Every parent dreads the word LICE.  We can help!

Lately we’ve had lots of phone calls and visits with questions about lice! Lice seems to be at an all time high right now and everyday we are hearing about numerous schools and daycares in our area that are dealing with outbreaks.

As parents we know how inconvenient it is to think about dealing with lice with your children.  We also know that lice is often very hard to spot and that there is plenty of confusion regarding what to look for.

If you have any questions, we at Pigtails & Crewcuts are happy to help.  We are also offering free lice checks to our clients.  If you’re not sure if what you’re seeing is lice, we will be happy to check for you. 

And in the event that you do have a lice issue, we also carry everything you need to treat the infestation and to defend against any future lice outbreaks.  Come on in and browse our selection of lice preventative shampoos, conditioners, hairsprays, and gels!  We even have products that are organic and made especially for children!  No harsh chemicals here!

Head lice have three forms: the egg (also called a nit), the nymph, and the adult.

Egg/Nit: Nits are lice eggs laid by the adult female head louse at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. Nits are firmly attached to the hair shaft and are oval-shaped and very small (about the size of a knot in thread) and hard to see. Nits often appear yellow or white although live nits sometimes appear to be the same color as the hair of the infested person. Nits are often confused with dandruff, scabs, or hair spray droplets. Head lice nits usually take about 8-9 days to hatch. Eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located no more than ¼ inch (or 1 centimeter) from the base of the hair shaft.

Nymph: A nymph is an immature louse that hatches from the nit. A nymph looks like an adult head louse, but is smaller. To live, a nymph must feed on blood. Nymphs mature into adults about 9-12 days after hatching from the nit.

Adult: The fully grown and developed adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white in color. Adult head lice may look darker in persons with dark hair than in persons with light hair. To survive, adult head lice must feed on blood. An adult head louse can live about 30 days on a person’s head but will die within one or two days if it falls off a person. Adult female head lice are usually larger than males and can lay about six eggs each day.

• Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
• Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites.
• Irritability.
• Sores on the head caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected.

How is head lice diagnosed?  

An infestation is diagnosed by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs, or adults. They can usually be found behind the ears, back of neck and part lines. It can be difficult to find a live bug. There are usually a few of them and they can move quickly. If crawling lice are not seen, finding nits within a 1/4 inch of the scalp strongly suggests that a person is infested and should be treated. If you only find nits more than 1/4 inch from the scalp (and don’t see a nymph or adult louse), the infestation is probably an old one. If you are not sure if a person has head lice, the diagnosis should be made by your health care provider, school nurse, or a professional from the local health department.

• Use a lice preventative product in your child’s hair daily.
• Avoid head to head contact at school and home.
• Do not share clothing, hats, scarves, sports uniforms and helmets, coats and hair accessories
• Do not share combs and brushes or towels
• Do not lie in beds, on couches or car seats that have recently been in contact with an infested person

Lice are usually spread thru head to head contact and less frequently by lice that crawl. Preschool and elementary-age children, 3-11, and their families are infested most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys. In the United States, African-Americans rarely get head lice. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.

• Do not worry about furniture sprays, they are useless. Vacuuming the areas such as floors, carpets, bedrooms, and couches is sufficient. Don’t forget to vacuum car seats!
• Wash the bedding each morning in hot water. Dry on high heat for at least 20 minutes.
• Store all stuffed animals, large comforters, etc. in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks.
• Soak combs and brushes in Lysol or rubbing alcohol for at least 1 hour.

As we begin a new year we’d like to welcome all of our clients, those who have been with us from day 1 and those who are finding their way to us this year!  Thank you for trusting us with your precious children and letting us watch them grow each year!  We know you have a choice when choosing who does your child’s haircuts and we are so thankful that you have chosen us!  Happy New Year!

Please take a bit to look around our website and see the many services that Pigtails & Crewcuts can offer your family.  From kid’s haircuts to adult haircuts, from up-do’s to birthday parties, from birthday gifts to unique hair accessories and products…we’ve got you covered!  Please let us know how we can help you!

