First Haircuts from Around the World

One of the best parts about working in a children’s salon is being a part of something as special as a first haircut. As an anthropologist; it also piques my interest to see the different cultural traditions that surround this momentous occasion. There are so many diverse beliefs that accompany this milestone.

In traditional Chinese culture, the baby’s head is shaved symbolizing the shedding of “birth hair”. Locks are them wrapped in red ribbon or cloth and sewn to the baby’s pillow to help with tranquility. Today it is more common to see the baby’s hair trimmed and the locks saved in ribbon. If the head is shaved, the hair is sometimes used to create special calligraphy brushes carved with blessings.

It is Hindu custom to shave the baby’s head because hair from birth is associated with undesirable traits from past lives. It is also thought that the shaving process stimulates brain development. Some will leave a small tuft called the "sikha" at the crown of the head to protect memory, but complete shaving is more common. Boys receive their first haircuts at age 1 or 3, whereas girls, receive theirs at 11 months. This tradition is very special for girls because it is the only haircut they will receive.

In Muslim tradition, baby’s receive their first haircuts within 7 days of being born, signifying their initiation into Muslim practice. Their heads are traditionally shaved and then the weight of the hair is given a monetary value which members of the culture pay in gold or silver.

Orthodox Jewish religion practices many traditions that signify growing up; the first haircut is one of them. The ritual is called "upsherin" and it is performed on boys at age 3 to signify the commencement of formal education of the Torah. The hair is cut short except for the sideburns which are left long to please regulations in the Torah.

Polynesian males don’t receive their first haircuts until the early teenage years. Their hair is cared for by female relatives and is grown long. Between ages 12-14, the haircut is performed. The ritual consists of the females caring for the hair one last time before it is cut, after which the boy is plastered with gifts and money.

In the United States, there is no formal tradition, more than likely the hair is grown until a haircut is need, usually around the first birthday. At The Salon at Kid's Club, we take a picture and include a keepsake lock in a card to remember this milestone. Plus... we have lollipops, which seem to make any tears disappear!

Party Outside With Us!

Summer is just around the corner!

I am so excited to go outside and enjoy the music and style your child's hair this year. Guys, come get a faux hawk with the color of your choice. We have awesome Joico Spikers gel that colors and styles hair, and washes out at bath time! Girls always enjoy getting braids and pigtails, topped off with our Glitterati sparkles. 

Did you know, every time your child gets a hair cut at 

The Salon at Kids Club they get the same special styling? 

It's true!

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I love seeing all the familiar faces every year and love getting to meet new kids too. The Salon at Kids Club table at Summer Concert Series has been a great opportunity for people to discover our salon, many of the kids I have met there have become our regular clients after meeting us there!

Visit the Kids Club table right next to us for fun and free kids activities every night too!

Located in the U Village parking lot in front of 

The Ram and The Apple store.

Every Wednesday starting July 13th through August 17th

from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

I hope to see everyone at Summer Concert Series this year!

-Leslie 

Rachel's Recommendation for Swimmers Hair

As summer approaches here in the Northwest, two things come to mind, long warm summer days and spending time in the pool. Swimming was always one of my favorite pass times as a kid. I spent most of my summer days in my grandparents pool and, boy did it take a toll on my hair! By September it was tangled and green and I would have to get a bunch cut off to make it healthy again. Now, as a stylist, I have found there are a few easy things we can do to help prevent the chlorine from damaging our children's hair. 

First, get their hair completely wet in the shower. The hair will soak up the clean, unchlorinated water, and will not soak up as much chlorinated pool water.

Second, when they are done swimming it is best to shampoo with a swimmers shampoo before the hair has a chance to dry. Once the chlorine dries in the hair it is much harder to get out. My two favorite brands of swimmer shampoos are: So Cozy and California Baby. The So Cozy smells great, like fresh apple, and many clients have told me the California Baby has helped their child's hair to return to it's original beauty.

