You
are the Industry … Stand up! Speak up! Force a change!
I
have always said that one day the "Old Guard" of the hair
replacement industry would finally fade away and that only then
will the hair loss sufferer have a chance to receive a product that
actually solves their hair loss situation. We all know who the "Old
Guard" is; they are the "good ol' boy" network that
has been controlling your industry and who are responsible for heaping
the additional misery of substandard products on your clients who
are already suffering from the misery caused by hair loss.
Well,
without any fanfare or so much as a whimper, the Good Ol' Boys finally
pulled up their stakes, packed up their camp and headed for parts
unknown with their pockets stuffed with ill-gotten cash. Needless
to say, they won't be missed by anyone and hair loss sufferers will
finally benefit from what our industry can offer and, most importantly,
will have access to the high quality hair replacement systems that
they deserve.
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Richard
Farrell, President of Farrell Hair Replacement
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At the
American Hair Loss Council show in Nashville last month, I
went in front of a small audience of hair replacement professionals
and performed a cut-in of an Ultra-Custom hair system. As
I looked around at the audience of my industry peers and witnessed
what was left of a one time growing and influential industry,
I decided that "Now" is the time to stir things
up and begin the rebuilding of what has surely become a failing
industry. It was crystal clear to me: It is time for a new
hair replacement industry to emerge. It is time for a changing
of the guard.
The great
majority of major industry manufactures - who are merely middlemen
or brokers - should be ashamed of how they ruined this promising
industry. As simple product brokers, they know nothing about
making hair systems, so they weren't capable of offering advanced
product education to hair replacement salons. Instead, they
offered bonding classes. Then, of course, they sold you a
bill of goods by telling you about the big money that you
could make by selling their cheap factory-made hair systems.
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This business should not be about sales of cheap hair systems and
maintenance plans; it should be about the art of creating undetectable
hair systems for the men and women suffering from hair loss. How
can an industry be successful if everyone benefits except for the
end user, the hair loss sufferer? It can't because it is a losing
proposition. How do I know this? Look around at our industry and
see for yourself. Look at the hair systems your clients are wearing
as they walk out of your salon.
The
major hair replacement suppliers have ruined the art of hair system
making and pushed their substandard factory-made hair systems on
a trusting and naive industry that accepted their proposition with
the best of intentions. Soon after, custom hair system makers and
artisans disappeared as a "throw away" rug mentality took
over. You should be tired of seeing hair loss sufferers on the streets
wearing glued-on pieces of Astroturf on their heads. If this is
what you are helping to promote, you, too, should be ashamed for
acting in collusion with the Good Ol' Boys.
With
this "Changing of the Guard" in progress, you can choose
to continue to be part of the problem or choose to be part of the
solution. If you are ready to stand up and speak up and change the
industry to what it should be, join me in this course of action:
- Think only
of the hair loss sufferer. As simple as this sounds, it is a
complicated concept that requires more explanation, but if you
do this, you will naturally begin drifting into the arena of
ultra-custom hair replacement. Farrell can assist with your
education and we can even help you get better hair systems from
your current supplier. I can promise you this: If you watch
out for, protect and demand the best for the end user, the hair
loss sufferer, we can change this industry in unlimited ways,
one hair loss sufferer at a time.
- Support
The American Hair Loss Council. Purchase your tickets to their
next yearly event and sign up the moment you get notified of
the venue. If you are not yet a member of the AHLC, sign up
immediately. The next AHLC event will be the biggest event ever
with an entirely different attitude and new industry direction
and will be a first step towards restoring the council to the
influential industry body it should be. The officers of the
council are committed to the hair loss sufferer and committed
to changing the industry.
- Write to
the National Hair Journal. As a publication that fancies itself
as our industry's only trade publication, the Journal has an
obligation and duty to promote new products, influence growth
and demand excellence from the industry in general. Up till
now, the Journal has ignored Farrell Hair Replacement's Ultra-Custom
movement (or should I say "revolt") simply because
they have been bought out by - and are in bed with - all of
the aforementioned brokers and suppliers. Think about this when
you are invited to go on their next factory junket to Asia.
The movement toward ultra-custom is never mentioned by the Journal.
On the other hand, they will cover a story of the promotion
of the next person to Vice President of Sales at OnRite. Is
this right? Is this newsworthy? Does this help the hair loss
sufferer? I believe that you as a hair replacement professional
deserve the option of performing ultra-custom hair replacement
at your own salon. If the Journal cannot be relevant to this
industry or involved in moving it in a positive direction that
ultimately benefits the hair loss sufferer, a better publication
is needed. Speak out. Insist to the Journal that it start demanding
improvements from the suppliers in what is left of this industry.
- Call or
write to your manufacturer. Let your voice be heard. If you
are concerned about repercussions, simply refuse to tell them
your name and company affiliation. Express your dissatisfaction
with their substandard products. Demand that they do better
for your clients suffering from hair loss and pressure them
to make hair systems the artistic endeavors they once were.
Offer your opinions and insights. After all, they aren't on
the hair loss battlefield. They don't have to deal with the
client who is wearing a ridiculous-looking hairpiece. Tell them
you are no longer interested in substandard hair systems and
let them know that you are willing to pay more for a quality
product that your clients will be proud to wear and most importantly,
solves their hair loss problem. The result of a grassroots revolt
by hair replacement professionals is that you will receive better
hair systems that incorporate new technologies. Farrell doesn't
have to be the only hair replacement company that offers ultra-custom
hair systems and we shouldn't be!
- Refuse
to join elitist groups like Transitions. If you are already
a member, drop out now! They contribute nothing of value to
you or the hair loss sufferer. These groups are the last of
the good ol' boys that are rummaging around for the last scraps
of money. It seems like their only reason for showing up at
an annual trade event is to play golf. Companies dedicated to
truly helping hair loss sufferers will quickly fill the void
they will leave behind.
- Tell your
adhesive and solvent companies to make safe products or get
lost. It is past time for safe ways to clean hair systems with
safe chemicals. You, your employees and your clients have breathed
in enough dangerous vapors and have poured too many dangerous
chemicals down your drains. Enough is enough! These harmful
and irresponsible practices will never end until you collectively
get off your complacent posteriors and stand up; stand up and
be counted!
If
you desire quality hair systems as undetectable as Farrell hair
systems for your own clients, don't be afraid to speak out to the
industry every chance you get. Write demanding letters to the Journal
for all of your suppliers to read. Don't be afraid! The National
Hair Journal is just a trade magazine. The suppliers that you have
been idolizing all of these years are no more than middlemen and
brokers who simply send your orders to offshore factories. Are you
ready for a secret? You don't need them and you never have, especially
if they refuse to research and develop new non-surgical ways of
solving the problems of hair loss sufferers.
Now
that the Good ol' Boy network is just about gone and the suppliers
have turned their back on the American Hair Loss Council, a new
ultra custom hair replacement industry is capable of supplying high
quality and undetectable hair systems to the industry and to the
end user.
I
invite each of you to get involved in this important and historic
"Changing of the Guard" of our industry. If you wish to
ride the wave of this new movement, contact me. What are you waiting
for?
Richard
Farrell, President
Farrell Hair Replacement
Los Angeles , California
October 10, 2003
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