Mavis Mensah of Kamal Saloon in Accra yesterday won the sixth edition of the Ghana Golden Scissors Award with a cash prize of $500 and SoftSheen Carsons products while Tamara Anderson, who owns Tammy?s Hair and Beauty Salon and was tipped to win the contest, placed second taking home a cash prize of $200.

With the achievement of this feat, the two have qualified for the coveted annual Golden Scissors Award for West Africa to be held in Accra on July 30 this year.

In all, nine competitors from the whole of the country contested after over 500 portfolio entries were received from all over the country compared to the 200 received last year.

In an interview with Mavis Mensah, she said she was very happy winning the ultimate award and would strive hard to win the West African version and move on to Africa.

The competition was keenly contested from the start to the end with the audience shouting in support of their favourites.

The contestants exhibited skills they had acquired through experiences gotten from the long use of SoftSheen Carson products.

According to the Marketing Development Manager of Carson Products West Africa, Natalie Lorence, Skills Competitions would also be held in Nigeria, Senegal and Cote d?Ivoire in June 2003 and plans were in place to continually broaden the scope of the competition on an annual basis, ensuring that SoftSheen Carson remains globally competitive.

?The ethnic haircare industry continues to show tremendous growth and judging by the excellent standard of work seen in the initial portfolio submissions this year. It was a real challenge to draw up a list of final candidates?.

The Ghana Final Skills Competition has proved to be a showcase of styling expertise as the nine selected finalists from around the country created day and evening styles to impress the panel of judges, which included Mrs. Akwele Amegashie from Hair Gallery Saloon and King David Thompson from SoftSheen Technician.

A statement released by the SoftSheen Carson said the company look forward to continued partnership and mutual support in the future.

It said that in recognition of the support SoftSheen Carson as a company had always enjoyed from the hairdressing community, the Golden Scissor Awards were born. It is how the company expresses its commitment to professionals across the African continent.

It has plans to take African hairdressing to the next level and to thank them for their support and loyalty, as well as recognizing our brands as number one choice for professional hairdressing.

Starting in South Africa seven years ago, the SSC GSA has grown successfully year on year and now includes hairdressing skills competitions in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Cote d?voire, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Africa.

Finalists would stand a chance of winning US$2,000 in cash and US$500 in Soft Sheen Carson products, as well as a free trip to South Africa to display their talents as a celebrity stylist at the South African event, as well as enjoy a weekend of luxury in Sun City