With only $71 in his pocket, Farouk Shami left Palestine in 1965 and arrived in the U.S. to achieve the “American Dream.” His goal was to study Education like his father with a scholarship from the University of Arkansas. However, a spontaneous meeting with hair stylists changed all that. After attending cosmetology school, Shami opened his own salon (Le Salon Farouk in Louisiana). A potentially fatal allergy to the ammonia component of hair dyes resulted in Shami’s invention of the first ammonia-free hair lightener and coloring system called “SunGlitz.”
It would be the first of Shami’s inventions – inventions that would change the future of hair technology. When he discovered that a strand of silk is stronger than a strand of steel in 1992, he incorporated silk molecules into a new hair care line called “BioSilk Therapy.” Shami’s knowledge and creativity has also led to the following: working with NASA scientists to develop hair dryers with low electromagnetic fields; formulating the nail lacquer that promises stronger, high-gloss, and bacteria free nails; and developing the ceramic technology of flat irons.
He has even partnered with Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization and NBC to become the official hair care sponsor. To view a video about Farouk System during the 2010 Miss Universe pageant, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm-MOtslFOU
An avid reader of history and physics, the billionaire entrepreneur is married and has four children.
