Hair by Brian

Consumer Reports investigation reveals concerns with home hair dye kits

Store-bought hair dyes have been a go-to for decades, but they can sometimes come with unwanted side effects

The results found that every product tested contained at least some contaminants, though levels varied, with some products having fewer concerning chemicals than others.

Experts say the bigger issue may be long-term exposure.

Consumer Reports investigation reveals concerns with home hair dye kits Store-bought hair dyes have been a go-to for decades, but they can sometimes come with unwanted side effects.

Weight loss and hair loss: The growing hair treatment market from GLP-1s

Key Points:
*A common side effect of many GLP-1 drugs is hair loss. It’s creating a growing market for hair treatment products.
*Companies like Redken, Nutrafol and KeraFactor are leaning into the innovation and marketing in that space, and retailers like Ulta are seeing more demand from customers.
*Experts say the convergence of health, wellness and beauty poses an attractive opportunity for investors to buy in to the market.

Hair by Brian | Weight loss and hair loss: The growing hair treatment market from GLP-1s A common side effect of many GLP-1 drugs is hair loss. It’s creating a growing market for hair treatment products.

IMPORTANT:

The Department of Education is advancing a proposal that could cause over 90% of beauty schools to lose access to federal financial aid.

If this moves forward, the impact will be immediate: schools closing, fewer students entering the profession, staffing shortages in salons, and increased reliance on unlicensed providers operating outside public safety standards.

Why this proposal is fundamentally flawed:

* It compares professionals just 4 years into their careers to workers up to age 35
* It ignores how earnings grow over time in our industry
* It overlooks that ~50% of professionals are self-employed, where early income is reinvested
* It fails to reflect a workforce that is ~85% female, ignoring known wage disparities
* It assumes rigid full-time work, not the flexible schedules many professionals choose
* It significantly undervalues real earnings (~$30/hr industry data vs. lower federal estimates)

Please take action to help protect our industry:

Submit your comment by May 20:
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/ED-2026-OPE-0100-0001
Keep it personal—just a few sentences about your experience is enough.

Ask 5 others to submit a comment.

What to include:

*Who you are (owner, educator, student, professional, etc.)
* How this metric misrepresents your work or business
* What happens to your business, students, community, and the industry at large if funding is lost

This is bigger than schools—it affects jobs, small businesses, and consumer safety across our industry.

If enough of us speak up, this can be changed. Your voice can make a difference.

Please take a moment to act today.

My "statement" is posted in the first comment below

Regulations.gov

Yes, Ozempic Can Make Your Hair Fall Out. A Doctor at UCSF & Kaiser Just Helped Prove It.

If you've been on Ozempic and lately noticing more hair in the shower drain than usual, a Bay Area doctor has some answers — and, more importantly, some reassurance. A new peer-reviewed study co-authored by a Vallejo-based dermatologist has confirmed what many GLP-1 users have been quietly wondering about: yes, weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are linked to hair loss, and yes, doctors are now paying serious attention to it.

Importantly, the study's authors and Mirmirani herself are careful to point out that hair loss does not appear to be a direct pharmacological effect of the drug itself. Rather, the leading theory is that rapid, significant weight loss acts as a physiological stressor that pushes hair follicles prematurely into a resting phase, disrupting the growth cycle. Think of it less as "Ozempic is toxic to your hair" and more as "your body is redirecting resources during an intense transformation."

Yes, Ozempic Can Make Your Hair Fall Out A Doctor at UCSF & Kaiser Just Helped Prove It

5 Breakout Men’s Hair Trends to Watch Right Now

Every year, the most popular men’s haircuts rise above the noise and start showing up everywhere — in your chair, on your feed, and on the clients who walk in with a reference photo already pulled up on their phone.

These trendy styles share a common thread: natural texture, lower-maintenance finishes, and a clear lean toward styling that feels current without chasing a look that expires in a few months.

Cuts getting the most requests reward good technique and an understanding of how hair moves. Some are rooted in retro revival, others in the ongoing shift away from high-hold, sculpted styling. All of them are worth knowing well!

1. Textured Middle Part
Why It's Trending: Clients are done with high-hold, sculpted looks. The textured middle part works across hair types, photographs well, and crosses demographics. You’ll be cutting it on Gen Z guys and older professional Millennials alike. That kind of range is what separates a trend from a moment.

2. Modern Baby Mullet
Why It's Trending: It's the wearable entry point into a cut that's been building momentum for years. Clients are drawn to it as a low-risk way to stand out, and it moves well across hair textures, which keeps it showing up across diverse clientele.

3. French Crop Fade
Why It's Trending: The French crop fade rewards clients who want to look put together without spending time on it. It's one of the most versatile cuts in the shop, working across hair types and face shapes with minimal adjustment. That kind of broad appeal keeps it consistently in demand.

4. Messy S**g
Why It's Trending: The broader shift toward texture-driven, voluminous, and low-maintenance styling has made the s**g a highly-requested cut. It thrives on natural wave and movement, which aligns perfectly with how clients want to interact with their hair right now — minimal product and minimal effort with a strong result.