People come to Pigtails & Crewcuts for lots of different reasons!  Yes, we do the best kid’s cuts around!  Yes, we throw fabulous birthday parties!  Yes, we cater to the whole family, even moms and dads! Yes, your kids can stay busy and happy with movies, our train station, and video games!

And this holiday season Pigtails & Crewcuts is also your go-to salon for boutique and unique items for the holidays!  We have gifts galore!  We have that perfect hair accessory to go with your holiday dress!

And we also have wonderful stocking stuffers!  We have compiled a list of the most popular stocking stuffers!  Come on in today and check them out for yourself!

1.  Emi Jay Hair Ties

Emi Jay hair ties are by far our most popular hair accessories and are a special treat for moms!  Regular hair ties retail for $2.50, headbands are $5.00, and we even have special 5-packs of hair ties in different themes and specialty ribbons that sell between $10-13.

To learn more about Emi Jay’s check out our Emi Jay blog post!

2.  Color Rub by HairFlairs

Every since we started carrying Color rub they have been flying off the shelves!  These individual containers of temporary color rub are a huge hit! They come in many different colors, are easy to apply, and come out when you shampoo your hair!  Boys and girls alike love to create fun new looks and parents are thrilled that it’s not permanent!  Create a different look for lots of occasions!

In addition to the 9 colors featured in the picture below, we are excited that white, gold, and silver will be arriving in the next few days!

Each container is $14.

3.  Knot Genies and Teeny Genies

With a tag line like “For the Mama who dreads the Hair brushing Drama” who wouldn’t want to try this genius brush?  Knot genies are the answer to all your hair tangle dilemmas.  It can help even the hardest case of knotted hair turn into a pain-free experience.  Pair a knot genie with one of our kid-friendly detanglers for the ultimate solution! Try it once and you’ll never go  back!  Knot Genie even makes a smaller version called the Teeny Genie for those kiddos who want to do it themselves!  With lots of colors for girls and boys these make excellent stocking stuffers!

Knot Genies and Teeny Genies are $14.00 each.

4.  Hair Shots

Do you know someone who loves to work out but doesn’t love to have sweaty, stinky hair?  Do you have a cheerleader,gymnast, or soccer player daughter who would rather smell delicious than sweaty?  Are you the parent of little boys who run around and give off that distinct BOY smell?!

Hair Shots is a fabulous product!  It is like febreeze for the hair!  It smells delicious when you spray it on but the magic is what happens as you start sweating!  As your body heats up the scent is activated and the delicious smell takes over!  Genius!

Hair Shots come in many different scents and are $10 apiece.

5.  Beanie Boos, Beanie Christmas monstaz, and Hello Kitty Beanies!

Beanie Boos

Beanie Boos are our best selling child’s gift!  These adorable and wide-eyed animals are the perfect small size for your child and the perfect small price tag for you!  Beanie boos come in a huge variety of animals with new ones coming in all the time!  Try one or collect them all!  Your child will be thrilled to find one of these adorable friends in their stocking!

$5 each

Christmas Monstaz

These little guys are adorable, have candy cane ears, AND play music and wish your child a Merry Christmas!

$6.50 each

Hello Kitty Christmas Edition

We carry lots of Hello Kitty beanie babies and they are all adorable!  Right now we even have the special Christmas Edition!  Perfect for all those Hello Kitty fans!

$6.99 each

We hope to see you soon for all your children’s haircuts, adult haircuts, and holiday shopping!

Support local small businesses this Saturday…including Pigtails & Crewcuts!

This Saturday, November 24th, is Small Business Saturday!  It’s a day for everyone to support small businesses that are a vital part of our economy!  Show your support this Saturday by shopping local and small businesses!  Pigtails & Crewcuts is a locally owned small business!

So go out and shop those big retailers on Friday for big deals.  And then come see us on Saturday for great specials!

In honor of small business Saturday:

1. All merchandise will be 20% off all day long!

This even includes your favorite hair products!

We have lots of great gifts and stocking stuffers and this will be the best deal of the season!

2.  Double punches on your punch card or double points on your belly card!!! Earn those 1/2 price haircuts and many other rewards even faster!

3.  Use your Belly card to support small businesses this Saturday and:

*Everyone who scans their Belly card on small business Saturday will be entered to win cool gear and prizes!

