Along With Mousse, Salon Offers AIDS and Cancer Advice

For ages, women have been going to beauty salons to chat and gossip with their stylists while getting their hair done. That tradition still exists at the Salon 21 beauty shop in Los Angeles’ Mid-City area, but the conversation topics have been expanded: breast cancer and AIDS prevention.

The Pico Boulevard salon is part of the California Department of Health Services’ innovative Beauty Salon Outreach Program. At Salon 21, patrons receive condoms, AIDS and breast cancer prevention pamphlets, are quizzed about AIDS, and get some friendly advice from the workers.

“Our slogan here is, ‘We care as much about your health as we do about your looks,’ ” said salon owner Michele Moore Bell, who has run Salon 21 for nearly 10 years. “A lot of people really appreciate what a caring salon we are. A lot of the women tell me how their husbands are so impressed that we are so concerned. We pass out the condoms, and if they don’t need them, I tell them to give them to a friend.”

The Beauty Outreach Program as two goals: To motivate customers to call one of the state-funded AIDS hotlines to learn more about safer sex and HIV counseling and testing, and to solicit the support of salon owners, stylists and beauty show producers to distribute possible life-saving information to their customers.

People who want to participate in the program can call James Brady at Polaris Research and Development: (800) 494-6045.