Healthy Hair Never Goes Out of Style

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Some people are born to question the status quo. When they see a problem, they don’t accept it; they ask why. Then, they ponder how they can fix it. They imagine alternatives. They explore unconventional possibilities. They innovate. Paulo Lanfredi is one of those people. After cutting hair for 15 years, he began wondering why thin, dry or damaged hair did not improve with better care. And why didn’t it grow?

A surprising career

Lanfredi never dreamed of cutting hair, much less revolutionizing the process. Originally from Brazil, Lanfredi worked as a physical therapist before moving to the U.S. 25 years ago. Once here, he changed course. “I didn’t feel fulfilled working in PT,” he says. Instead, he began working at a high-end restaurant while contemplating his next move. Then, a single Saturday afternoon changed everything.

“I met my friend’s father; he was the scientist behind Herbal Essences,” Lanfredi remembers. “We talked for a while, and my friend said, ‘You should try hair. I think you’d do really well with it because you’re very creative.’ I had never thought about it, so I spent the weekend pondering the idea, and on Monday morning, I enrolled in cosmetology school.”

The SPLITFIX^®

Lanfredi’s breakthrough came about eight years ago. “I noticed that my female clients had what looked like layers around their jawline,” he explains. “But it wasn’t intentional—it was breakage; their hair was damaged. So I started cutting those areas a little differently. The results were instant; the hair improved and grew. That’s when I thought, ‘Why not apply this method to the whole head?’”

That technique, which he calls the SPLITFIX^®, doesn’t rely on chemical treatments or dramatic chops. Instead, it addresses the layers of hair underneath the surface, which is where Lanfredi discovered the damage accumulates. “Most stylists cut what you see, but I cut what you don’t see,” he says. “The under-layers are where the real breakage hides. If hair keeps breaking internally, it’ll never grow past a certain point.”

As he perfected his patent-pending technique, Lanfredi answered his initial question. “Using a great product on damaged hair is like putting makeup over a bruise,” he says. “It might cover it, but it doesn’t heal it.”

How it works

During an initial consultation, Lanfredi’s passion for science is front and center. “Let me show you something,” he says to a client, gliding a comb through her hair. “See how it moves easily here? Now, lower down, see how it catches? That’s damage.” Lanfredi removes a piece of hair from the comb, walks over to his microscope, and places the strand on the glass. He points out areas of discoloration and tiny white dots speckled throughout. “I call those ‘rose thorns’ because they interlock with each other,” he says. “When you brush your hair, they will stick to each other and break.”

After the explanation, Lanfredi asks questions so he can understand their goals. “Most women want to keep their length,” he explains. “So I will remove between 60 and 70 percent of the visible and hidden damage in the first session while keeping the length.”

Using the SPLITFIX^®, he transforms damaged hair for children, teens and adults. While his technique takes longer than a typical haircut, many clients notice a visible difference right away. And after approximately four haircuts over five to seven months, Lanfredi says he’s able to remove about 80 percent of the damage. “Clients see a big difference,” he says. “They’ll say, ‘My hair has never felt this soft,’ or ‘It’s finally growing.’ That’s how we know it’s working.”

What drives him, ultimately, is helping others. “Your hair is part of your identity,” he says. “It’s the one accessory you can’t take off. When your hair looks healthy, you feel more confident. If you have really good hair, you can wear a t-shirt and jeans, and you’ll feel great.” And if you’re wondering if you can maintain your newfound hair health at an inexpensive salon, “You can,” Lanfredi says with a shrug. “But eventually, the same damage will come back. If no one is maintaining the inner layers, it won’t last.”

These results have attracted clients from across the country—and even internationally. “People come from California, Florida, even London and Greece,” he says. “They plan whole trips around their appointments.”

To maintain his clients’ healthy hair, Lanfredi has also developed a minimalist, chemical-free product line, LANFREDI^®. “Shampoo, mask, elixir, oil—that’s it,” he explains. “I wanted something simple and effective. I used to rehab people. Now I rehab hair.”