*New belly users will be entered into a raffle for a $100 gift cards the Belly retailer of your choice!

If you don’t have a Belly card yet we will be happy to get one started for you!  For more information, click HERE to learn all about the Belly card and the cool rewards you can earn every time you make a purchase at Pigtails & Crewcuts!

4.  $5.00 bang cuts!

5.  10 Haircut Package- only $130!!! That’s $13 a haircut and an almost $40 savings!

6.  $25.00 off a birthday party if booked today!

At Pigtails & Crewcuts we are proud to give great kids haircuts everyday!  But it’s also very important to us that we give back to our community and help people in need!  We are proud to be a Locks Of Love salon, donating haircuts to help patients in need.  We also are proud to participate in the annual Cookies for Kids with Cancer cookie drive and to support many other local and national charities!  This weekend we are asking for your help in raising money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer!

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (October 26-28) Pigtails & Crewcuts will donate 10% of our total sales to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas.

We hope you will join us for haircuts and shopping to raise money for this wonderful organization that provides support and resources to women and men right here in Central Texas in their fight against breast cancer.

Check out their website to see where our donation will go! Click here for more info on The Breast Cancer Resource Center.

As an extra special treat we will also be doing a free streak or spike of pink color rub with every haircut this weekend!  Show off your support for the cause and look awesome doing it!

Help make a difference by joining us this weekend!  You get great kids (and adults!) haircuts AND get to make a difference!  Don’t need a haircut?  Come browse our wonderful boutique gifts, hair accessories, and hair products!  10% of all sales, including merchandise, will be donated to this important cause!

Pigtails & Crewcuts Cedar Park is SO excited to announce the launch of the Belly Card!

“We’ve got Belly! It’s our new loyalty program that offers unique rewards to our customers through a single BellyCard or mobile app. Belly replaces traditional ‘Buy 10, Get 1 Free’ punch cards with a rewards platform that fits our business’s personality, connecting us directly with YOU, the customer. Earn points for rewards you actually want!”

The Belly card is a fabulous electronic rewards system that is FREE and so so so easy to use!

Have you been using our punch cards and love the 1/2 price haircuts but hate having to keep up with your card?  The Belly card is the perfect solution!  It is linked to your email address and so even if you don’t keep up with the card your points will never be lost!

We know switching to a new rewards system raises lots of questions, especially for those of you who love our punch cards.  Here are some FAQ’s:

1.  Can I get points for each haircut?

Answer: YES!  If you get more than one haircut you can scan your card for each haircut!

2.  What about double punch day?

Answer:  Rest assured… Wednesday is still double points day!  When you scan your belly card on Wednesdays you will automatically receive double points!

3.  I haven’t been able to earn rewards before for bang cuts or shopping in your salon.  Can I earn rewards now?

Answer: Yes!  Customers who visit our salon and shop or receive services of any kind can scan their card once per visit!

4.  What if I lose my card?

Answer:  No problem!  It is linked to your email address and you can sign in with your email address!  You have the added option of putting the belly app on your smart phone so that you can use your phone to sign in, keep track of points  etc!

5.  How can I see how many points I have?

Answer:  You can check your account balance at any time by visiting bellycard.com

6.  What kinds of rewards will I earn?

Answer:  YOU get to decide which rewards are meaningful to you and YOU get to choose how and when to redeem your points!  After just a couple of visits you will be eligible for rewards which you can redeem OR you can save up your points for REALLY BIG REWARDS!  Do you want to earn a free child’s haircut?  That’s a reward!  Is your daughter hoping for feathers and you want a great deal on them?  That’s a reward!  And there are many others…so you can decide what’s meaningful for you!

6.  Are there any other benefits to having a belly card account?

Answer:  Yes!  You are going to start seeing lots of other businesses that have Belly!  Now you can save rewards from multiple businesses in one electronic account, eliminated the bulky wallet full of punch cards!

7.  Where can I find out more information?

Visit www.bellycard.com for more info and to watch a short informationalvideo! Or come on in and let us introduce you to a belly full of rewards!

At Pigtails & Crewcuts we know that one thing is on everyone’s mind right now: back to school!

