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Cancer Brings Mother and Daughter Closer Together

Posted on: February 8th, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Cancer takes a great deal from a person and a family. This is especially true when a cancer victim has small children who don’t fully understand the condition. But we were quite moved by how this mother-daughter combo found a way to make the disease and the treatment bring them closer together.

Sara Duncan is a breastfeeding support worker who was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2011. With her diagnosis, Sara is taking what many would take as devastating news and turning into something positive.

Sara and her husband, Craig Etchells, are parents to six children, including six-year-old Lola Etchells. In order to help Lola to understand what her mother would look like post-chemo, Sara let her daughter be the one to cut her hair. While some people may have a very emotional experience with parting with their hair, Sara and Lola bonded over the event. They even shared a few laughs, such as when her daughter made the remark, “You are going to look like daddy when I am finished – two baldies.”

Even Craig had the opportunity to be part of the experience. A primary school IT manager, Craig stepped up as videographer, watching and laughing along with the ladies. During in the process, the video became a special memory to watch later. In fact, family and friends of Sara were moved by the video, resulting in Sara uploading the video to YouTube for everyone to see.

The touching moment between the daughter and mother has gone viral. Although Sara does place value on her hair, as she stated it’s part of your identity, she accepted her illness, and her children are helping her to make each milestone in her recovery a positive experience. She even denotes her daughter cutting her hair as cathartic. Although her fight isn’t over, she has radiotherapy along with five years of hormone therapy, Sara, Lola, Craig and their other children, are making the most of her diagnosis.

Beauty Schools Directory would like to take this moment to encourage all of our readers to donate toward cancer research and prevention through the charity of your choice. Every little bit counts.

A Tale of Bravery and Hair: Michigan teen suspended for growing out hair for Locks of Love

Posted on: February 3rd, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

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J.T. Gaskins via The Flint Journal for the purpose of critical commentary

Where does beauty, meet charity, meet breaking the rules? Right on top of J.T. Gaskins’ head apparently. The 17-year-old cancer survivor is making a bold attempt to grow his hair out to donate to Locks of Love in the middle of his senior year of high school. Though he has been cancer-free since 2003, he was recently touched by a friend battling the disease and decided to grow his hair for the donation to both support his friend and celebrate the end of his years of pediatric cancer checkups. He is a brave, caring boy, right? Of course he is, but there is a glitch.

The school he attends has a rule about how long boys can wear their hair, and they are not making any exceptions. His mother, Christa Plante, is shocked that the school has insisted he cut his hair. He has been suspended and will not be allowed back until he either cuts it or styles it differently. Though the school says he may style his hair in a way that gets it out of his eyes and off of his ears and collar, they have not been receptive to the suggestions of slicking it back or wearing it in a ponytail. There are not many other options.

At a meeting with the school board, Plante suggested adding a donation clause so that other boys at the school could not take advantage of a loop hole in the hair length for boys rule. It was denied, as was her suggestions for various hairstyles until time to cut. Despite the fact that he has already missed two weeks of his senior year, Gaskins is not backing down either. He knows what he wants, and he intends to get it done.

While true beauty is not linked to hair, humans naturally admire beautiful locks, and Locks of Love creates hair pieces made from real hair for those who have lost their hair for medical reasons. Apparently applauding his effort, Gaskins’ teachers are sending home work each day for him to complete, and his mother says she tries to keep each school day as conducive to learning as possible. While at home, Gaskins may not have his cell phone or television during school hours, and she still makes him get up early to get started on his work in an effort to keep him from falling behind while his hair continues to grow.

UPDATE: This morning, J.T. Gaskins and his mother, Christa Plante, have announced that, with Madison Academy unable to provide acceptable options or willing to accept any of their proposals, Gaskins will transfer to his local public school, which will let him re-enter a learning environment while still remaining dedicated to his cause.

On Indiana’s proposed cosmetology deregulations and why that’s a terrible idea

Posted on: January 13th, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory 4 Comments

UPDATE: There’s a petition now for those who want to sign it.

Of course, those of us at Beauty Schools Marketing Group keep a close eye on beauty news. It’s important to us to know what’s going on in the industry, and that doesn’t just mean hairstyle trends. It also means trends in state regulations – or, in all actuality, deregulations.

