Your Privacy, Handled With The Same Care As Our Editorial
Privacy Policy
How We Protect Your Privacy
At Hair Level Up, your trust is the foundation of everything we publish. This Privacy Policy explains, in plain language, what information we collect when you visit hairlevelup.com, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights you have over your own data. Please read it carefully. If anything is unclear, we are happy to walk you through it.
Last Updated — March, 2026
01 — Who We Are
The Publisher Behind This Policy
Hair Level Up (“Hair Level Up,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is an online editorial magazine focused on hair inspiration, tutorials, lookbooks, and trend reporting for an American audience. This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through hairlevelup.com (the “Site”), our newsletter, our reader contact forms, and any related social media interactions where Hair Level Up acts as the data controller.
02 — Information We Collect
What Data We Gather, And When
We collect two broad categories of information: data you give us directly, and data we collect automatically as you browse the Site.
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
— Name and email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
— Email address, name, and message content when you contact us through our forms or by email.
— Comments you leave on articles, including your display name, website (optional), and email.
— Reader‑submitted photos, bridal stories, or testimonials, only when you choose to share them with us.
— Social media handle if you tag Hair Level Up using #HairLevelUp on Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok.
2.2 Information We Collect Automatically
— IP address and approximate location (city / state level only).
— Browser type and version, device type, and operating system.
— Pages viewed, time spent on each page, referring website, and clickstream data.
— Date and time of your visit.
— Cookie identifiers and similar tracking technologies (see Section 06).
2.3 Sensitive Information
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial account details, precise geolocation, government IDs, health records, or biometric data. Please do not include such information in messages to us.
03 — How We Use Your Information
Why We Need Your Data
We use the information we collect for clear, limited editorial and operational purposes:
— To deliver our weekly newsletter, lookbook downloads, and editorial updates you have subscribed to.
— To respond personally to reader emails, contact form messages, and editorial pitches.
— To improve the Site experience, including which trends to cover, which tutorials to expand, and how to organize navigation.
— To analyze traffic patterns and understand how American readers discover and engage with our content.
— To prevent abuse, spam, fraud, and security threats, and to enforce our Terms and Conditions.
— To comply with legal obligations under U.S. federal and state law, including the CAN‑SPAM Act, COPPA, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA / CPRA), the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), and similar state privacy laws.
We do not use your information to make automated decisions that produce legal effects about you, and we do not use it for behavioral profiling beyond standard editorial analytics.
04 — Sharing With Third Parties
We Don’t Sell Your Data. Period.
Hair Level Up does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone. We do not share your data with advertisers for cross‑context behavioral advertising. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act and equivalent state laws, we have not sold or shared personal information for monetary or other valuable consideration in the preceding twelve months, and we do not plan to.
We do, however, work with carefully selected service providers who help us run the Site. These providers are bound by contracts that limit their use of your information to the services they provide for us:
— Email service provider (such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or Kit) for delivering our newsletter and managing subscriber lists.
— Web hosting and infrastructure for keeping the Site running and secure.
— Analytics platforms (such as Google Analytics 4, configured with IP anonymization) for understanding traffic and content performance.
— Spam protection services (such as Akismet) for filtering comment spam.
— Social embeds and CDNs from Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube when articles include embedded content.
We may also disclose information when required by U.S. law (subpoena, court order, valid government request), to enforce our Terms, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of Hair Level Up, our readers, or the public. If Hair Level Up is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction; we will notify you in advance and explain your choices.
05 — Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies, Pixels, and Your Choices
A cookie is a small text file placed on your device that helps a website remember your preferences and understand how it is being used. Hair Level Up uses cookies and similar technologies (web beacons, pixel tags) for three purposes:
— Strictly necessary cookies that make the Site function (login state, security tokens, comment submission). These cannot be disabled without breaking the Site.
— Analytics cookies that tell us, in aggregate, which articles are read most and how readers find us. These are anonymized wherever possible.
— Embed cookies from third parties such as Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok when their content is embedded inside our articles.
