haircuts

There's been so much in the news lately about formalin and formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout solution that it seems like everybody and their mother is pulling out of the treatment.

Not so, though, according to today's New York Times. Instead of getting rid of the treatments, some salons have just moved them out into the open air to reduce fumes (no word on how that'll work when it snows in New York). One salon has even gone so far as to have its employees and clients wear gas-mask-like respirators while the procedure is going on.

Most of you said you would not try the treatment, but if these types of precautions were taken, would you reconsider?

Long bangs for boys are about to get trimmed! Summer's hottest hair — Justin Bieber's shaggy 'do and Apple Martin's beachy tresses – are being tidied up as kids head back to school. Joe Jonas's clean cut and Vanessa Hudgens's curly locks are what students will be sporting. We spoke with Cozy Friedman of New York's Cozy's Cuts for Kids to find out about the latest trends.

BabySugar: What type of hair is hot for Fall?
Cozy Friedman: Long hair for boys is still the direction that boys are going in, but it's not quite as . . . messy looking as the Bieber, or as brushed onto the face. It's now a little bit neater —more like a Joe Jonas kind of look. As far as girls, there is definitely a trend for chunky waves. We do a lot of updos and styles in the salon and we are doing a lot more work with curling irons than ever before. Not curling tight curls, [but] thick-barrel curling irons for long chunky waves. We're also seeing, for quick and easy style, a lot of girls are wearing long braids like Vanessa Hudgens.

BabySugar: What's the best way to describe a style to the hairdresser?
Cozy Friedman: I always say it's best to bring a picture. Have them (your child) go online or find it in a magazine. Say "long, chunky waves" and any hairstylist will definitely understand that. For the boys, it's also a good idea to say what you don't want. So you want to say, "I want it to cover my ear," or "I want my ear showing." Just be very direct about how you want it. We're definitely still seeing the longer layers for boys, just a little bit neater.

BabySugar: What do kids need to make the styles work?
Cozy Friedman: I think styling cream is the best product for children. Children shouldn't be spending an hour doing their hair. Using a nice light styling cream – it can be used on wet hair, dry hair, straight hair, etc. It smoothes hair, makes it look finished, it keeps it in place. The curling iron for girls if they want to achieve waves is good, but you don't want to overuse it because it will damage the hair. I prefer saving a curling iron for a special occasion. You can definitely use rollers. Soft foam rollers are probably better for children . . . softer against the scalp.

BabySugar: Any quick tricks to speed up the process on school days?
Cozy Friedman: A loose, very loose, chunky braid. When you take it out it leaves a crimp in your hair, but if it's a nice thick braid, it's more like a thick wave than a little crimp. That you can do at night before you go to bed and in the morning you take it out and have a 'do!

Psst. I'm about to let you in on a little secret: you can easily cut your own hair. Last night, in fact, I lopped off about six inches and couldn't be more pleased. It's not that I don't appreciate stylists — far from it — it's just that I don't have a lot of free time to make an appointment. Plus, styling yourself is fun (and addictive).

But home cutting can definitely be a dangerous game if you don't come in with a solid understanding and reasonable expectations. If you've got questions, ask them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. And to learn the basics I've gleaned from experience, just keep reading.

Need a laugh? Then we highly suggest you watch this ridiculously funny "commercial" for Salt Lake Community College's Barbering and Cosmetology School. It's not unintentionally absurd, though. It was created by Rhett and Link, a couple of (adorable) roving pranksters who're currently traveling across the country making some of the funniest faux-mercials ever. Check out the video and tell us whether you'd let these nice young ladies give you a $2 haircut:

Ombré highlights may be all the rage in the hair coloring world, but as far as haircuts are concerned, the undercut is the style that's having a moment. Worn by stars like Alice Dellal, Rihanna, and Cassie, along with the always-daring Melanie Brown, the look is not for the faint of heart.

If you like the cut, but don't want to shear away half of your hair to get the edgy effect, you can easily fake it. Get tips on how you can rock the latest trend — without going under the razor — when you read more.

Justin Bieber may be a ladies' man, but he's got all kinds of young guys chopping their locks to look like his. The swept forward fringed look is where it's at for trendy tweens. Will moms take notice and have their younger sons sheared in the same style? Cozy Friedman of Cozy's Cuts for Kids says yes so she gave us the inside scoop on how to get the look.

BabySugar: Describe the Bieber hairstyle.
Cozy Friedman: The Justin Bieber “fringe” haircut is the hottest look right now for tween/teen boys. It is really all the rage and has completely taken on a life of its own. My son who is 12 wears his hair in this style every day. The look is cut shorter in the back and longer in the front, which is the exact opposite of popular cuts for boys in the past years. The cut is very top heavy with long layers. It’s called “The Flow” or “Twitch” (like you are twitching and flipping your hair out of your eyes) and has been described as “long bangs for boys.”

BabySugar: How do you get the look?
Cozy Friedman: Hair is cut on a slight angle in the front ... it’s kept long in the front and short in the back. But the most important thing about getting this look is the style [rather] than the cut. The hair is literally pushed forward over your forehead and eyes and set in place using either gel or styling cream depending on the texture and thickness of your hair. The thicker your hair, the heavier the product needs to be. Go with gel (like the So Cozy Styling Gel for thicker textures) or styling cream (like the So Cozy Styling Cream) for great hold and control.

BabySugar: What else should we know about this style?
Cozy Friedman: Boys don’t really want to admit that they love Justin Bieber and want to emulate his look. So even though they are all trying to recreate his look, they don’t want to admit it. A note to parents, and stylists, when referring to this look – stick to names like “fringe” instead of directly saying that it’s the “Justin Bieber” look and using more girly terms like “wispy.”

When kids want a cool haircut, they (or their moms) look to alternatots like Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Kingston Rossdale for inspiration. Brad Pitt and Angelina's Jolie's oldest son made the modified mohawk mainstream some years ago with 74 percent percent of LilSugar readers saying they were fans. Since the style has had staying power, I chatted with Cozy Friedman, founder of Cozy's Cuts for Kids on how a mom should advise a stylist to chop their child's locks to achieve the look. She also told us which teen heartthrob is making hair waves these days.

BabySugar: What is the difference between a mohawk and a fauxhawk, and why are they so popular?
Cozy Friedman: A Mohawk is completely shaved on the sides and a mini-mohawk or “fauxhawk” is just buzzed on the sides so it’s not as short. Your typical fauxhawk would leave hair on top approximately two-inches long. Maddox Jolie-Pitt popularized this trend. I think that this trend is definitely still popular, but it’s more so with the little ones than with the older boys, so it’s really the parents asking for it for their kids. The fauxhawk modification definitely made the style more mainstream. I think that the trend is great because any time a kid is expressing themselves through their hair they are happy and feel more confident, which is a really positive thing.

BabySugar: What are some ways the style can be created that make both kids and their parents happy?
Cozy Friedman: The best way to compromise on this style . . . is to make the cut not as drastic. Keep the sides longer and the top not as high. What makes the trend really drastic is the difference between the sides and the top, so coming to a good balance is best.

To see which teen heartthrob is currently the "tress setter," read more