Two states recently – Indiana and New Hampshire – have introduced legislation to their respective houses calling for the deregulation of state licensing for several occupations, including cosmetology and barbering. New Hampshire’s House defeated the bill on Jan. 5th, but Indiana House Bill 1006 is still in contention. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 17th.

Supporters of the bill claim that it should be up to consumers to find qualified professionals in all of the fields that they argue should be deregulated. In Indiana, the report by the commissioned board states:

“If a consumer receives bad service, the consumer can choose a different cosmetologist or barber next time, without any significant risk of irreversible harm … consumers can protect themselves through the standard practice of trial and error.”

Here’s where we take a deep, soothing breath – and then firmly draw the line.

We understand that times are tough right now. We understand that federal and state governments are under a lot of pressure to find areas where they can cut expenditures, and we can see how they might think that this is a good opportunity to do that.

But we adamantly disagree.

We can’t speak for any of the other professions, but by deregulating the cosmetology and beauty industry, the state would be opening up a Pandora’s Box worth of trouble. Maybe it’s been awhile since any members of the commission got anything more than a trim, but there’s a LOT more involved in training and certifying cosmetologists and barbers than making sure they know which end of the scissors is the pointy end.

Without regulations, without some minimum standards of education and training and knowledge, anyone who thinks they’re good with a curling iron could open up a salon. And that could lead to terrible and dangerous consequences for consumers.

Cosmetologists work with chemicals and procedures that, if used incorrectly, can damage skin with burns and scars or cause hair loss, either of which can be long-term or even permanent and would certainly erode the victim’s self-esteem.

With that in mind, let’s look at that statement from the report again: Yes, Indiana commission, we consider this to be both a “significant risk” and the potential for “irreversible harm.” It is NOT something that the “standard practice of trial and error” can protect consumers from nor should it be their job to worry that the person holding the bleach knows how to use it correctly on their hair and not their scalp.

Is certification and licensure a prevent-all? No. But we argue that it prevents a lot of potential trouble, gives salon-goers in the state a little peace of mind, and holds Indiana cosmetologists and barbers to a standard that their clients deserve.

We’ve made our opinion known – what do you guys think? Vote in our poll or let us know in the comments.

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Is there business for Mattel to make a bald Barbie?

Posted on: January 12th, 2012 by Heather 1 Comment

After creating a one-of-a-kind bald Barbie doll for a special four-year-old girl battling cancer, Mattel – long-time producer of beloved Barbie dolls – is under increasing pressure to take things a step further and begin mass-producing this new bald Barbie. More and more people are calling for these unique dolls to be made available to the general public.

Via the Facebook campaign. Click the photo to visit.

The Facebook campaign page is blowing up with “likes” for this new doll, and promoters say that it will help young girls who may themselves be suffering from hair loss due to factors such as chemotherapy and radiation treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, or other auto-immune disorders. There’s also a Change.org petition trumpeting the same cause.

Barbie has long been extolled as a standard of beauty among young girls. A bald Barbie would help those who are fighting a disease or disorder to feel like a part of something wonderful and to view themselves as beautiful. The benefits do not stop with young girls who are without hair. A bald Barbie may also help those with friends or family members who are suffering from hair loss to identify and sympathize with their loved ones.

Called “Beautiful and Bald Barbie”, the name itself implies that baldness can indeed be beautiful. This challenges societal norms and assumptions, while boldly pushing the limits of what has traditionally been accepted as beautiful. The doll may provide a coping mechanism, as well as open the door for conversations regarding the true depth of a woman’s beauty. This unique twist on a classic doll broadens the definition of beauty and embraces an often marginalized sector of the public.

To complement Barbie’s beautiful baldness, Mattel is being prompted to create hats and head scarves for the bald Barbies. Several parents of young girls suffering from cancer have stated that a hairless doll could boost a child’s self-esteem, helping her to see herself in the beauty of the Barbie doll.

However, not everyone is throwing their weight behind the movement. A blogger mom from Chicago states that such a doll takes the focus off of the true needs of cancer patients. She makes the point that what would truly help those struggling with cancer is not a toy, but more money. She contends that an influx of money being poured into medical research or given to families to cover hospital bills meets a real need more than any toy ever will.

With no official response from Mattel as of yet, the debate continues on whether or not a Beautiful and Bald Barbie, if made available to the public, will truly benefit little girls suffering from hair loss. On the whole, however, it seems that the demand for this doll is rapidly picking up speed. Most of the people pleading for the doll have expressed the desire for Mattel to donate a portion of the profits to places, like St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, that specialize in pediatric cancer research. This would be a great middle ground that appeases both sides and truly helps families dealing with the devastating effects of cancer.

