JACKSON HAIRDRESSERS ATTEND HAIR WORLD IN WASHINTON, D.C.

You never know who you'll get to work on at Hair World. Here Emily Tuschhoff clips some hair of a President Clinton imposter. Submitted photo. (submitted photo)

It seems like every time you turn around the Olympic Committee is adding another sport to the list, but one sport has been left out, hair styling.

Left out because it has its own Olympics and this year it was held in Washington, D.C., and Sherry Varney, Alice Benton, and Emily Tuschhoff, all hair dressers from Jackson, attended the Hair Olympics earlier this month.

They weren't there to compete, but they were there to learn.

Hair World '96, its official name, is the Olympic competition for cosmetology.

There were 32 countries that competed in the competition. Rick Quissenberry of Springfield got a chance to compete at the event.

Varney, Benton, and Tuschhoff attended classes and watched the competition.

It was only the third time the event was held in the United States.

"It was the most awesome week I ever spent," Tuschhoff said.

Benton said that this was the 26th Hair Olympics. Varney said she was saving her money to attend the next Hair World in Australia.

"It takes a devoted individual to do what they do," Varney said of the competitors.

"The competition was very fierce," she added.

There were 300,000 people at Hair World '96.

Besides the competition there was a products show and classes which the three attended.

The latest in hair products is the automatic head wash. It retails for $40,000 and it is a computerized hair wash. You punch in what shampoo and whatever else you want and it does it for you automatically, Benton said.

They attended classes on men's hair replacement techniques, new haircutting techniques and new long hair bridal looks.

"It has changed my life. Don't get me wrong, I've been to several hair shows over the last 15 years. Just when I think I've done it all, and seen it all, Wham! I feel like Dorothy, like I've been to Oz! Around every corner was something new and exciting," Varney said.

There was 175 exhibitors showing new products at Hair World '96 and the three split up so that they could experience it all.

The new hair style collection is called X-treme, Tuschhoff said.