Smiling makes you feel beautiful and confident. Science says it gives you happy powers because it triggers happy endorphins. I love that we have happy powers, don’t you? Receiving a compliment make you feel beautiful but did you know that giving one makes you feel even better? Treat yourself — Whatever makes you feel more beautiful. From a new hair color and cut to a pedicure or work out. Stand tall and walk like you have heals on. You trigger confidence when you walk and stand with confidence. Be yourself and feel good about it, because when you are yourself… you are the most beautiful person in the room.
As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years I had the pleasure of interviewing Tabitha Fredrichs. Tabitha is an award winning fine hair specialist and Trichologist (the study of scalp & hair) that is certified through the American Medical Association. Her sassy humor and calm, caring approach, makes her clients feel relaxed and confident in her knowledge. Her goal is to educate all stylists on the importance of scalp and hair health.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Hairstylists have an amazing job. How would you like to have a job where you are complemented on your work all day long? Clients telling you “I Love it”, “This is just what I wanted”, “You are a magician.” We earn their trust in that first visit because we care. We care that they feel and look their best. We are also the first ones they share with. We are the first ones to hear about hair loss, pregnancy, weddings, divorce and cancer. Our job is more than just cutting hair. It is about caring and being a great listener because Caring is a gift of Beauty!
At the beginning of my career, if a client was having concerns about hair loss, I would send my client to the Dr. Or another salon for wigs and toppers. My clients would always come back with no answer as to why they were having hair loss or the people at the wig salon were selling them the wrong topper or poorly made wigs. I knew that there was more that could be done for them. This is when I enrolled in Trichology classes and talked to the leading experts in hair loss at Colombia University medical center. There are many things that can help, from scalp health to gut health, topicals, growth factors, vitamins and lasers.
Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?
It usually takes 3–9 months to see new hair growth after finding the underlining cause. If something is happening to our skin and hair than something is out of whack in the body. Before and After pictures are the best. The client notices a difference in not only scalp health but in their hair being fuller and shinier.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I met an amazing woman that pushed me to follow my path. Britt Seva is a coach for hair stylist, and without her and the wonderful hairstylists in this Thrivers Society group, I would not be where I am today.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?
Scalp misting machines to help pull build up out of the scalp work wonders for the scalp and hydrate the hair as well. Low level light lasers are working for thousands of people world wide. By stimulating the blood supply to the hair follicle we are flushing nutrients and oxygen to the hair, making the hair stronger, thicker and shinier. The use of topical growth factors for the hair follicles are having amazing results as well as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments for the scalp. For those who cannot get back their hair, the technology for hair replacement is way less painful than is was a few years ago and very soon we will have donor hair from 3D machines. Also scalp micropigmentation, hair pieces and extensions are a great alternative.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Just like counterfeit hair products and cosmetics, there are already people trying to take advantage of people. People are already making laser caps that have fake lasers in them. These lasers will do nothing to grow your hair and it is terrible that people are taking advantage.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?
The results are better and faster. There are less painful procedures. There are less chemicals in products today.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
We see clients every 4–8 weeks. We notice changes in their scalp and hair sometimes before they do. Educating Hairstylists in the industry and clients on things to look for that might be serious health concerns on the type of hair loss that clients are having. There are several organizations like ‘Eyes on Cancer’ that have free education for hairstylist to know what to look for when it comes to seeing something on the scalp or neck that is new or is changing. We just need to all spread the word.
You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Smiling makes you feel beautiful and confident. Science says it gives you happy powers because it triggers happy endorphins. I love that we have happy powers, don’t you? Receiving a compliment make you feel beautiful but did you know that giving one makes you feel even better? Treat yourself — Whatever makes you feel more beautiful. From a new hair color and cut to a pedicure or work out. Stand tall and walk like you have heals on. You trigger confidence when you walk and stand with confidence. Be yourself and feel good about it, because when you are yourself… you are the most beautiful person in the room.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 😊
Accept people for who they are. We all have a weirdness about us and that is OK because that is what makes us who we are. There is no accident in who we are. You have to accept the good and the bad and love them both.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
She took the leap and built her wings on the way down. Don’t wait to do something you are dreaming of. The time to start your dream is today.
How can our readers follow you online?
TabithaFhair.com and on IG @tabithahairstylist Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
The Future Of Beauty: “Scalp Treatments For Improved Hair” With Tabitha Fredrichs was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.