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A very happy New Year…

Posted on: January 1st, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments


…from BeautySchoolsDirectory.com! Here’s to a fabulous 2012!

Happy first day of Kwanzaa!

Posted on: December 26th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

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From all of us at Beauty Schools Directory

Posted on: December 25th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Happy first day of Hanukkah!

Posted on: December 20th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

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BeautySchoolsDirectory.com Gets a Makeover

Posted on: November 2nd, 2011 by Becca No Comments

Everyone needs to shake up their appearance now and then. We want to stay fresh, we want to stay current, we want to know that we look our best and are putting our best foot forward – so we change up our hairstyle or makeup or clothes or all of the above.

At BeautySchoolsDirectory.com, this is exactly what we wanted to accomplish when we set out to give our website a makeover earlier this year. We knew that we had a passion for beauty and a dedication to those who wanted to train for a career in the industry. It was important to us to find a new face for our company that conveyed all of that conviction and motivation.

It wasn’t enough for us to just put a little extra (nail) polish on our existing site – we wanted a floor-to-ceiling makeover, from the colors to the logo to the layout, that showed off our personality. Our goal was to focus on you, the visitors, and your experience on the site, to make it faster and easier for you to find the information you need.

The end result – and we hope you’ll agree – is a sophisticated new look that truly embodies both Beauty Schools Directory as a brand and those of us who have built it over the years. With this makeover, we aim to put ourselves out there – even the sassy parts – and show how much we care about beauty school students and the exciting, creative field that they’re choosing to work in.

So welcome to the new face of BeautySchoolsDirectory.com. We’re excited about showing off our personal style and having the chance to continue serving beauty school students across the country as a site that can help make their dreams come true.

What do you think about the new site makeover? Like it? Hate it? We’d love to know what you think!

ILLUSION: Alternative Hair Show 2011

Posted on: October 11th, 2011 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Yield your imagination to the whimsical visions of multihued, spiked, twisted and bulbous Lady Gaga-like hair creations. Gossamer designs, colored lights and sky-scraping tresses envelop, tantalize and sometimes shock the senses. Where are you? Is this an alien gathering for lunar stylists? No, you are one of the lucky attendees of the Alternative Hair Show, where anything goes when it comes to hair.

This one-of-a-kind, fantasy-filled charitable event envelops thousands in the bizarre, rainbow-colored world of hair couture. Founded by hairstylist Tony Rizzo in 1983, the Alternative Hair Show was ingeniously designed to heighten awareness and generate funding for leukemia research. Rizzo’s young son, whose death was caused by the disease, is the inspiration behind the show.

Since its inception, the elaborate, fun-filled event has become renowned as one of the world’s most celebrated hair shows. Princes and famous individuals fill the seats as impractical hairdos are flaunted across the stage. Each year’s fantastic theme becomes the motivational concept behind the sprayed, dyed and stiffened locks. The 2010 participants devised styles that embodied their interpretation of the word “masquerade.” The 2011 theme is “illusion.”

In 2004, Rizzo launched the Visionary Award, which encourages hairdressers to submit a photograph of one of their hair creations. Ten award winners are selected; each is invited to present a hair model at the Alternative Hair Show. Hairdressers from around the globe covet the Visionary Award and invitations to show off their dramatically artistic and somewhat outlandish coifs at their own expense.

Known to include major celebrities, the show’s success hinges on the creative prowess and collaboration of industry professionals and has become the pinnacle of hair entertainment. The Alternative Hair Show displays its unusual “dos” annually and hosts the following 2011 events: the Visionary Award Ireland, held this past July 10 at Dublin’s Thomas Prior Hall; the Visionary Award Ukraine, held this past Sept. 5 in Kiev; the Visionary Award Italy and Alternative Hair International Hair Design Masters Presentation, held this past Sept. 25 in Milan; the Illusion Alternative Hair Show Russia, held this Sept. 28 in Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace; and the Illusion Alternative Hair Show London, which will take place on Oct. 16 at Royal Albert Hall.

Alternative styling, like that seen in the Alternative Hair Show, is defined by its departure from the norm, but some of these less-than-popular hairdos could become the next trendsetters. Something has to inspire the pink bobs, white pixies and black spikes of tomorrow.

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