5. Long Buzz Cut
Why It's Trending: Clients who've been buzzing short for years are letting it grow out slightly, drawn to the added versatility without the upkeep of a longer cut. Trending strong, it photographs better than a shorter buzz, which matters to younger, image-conscious clientele.

5 Breakout Men’s Hair Trends to Watch Right Now Every year, the most popular men’s haircuts rise above the noise and start showing up everywhere — in your chair, on your feed, and on the clients who walk in with a reference photo already pulled | The most in-demand cuts of the moment favor texture, ease, and timeless shape over rigid, oversty...

Summer 2026 Hair Report: Exposed Roots, Bixies and the C-Curl-Girl Blowout

The top five hair trends for the hot-weather season, according to stylists, runway reports, red carpets and TikTok searches.

* Modern Ombré: It’s perfect for the brunette who wants to feel lighter without looking like they really did anything at all.

* The Bixie: A little bit of bob, a little bit of pixie.

* Rooted Blond: A slightly lighter root shadow than your base to allow a seamless grow out.

* Lived-in: Bedhead but not the overly tangled, teased and tousled aesthetic that follows a good night’s sleep.

* C-Curl-Girl: Different because it has a little more of a shape compared to a regular blowout with a C-bend at the ends.

Summer 2026 Haircut Trends to Look Out For Discover the top five summer hair trends, from the burgeoning bixie to the 'C-Curl-Girl' blowout, according to stylists and runway reports.

Cool study on biological evolution and the genetic variants that appear to have been favoured by natural selection. Genes linked to red hair, fair skin, susceptibility to coeliac disease and variants that lower the chance of diabetes, baldness and rheumatoid arthritis have all become more common in our recent history.

“Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait,” the researchers said. Previous research has shown that people with red hair and fair skin can produce vitamin D more efficiently, for instance, which may have conferred survival benefits in northern climates.

Hair by Brian | Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, study finds. Scientists who analysed nearly 16,000 ancient remains suggest red hair and fair skin is favoured for vitamin D production

What’s New in the Skin Microbiome

We’re entering a predictive, microbiome-centered era in which science-driven, data-enabled formulations aim to preserve skin balance, enhance resilience and promote long-term skin health beyond visible results.

For decades, cosmetic science has primarily focused on cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting the skin. Today, a new paradigm is redefining skincare: the balance of the skin microbiome. This microscopic ecosystem—composed of millions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other beneficial microorganisms—has emerged as a central focus of cutting-edge dermatological and skincare research and innovation.

We have entered the predictive microbiome era. Simply “caring” for skin is no longer enough—science now anticipates its needs. The next generation of skincare is proactive, functional, and powered by living data. Beauty is no longer applied; it is activated. It emerges when the skin and its microbiome operate in perfect synchrony, guided by scientific precision and the wisdom of nature. At the heart of this symbiotic revolution, fermented bioactives and artificial intelligence converge to unlock skin that not only looks healthy but thrives in balance. This marks the beginning of an era where luxury is measured in biological intelligence. The future of skin is alive, and it has already begun.

What’s New in the Skin Microbiome: 12 Trends for Formulators The skin microbiome has emerged as a central focus of cutting-edge dermatological and skincare research and innovation.

Haircare Market Sees Shift Towards Multi-Step Routines

Multi-step haircare routines and wellness rituals are catching on with European consumers looking to improve hair health and create the perfect hairstyle. Social media platforms (in particular, TikTok) are instrumental in shaping trends and reaching consumers across different demographics with advice on hair product usage and product recommendations.

Hair by Brian | Haircare Market Sees Shift Towards Multi-Step Routines Multi-step haircare routines and wellness rituals are catching on with European consumers looking to improve hair health and create the perfect hairstyle. Social media platforms (in particular, TikTok) are instrumental in shaping trends and reaching consu

Newfound third cell type enables fully functional hair follicles in the lab

Hair regrowth treatment may soon take a major leap forward, as researchers in a recent study have successfully grown complete, fully functional hair follicles outside of the living body, in a dish. This was made possible by the discovery of a previously unknown third cell type, the accessory mesenchymal cell population, which is essential for growing functional hair follicles. These specific supporting cells allow the follicle to grow deep into the skin, a process called downgrowth, to produce a proper hair shaft.

By adding the newly identified cell type to previously constructed early-stage hair follicle structures, the researchers were able to create organ germs—specialized cells located at the very bottom of follicle— composed of three types of adult stem cells.

Under carefully controlled lab conditions, these organ germs grew into fully functional hair follicles, and when transplanted on skin, they survived and went through the hair's natural life cycle.

The findings are published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

Newfound third cell type enables fully functional hair follicles in the lab Hair regrowth treatment may soon take a major leap forward, as researchers in a recent study have successfully grown complete, fully functional hair follicles outside of the living body, in a dish. This was made possible by the discovery of a previously unknown third cell type, the accessory mesench...