[left to right: California Baby Swimmers Condition, California Baby Swimmer Shampoo, 

So Cozy Swimmers Shampoo, Surf's Up Zero Knots Detanger]

Last, but maybe the most important, CONDITION! I know it can be hard to get an extra step done on a child, but swimmers shampoo opens up the outer layer of the hair (the cuticle) and you need to use a good conditioner to smooth it back down. If you don't, you won't be able to get a comb through it! My favorite is the Surfs Up Zero Knots detangler. This conditioner is lightweight but slick. It won't weight th hair down and get the tangles right out. A spray detangler is great for getting tangles out on non-washing days, but is not enough to smooth the cuticle down after a swimmers shampoo. Just a quick wipe of conditioner through the ends and a rinse, can save you a lot of tangles and tears in the end.

I hope with these tips, your little darlings will have beautiful, chlorine free hair all summer long.

-Rachel

 To help you get ready for swimmers season, for the 
 month of June all swimmers hair care products are  
 20% off! 

Great Styles for First Communions

Last week, we had the pleasure of doing special occasion hair styles for 6 young ladies for their first communion. We had so much fun creating fun styles that suited each girl.

Here are three of them:

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Eleanor wanted something sleek and pulled back, with just one bouncy curl in the front. Elizabeth incorporated braids, curl, and a bit of volume in the back for a very cute and  modern first communion hair style.

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Mia wanted it all pulled up and a cascade of curls. The pretty hair clip she brought with her added the final touch to the great hair style Leslie created for her.

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Fiona wanted a playful mix of traditional ringlet curls and modern braids. Rachel fastened the headband veil that Fiona brought in for the final touch, and she was ready to go.

-Elizabeth, Leslie, & Rachel

Schedule an appointment with one of our talented stylists for

 your next special occasion! 

Call or drop in to have a consultation about the hair style you'd like. 

We would love to help you create exactly what you want.

(206) 524-2553

Check out our website and facebook for more information about 

The Salon at Kids Club and to view more great photos of our hair cuts and styles.

facebook: http://on.fb.me/imRqZu

website: http://bit.ly/iD8r2s

1st hair cut, locks of love, and a birthday!

Last week, I had the cutest little girl in my yellow taxi cab! Adriana came in with her family for not only her first hair cut, but it was also her 3rd birthday, and she donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love! She came in with long flowing curls and left with a super short and cute stacked bob! She was such a pleasure to have in the chair. She was such a good listener for her first hair cut, if I didn't know better I would have thought she had been getting hair cuts for years.

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 I hope to see you again Adriana!

-Megan

The votes are in... Everyone Loves Leslie!

The very first Kids Club employee of the month is... 

Leslie!

Here's what Leslie's coworkers had to say about her:

'Leslie always comes in with a positive attitude. She is willing to give a helping hand. It doesn't matter if it is wrapping a gift or filling in for somebody who is sick, she is happy to help.'

'Leslie brightens the day. If you ask her to do anything, consider it done. She is friendly with her clients and her happy banter brightens the salon.'

If you are familiar with our events, you have probably seen a lot of Leslie. She has worked every year at the U Village Summer Concert Series, even the year she was 7 months pregnant! She is also one of our fabulous Braiding Class instructors. 

Congratulations Leslie!

Comments written on the memo posted in the back room announcing that Leslie is the employee of the month.

Request Leslie for your little ones' next hair cut at 

The Salon at Kids Club!

How to Prevent Head Lice Using Rosemary Repel Products

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'

-Ben Franklin

Lately, it seems that a 'Lice Outbreak' notice is going home to parents every month. What are you supposed to do to keep lice from infecting your children and home?

Here are some helpful tips from 
Fairy Tales Hair Care for Children:

TIPS TO PREVENT HEAD LICE Avoid head to head contact at school and home. Do not share clothing, hats, scarves, sports uniforms and helmets,                                coats and hair accessories. Do not share combs and brushes or towels. Do not lie in beds, on couches or car seats that have recently been in                        contact with an infested person. Lice are usually spread thru head to head contact and less frequently  by lice that crawl. Preschool and elementary-age children, 3-11, and their families are infested most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys.  In the United States, African-Americans rarely get head lice. Personal  hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with  getting head lice.

