Dr. Michael Nealeigh- A Legend in Aesthetics
Raised in a family of nine cosmetologists, including his father, stepmother and twin sister one would think that his future and career were pretty much decided. But following high school graduation in 1960, he planned a career in the theater and trained at famed Pasadena Playhouse in Southern California. As fate would have it, Michael decided to spend the summer in Texas with his father and stepmother, Glenn and Lottie Nealeigh. The rest, as they say is history.
After seeing how exiting the Beauty Industry was after attending the ACC Texas Beauty Show in Dallas and seeing how gratifying the inclement by his father and mother was in the Texas Cosmetology Association and Lone Star Style Committee, he decided to enroll in the family beauty school.
“I was terrible,” he says, “I had the mind of an artist, but the hands of a plumber.”
Following graduation Michael Nealeigh worked in one of the family salons, and then something happened that changed the course of his life. Michael and his father attended a hair design seminar in Chicago at Picot Point International, and witnessed the genius and founder Leo Passage. Something clicked with Michael. “I suddenly realized a deeper meaning to hair and skin as a real art form.” He went home burning with insight, ideas and motivation that have never left. It was just like falling in love. Michael went on to win the Oklahoma Open competition three years in a row, the Texas State Championship and the Greater Southwest Championships and tried out for the U.S. Olympic Hair Styling Team, all in three years. He continued training with Grace Doran Francis and Buddy Francis at the Pivot Point Center in Chicago and earned his Teachers Degree. Michael traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico teaching the Scientific Approach to Hair Design for Pivot Point.
Michael’s interest in nutrition, and chemistry started about 1970 as a result of his close friend Lt. Col. Charles Beebe of Abilene, Texas. The two of them attended a nutrition lecture in Phoenix, Arizona, given by Jheri Redding. Michael’s career now took another turn. Michael and another close friend Lt. Col. Ret. Dusty Watkins formed another company called Southwest Jhirmack, Inc., distributing Jheri Redding’s vitamins and food supplements in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.
Jheri Redding asked Michael to join the Jhirmack Company in California as Director of Education in 1972. Michael returned to school, earned a Masters Degree in Nutrition, and a degree as Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. (N.M.-N.D.)
Michael traveled well over a million miles throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and seven countries in Europe, lecturing on cosmetic chemistry, nutrition and anti-aging strategies.
In the early 1970’s, Jhirmack recruited a promising young man by the name of John Clemmer who was formerly the Western training manager of the prominent S & L Chain of Beauty salons. Michael and John became friends and colleagues traveling the United States, Canada and Europe lecturing. Then after almost ten years and following the purchase of Jhirmack by the Playtex Company, Michael and John with his super creative new wife and helpmate Elizabeth decided to form their own company. Michael. As a member of the International Association of Naturopathic physicians, the Applied Nutrition, the International Association of Preventive Medicine, the American Society of Cosmetic Chemists and the American Association of Nutritional Consultant’s was monitoring research world wide on nutrition and chemistry as related to how we age, how skin responds to the body chemistry etc.. He found a NASA study of 16 years performed by Dr. O. Miller, Prof. Emeritus of Pharmacology at USC on the use of mucopolysaccharides and their effect on the body chemistry.
After length consultation, John, Michael and Elizabeth decided to acquire the source of the mucopolysaccharides and obtained exclusive rights to the New England Shellfish and the Aqua Culture Farm. Because most cosmetic companies were emphasizing that they were formulated for the 80’s, John, Michael, and Elizabeth decided to focus on the 21st Century and focus 21 International Inc., was created as a company.
Focus 21 just celebrated the grand opening of a sprawling 5 acre research, manufacturing, filling, shipping, and administration center in Vista, California. Michael has shared the dream with John, Elizabeth and the entire Focus 21 family world wide who are realizing what it’s like to “live your vision.”
The excitement continues with each new product that passes the bumpy trail from conception to testing research and more testing until a real living valid product comes to fruition - the newest being Oxylock, a mist used on skin and hair to convert radical oxygen molecules that cause premature aging, aging spots (Lipofuscin) wrinkling etc., to skin from skin exposure, tanning beds and living on Earth.
Approximately two days per week, when not formulating products for Focus 21 pr traveling to lecture on anti-again research to aestheticians world wide, Michael works with 14 M.D.s two doctors of since, and the endocrinologist who with Dr. Paul Niehans of the famed La Praire Clinic of Switzerland in research for the degenerative diseases of caner, AIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, M.S., lupis and other chronic modern day maladies, and through the findings of these major medical problems, answers to everyday aging, hair loss, unexplained fat deposits on various parts of the body, premature aging of the skin, pigmentation problems etc., are being found.
With Dr. Robert Bradford, Dr. Wolfram Kuhnan, Dr. Rodrigo Rodriquez, Dr. Robert Tapia, Dr. Michael Culbert and biochemist Henry Accen through the Branfer Research Foundation and the American Biologics Research Center S.A. using the only available center in North America to give live cell therapy, consisting injections of audacious suspensions of glandular and cellular materials from bovine embryonic sources for immune enhancement and rejuvenative balancing of body chemistry.
Michael met Ron Renee early in his career in Texas and says “I was touched by his realness, gentleness, and sincerity and caring for his fellow man and woman. He was one of those people who made a difference, not by what he said as much as by his example.”
John Clemmer and Michael were invited to be on the Advisory Board of AIA and were honored to do so. We love so much the movement of the aestheticians and feel part of it. Ron keep on giving your gift back to the world, we support you. *