Modern Salon - August 2007 - (Page 46) ASK THE EXPERTS Your questions: f lakes and fees. The experts answer your queries on dandruff and color service pricing. How much should I charge for a retouch? Jerry Gordon, long-time owner of the J. Gordon Designs in Chicago and president of Cosmetologists Chicago, uses a very precise calculation for determining what to charge for Jerry Gordon says supply cost analysis salon services. He arrived at and a knowledge of your market help this equation in his early years you determine prices for services like color retouches. in the garment industry, where he had to calculate the cost of fabric multiplied by the manufacturing expenses, to arrive at a fair price for the resulting article of clothing. For the equation to work, he says, you have to start at the right place, and that’s with your profit margin. “If you want to remain profitable, your supply costs in the salon should not exceed eight percent,” he says. To calculate the cost of a retouch, says Gordon, begin with the cost of the product—that’s the tint and the developer combined. Multiply that cost by 12.5 to arrive at the total service charge. Gordon bases 12.5 multiplier on an eight-percent cost of supplies. If your supply cost percentages go up or down, you must adjust the equation accordingly to arrive at your total service price. If your supply costs far exceed eight percent, Gordon emphasizes, your business could be in jeopardy. “A close analysis of your product costs and an honest look at what your salon’s market will bear will allow you to arrive at a service charge that is fair for both your business and your clientele,” he adds. Keeping supply costs in line, reducing product waste and fairly pricing the expertise of his talented staff have kept Gordon in the forefront of successful salon owners and business leaders. “Service pricing is not about lining your pockets,” he says. “It is about funding business expenses like building overhead and employeerelated expenses and still allowing for a nice margin of profit.” —Jan Hillenmeyer What causes dandruff? Dianna Kenneally, principal scientist for P&G Beauty, explains. “Dandruff-irritated scalp is not just dry skin. A naturally occurring microscopic fungus called malassezia [pronounced mal-uh-SEZ-eeuh] is the real cause.” This fungus, she says, feeds on Diana Kenneally says that dandruff is the outward sign of the scalp’s natural oils and creates an immune reaction. by products that irritate the scalp. The body fights back by increasing the amount and rate of dead skin cell flaking. Every human being has malassezia fungus, Kenneally says, but not every person’s immune system will respond to the irritation with dandruff. And that’s why so many myths have arisen around dandruff. The condition is not contagious, nor is it brought about by poor circulation, an improper diet or bad hygiene, she says. A client who complains of dandruff may have other issues, Kenneally says, especially if she cites an itching, burning or a dry feeling in her scalp. “Research shows that 25 percent of the U.S. population describes their scalp as sensitive,” she says. “This is often associated with the medical condition called ‘atopy,’ where people have inherited a predisposition to react to certain allergens and develop such conditions as eczema, hay fever and asthma.” Such clients could benefit from daily use of an anti-dandruff shampoo specifically formulated for sensitive scalp, as long as the scalp shows minimal irritation. “A severely irritated scalp might be seborrheic dermatitis, a condition that affects up to 10 percent of the U.S. population,” Kenneally notes. “Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include large, oily, yellow flakes and itching accompanied by redness and inflammation. If this appears to be the case with any client, immediately refer him or her to a physician.” But for the vast majority of clients who complain of dandruff, the solution is as close as one of the new-generation dandruff shampoos, Kenneally says. “Shampoos designed for dandruff today contain pyrithione zinc, which removes the dandruff, but also offer conditioning ingredients to leave the hair both beautiful and dandruff free.” —Maggie Mulhern 46 AUGUST 2007 www.modernsalon.com http://www.modernsalon.com
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