« At L’Oréal, we are determined to play an active role in tackling social issues and contribute to the well-being of men and women. As part of the fight against AIDS, we feel it is our duty to be involved in a unique prevention and education programme via our professional brands used by hairdressers the world over. »
« We know that for all of us a trip to the hairdresser is most often a visit to someone we know. It is an occasion for talk. We exchange ideas and information. An informed hairdresser can, if she or he wants, give an informed opinion, or pass on relevant information. An uninformed hairdresser cannot. So a hairdresser has not only gained a personal advantage by being educated about HIV and AIDS. She or he has the potential to share this advantage with others. »
« L'Oréal has a long standing commitment to helping local populations in the countries in which we operate. HAIRDRESSERS AGAINST AIDS is today one of our most prized programmes as it allows us to mobilise hairdressers from our professional salon network throughout the world and utilise our training know-how to support HIV/AIDS prevention globally. »
The alarming increase in the number of AIDS cases, which constitutes a serious threat to the development of vast regions of the world, requires mobilization in all sectors of society.
When did you become a hairdresser and what interested you in the beauty profession?
« One day in 1989 I came home from the barber shop and decided I wanted to start cutting hair. I’ve always liked interacting with people, and I was inspired by the guy who cut my hair; he made me realize I could really add beauty to peoples’ lives. My first models were my friends, neighbors, and family members, and I used the very same razor with a cutting comb on all of them. In 1993, I bought myself a wahl clipper machine and started using it to hone my skills. Two salons hired me to do barbering work, but I also learned S-Curls and other techniques. In 1998, I realized that I needed to become a qualified hairdresser and I took courses at Dark & Lovely Academy on Fox Street. »
How do you communicate with your clients about HIV/AIDS?
« My salon features posters and literature that help create awareness about the disease. One of the salon’s key objectives is to improve hygiene and cleanliness. I am proud of my salon because clients can come here and feel confident that they are in a safe environment where they are not going to contract HIV or other diseases [through used razor blades or other equipment]. It’s our belief that prevention is always better than a cure. »
« L’Oréal undertakes to mobilize its network of trainers and to use its experience in training professional hairdressers in the service of AIDS prevention. Through training that is brief, clear, innovative and without undue pressures, the objective is to offer hairdressers information that is accurate and useful
on HIV and AIDS. »