Our Cool Gear All Year promotion helps you save money with something you will need all year long: kids haircuts!

How does it work?  Now through September 30th purchase a 10 Haircut Pack  and you will automatically be entered into a drawing every month all school year long!  Once a month during the months of October 2012- June 2013 we will hold a drawing for a $50.00 visa gift card! That’s NINE chances to win!

Our 10 Haircut Packages are a wonderful value and convenience!  Purchase 9 haircuts and the 10th is free.  You will receive 10 haircut vouchers to use at your convenience.  They are transferable between children and never expire!

We look forward to seeing you all year for your child”s haircuts!

Here at Pigtails & Crewcuts we know that the best way to beat the heat is to stay in the water as much as possible!  But did you know that swimming can wreak havoc on your child’s hair?  If your child’s hair has ever felt slimy and looked green-tinged after too much swimming it is a result of buildup from chlorine.  The water and sun can also really dry your hair out!

In addition to great summer haircuts for boys and girls, Pigtails’s dedicated team of stylists is happy to help you avoid the pitfalls of summer hair! We do offer a wonderful clarifying treatment in the salon to get all the yuckies (We consider that a technical term) out and leave your hair smooth and manageable!  This great service is only $9.99 and includes the treatment plus a shampoo and conditioner!

Want to take care of it yourself?  No problem!

We sell two wonderful lines of clarifying shampoo.  Both the Pigtails & Crewcuts Summertime Scrub AND the Circle of Friends Swimmer Shampoo will gently remove swimming build-up and only need to be used once a week.

Want to help prevent the buildup before it happens?  Protect your hair from sun damage?  Help keep it tangle free when swimming in a pool or in the ocean? You will LOVE our pre-swim conditioner!  Keep some in your bag.  All you have to do is run some through your child’s hair before you go swimming and you will have a much easier time with tangles and buildup!  

Overwhelmed by your choices?  Come see us!  We are always happy to help!

Stay cool, friends!

Ever since Pigtails & Crewcuts started selling Emi Jay hairties, all of us who work here and many of our customers have become ADDICTED!  And I mean it.  I can’t wear anything else in my hair.  On any given day all the stylists are rocking different color “emi-jays”, and customers who buy one to try always come back for more.

So what is it about them that makes them so popular?

Yes, the come in wonderful vibrant colors and patterns in addition to classics that go with any wardrobe demand.

Yes, they are SUPER comfortable! 

Yes, it’s true that they don’t cause any tension, pull at your hair, or cause those ugly bumps in your hair when you pull your ponytail out.

Yes, they look fabulous and stylish as bracelets.

Yes, celebs are choosing these over traditional ponytail holders.

Yes, a contribution to a charity is made for every purchase.

Yes, all Emi Jay products are made in the USA!

Yes, the idea is the brainchild of two 15 year old girls which is pretty cool!

All of these things are true facts that make Emi jay’s great.  

So why didn’t anyone think of these before?

Well, the simple answer is…..they did!  Emi Jay’s are basically the modern day scrunchie! I realized this when having a conversaion with my very awesome but slightly un-hip mom! (kidding mom- you are quite fashionable usually).  Why do we love Emi Jays?  Because they are soft, comfortable, and don’t pull your hair!  Why don’t we like scrunchies?  Well…they are a bit dated and slightly nerdy.

So come try out an Emi Jay!  It’s like a scrunchie but with a very increased coolness factor.  Plus…all those other reasons listed above!

Emi Jay hair ties (pony holders) are $2.50 and headbands are $5.  Come on in and check them out.  Then you,too, can have the most fashionable ponytail around!

Baby Drake’s First Haircut!

We all know and love Miss Jamie.  And Miss Jamie has done many many many of our children’s first haircuts!  Today we had a special treat!  Jamie’s almost 1 year old son came in to have HIS first haircut done by Sandy!  He was a natural!  So cute!

Here are some photos!

And Check out Drake’s 1st Haircut Package!

1st haircut packages are available for all 1st haircuts.  The package includes haircut and a souvenir card with the child’s name, date of haircut, lock of hair, and picture!  Only $21.95!