Hair professionals devote a lot of energy to supporting others, but it’s essential to safeguard your own well-being, too. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we interviewed Sarah Beck, founder of The Balanced Hairstylist, who shares some strategies for preserving your energy and nurturing your mental wellness.  

What are 3 small things beauty pros can do each day no matter how busy their schedule is to center and take care of themselves?

Carving out even a few minutes for mindfulness can make a significant difference in a beauty professional's day. Whether it's a moment of deep breathing or simply taking a few quiet moments to reset between clients, these small acts of self-care can help to ground and center amidst the hustle. First, stop scrolling between clients. Unless you have dedicated time allotted for social media, try to put the screen away. Mindlessly scrolling can be a numbing tool that depletes your energy and mental health. Second, release energy that isn't yours. When transitioning from one client to the next, the energy exchange can build up. Taking just a minute to release the absorbed energy can prevent the build-up of stress. Visualize the shared energy leaving as you sweep the hair from the previous appointment. Sweep the energy away. Third, come back to your body. Amidst the hustle, it's easy to get caught up in the monkey mind. Getting into your body brings you back to the present moment and promotes calmness. Try running cold water over your hands, deep breathing, or simple stretches to reconnect with your body. All three modalities can help reduce stress and anxiety. By shifting from the monkey mind to the body, you can cultivate a more resilient nervous system and enhance overall mental health throughout your day.  

How can salon owners make sure their team isn’t burning out?

To ensure their team avoids burnout, salon owners play a pivotal role in setting a positive tone by prioritizing their own mental wellbeing. Taking time for self-care and leading by example sends a powerful message to their team to do the same. Additionally, implementing regular check-ins is crucial. Not just meeting for numbers and goals, but meetings to gauge stress levels and offer support. This shows genuine concern for their employees' mental health. Encouraging open communication and actively listening to their team's concerns fosters a supportive environment. Recently, I collaborated with a salon for private quarterly mental health days. After four sessions, they shared that it had been "nothing short of life changing." This illuminates the importance of salon owners prioritizing mental health, not just for themselves but for their teams, to cultivate a healthy and thriving work environment.  

What boundaries do you think beauty pros would benefit most from establishing right away in their careers?

Firstly, it's essential to set clear work hours and stick to them to prevent overwork. Starting your career with squeezing in clients or discounting services can make it challenging to reset boundaries later on. Secondly, recognizing your limitations and setting boundaries accordingly is crucial. Just as we can't pour from an empty cup, it's vital to identify when your energy reserves are depleting and take action to replenish them. Thirdly, prioritizing self-care is paramount. Allocate dedicated time for self-care without hesitation, setting firm boundaries around it. Our profession can be emotionally and physically draining, so refueling ourselves is essential for sustained well-being.  

Beauty pros often become like their client’s therapist which can be overwhelming. What are your suggestions for navigating that?

Beauty professionals often find ourselves in the role of "hairapist" which can be overwhelming. First, know that you are NOT responsible for your clients' feelings and emotions. In The Balanced Hairstylist, we emphasize the importance of actively listening without feeling the need to solve every problem. Fixing, providing solutions, or giving advice is actually draining for us, and most clients don't really want advice! They are seeking validation and understanding. Also, know when you are being emotionally dumped on. Clients have a tendency to emotionally dump on us because they see us as a safe person. Learn how to set boundaries in the moment so it doesn't drain you. Educate clients about the importance of mental health professionals for deeper issues. The Balanced Hairstylist addresses these exact issues because we understand the unique challenge of being therapists without therapy training.  

Tell us more about The Balanced Hairstylist.

The Balanced Hairstylist is a heartfelt initiative that stems from my personal journey in the beauty industry. Our Online Course is rooted in psychology and science, offering hairstylists valuable tools to prioritize their mental health. We delve into various topics, including those mentioned earlier, and also awareness, boundaries, stress levels, communication, self-care, energy protection and much more. I'm excited to offer a cohort experience where participants can journey through the course together, starting in September 2024. One student has said, "I don’t know how to accurately express my gratitude for this class. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough." Additionally, I offer workshops, retreats, private salon events, and personalized one-on-one support, which is a great way to start if you're feeling on the edge of burnout and need help right away.  

