When I was much younger, one of my favorite attributes was my hair. It was so fun to style, and I was constantly receiving compliments. I was born a blonde, and later in life, it became much darker. I began coloring my hair to my more “natural” color as people that knew me felt I wasn’t “me” as a brunette, and I agreed. Once I was back to blonde, I felt more like myself. Later the gray started coming in, which wasn’t too surprising as it was typical for our family. No one knew, and I still constantly received compliments on my hair.
Once I hit my 40’s, I began noticing how my hair was thinning on the top. Family members started asking me about it offering all sorts of advice as it ran in my family. My friends never mentioned it, and I knew they were being polite; however, I would catch them staring at the top of my head. It made me feel so completely self-conscious. I own my company, and networking plays a huge role in the success of my business. People don’t do business with you for your hair; however, it hurts you in other areas when you lack confidence.
I went to a doctor who prescribed a liquid that needed to be applied in the AM and PM. This was in addition to an abundance of vitamins that were supposed to help. I did that for a couple of years, and while my imagination tried to make me feel as though my hair was getting a little thicker, I knew, in reality, it wasn’t. So, I stopped everything altogether as it was getting quite costly, and my confidence was kaput.
In my mid-50’s, a skincare specialist friend referred me to a dermatologist who had more experience in this area, and the first thing she did was take a small nugget out of my scalp to test for alopecia. The results came back as end-stage alopecia, which meant that whatever I lost was gone forever. Since I don’t know what I don’t know, it never occurred to me to have requested this test from the original doctor. I later found out that if she had done that early on, there were ways to help prevent further loss.
Since there was no hope of restoring my natural hair, I took the next step to purchase a wig. My husband has always been highly supportive of all my efforts to help me with my hair loss. He went with me and helped ensure I picked out a wig that would look natural and not draw attention. At this point, COVID was rampant, and I did most of my meetings and networking via Zoom. I received multiple compliments on my new look, and I felt better about myself, but when I removed my wig at the end of the day, all that confidence drained when I looked at myself in the mirror.
There was a big lull in online meetings, and I decided to take this opportunity to reach out to Jackie Barboza from HCI Hair Solutions. We had mutual friends, and I knew of two colleagues that used her services. My first hope was a permanent solution to help me grow my hair, but she agreed with my dermatologist that it wasn’t an option. My hair loss was severe on the top of my head, and no amount of attempting to comb it over worked.
She told me all about the “hair topper” solution. Since I already knew two people who were doing it, and unless they told me, which they did, I would NEVER know it wasn’t their hair. I felt so much better already after the initial consultation. I discussed it with my husband, and he was 100% on board. He loved me with or without hair, but watching me struggling was hard on him over the years. I had to either wear my wig or a hat, which was such an inconvenience as I could never go out without it.
Once my hair topper arrived, she colored it and also colored my existing hair to match. She explained every step of the way, and since it’s just a cap on top, you don’t see all the lace as you do with a full wig. Initially, my hair underneath was shorter as I went with a “below the shoulder length” on the hair topper as I love wearing ponytails when I’m out “playing.” I could never do that with a wig.
My hair has now grown to the same length months later, and it’s all just so natural. I receive tons of compliments, and I accept them with a huge smile. My husband said he enjoys watching how I now interact with people since I can be myself with this hair topper versus a baseball hat I can never remove in front of others.
One of the first things I did was visit the hair section of a favorite store and buy hair ties and barrettes in every color. I can now do everything I did when I had a full head of hair. I never have to worry about it sliding off, and I sleep with it on too, which means I am confident 24 hours a day.
The confidence that HCI Hair Solutions has provided me has made all the difference. I now have the desire to resume outdoor activities I stopped doing. And, no matter who shows up unexpectedly, my hair always looks great.
If you’re experiencing what I have, I promise a visit to their salon can change your life for the better. They offer so many solutions that will make you feel better about yourself! And, it’s all confidential and unless you tell others about it, “only your hair solution provider will know.”
Story submitted by an HCI Hair Solutions Client who wishes to remain anonymous.