You can control cookies through your browser settings (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave all offer cookie management). You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt‑Out Browser Add‑On. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals: if your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of any sharing of personal information for cross‑context behavioral advertising. Disabling cookies may affect parts of the Site, such as embedded videos or comment forms.
06 — Your Privacy Rights
The Rights You Have Over Your Data
Depending on where you live, you have specific legal rights over the personal information we hold about you. Hair Level Up extends most of these rights to every reader, regardless of state of residence.
Right to Know. You can ask what categories of personal information we have collected about you, how we use it, and who we share it with.
Right to Access. You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Right to Correct. You can ask us to correct inaccurate or outdated personal information.
Right to Delete. You can ask us to delete the personal information we hold about you, subject to limited legal exceptions.
Right to Opt Out. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information at any time. We do not sell or share, but this right is yours regardless.
Right to Data Portability. You can request your information in a portable, machine‑readable format.
Right to Withdraw Consent. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the link in any email, or by emailing privacy@hairlevelup.com.
Right to Non‑Discrimination. We will never charge you a different price, deny service, or treat you differently for exercising any of these rights.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@hairlevelup.com with the subject line “Privacy Request” and a brief description of what you would like. We will respond within 45 days, as required by U.S. state privacy laws. To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf, with appropriate documentation.
07 — Children’s Privacy
Protecting Younger Readers
Hair Level Up is intended for an adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Newsletter subscriptions, comment submissions, and reader photo submissions are restricted to users 18 and older. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact privacy@hairlevelup.com and we will delete the information promptly.
08 — Data Retention
How Long We Keep Your Information
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this Policy, or as required by law. As a guideline: newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe, after which it is removed from our active list within 30 days. Contact form messages are retained for up to 24 months for editorial follow‑up and reference. Comment data remains attached to the article it was posted on until you request deletion. Server log files (IP addresses, browser data) are typically retained for up to 14 months for security and analytics purposes. Reader‑submitted photos and stories are retained for as long as they remain published, and are removed promptly upon takedown request.
09 — Data Security
How We Keep Your Information Safe
We use a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information, including SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted to and from the Site, secure password protocols and two‑factor authentication for staff accounts, restricted access to subscriber data on a strict need‑to‑know basis, and regular security audits of our hosting infrastructure and plugins.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the unlikely event of a data breach involving your personal information, we will notify affected readers and the appropriate state authorities within the timeframes required by applicable U.S. state breach notification laws.
10 — International Readers
If You Are Reading From Outside The U.S.
Hair Level Up is operated from the United States and our servers and service providers are primarily based in the U.S. If you access the Site from outside the United States, including from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Canada, please be aware that your information will be transferred to and stored in the U.S., where data protection laws differ from those in your country. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer. We aim to provide privacy protections substantially equivalent to GDPR and UK GDPR standards, but local laws ultimately determine your rights. For privacy questions specific to your jurisdiction, contact privacy@hairlevelup.com.
11 — Third‑Party Links
Sites We Link To
Hair Level Up articles often link to third‑party sites: salons, brands, retailers, social platforms (Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), and affiliate partners. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by Hair Level Up. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third‑party sites, and we encourage you to read the privacy policy of any external site you visit through our links.
12 — Changes To This Policy
When We Update This Page
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, in technology, or in U.S. privacy law. The “Last Updated” date at the top and bottom of this page will always show when the most recent revision took effect. For material changes that affect your rights, we will pin a notice at the top of this page for at least 30 days and notify newsletter subscribers by email. Your continued use of the Site after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site and unsubscribe from our newsletter.
Last Updated — [DATE]
13 — Contact Us
Privacy Questions? We’re Listening.
For privacy requests (access, correction, deletion, opt‑out), data concerns, or anything else covered in this Policy, reach out to our privacy team. Every request is read and handled by a human, not a bot, and we respond within 45 days as required by U.S. state privacy law.
Privacy Requests — privacy@hairlevelup.com
General Editorial — editorial@hairlevelup.com
Mailing Address — Hair Level Up Editorial Studio, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
Phone — +1 (555) 123‑4567
By using Hair Level Up, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes to this Policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