What made you start The Balanced Hairstylist and what do you hope to provide with it?

After 23 years as a hairstylist, I personally understand the toll extreme burnout can take, especially on our mental health. When I reached my lowest point of burnout, I had to step away from the industry for a while. But, like many of you, I LOVE what I do. I just couldn't continue in a way that drained me so much. I had to find a way to do things differently, and once I did, I knew I wanted to share this passion with others in the industry. After years of therapy and extensive research, I began hosting small events alongside therapists, and it became clear that this was the path I was destined to take. My goal is to help hairstylists like you and me have long-lasting careers that prioritize mental health. My own experience with burnout in the beauty industry inspired me to create something meaningful. Through The Balanced Hairstylist, I hope to offer practical tools and emotional support to navigate the challenges of our profession.   A special thank you to Sarah Beck. To learn more visit The Balanced Hairstylist website or sign up for The Balanced Hairstylist Online Course. Follow @thebalancedhairstylist on Instagram for more tips and information on the program.       About Sarah Beck: Sarah Beck has been doing hair for over 22 years and educating for 8 years. She started her education in NYC at the Aveda Institute and apprenticed at Arrojo Studio. While she still offers transformation haircuts with clients at The Hair Parlour in Kansas City and hosts razor cutting education classes, Sarah has embarked on a journey with The Balanced Hairstylist. The Balanced Hairstylist focuses on the mental health of beauty professionals and empowering hairstylists to have a balanced relationship with their career, and to elevate from within, all while cultivating a like-minded community of support.

Janine Jarman is a nationally renowned celebrity stylist and founder of Hairroin Salon LA & NYC. With clientele like Fergie, Danica Patrick and the Pussycat Dolls she has been there and done that. With her charismatic energy and free spirit, Janine’s natural curiosity sparked a new business around perms. With perms generally being out of favor for over 20 years, no one was paying attention or looking to evolve the process of perming. Despite this, Janine believed in her heart that there was a market for a better perming process that removed the unpleasantries of the traditional perm that repelled many stylists as well as clients. Janine is now taking by storm her line of curl products called Curl Cult. We asked Janine to get candid with us about her line and her perspective on perms!   JATAI: What is Curl Cult and how do your products create a more modern perm (include all the benefits)? Janine: Curl Cult is a texture support brand. We have a unique in-salon permanent texture service that creates effortless volumes, waves and curls. The Curl Cult process elevates the "perming" process with fewer steps, a sweeter smell and uses PisumProtex^TM protection technology to give damage-free natural-looking results. Curl Cult products have a straightforward moisture-rich retail range that supports both natural curls and those permanently created.     JATAI: Why did you start Curl Cult? Janine: As a stylist for over 20 years, I really wanted to help solve for clients' desire to have wash-and-go hair. Unfortunately, knowing what products and how to use them wasn't always enough. Most clients needed more texture or to even out the texture they had. Traditional perms were damaging, stinky, time-consuming and messy. They haven’t evolved in 20+ years. I aimed to change that by making soft and natural permanent texture a reality.   JATAI: How is the process of doing a Curl Cult perm different from the traditional way? Janine: There are fewer steps. We neutralize right over the top of the perm solution, eliminating the need to rinse for 5 minutes, blot dry and neutralize, synonymous with perms of the past. And the scent during the process is much sweeter than anything else in the market. The results are soft and natural looking. Your Curl Cult perm grows out with you because of the gentle treatment-infused process.   JATAI: If someone wants to learn the Curl Cult process, what should they do? Janine: EASY! Just go online to CurlCult.com - go to the professional portal to sign up and take the 30-minute certification! It’s free and easy to start your Curl Cult texture journey.   JATAI: You use Fuji Papers during your perming process (thank you 😊). Why do you choose Fuji Papers over other end papers? Janine: Fuji Paper quality is incomparable. They are lightweight yet have extraordinary grip that is unique to the hole pattern design. Accompanied by the pop-up dispenser, it cuts my wrap time in half and ensures I have a clean connection of the ends around the rods. They are the Mercedes of perm papers, and I am now too spoiled ever to use anything else.   JATAI: Where do you see perms going in the short term and long term? Janine: I see two key factors of consumer desire driving the need of perming service. One is healthy hair and products. Using less heat and damage is becoming increasingly important as well as clean ingredients and do-no-harm products. Two is time; clients want to spend less time fussing with hair and makeup. Using less effort is driving trends forward. So a service that can eliminate daily styling will become increasingly important.   JATAI: How can someone get a Curl Cult perm? Janine: Check out our salon map at curlcult.com to find a Curl Cult certified stylist in your area.

