The world of styling is much bigger than just a salon– and Shear Genius offers a glimpse into that captivating and little-known arena.

This season the challenges are more glamorous, the hair more knotty, and the competition more fierce, as the contestants attempt to demonstrate that their style is a cut above the rest. At a US nationwide search for talented hair stylists unearthed a group of gifted competitors from all over the country who will vie for the ultimate title of "Shear Genius,” with the grand prize of USD$100,000 and a chance to style hair for an Allure magazine feature. The stylists face two challenges per episode -- the Short Cut Challenge, testing technical hairstyling skills, and the Elimination Challenge, testing creativity and advanced skills. Every challenge will be inventive and extraordinary, pushing them out of their comfort zone and requiring more than just finesse with a requiring more than just finesse with a comb and scissors. The stylists will also need to possess the ability to service client needs, manage a staff and work as part of a team, simultaneously, in order to make it in this competition From the guy next door to the A-list celebrity, everyone is a potential client and provides a true test of skill. The crop of budding stylists will come from all walks of life and hail from all over the nation. Some will get “cut” early and others will “blow away” the competition.