Nearly 300 stylists, salon owners and brand sponsors gathered at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast in Atlanta September 24-26 for the 2017 HAIR+ Summit. The second-annual event was more expansive in the number of attendees, depth of information and days of education—a third day was added to the program this year for advanced education.
The event, produced by MODERN SALON and parent company Bobit Business Media, was launched in 2016 as a way to emphasize the importance of this category and to encourage participation among stylists and salon owners and also to introduce them to solutions from experts in the category. This year’s Summit focused on providing more advanced education to help participants move forward as hair loss consultants and to become strong in all areas—technical, business and medical.
Another new part of this year’s agenda was Head Talks: sponsor-led discussions about hair-loss solutions and extensions to help attendees understand their options for helping clients.
DAY 1
On the first day of the summit, moderators Steve Reiss, publisher of MODERN SALON, and Lauren Quick, senior editor, welcomed attendees and outlined the days to come.
“This is an opportunity to validate yourself as a licensed professional, to support your clientele, to interact with the experts in the field and to become an expert in the field,” Reiss said.
Salon owner of J. Gordon Designs in Chicago, colorist and trichologist Karen Gordon said she entered this category for a variety of reasons, including finding a way to stay relevant to her clients, to attract clients and, most importantly, to help her existing and new clients.
“I felt very ineffective when a client started telling me that they were losing their hair because I didn’t know what to say other than, ‘No, I don’t think so,’ and I would direct them to a shampoo to use,” Gordon said. “That wasn’t enough; we owe them a better answer. It affects people at their deepest core and that is what drove me to become a hair-loss specialist. Hair loss changes the lives of the people we service and it changes our lives, as well.”
Attendees also took a closer look at the science behind hair loss with Dr. Nikki Hill, Skin of Culture and Hair Center in Tucker, Georgia, in her Hair Loss 101 presentation. Hill pointed out prevention and catching hair loss in its early stages is the best defense.
When the first day was over, stylists had a better grip on the causes and types of hair loss, the consultation process for this often-sensitive subject, the reason tight braids and relaxing highly textured hair can cause major hair and scalp damage, and more. A salon-professional panel at the day’s close provided a platform for attendees to ask lingering questions of experts in the category.
DAY 2
Day two began with a widely praised presentation by Dr. Candy Lewis Williams of the Lotus Concept Wellness and Trichology Clinic in San Antonio, Texas, on how to approach hair health with holistic treatments and integrative solutions. Williams began her career as a cosmetologist before going on to become a board-certified naturopathic doctor and trichologist.
Dr. Alan Bauman of Bauman Medical in Boca Raton, Florida, shared insight on surgical hair-replacement and new innovations in the field—including using robots to harvest hair follicles.
Attendees heard from one more doctor on day two with a presentation by Frank Rizzieri, Rizzieri Salon and Spas in New Jersey, and Dr. Demetri Karanzalis, A Medical Spa at Rizzieri. Karanzalis said in 2016, Americans spent more than 15 billion dollars on non-invasive and nonsurgical aesthetic procedures, and he found a study indicating 47% of people would spend their life savings to regain a full head of hair.
“People want help,” Karanzalis said. “They’re starving for it.”
DAY 3: Advanced Education
New Image Labs, HairUWear Professional, Evolve Hair Solutions and Easihair Pro provided HAIR+ Summit attendees with the opportunity to attain advanced education on Sept. 26. From full certification with Easihair Pro to an introduction to non-surgical hair replacement for men with HairUWear Professional, there was a wide range of classes.
Keep an eye out for an announcement on the date and location of HAIR+ Summit 2018! With the success of this year’s summit, MODERN SALON and Bobit Business Media are looking forward to continuing the conversations and community fostered in 2016 and 2017.
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