Sustainable Salons Create Documentary for Alopecia Awareness

Sustainable Salons has partnered with the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation (AAAF) for Alopecia Awareness Week, taking place from November 10 to 18, creating a documentary film to educate salons about the condition, and enlisting industry icons to do it.

The documentary was created by filmmaker Jarred Stedman to offer salons practical tools to help clients who present the symptoms of Alopecia. In the video, industry legends Sharon Blain (Sharon Blain Education), Alexander Fuchs (Fuchs Hair), Barney Martin (Barney Martin Hair) and freelance hairdresser Missy Veyret interview women living with the condition to showcase an honest and revealing discussion about Alopecia in a very salon-relevant way.

“After 54 years of hairdressing I thought I knew a lot about Alopecia,” Sharon said. “But there were some amazing things I still didn’t know.”

“It has opened my eyes about Alopecia forever,” Alexander added. “Just a week after filming I had a regular client who had signs of Alopecia Areata for the first time and I was able to tackle it so confidently and knew exactly what to say and do. No joke!”

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss to the scalp and body to various extremes, with the scalp and body, including lashes, brows and sometimes ear and nose hair, occurring in about 2 per cent of the population.

The documentary follows on from Sustainable Salons and the AAAF’s partnership through their ponytail collection and donation program, which collects hair donations from clients to create wigs for those experiencing hair loss. The AAAF receives no government funding and relies on organisations like Sustainable Salons to make a true difference. The video offers a step-by-step instruction on how to cut ponytails for donation purposes, emboldening salons to truly help the cause. The video will also be included as the hairdressing and barbering curriculum in colleges across Australia, educating students and apprentices in this important service.

“We’re committed to making sure the next generation is not only informed but equipped and empowered to do their job with their community’s best interest at heart,” said Paul Frasca of Sustainable Salons. “Hairdressers have the power to identify the onset of Alopecia and as they can build uniquely close relationships with their clients, they’re in a position to provide ongoing support at every step of the client’s Alopecia journey… and this can be incredibly reassuring.”

“This week particularly we want to help give our industry the tools to feel prepared and supported in this process. Working with the AAAF has been the perfect way to bring the condition into the spotlight for salon professionals.”

You can view the documentary at the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation website

For more information visit www.sustainablesalons.org

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