womensnet: How should one picture the Schwarzkopf Hair Studio?

Holger Bartels: Imagine a large, professional hair salon—with all the usual technical equipment, etc.

womensnet: What do you do there?

Holger Bartels: In a nutshell, we test the products: developments in existing products, totally new formulations, place our products in comparison with our competitors or products from other countries that might be interesting to us. Our goal is to constantly improve Schwarzkopf products and to adapt to changes in the market or to fashion trends.

womensnet: What is your team like?

Holger Bartels: We are made up of three teams, and each with its special concentration: Styling, Hair Care and Color. The Styling team, for example, tests perms, straightening products, hairsprays, gels, etc. The Hair Care team works with shampoos and treatments, and the Color team examines coloring, highlighting, and so forth.Our staff is comprised of hairdressers (with the master classification), and many have international experience. They master all the techniques that are demanded by current trends. They regularly receive additional training as well. Thus, we can guarantee a professionally qualified appraisal of products.

womensnet: What role does the Hair Studio play in the development of a product?

Holger Bartels: Let me give you an example…Let’s say the trend is moving towards straight, feathery cuts. Then naturally one will also need the corresponding styling products. When there is a new product idea, it is first tested in marketing, developed in the lab and then finally is tested in the hair studio. We work together with both departments on the development of a new product. In addition, we also test our products abroad. This is because the hair structure of the population can vary greatly between countries. The hair of Europeans is, for example, very different from that of Asians—and places therefore different demands on our products.

womensnet: What do you pay attention to when testing a product?

Holger Bartels: To put it simply, in our company we are the funnel through which everything must pass. On the one hand, we test the handling of packaging material and bottles. At this stage the product must already work satisfactorily. On the other hand, naturally, we must examine the results of application.

womensnet: Can you give me an example of this as well?

Holger Bartels: A hair color is tested, for example, on different people with differing hair colors. We want to know how the color comes out on natural hair, just as on lightly graying hair, on more graying hair, etc. It is important to create a reliable result for hairdressers, so that they can, with certainty, achieve consistent results.With a shampoo, criteria such as the comb-ability of wet and dry hair, hold, shine and manageability are tested. Three to five hairdressers test the result independently of each other. In the lab, the scientific results are then evaluated, e.g., to what extent the hair built up static electricity.

womesnet: What is a typical day like for you in the Hair Studio?

Holger Bartels (laughs): Actually, every day is exciting! There are always new challenges. It can already begin when a model is late, thereby bringing the overall plan for the day into disorder. And we start early: at 7:15 AM! This is so that those who work can also have the opportunity to be a model and still be able to get to work on time. A set part of every day is the daily arrangement between the individual teams in the Hair Studio and the laboratory over the tests that are to be carried out.

womensnet: What is the most exciting part of your job?

Holger Bartels: When I can try out here new ideas and trends that I discovered while abroad.

womensnet: Now a word about your models. Who can become a model at the Hair Studio?

Holger Bartels: Fundamentally anyone. There are no age limits—from a student to a 75-year-old woman, they are all included. This is also important, because we want to satisfy all of our customers’ needs and test accordingly in all age groups.

We have many models who have been coming to us for the past 20 years. That of course makes us very happy, because our models are very important people for our development!

In addition, they also serve as a first-class “billboards.” They are already wearing the hair colors that will come out on the market first in a year or two.

womensnet: Do you have a favorite product?

Holger Bartels: At the moment, hands down it would be the trendy OSiS-Products for creative styling. They really open up all possibilities, particularly compared with anything else on the market. OSiS Squeeze Hold & Shine, for example, provides a really beautiful structure and fantastic shine.

womensnet: Mr. Bartels, what is your hair care tip for the summer?

Holger Bartels: Due to high temperatures in the summer, one sweats more quickly and therefore develops an oily scalp more quickly. Wash your hair regularly with a mild maintaining shampoo, such as BC Hair & Body Shampoo. These shampoos are good for frequent washing. If necessary, hair can be washed several times daily with Schwarzkopf BC Shampoos and then treated with, for example, a moisturizing conditioner.

For intense sun exposure, you should definitely use the UV-Protection Spray and After Sun Treatment from BC. The biggest enemy of your hair is the sun! It fades both colored and natural hair and dries it out. Protect, therefore, your hair just like your skin, from UV-rays.

In addition, I recommend that women with long hair use hair clips without sharp edges for their pulled-back, summer hairstyles. Likewise, one should not use hair bands that are too tight. Both can lead to hair breakage.

About the Man

For the past 13 years, Holger Bartels has been director of Schwarzkopf Hair Studio in Hamburg. Prior to this, he worked in Switzerland and in London as a hairdresser before opening his own studio in Hamburg.

For Schwarzkopf, he has traveled around the world and worked at international hairdressing shows.

Would you like to become a model?

The Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Studio in Hamburg is always in need of models. The exact need, however, depends upon current projects. Therefore, simply inquire at 040/8824-2247 (Monika Baumscheiper).

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