Salon

When you go into a salon, whether it's to get your nails done or touch up your roots, there are inevitably "extras" on offer — for an additional cost, of course. But no matter how hard someone pitches them to you, some add-ons aren't absolutely necessary. To find out which five common ones don't make the cut, just keep reading.

In medieval Europe, there existed barber surgeons: haircutters who also happened to perform some minor medical procedures like bloodletting and teeth pulling. And in modern times, it seems the stylist/medical connection just may be drawing closer — although not quite to Middle Ages extremes.

A recent study performed by Harvard's School of Public Health found that of 203 Houston-area hairstylists polled, 58 percent had recommended that their clients have suspicious moles checked. Since stylists work so close to their clients' hair, scalps, necks, and faces, this gave Alan Gellar, the study's coauthor, pause. He, along with his Harvard colleagues, are currently working with the Melanoma Foundation of New England, and have formed The Skinny on Skin, a Massachusetts program to help educate hair professionals on what to look for when it comes to possibly cancerous spots on their clients' skin. To find out more, just keep reading.

It seems there's an iPad app for just about everything, and now salon owners are realizing how valuable a concept that can be. At New York City's Salon AKS, the photo album-organizing MyGallery app has proven to be popular, as stylists use the tool to help clients more easily pick hairstyles during consultations.

Having the iPad readily available in salons also enables clients to peruse the latest red-carpet events and even easily reference images of Old Hollywood styles. This is particularly useful for younger stylists who perhaps aren't quite sure what "Jean Harlow blond" means.

Other salons use the iPad as more of an entertainment outlet, allowing their clients to play around with the devices for personal use while visiting the salon. And with the recent launch of InStyle's Hairstyle Try-On, perhaps more and more salons will be replacing glossies with these lightweight tablet computers.

My skin almost hurts from reading this Salon article about the dangers of sun exposure. Writer Sarah Stanfield, a fair-skinned student in Ecuador, wound up with a scorching sunburn after tanning for four hours without sunblock. She writes:

Quito rises about 9,000 feet above sea level. At this elevation, the atmosphere is thinner, making skin more vulnerable to the sun's rays. I knew this, but convinced myself the clouds in the sky would temper the intensity of the sun. So I stretched out next to the pool with a Toni Morrison novel, rising four hours later with legs the color of smoked salmon.

Stanfield couldn't walk for days, then developed second-degree burns and leaking blisters the size of quarters. The ordeal sounds terrible — but as a fellow member of the "We Don't Tan, We Burn" club of pale people, I'm surprised that someone so fair-skinned would venture into the sun without protection. Sheer folly! Let this be a cautionary tale the next time you're thinking of skipping SPF. (Remember: oozing blisters.)

At 83, Vidal Sassoon, the original celebrity hairstylist, is as active and sharp-witted as ever. His documentary, Vidal Sassoon the Movie, is currently out in limited release, and his autobiography (which he penned himself) is set to be available in the US in April. And after 65 years in the business, he's still "got it" with his slightly flirtatious personality and keen sense of humor, making it practically impossible not to be charmed by the handsome octogenarian. When referred to as "Mr. Sassoon" on a recent call, for instance, he immediately quipped, "Everyone calls me Vidal, because Mr. Sassoon [his father] is the banker."
See what else Vidal had to say about the film, his inspirations, and more when you keep reading.

Editor's note: The following post is by guest writer Tabatha Coffey, hairstylist, star of Shear Genius and Tabatha's Salon Takeover, and author of the new book It's Not Really About the Hair.

Ever hear of the saying "honesty is the best policy"? Well, nowhere is this truer than in the salon. To get the very most out of your stylist and salon experience, open and honest communication is an absolute must! Like women who buy jeans four sizes too small in the hopes that it'll inspire them to shed those extra pounds (and often end up with a closet full of clothes they can't wear), salon clients are too often unrealistic about their hair type/hair color, ability as at-home stylists, and commitment to upkeep; resulting in dissatisfaction with a particular haircut/hair color or unfair assessment of a stylist’s
skill. See the rest of Tabatha's tips when you read more.

After several years in the spotlight, the braids trend is still going strong. And that's why I think the Nine Zero One salon in West Hollywood is on to something. For just $25, you can visit the salon's Braid Bar, where a stylist will create the perfect plait of your choice. Pick from: Around the World, two braids on each side joined together in the back; Hollywood Glam, a headband "braid" incorporated in an updo; Venice Hippie, a trendy fishtailed side braid; and NY Chic, a braided headband style. You can also customize your own braid, and for $15 more, throw a shampoo into the mix. For $100, get a shampoo, blow-dry, and braid. This is a business plan I'd definitely like to see more of. How about you?

While most of us haven't really thought much about Tiger Woods's indiscretions for quite some time, we're getting a nice big reminder thanks to one of his supposed former mistresses, Loredana Jolie. The New York Post reports that the one-time Playboy model is rumored to have plans to open an NYC spa called (groan) Tigress this March.

Apparently, she's finishing up cosmetology classes, and while a brief search for Loredana on New York state's Division of Licensing Services didn't come up with a record of her, perhaps it's because she really is still in the process of completing her education. Whatever the case, only time will tell if the opportunistically named establishment will indeed be open for business.

One Florida woman found herself in jail this week after calling 911 about a dispute over her manicure. Apparently the lady in question, Cynthia Colston, felt a salon technician had left her nails too short, and called the emergency-only number four times to request sheriff's deputies come out to the salon. In the calls, Colston told dispatchers “I need to press charges. I just went to a business and they did not treat me well.” Because she called 911 repeatedly for a non-emergency, Colston was arrested for misuse of the emergency system. Her defense? Her nails were too long (in addition to apparently being too short), and she kept accidentally dialing 911 because she couldn't use her cell properly. Check out the video below to see what the police and Colston had to say:

The good news? Your amazing stylist has just been promoted. The bad news? A price increase ensues. Recently, after getting a haircut, I was informed that the next time I came in, my stylist's prices would increase 20 percent. Mixed emotions followed, but once I accepted the fact that hikes in prices are normal for any business, I got a whole new outlook on the subject. For a few tips on how to cope when your stylist ups the cost of services, just keep reading.