So, you got the dead skin nibbled off of your feet by fish, your eyeliner is permanently tattooed to your eyelids and we’re not even going to discuss all of strange face mask concoctions you’ve tried. What’s the next logical step on your quest toward beauty? Eyelash perms, obviously.

Eyelash perms start with rollers imported from Japan – the rollers come in around 5 different sizes depending on how curly you want your eyelashes. Each eyelash is wrapped around the roller using adhesive. Next, a diluted perm solution and a neutralizer are applied. The end result? One less step in your morning beauty regimen.

Although yesterday was the first time I came across this eyelash perm trend online, spas in the U.S. have been doing this treatment, which began in Japan, for at least a couple of years. The perm lasts around 4 to 8 weeks, which is the time it takes for your eyelashes to grow.

It should be noted that eyelash perming is not yet FDA approved, so make sure you are seeing a trained, licensed cosmetologist or esthetician if you decide to get these services. If you’ve had any experiences with eyelash perming or performed eyelash perms, let us know what you think!

If you’re a cosmetology professional, chances are you are already familiar with the National Cosmetology Association and the Professional Beauty Association. (If not, you need to be.) Now, these two organizations have joined forces to help you take your networking and connections to a whole new level.

Individually, each of these organizations has represented the interests of cosmetology and salon industry professionals for years. They have served as networking tools and connection-makers for salon owners, hair dressers, nail technicians, estheticians, educators and students.

By providing resources such as membership publications, discounted products and services, in-depth industry research, industry education, trade shows and networking opportunities, the NCA and PBA have been helping their members enhance their careers and their connections.

New possibilities are definitely in store for current and future members! Check out their websites to learn more about the benefits of membership, to get involved, and to keep an eye out for new developments within the organization. According to the PBA, this merger will be an exciting opportunity for everyone involved. (Gordon Miller, former Executive Director of the NCA has joined Behind the Chair as Vice President of “The BTC Experience.”)

If you aren’t already a member of a professional organization, this is a great time to think about joining! Membership fees are manageable for most members and the professional opportunities are nearly limitless. If you are currently or plan to attend cosmetology school, joining these organizations can be a huge step forward in your career.

Any current members of these organizations? What are your thoughts on the benefits or possible disadvantages to membership?

Something big is brewing in Texas. Cosmetologists and barbers are both feeling pretty indignant, and judging by the comments in articles like this, their clients have pretty strong feelings, too.

So here’s the deal: some Texas cosmetologists are challenging laws that allow barbers – but not cosmetologists – to shave customers. Cosmetologists want to be able to legally shave their customers, but barbers (who feel that cosmetologists are encroaching on their monopoly over men and boys already) want to keep the razor-wielding privileges for themselves.

Now, Texas law has allowed cosmetologists to trim beards and mustaches since 2001. But where does trimming end and shaving start? Texas has no legal definition of shaving, or even of a “razor.”

That means we’re not just talking about Sweeney Todd-style straight razors? Umm … nope. Legally, Texas cosmetologists can’t even take a pink Lady Bic to the bottoms of a client’s sideburns. The cosmetologists feel like this is silly – they’ve been handling safety razors since they were preteens, and even tattoo artists in Texas are allowed to use disposable razor to shave the area they’re going to tattoo.

Barbers, on the other hand, feel like their exclusive right to shaving customers represents the last thing that sets them apart from cosmetologists. Trained in the 14 distinct strokes of the classic straight-razor shave, they feel they’ve earned the right to at least a small population of men.

So … what do you think? Is it silly that cosmetologists (who often undergo longer beauty training programs) cannot shave their customers, even with safety razors? Or do barbers have a right to hang on to something that’s set them apart since the days of white-and-red striped poles?

How is your hair looking these days? Is it a little dreary and dull? If so, the reason for your hair’s condition may not be what you expected…

According to some dermatologists and professional hairstylists, Americans are addicted to shampoo. A study by shampoo-maker Procter & Gamble revealed that we use about twice as much as our Italian and Spanish counterparts. As in, about 4.59 shampoos per week. All that shampooing sounds like it’s keeping us pretty clean, right?

Actually, these cosmetology professionals think too much shampoo can do more harm than good to some hair types. Many dermatologists say that daily washings strip the hair of its natural and beneficial oil (called sebum), and can damage the hair.

So, where did our obsession with shampoo come from? Some suspect that an article in The New York Times on May 10, 1908, started this trend. The article advised women that one shampoo every two weeks was a good cleanliness standard (previously, washing one’s hair once a month was the norm).

Now fast-forward to the 1970s. Farrah Fawcett’s hair is the American woman’s new beauty standard. On TV, Farrah’s face (and hair) is impossible to escape, even during the commercial breaks. A Faberge ad for Farrah Fawcett shampoo showcases some slow-motion beach running and shiny, flowing locks. The message is clear: buy this shampoo, use it every day, and you, too, will look like Farrah.

Today, consumers are rethinking their shampoo practices, for both ecological beauty and health-related reasons. Environmentalists know that less plastic waste is always better, so they diligently search for new ways to conserve. As for the health-conscious, they are concerned with taking better care of their locks. Michelle Hanjani, a dermatologist at Columbia University explains that, “If you wash your hair every day, you’re removing the sebum. Then, the oil glands compensate by producing more oil.” In what seems to be a vicious cycle, the more frequently you wash your hair, the more quickly it becomes oily again.

How often do you shampoo? How do you feel about forgoing shampoo? Have you ever tried any of the natural alternatives to shampoo? If so, what did you think of the results?

Professional cosmetologists use a wide array of equipment to achieve desired looks – equipment they begin to acquire the very first week of beauty school.

After you begin your cosmetology training, it’s time to start investing in everything from shears, clippers and brushes to mannequin heads and more. Many of the professional items included in your student kit can stay strapped to your tool belt years into your professional cosmetology career.

Most cosmetology schools provide student kits and simply include the cost in your tuition. Other schools give you contact information for trusted beauty vendors so you can make your purchase directly. In either case, you will occasionally need to purchase miscellaneous items that are not already included in your kit.

Here is a handy list of sites you can count on to supplement your beauty supplies throughout your training. You can find everything from extensive student kits to smocks and bottles of hair dye.

•    Burmax
•    Jazz-z
•    Universal
•    Sally Beauty Supply
•    My Cosmetology Kit
•    Beauty Kit Solutions
•    Professional Beauty Network
•    Makeupart.net
•    Universal Techniques
•    Marlo Beauty Supply

Unveiling the contents of your student kit is really exciting – it’s kind of like unwrapping your future. It also means that you’ll have at least one mannequin head of your very own!

So what’s in your cosmetology kit? What did you need to purchase that wasn’t in the original package? And if you’re already a professional licensed cosmetologist practicing in the field, what did you get in your original cosmetology student kit that you still use today?