British hairdressing awards - the myths

With a 30 year history, HJ's British Hairdressing Awards, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, is surrounded by myths and legends. So here we banish some of those myths - you might be surprised!

It costs a lot to enter

Rumour has it a collection will cost a minimum of £10,000 but that isn’t the case. While photo shoots can be expensive, a collection can be created for a lot less -  just ask Newcomer of the Year Will Lamb, who only spent £1,800 on his winning collection. “When shooting a collection you have to take every cost into consideration, especially models - Instagram is your best friend when on the model hunt, you'll save a fortune. Never stop looking for models even when you’re out and about, one of my models I found in Nando’s and she is amazing!” Will explains. So what advice would he have if you don’t have a big budget? “If you show your drive, determination and creativity then people will be inspired by this and want to work and grow with you. Make sure you give everything 100% and remember that social media is the best tool for any creative project so use it to your advantage.”

Your images can't be published until after the big night

Images can be from 12 months prior to the entry date and can have been published in magazines and online. It is only the British collections that can’t be published until the winner has been announced, this doesn’t apply to regional and specialist collections.

Wigs and hairpieces can be used in all the images

Wigs and hairpieces can be used in the collection, but in no more than four photographs - wigs in two photos and hairpieces in a further two photographs. They can’t be used at all in entries for Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year. They can be used as many times as required for Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year.

You have to be from a big salon to enter

This is definitely a myth! Winners including North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year Joseph Ferraro, London Hairdresser of the Year Luke Benson, Wales & South West Hairdresser of the Year Steven Smart, Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year Julian Dalrymple and North Western Hairdresser of the Year Marcella Moccia have all come from smaller, independent salons.

Once you've won a category three times you can'y enter any more

New for 2017 – once you have won your category three times you enter into the Hall of Fame. You will now be allowed to re-enter the category after a two-year break.

Images need to be as creative as possible and shot with the judges in mind

Any collection should represent you, your brand and your vision. You should shoot it for yourself and no one else. Ultimately you want a collection you can use to market your salon and attract clients to your business, as well as raise your profile. Models don’t have to be professional – many collections include house or street models – and the photographer doesn’t have to be a hair photographer. It’s worth remembering though that hair should be wearable, commercial and aspirational in all categories (except Avant Garde)

Hair has to be perfect

Although this is ultimately a hair competition, hair doesn’t have to be perfect. While lines and shapes need to be seen, perfect hair can in fact look outdated. And in recent times, the issue of retouching has reared its ugly head. The rule of thumb is that hair should never be retouched, while lighting, skin and background are a given. New for 2017 – as well as a before shot of the model, entries also require a finished look raw file of the image prior to retouching. This ensures the judges can see the fringe really is straight, the length is real and the shape hasn’t been created on a computer.