TO PREVENT RE-INFESTATION

• Do not worry about furniture sprays, they are useless. Vacuuming the areas such as floors, carpets, bedrooms, and couches is sufficient. Don’t forget to vacuum car seats!
• Wash the bedding each morning in hot water. Dry on high heat for at least 20 minutes.
• Store all stuffed animals, large comforters, etc. in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks.
• Soak combs and brushes in Lysol or rubbing alcohol for at least 1 hour.

Watch this helpful video about using Fairy Tale products:

For more information about lice or Fairy Tale Rosemary Repel products visit their website:
http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=107

Hooray! We have a new appointment system!

You may or may not have noticed that in the past we kept our salon appointments on a hand written monster of an appointment book. It was very hard to write notes about specific hair cut instructions, write last names that are longer than 'Smith' and read tiny phone numbers to do reminder calls.

We have finally come into the future!

Here is what our future looks like!

It will take a bit of time to get all of our clients added into the new system, but soon when you call or stop by to make an appointment, you will only have to tell us your child's name and we will be able to look up the rest. We even have the option of keeping photos and instructions for how you like the hair to be done. For example: clippers #2 on the sides, and #3 on the top, or a stacked bob with the front layers to the chin, or even if they like braids or spikes at the end, or if they really don't like the blow dryer.

The next time you check in for your haircut you will be asked to fill out a form with your info. Your privacy is VERY important to use so we will not share this information with anyone else. We will now be sending your confirmation via email and sms text message. If you would still like us to call you, we are more than happy to, just let us know.

Please bear with us as we make this transition. It may take us a little while to get the hang of everything, but we promise this new system will be MUCH better! We now even have the option of keeping track of customer loyalty points, so we may be doing something fun with that in the future.

Mompreneur Spotlight: Anna-Aliza Rosenbaum

Mompreneur Spotlight will be an on-going blog topic

featuring businesses run by, who else? Moms!

Mompreneur is a combination of the words "mom" and "entrepreneur".

This term is used to describe women who balance the demands of being a full time, stay at home parent and running their own business.

The Salon at Kids Club is owned and operated by Karla Easton, our very own mompreneur!

I just spoke with Anna on the phone and here's what she had to say about Moo G Clips:

Q: When was Moo G Clips born?

A: 2007

Q: Where do you make all of your clips and headbands?

A: I have a small space carved out for myself at home.

Q: Do you make everything yourself or do you have help?

A: Mostly by myself, sometimes I have help with really large orders.

Q: How did you come up with your non-slip clips?

They really work!

A: When I was working on making the clips I walked around my house feeling different textures trying to find the perfect thing to use on the inside of the clip. I came across my son's craft supplies box and found some craft foam. I put a little bit inside a clip and it worked!

Q: How did you get the word out about your accessories?

A: I started just simply by putting them in my daughter's hair. I started to get comments from my friends and other moms. I made a batch, put them in packaging, and bought a stand and sold them from home whenever someone would ask.

Q: What is your favorite clip or headband right now?

A: Tough choice, probably the new skinny bands felt flowers (seen on left) and chiffon flowers.

Q: Have you ever made a custom clip for a customer that you liked so much you added it to the collection?

A: Yes, that's how the Special Occasions line started.

Q: There are lots of celebrity babies being spotted wearing Moo G Clips. Who has been your favorite celeb baby spotted in your clips?

A: Hallie Berry's daughter Nahla

First two photos courtesy of Leah Islinger Photography

Last photo courtesy of celebritybabyscoop.com

New Haircut, New Outfit Deal!

Scheduling a haircut at The Salon at Kid's Club? Don't forget that you can receive 20% off any clothing purchase at Kid's Club or 20% off any pair of shoes at Sole Food on the same day as your service! Just present your receipt from the Salon at either location. Who doesn't love a new outfit or shoes to go along with a new hair do!?