and professionally is to accept that this will happen. In fact, it is a necessary part of development. While early in life we often fear failure or mistake, with time we learn these opportunities serve as an essential key to growth. We must relish these opportunities to learn and use them for forwarding momentum. Through the last two posts, I laid out the key principals of my practice, communication and transparency. It is with this final topic, satisfaction, that the three are tied together.  Part two of three. Hairdressing, particularly within the conventional salon environment, is an industry geared largely for the monetisation of a woman's beauty needs. Under the guise of being a professional, up-selling and product pushing via emotional manipulation is key to meeting the bottom line. For a traditional salon owner, these principals are often the foundation of their business model. Creativity is wielded as a less than subtle means of distraction. This approach does not, by default, serve or benefit a client's best interests and is therefore unethical.  Part one of three. Effective and honest communication is an essential ingredient to every successful relationship we have in our lives, whether personal or professional. Neglected or broken-down communication is largely the reason we as humans find ourselves in challenging situations with those we regularly engage with or care about. The effects of poor communication are unfortunately demonstrated quite profoundly and painfully at the hair salon. Most women relate to their appearance, particularly their hair, with a profound psychological and emotional connection. Therefore, it is absolutely vital for a hairdresser to develop and maintain quality communication skills in order to establish and promote a productive client relationship.
 The three main themes I focus on professionally are communication, transparency, and satisfaction. They are all somewhat related and ultimate work together to form the basis of how I strive for success. In the coming weeks, I will address each in an attempt to further define and develop this thing that I do. Too, there may be other posts in the works which come about as a result of conversations and insights gained through experiences in the studio. They may or may not be directly related to hairdressing but effectively serve to push life forward in what I see to be a positive direction.  There are A LOT of women searching Google with the hope of discovering someone who can properly cut curly and or wavy hair. These women shudder at the idea of heading into a conventional salon, and for good reason. They have grown tired heading home with either tears or triangle. They long for someone who won't just attempt to manage or tame their hair, but rather shape it into something flattering, functional, and stylish.
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