If you’ve visited JATAI Academy, you most likely have seen a number of videos that feature Russell Mayes. Russell, a proficient hairstylist and former salon owner, is JATAI’s Director of Content. From teaching how to cut a bob with a razor to cutting long hair on men with scissors, Russell has a wealth of knowledge and expertise meant to be shared with the world. Not only is he well-versed at his craft, but he’s a great educator too. It’s not easy being both! Get to know Russell as we grill him about his career path, his biggest influences and of course his favorite food.   1.What made you become a hairstylist? Both my parents are in the business. My mother is a barber and my father was a barber and cosmetologist (he went to both schools). So, when I was looking to take a year off between high school and college, I decided to try doing hair until I got bored. 35 years later I'm still not bored of it.   2. What kind of training have you had to get where you are today? I have always been willing to travel wherever I needed to learn what I needed. I have moved from Kentucky to NYC to SoCal. Ultimately, I went where the mentors were and worked for them. I would find the best, and then ask if they'd teach me. They have all been super giving and I try to pay that forward by sharing what has been so freely shared with me.   3. Who are your biggest inspirations in the industry and why? My biggest inspirations in the industry are Erika Hawkins (her work is always so fresh and pretty), Japanese hair stylist Kazuya Kobayashi and Yuki Katayanagi as well as Stanley Man. They are all amazing haircutters that do some intense shapes, but they are always pretty. In today's world that is finding beauty offensive, I appreciate their work more and more.   4. You’ve owned a salon. What are your biggest takeaways from that experience? Owning your own salon with staff is more about people management and training new staff than it is anything else. Ultimately, your success will come from your ability to train brilliant hair stylist and barbers, not your ability to market on social. While marketing is very important, if your staff can't live up to expectations of new clients, you will struggle.   5. What is your favorite tool and why? My favorite tool is my JATAI Osaka Scissor. It's sharp, has the perfect blade to handle balance and hasn't cut me!!   6. What are your future plans in the industry? I want to get better at my YouTube hair education, and I've been working on a texture styling spray so I'll be marketing that in the near future.   7. Give some tips to hair professionals who want to become an educator. Practice your craft until you are excellent. Expert level only comes with repetition. Today, if you want to be an educator, start a YouTube channel or Insta or whatever your preferred platform and just start making educational content. It's simple, there are no longer gate keepers preventing you from sharing and becoming known. It's not easy, you will feel lost, mess up and figure it out along the way. That is all part of the process.   8. What do you love most about being a hairstylist? I love that what I do on a daily basis (cutting and styling hair) means something to someone. I'm not in an office pushing papers around in a thankless job. I can make someone feel better about themselves and give them the moxie they need to go take on the world!   9. How do you see the industry changing? And what do you think the future holds? More specialization. For the longest time I though the hair industry would force stylist to be skilled at cutting, styling and coloring etc. for everything and everyone. But as I see it now, stylist will become more and more specialized at their chosen craft: balayage specialist, graduated bob specialist, taper/fade specialist etc. And they will attract that clientele via social media.   10. What are some things you wish you knew before becoming a stylist? Invest in my future EARLY, save a little money EVERYDAY, even if it's only $5 and invest that into a Roth IRA (S&P500) for my retirement.   11. Just for fun…what is your favorite food? Japanese katsu curry and Korean BBQ!!! Now I'm hungry!

