SligoWeekender March 20, 200744 45

specialfeature Sligo Weekender GOLDEN SCISSORS competition – sponsored by

THE Sligo Weekender lastweek launched GoldenScissors – with the aim offinding the best hairdresser inCounty Sligo, plus the bestcommunity salon.

The BEST HAIRDRESSER willwin a holiday for four inMarbella. The winner willalso receive a stylish GoldenScissors ‘Award of Excellence’wall plaque.

The BEST SALON will receivethe Golden Scissors ‘BestCommunity Salon’ wallplaque.

A judging panel will decidethe winners,

BUT FIRST, weneed YOUR HELP!

We need nominations fromYOU for both categories– Best Hairdresser and BestCommunity Salon – using the NOMINATION FORM printed on theright side of this section.When you fill in your form,please make clear whether itis for the hairdresser or thesalon (just tick one of theboxes).

NOTE the closing date fornominations, which isTuesday, April 9.

A shortlist of six stylistswill be drawn up based on thenominations we get our fromreaders. We will select sixcandidates for the communitysalon award, also based on thenominations we receive. A listof the nominees in eachcategory will be printed in thepaper.

A judging panel will selectthe winners. This panel willinclude Weekender marketingmanager Lydia Rogers,Weekender reporter NiamhMullen, a professionalhairdresser from outsideSligo, and a representative ofthe sponsors, Radisson SASHotel & Spa.

For readers, however, itdoesn’t end there . . .

YOU COULD WIN AFREE STYLING!

At the foot of thenomination form you will seeanother box asking whetheryou would like to beconsidered as a HAIR SPY. Ifyou tick this box, yournomination will go into a hat,and 12 hair spies (six to ‘spy’on nominated hairdressersand six to ‘spy’ on nominatedsalons) will be chosen for afree hair styling.

The ‘spies’ will be sent fortheir hair appointments theweek after nominations end.

The judges will rate the hairstyle when the hair spiesreturn. Comments from thespy and a checklist of itemson how the spies were treatedwill also be considered whenchoosing the overall winners.

WE URGE YOU TO NOMINATE YOURHAIRDRESSER OR SALON TODAY . . .WITH A FULL EXPLANATION OF WHYTHEY ARE SO GOOD!

Lowlights! Theconfessions ofour hairdressers

GOLDEN SCISSORSNOMINATION FORM

I wish to nominate (name of hairdresser ORsalon):

of (name of hairdresser’s salon)

(address of salon)

Because (could continue on separate sheet)

My name

Address

Daytime phone

SSEENNDD TTOO:: Golden Scissors, Sligo Weekender, Waterfront House, Bridge Street, SligoCCLLOOSSIINNGG DDAATTEE:: Monday, April 9, 2007

■ For a hairdresser ■ For a salon (tick just one box)

■ (tick box if you wish to be considered)

I WISH TO BE CONSIDERED AS A ‘HAIR SPY’

The Radisson SAS Hotel & Spa, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo● Phone: 071-9140008 ● Email: info@radissonsas.com ● Web: www.sligo.radissonsas.com

What youmust do

By Niamh Mullen

EVERY time you get your hair cut,coloured or permed you put yourtrust in your stylist to do a good job.

You expect to leave feeling confident, andready for a night out on the town.

But once in a while, no matter how goodyour hairdresser is, things can go wrong.A number of Sligo stylists confessed theirdisaster stories to us.*

“I was in charge and a stylist was doingblonde highlights. The customer waswearing a rubber cap and the stylist waspulling the strands of hair through theholes in the cap using a steel prong. Thestylist accidently stuck the prong into thewoman’s earlobe. The customer was allright but the girl doing her hair fainted,”said John.

“The worst thing that ever happenedwas when I was training. I turned a girl’shair green. It was bright blonde and I wasdarkening it. I should have used a hint ofred to cover it but forgot. I was able to fixit though. Luckily she was one of the girlsI was training with,” said Sarah.

