Would You Use a Flowbee to Cut Your Hair?

Now for a little fun!

The Flowbee is a hair cut system that hooks up to your vacuum cleaner! No kidding - although I am in hysterics as I write this - you can't make this stuff up (although Rick Hunts did).

The Flowbee, star of infomercials, was reviewed by local NBC4 consumer reporter Liz Crenshaw. Her "Does It Really Do That?" feature often asks the question of products promoted on television. She gives them to local citizens to test, shows the products in action, and discusses the results. Then she asks the testers if they would purchase the item - a price-benefit analysis. I was ready for a little comic relief, however the Flowbee passed the test. I was stunned!

The Flowbee cuts hair lengths from 1/2" to 6" long at any 1/4" increment. Additional spacers may be purchased if you desire longer lengths of hair. The Flowbee Web site says you should not try to cut more than 1/2" in length at a time. That would imply that you need to have rather short hair to use it, but the woman who tested it on television had mid-length hair.

You can order it with its own mini-vacuum for $99.90. The Flowbee system without the mini-vacuum is $69.95. Its many fans say they have saved hundreds of dollars by using the Flowbee to cut their own hair. You can order from the Flowbee Factory Direct Web site.

I can see how this product might appeal to men or a women who wants to cut her child's hair (assuming the child isn't scared by the roaring vacuum cleaner). I can't imagine trying it. I have mental images of a ragged bob and a scolding stylist with the giggles. No Flowbee for this Virgo! Would you try the Flowbee?

Photo courtesy of Flowbee

Rheology - How Product Flow Can Cost You Money

Liz Crenshaw, consumer reporter for NBC4 in the Washington DC metropolitan area, showed us how we lose product each and every time we toss a container that no longer pumps, squeezes, or otherwise dispenses product. I have been known to cut open plastic containers to get the last drop of product out. She demonstrated that on TV last night.

She cut into plastic containers of Cetaphil and Aveeno. Working with a scientist at Marymount University, she demonstrated how more than 10% of the product can be left in the container, basically inaccessible unless you are willing to cut. Her findings match those of Consumer Reports.

It all has to do with the ease of flow, which is where rheology comes in. It's the science of flow. It should be no surprise that liquids flow more easily than creams and gels, so the thicker your product is, the more likely it is that some will be left behind - unless you take "drastic measures."

If I like a product and want to get every last drop, I cut into the container if possible. The last time I did this was with a Sisley Supremya sample. At $750 for the full-sized product, Supremya is costly. I wasn't going to leave a drop unused!

Is this a manufacturer's conspiracy? Liz thinks not. Simply science!

Photo courtesy of The Society of Rheology