Ever wanted to see barbershops in action from around the world? Haircut Harry is the barbering world's version of Anthony Bourdain, an experienced traveler showcasing global grooming traditions on his eponymous YouTube channel. We spoke to Harry to learn about his creative journey, some of his more memorable adventures in barbering (including the one that made him most nervous), and just how close of a shave Japanese metal can give.  Get all this and more in our interview! We understand you started traveling as a teenager and it's been a passion ever since.  What inspired you to travel? I was always interested in the unknown beyond the limitations of where I grew up.  This early curiosity was nurtured over many years as I watched TV shows about travel, people and places around the world.  Naturally, by the time I got a passport, I was really eager to use it.  I wanted to see firsthand what was out there in the world. Obviously while traveling the world, a haircut and shave becomes a necessity eventually. Do you recall where your first barbering visit was while traveling? It was during a trip I took when I traveled through Africa for a few months.  This was in the nineties when grunge style was popular.  I had grown my hair long all the way down to my shoulders.  I decided to visit a local barber in Tunisia to get all my long hair cut off. The shop was tucked away on a side street not too far from Souk El Blaghgia in Tunis.  It was a relatively small shop with about two chairs tucked into the tight space.  It was late afternoon and the warm sun was coming though the open door and windows casting yellow and orange shades across the inside of the shop.  The barbers made it a very warm and friendly place to be. Not only did I get a great haircut, but I also learned about the city and people from the barbers.  Got some good tips on where and what to eat like a local as well! When you started your YouTube channel in 2012, why did you decide to focus on grooming videos in particular? What has surprised you most about viewers' reactions to your videos? While traveling I was trying to escape the tourist traps.  So I found the experiences within the barbershops to be genuine interactions with the local community.  It was a place I wasn’t seen solely as a tourist.  Barbers treated me the same as everyone else in the barbershop, and it was inside the shops where I learned so much about the communities I was visiting. The first barbershop experience I filmed was a small barbershop in India back in 1999, but it was not until YouTube launched that I was able to share this video with a wider audience in 2006.  For several years I had just this one Indian barbershop video on the channel. In 2012 I rebranded the YouTube Channel as Haircut Harry and focused on filming in barbershops as I wanted to share more of these interesting and unique experiences from around the world. Our viewers are great and really get into the videos by remembering pieces of the barbers conversations and commenting on the many details they see in the shops we visit.  One thing we really appreciate is when viewers visit the barbershops then share updates and photos from their visit. You've had haircuts and shaves all over the world. Where is your most memorable one and why is it so memorable? My haircut and shave experiences have all been memorable for different reasons.  One of my more recent memorable experiences is my visit to the historic Seongu Barbershop in Seoul, South Korea. Mr. Lee, the owner and barber, is in his early 70s and is a third-generation barber.  He was born in the family home where his grandfather opened the barbershop in 1927. When we visited Seongu in 2019, nothing much had changed with the barbershop except for a storm that once tore off the thatched roof.  Mr. Lee began cutting hair in the 1960s.  He worked with his dad all the way up until the 1970s when his dad decided to retire. Mr. Lee is a little over 5’ tall so uses a rickety wooden footstool to stand on while working on his customers.  He still lathers up his shaving soap on the side of a hot water pot heated on a charcoal stove and uses potato starch in the hair as a visual aid.  In the past, barbers used powders that contained asbestos so Mr. Lee switched to potato starch as it is not harmful.  He uses watering cans to wash your hair and does a vinegar rinse. Not too long after we filmed, a very bad storm damaged his barbershop.  Therefore, the shop had to be remodeled and it looks very different now.  