“When I was training I cut one side of agirl’s hair up shorter than the other. It wasawful. When I’m doing someone’s hair Iam worried. You never know how acolour will take,” said Lisa.

“There was a woman who came in andalways got her hair cut very short at thenape of her neck. I was shaving it withabout a four blade and the top of the razorjust flew off and went to the zero setting. Ishaved a patch bald. I had to go over therest of the area with a one blade. Luckily

she didn’t mind because she liked her hairvery short. Needless to say, she got herhaircut for free,” said Brian.

“I have no major disaster stories butthere is one group of people who arealways very difficult to please – teachers.They always complain. I think they mustlike to be in control. Other friends whoare hairdressers would say the same,”said Noel.

“A girl was getting married and she wasgetting blond highlights. I wassupervising a stylist doing the colour. Iwas called away to do first aid on someoneand when I came back I realised they hadbeen left on too long. The bleached hairfell out when it was being washed andblocked the sink. The other stylist nearly

died but the girl didn’t notice,” said Joe.Fortunately, horror stories are not that

common these days. Many salons nowinsist that new customers have a skin testfor allergies before they have their haircoloured.

It is also uncommon to have your hairbleached and permed on the same day.Years ago, such procedures were doneregularly and caused clumps of hair tofall out.

There is a bigger emphasis on caring foryou hair now. For insurance reasonshairdressers are more cautious. They willrefuse to do some procedures if they thinkit will damage the hair badly.

* The names of the stylists have beenchanged.

DIET plays an important role in keeping your hair healthy.Both your hair and nails are made from a protein called

keratin. A diet deficient in protein can cause hair to thin,or it can slow up the growth cycle. The reverse is also true.

If you eat a protein rich diet it can often result inimproved hair growth. Make sure you get your weeklyrequirement of red meat, poultry, dairy products, andcereals.

Try to eat one portion of a food rich in beta-caroteneeveryday such as sweet potato, butternut squash orcarrots.

Liver, spinach, and oily fish like salmon, trout andmackerel contain the essential omega-3 fatty acid, whichhelps reduce dandruff and itchy scalps.

Water makes up a quarter of the weight of a strand ofhair. It is needed to keep your hair soft and shiny. Do notwait until you are thirsty to drink. Thirst means that yourbody is already beginning to dehydrate.

The minerals Iron and Zinc are vital for healthy hair, asare Vitamins A, B and C.

As well as eating a healthy balanced hair diet exercise isalso important It promotes blood flow to the scalp and willaid the growth of hair.

CAMOMILE SHAMPOOIngredients: Four camomile tea bags, four tablespoons

of pure soap flakes (available at good supermarkets), oneand a half tablespoons of glycerin (available at chemists orselected health food stores).

Method: Let the tea bags steep for one and a half cups ofboiled water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and addthe soap flakes to the remaining liquid. Leave standinguntil the soap flakes soften. Stir in glycerin until themixture is well blended. Pour into a bottle. Store in a cool,dark place.

PROTEIN CONDITIONERIngredients: One teaspoon of

baby oil; one egg yolk, one cup ofwater.

Method: Beat the egg yolk untilit is frothy, add the oil then beatagain. Add water. Massage intoyour scalp and throughout yourhair. Rinse well. Refrigerate for upto one week.

HOME-MADECONDITIONINGTREATMENT

Ingredients: One small jar ofmayonnaise; Half an avocado(which contains vitamin E andvitamin B6).

Method: Mix together in amedium sized bowel and squishtogether until it is a minty greencolour. Smooth into your hair,concentrating on the tip. Wrapyour hair up in a warm damptowel. Leave for 20 minutes.

goldenSCISSORS

Search for Sligo’s • Best hairdresser • Best salon

Key role that dietplays in keepingyour hair healthy

Home-madehair remedies

HIGHLIGHTS: Years ago, colouring hair was a lot more fraught with difficulties than it is now. MIXING DYE: Many salons insist customers have a skin test for allergies before applying.