By Andrea Nagel

Eva Scrivo Salon, named after its eponymous makeup artist and hair stylist founder, has been steadily re-inventing itself over the past several years to better meet clients’ evolving needs. And in the process, breaking the mold of the traditional salon.

Most recently, uber stylist Eva Scrivo, and her business development partner and husband, Arik Efros, have collaborated with world-renowned scientist in the field of hair loss, Lars Skjoth, to provide clients with a treatment for hair loss which has never before been available in a salon. Ultimately, the two have joined forces to create a new salon business model featuring the treatment, with Eva Scrivo’s Flatiron District location (she also operates an Upper East Side location) being the pilot. In the first quarter of 2019, the treatment program will be presented to certain salons in specific, targeted markets.

“Not only do our clients benefit from this program but Lars has designed a business model where stylists can build a continual revenue stream beyond their own hands from clients’ ongoing product treatment,” Eva said.

The proprietary hair loss treatment, Harklinikken, was founded by Lars in 1992 in his native Denmark after 20 years of research and trials with clients on more than three continents. The result is a customized topical treatment regimen designed to treat hereditary hair loss in both women and men. The treatment uses a precise combination of elements, including some found in nature, such as burdock root and marigold, as well as proprietary ingredients derived from a specific breed of cow’s milk.In a recent interview, Lars said that Harklinikken is the only treatment for thinning hair that is 100% customized and hand blended for each client – a critical factor in the program’s success. Improvements can be seen in as little as 30 days, he said, but on average improvements can be realized within 60 to 120 days. Certain hair loss patterns are more susceptible to treatment than others.

“If you have a hereditary hair thinning pattern (the most common type of hair loss) there is a good chance we can help you. We do not treat alopecia areata and alopecia totalis,” Lars said, as this type of hair loss comes from an autoimmune disorder.

Eva Scrivo is the first U.S. salon to provide Harklinikken consultations and products. Currently, the salon, located on 139 Fifth Avenue, has three certified consultants, each of whom received training directly from Lars at his firm’s U.S. headquarters in Tampa, Fla. They count about 100 clients receiving the treatment.

“The paradigm shift is that clients aren’t just given products. The regimen is customized for them and there is also a lot of hand holding throughout the process,” said Lars.

To start, a client is assessed by an in-salon Harklinikken certified consultant, who has been trained by Lars and his team, to determine if the client is a good candidate for treatment. The hair and scalp are thoroughly examined through a magnifying glass to assess the number of follicles that are still active and can therefore be positively impacted through treatment. Also determined is the cause of hair loss and any scalp conditions which may need to be addressed ahead of time. In addition, a questionnaire is reviewed about one’s medical history, lifestyle, family hair loss history and any other treatment being used presently or in the past. Only those whose hair growth can be significantly improved with Harklinikken are taken into treatment – approximately four out of five clients. Finally, close-up photos are taken documenting one’s hair loss patterns, and the consultant reviews a detailed at-home treatment protocol.

A customized extract is then formulated specifically for the client and shipped within a few days. Most clients are placed on an auto-ship program, where they receive two bottles every other month (one bottle is expected to last approximately one month). While in treatment, only Harklinikken shampoo, conditioner and styling products may be used, so as not to inadvertently introduce ingredients from other products that could adversely affect results. The extract is an odorless liquid which is applied to the scalp nightly. It is not sticky and does not stain bed sheets or pillow cases. In the morning, it is washed out with a Harklinikken shampoo.

After 30 days the client returns to the salon for their first follow-up appointment to make sure they’re following the treatment protocol correctly and to ask any questions that may have arisen in the first month of their journey. The next appointment is about three months later, where the first set of progress photos are taken and compared with the originals. Then, it’s recommended that the client return every four to six months to continue tracking progress and adjust the strength and formulation of the customized extract in accordance with results. The extract formulation continues to be adjusted as necessary throughout the duration of treatment.

“This gives the stylist the opportunity to obtain clinical training. It adds to their knowledge of how to work with hair cosmetically, by giving them a scientific understanding of the hair, scalp and its health. It takes the hairdresser to the next level, to become an expert in hair and to be seen that way by their clients,” said Arik.

Arik and Eva met Lars through a salon client who had been a Harklinikken user. During one visit Eva noticed that her client’s hair seemed noticeably thicker, and he told her it was because of the Harklinikken treatment.

“We meet with companies all the time who promise the latest and greatest. But right away we saw Harklinikken was for real. And being that it’s made without the use of problematic ingredients and is simple to use and reasonably priced – the bells just rang. We wholeheartedly believe that this could really be industry changing,” said Eva.

To get the word out, Eva held several private cocktail events at her Flatiron location to invite salon clients to hear about what was on offer. Stylists, excited by this innovation, began sharing it with clients as well. Although the salon had offered other products in the past to address hair loss, Eva and Arik had never seen results this dramatic, not even on clients who were using Minoxidil, which merely seem to slow down hair thinning. “The results we see are astonishing,” said Arik, “including my own hair. In fact, we have yet to come across anyone following the treatment protocol on whom improvement is not evident, even those who are not completely diligent about it see some quantifiable progress.”

Eva and Arik, alongside Lars, have been training stylists how to approach the sensitive subjective of thinning hair with their clients.

Some early learnings from initial consultations include clients’ using the system not just for hair loss but also for optimal hair health.

“It actually makes the hair healthy, shiny, more voluminous. Even the shampoos and conditioner without the extract help with the health of the hair and optimizes conditions for hair growth,” said Arik.

There are no known side effects to the treatment, which is most effective for hereditary hair loss sufferers. To date Harklinikken has treated more than 100,000 clients worldwide.

To reach even more clients, in the first quarter of 2019 Lars is opening a 6,000-square-foot flagship clinic above the Flatiron salon, where he and his New York team can service clients and train stylists in the Harklinikken program.