We’re happy we had the opportunity to visit the old shop and film with Mr. Lee. What are you looking for when choosing a barbershop to visit and film during your travels? Do you choose it ahead of time, or is it sometimes a "I need a haircut/shave now" decision? I’m always looking for the shops full of history, stories, and collections built up over time.  Many are like little museums and typically owned by an equally interesting barber. We often research and choose shops ahead of time.  However, many of the old school shops are harder to find therefore, we rely on local knowledge and searching on location. Since so many of the old traditional shops are disappearing fast, I have a particular interest in capturing as many of these old school shops as possible.  We have already filmed at a few shops that are sadly no longer with us.  So our videos have become a documentation of what these shops and barbers were like. Let's talk about barbering tools.  While you're the client and not a barber yourself, you must have had a wide variety of tools used on you. What has been the closest/cleanest shave you've received? I feel very fortunate to have had many awesome shaves around the world!  Some of the closest shaves have been in India, Korea and Japan as well as North America. Was there a particular barbershop experience that had you a little nervous? During my first Indian barbershop experience in 1999, I didn’t know what to expect or what was going to happen.  At one point, the barber whips out this pink cream and lathers up my face.  Then proceeds to pull out an electric buffer that I had only ever seen used before to polish cars.  He starts buffing my forehead working his way down my face and across my nose where the end of the buffer drops off!  The barber caught it but for a second there, I had this vision of being filmed getting my nose pierced by the rapidly spinning metal end of the buffer.  The whole experience turned out to be very memorable, and this barber will always have a special place in our hearts since we filmed our original video with him! Have you ever had a razor haircut in a barbershop? If so, what did you like/not like about it? I’ve had a few razor haircuts.  One of the things I liked is how it helped remove some of the bulk from my thick hair. Let's talk about Japan specifically. Feather is a world class Japanese manufacturer of high-performance styling and shaving products whose humble beginnings started in Seki, Japan, a well-known area for samurai sword making. You've had quite a few experiences in Japan. Do you have any special memories of visiting Japan and the shaves you received there? Did you notice any difference in the razors the barbers used? We visited Japan for the first time in 2019 and loved it there!  While in Tokyo I was able to experience a wet shave with fifth-generation barber and owner of Kitadoko Barbershop, Ms. Chiyo Funakoshi.  The shop has a rich history and was originally opened in 1871.  On display inside the shop are many family artifacts from the shops past including photos and old barbering tools. Ms. Chiyo used a rare Yasaka razor for the shave.  It was the first time I’d seen one like this before! You have some familiarity with the Feather brand. Do you have any specific thoughts on Feather products based on your experiences? I have definitely experienced some really close shaves by amazing barbers using Feather products! It goes without saying the Coronavirus pandemic changed everyone's travel lives over the last year.  How did you adjust the content on your channel? Our video production greatly slowed down since we had to cancel and postpone the majority of our 2020 travel plans due to the pandemic.  Thankfully, we had a series of videos we filmed in 2019 during our travels in Asia.  So while staying at home, there was plenty of video editing to do!  We released these videos on our YouTube channel in 2020. Here in the United States, barbershops and hair salons were forced to close for a good portion of 2020 due to Covid-19. As such a strong supporter of the industry, do you have any words of encouragement to the barbers and stylists? Hang in there and take it one day at a time!  Covid-19 has been a major upheaval for all of us around the world.  Often during very difficult situations, new opportunities present themselves and it’s a time for personal growth. Now is a good time to evaluate your goals and how to get there.  Learn from your experiences during this pandemic, and plan for the future. Are there any countries and/or cities still on your bucket list to visit? I would love to travel to every country!  I haven’t traveled to Central Asia yet so would love to visit one of these days!   A special thank you to Haircut Harry. Check out his blog and YouTube channel to see where he gets groomed next!