First, we try to select salons that are in close proximity to participating schools.  If the salon is close to the school, it may be easier for parents to transport their daughters. However, we also look for salons with atmospheres and stylists that meet the criteria for working with our girls.

If you were not able to find an answer to your question or require additional information, please feel free to contact us at https://healthyhairmatters.com/contact-us/send-us-a-message/.

All stylists must have a professional background check (CPS clearance), an up-to-date cosmetology license, and a clean/professional salon environment.  Stylists must also take advanced hair care courses annually and present themselves as professionals at all times. Stylists must be willing to commit to working with our girls from 9^th through 12^th grade.  A complete list of requirements can be found here: https://healthyhairmatters.com/contact-us/become-a-stylist/.

We like to work with schools that are in close proximity to our partnering hair salons. However, our girls attend schools all over Metro Detroit. If the parents are able and willing to provide transportation to hair appointments and the monthly seminars, we are open to working with all schools.

Students must be in the 9^th grade or entering the 9^th grade upon acceptance into the program.  They must maintain a C-status GPA and commit to the program for all four years of high school. We want the opportunity to establish a relationship with the teens and be there to help guide them all throughout high school. The majority of our students are selected by the principals and administrators of participating schools because they’re able to quickly identify girls who need our assistance.  However, we also accept applications via our website: https://healthyhairmatters.com/contact/become-a-member/.

Underserved can include teenagers from a single-parent household or two-parent household. We primarily focus on girls whose parents meet a certain financial threshold, and they’re not able to afford professional hair care services for their daughters. Hair care services can be very expensive. We also seek help in identifying girls who don’t have access to extra-curricular activities and/or may be showing some problem behaviors at school or home.

All students must participate in the monthly life skills seminars, which are held September through May. Seminars are not scheduled for June, July, and August.

The seminars are the foundation of our program. They’re designed to be informational, impactful, and interactive.  They’re also designed to teach the girls how to present themselves in a positive manner and how to use critical thinking skills when making decisions that will affect their futures.  The seminars are all about building the girls up in every area of life.

Example: We annually host a Cooking Skills and Nutrition Seminar.  Teaching the girls about the importance of nutrition not only helps them feel and look better, it also helps them to think better too.  Numerous medical studies show that a healthy body can lead to a healthier mind.

HHMF focuses on four impact areas: College and Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, Health and Wellness, and Personal Development. Our girls are enrolled in the program for 4 years – from 9^th through 12^th grade.  Over the course of those 4 years, the girls attend 6-8 seminars annually, where we discuss topics that fall within the core impact areas. We bring in highly trained and knowledgeable professionals to conduct our seminars.

Feeling good externally is not just something women desire.  Men want to feel good about their appearance too.  They too feel a boost of confidence after a fresh haircut, shave, or trim.  Appearance plays a major role in how both men and women present themselves to the world. When we feel better, we perform better. Once we get the opportunity to share this with men, they support us 100%.

When people feel good externally, they’re more open to talk and interact with other people. We see this all the time with our girls. When they see how beautiful their hair can be, they hold their heads up high and they walk differently.  It makes them smile and feel good.  This opens the door for us to help them in other areas of their lives.  This program isn’t about vanity. It’s about developing successful and confident young ladies. We take great pride in being able to provide our girls with a service that’s important to them while building their confidence in the process. Confidence is something that we all need.

We see the lack of confidence in people, particularly in teen girls, when they can’t properly care for their hair. Many girls think they need weave or hair extensions to ‘create’ beautiful hair, and because of this, they are damaging their own hair. When we show them that they don’t need artificial hair or damaging products in order for their hair to look great, they say, “Wow, I didn’t know my own hair could look this good!”