"Trying on" that new look

FOR THE JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

So you think the world would be a better place if you had Cindy Crawford’s hair or Harrison Ford’s nose? Well, thanks to the ever-evolving world of computer technology, you don’t have to spring for a nose job or a pricey coiffure to find out.

Some forward-thinking hair salons and plastic surgeons have invested in computer imaging equipment that magically lets you see your face with a new ‘do or a new nose. Now, a leery customer can see the "after" picture before a single strand of hair or piece of cartilage has been snipped. Kind of like try-before-you-buy.

"It takes a haircut off someone else and puts it on your face," explains Michelle Momtahen of Terrell Mill Hair Fashions in east Cobb. "It’s like shopping for a dress. You don’t know what looks good on you until you try things on."

The imager, made by Raleigh based Cyber Imaging Systems Inc™., is pretty straightforward. The stylist first snaps two digital pictures of you – as you normally look, then with your hair pulled away from your face. Then, magically, hundreds of photos begin popping up on the monitor showing an array of hairstyles superimposed on your head.

The stylist-turned-imager can make adjustments like flipping the part, adding more or less volume and changing the color. You save what you like to a portfolio. When you’re done, you get a color photo of your original look and seven new hairdos. The process takes from 30 minutes to an hour and costs (at Terrell Mill) $30.

Momtahen’s future-minded mother, Mable Jones, bought the machine two years ago for the shop.

"People were requesting it, asking if we had an imaging machine," Momtahen said. All 12 stylists in the shop are well versed in use of the machine, which is used six or seven times a week. Because computer-imaging machines are few and far between, clients often come from as far as Tennessee and Florida to be imaged.

Most customers, Momtahen says, consult the computer before deciding to do something drastic- like chopping off long locks or dyeing dark hair blond. Somewhere around 90 percent decide to change their style after seeing themselves on the machine, she says.

Though the majority of imaging customers at salons tend to be women, men occasionally plop down in front of the machine.

We sometimes have men who want to see what they’d look like bald, says Momtahen. "They come by before they go all out and shave their heads."

On a more serious note, many chemotherapy patients use the imager to "try on" wigs without having to go to a wig shop.

"Most people just really want to see before doing," explaining Momtahen, explaining the popularity of the service. "They’d like a professional’s opinion, and this takes away the scare for them to make a next move.

Although the hair-morphing program is widely available, it’s not widely used due to the high costs involved with buying, renting or franchising the systems, says Larry Oskin, president of Marketing Solutions Inc., a beauty business industry group. Less than 5 percent of American salons offer the service, Oskin estimates.

Of those salons, close to 500 use Cyber Imaging’s system, says Vicki Dooling, vice president for sales and marketing. The investment can be significant; the software alone runs $1,500 to $3,500. To recoup the costs, many salons charge an average of $30 for a consultation, says Dooling. Then, most offer a discount on services.

The system costs are coming down, says Vicki Dooling of CyberImaging. Some of the older systems were $25,000 to $50,000, Dooling says. CyberImaging’s newest system is $8,995, make it more attainable for smaller businesses.

It’s only natural that the popularity will continue to grow, Dooling reasons. "It’s good to see the changes first, " she says. "After all, once you cut your hair you can’t glue it back."

By Mary Jo Dilonardo