The model search is OVER

The pain was intense, but 23-year-old Brian Kjeldgaard took it like a man. His eyebrows are now waxed and shaped. Mr. Kjeldgaard, of Chattanooga, and Presley Nance, 18, of Calhoun, Ga., received makeovers Tuesday at Hair A Go-Go on the North Shore.

Mr. Kjeldgaard and Ms. Nance were winners in the 2009 Times Free Press Model Search. The pair will be included in the newspaper’s spring fashion section on March 15. Other entrants will be tapped for future fashion reports.

“I have always been told since I was young that I should be a model because of my looks and personality,” said Mr. Kjeldgaard, a student at Chattanooga State Techni cal Community College. “My mother and I did try to pursue the field when I was in 10th grade, but the cost of classes was too much. I work hard to make sure that my future is good.

“To be able to model for the Times Free Press (fashion section) would give me encouragement to continue with my dreams no matter where I go in life.”

Ms. Nance, a senior at Calhoun High School, said she has wanted to model since she was a little girl.

“I plan to pursue a career in fashion merchandising after completing my college education,” said Ms. Nance, who plays on her school’s basketball team. “Experience in modeling would prepare me in many areas of the fashion industry. Also, I am tall (5’10”), which is usually required for a successful modeling career, and I am familiar with the modeling profession. My (aunt) modeled in New York for several years and appeared in national magazines and ads.”

Mr. Kjeldgaard’s makeover included eyebrow waxing and tweezing, a manicure (he said he’s always clipped his nails but has never filed them), a tinting of brown highlights in his thick, black hair, styling and a sideburn shaping.

“It’s all new to me,” he said of the four-hour experience at the upscale salon/spa. “But I really do like the change in the way I look.”

Ms. Nance, who had considerable breakage in her hair from pulling it up in a rubber band while playing basketball, had nearly 5 inches trimmed to make her hair healthier, said salon owner and stylist Elizabeth Tate.

“Her hair is too fine to wear it long. A shorter cut makes it healthier, and there are many more ways to style it,” Ms. Tate said.

Ms. Nance’s new style also included dramatic, full bangs.

“Bangs are totally in, particularly fuller bangs,” Ms. Tate said. “The trick to bangs is to cut them to fit your face shape. If you have an oval-shaped face, you slope the bangs around the eyes. If you don’t have the oval shape, you cut the bangs slightly upward on the corners. The cut will heighten the cheekbones.”

Though there are trends in hairstyles, cuts and color, people need to have their own look, Ms. Tate said.

“I’ve seen a lot of hair trends, some good, some not. I think it’s important for each person to have his or her own look,” she said.