After
almost 20 years in the business, Cozy Friedman, the CEO and founder of the salon Cozy’s
Cuts for Kids and the product line So Cozy Hair Care for Children, is passing
along decades’ worth of styling and hair care tips for girls in her new book,
“Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair,” available this month. We recently
caught up with the stylist and mother of two about her book, the Justin
Bieber-do and just what to do with all of those tangles.
What made you decide to write a book?
People have
asked me for years to write a book because they have so many questions about
girls’ hair. People always come into our salon and ask, “What can I do about my
daughter’s tangles?” and a million other questions, so finally I just decided
to put pen to paper and go for it.
At what
age is it important to start paying attention to kids’ hair? How do you do that
without making them self-conscious?
From when
they’re born, good grooming should always be a part of your child’s regimen. So
then it’s just a natural thing—not an obsession. If kids feel good about their
hair, it’s really a boost to their self-esteem, and that’s what the book is all
about. We want girls to feel good about themselves, and hair is a key part of
that.
Tell me
about tangles, because I still have nightmares about my mother yanking at my
head trying to get the knots out.
There’s a
lot of information in the book about tangles. One tip is to put hair in a loose
braid or ponytail when kids go to sleep, when they’re going to be active or
even in a car seat, because the hair can get tangled easily [in those
instances]. It’s also important to keep up with detangling the hair, because if
you comb out your child’s hair every day it will be in much better condition
than if you wait a week to try get the tangles out.
In the
book, you give tips about cutting hair at home. How long do you think parents
can get away with this? When is it time to go to a salon?
I think it
has more to do with the type of hair your child has than how old they are. If
you have an 8-year-old daughter who has one-length, straight hair, there’s no
reason you can’t cut it until she wants a style you can’t do. It also depends
on your child’s personality. If you can’t get them to sit still, it’s going to
be difficult to cut their hair at home.
Can you
share some tips for at-home cuts?
The most
important thing is to be organized and decide beforehand how you’re going to
approach the cut. I recommend doing the front first, because your child has the
most patience in the beginning, and if they run out of patience and you have to
end the haircut, you don’t want it to be lopsided in the front. Another big
thing is distraction—you have to be prepared with a few things, like a book or a
video or a snack, to keep them sitting in the chair.
What
about boys? You yourself have two sons. Do they have a lot of opinions when it
comes to their hair?
One of my
boys has a buzz cut and the other wears it long like Justin Bieber. This year
has been a really big year for boys’ hair. It’s all about the Justin Bieber
haircut. I’ve seen trends come and go, but I’ve never seen anything like this.
My son wears his like that, though he would never say it’s a Justin Bieber haircut. No boy ever comes in and says, “I want the Justin Bieber haircut.”
They describe it: “I want my hair to be long in the front.” One boy actually
came in and had a picture of Justin Bieber on his phone and he showed it to the
stylist and said, “This is how I want my hair but don’t tell my mom.”
Where
should parents take their kids to get a haircut if they don’t have a kids’
salon in their neighborhood?
If there
isn’t a kids’ salon nearby, I recommend taking your child to a salon that you
feel comfortable with. Call the salon in advance. Don’t just walk in and say,
“Hi, I’d like a haircut,” because you don’t know who you’re going to get. Also,
if you see a child on the street who has hair that you like, ask the parent
[what salon they went to]. A lot of information is passed along the park bench.
Cozy’s Cuts for Kids is located at 1125 Madison Avenue (at 84th Street), 448 Amsterdam Avenue( at 81st Street) and at 1416 Second Avenue (at 74th Street). For more information, visit
cozyscutforkids.com.
Photo Credit: Emily Anne Epstein
Hairdo
How-To’s
“Cozy’s
Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair” has easy-to-follow guides for dozens of popular
hairstyles for girls. Each “hair recipe” includes a key that tells what type
and length hair the style is for, how long it will take and what tools you’ll
need. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Friedman suggests this adorable style: the
heart braid.
What You’ll Need
Wide-tooth comb
Fine-tooth comb
Hair clip
Ponytail holders
Time: 15 minutes
1. Starting with damp hair (either towel-dried or misted),
use a wide-tooth comb to detangle the hair. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, part
the hair down the middle of the head. Clip one side up right above the ear.
2. On the other side of the part, use the fine comb to
gather a thin section of hair from the crown. This section should measure about
2 inches
from the hairline to the top of the head.
3. Divide this section into three, and begin a French Braid*
starting at the crown and curving toward the temple, then toward the back of
the head, like the top lobe of a heart. You will be lifting hair into the braid
only from this side of the part. Leave no loose hair in front of the ear.
4. When you reach the center part at the back of the head,
secure the braid with a ponytail holder. If the hair is very long, end the
braid about midear; the ends will hang down the back.
5. Unclip the hair on the other side of the part and repeat
the process. Secure with a ponytail holder.
6. Join the two ends of the braids together in the back with
a ponytail holder to form the bottom point of the heart.
Excerpted from “Cozy’s Guide to Girls’ Hair” by Cozy
Friedman (Artisan Books) Copyright 2011. Photography by Alexandra Grablewski.
