We’ve all shown up for a hair cut at a salon or barber shop before and walked into a maddeningly busy scene.

Clippers chomping, buzzers droning, dryers whizzing, customers chatting and stylists racing around.  But I doubt any of us can say we’ve ever shown up for a haircut quite like the ones given out in Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA, on 10 April.

That’s when 552 licensed cosmetologists from Illinois to Colorado descended upon the Mid-America Center to successfully help Peel’s Salon Services set a new Guinness World Records feat for the most people cutting hair.

With each stylist accompanied by a model muse and a minimum of 15 continuous minutes of non-stop, simultaneous hair cutting required, the task at hand resulted in quite the scene.

Here’s what the arena at the “MAC” looked like before the makeshift salon opened its doors:

Once all the hairdressers and their models were registered, given their necessary tools and seated in their respective color-coded sections, things got just a little busier:

The attempt took place as part of Peel’s annual spring trade show, which attracted approximately 6,000 hairdressers and 250 vendors displaying hair care, beauty supply and salon products. With a palpable buzz throughout the day leading up to the attempt on Saturday evening, the eventual 552 stylists were ready and anxious to start – so much so that a few participants asked if they’d be disqualified for momentarily dropping a comb on the ground from their hands shaking too much (the answer was no, provided of course that they quickly picked it up and continued; just to be safe, Peel’s provided all stylists with a back-up comb)!

To come up with an exact number for the record, I cross-referenced the sign-in sheets for each of the four color-coded sections, which were run and witnessed by 16 independent volunteers, with my own two eyes to survey empty seats during the attempt. With a little help from 64 more independent stewards who witnessed two participants unable to complete the required 15 minutes, the magic number of 552 was reached.

Helping add to the total was world-renowned stylist Phillip Wilson, named by Modern Salon magazine as one of the most influential hairstylists of the past 100 years.  He, too, took part in the effort, leading the group from his personal spot on center stage and inspiring his 551 followers with some world-class flair and skill.

By the end of the event, I could tell that the only thing people loved more than a free haircut was helping set a Guinness World Records-breaking haircut.

The only downside to the whole day?  All the hair left on the floor couldn’t sweep itself!

Mike Janela
12 April 2010