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SEARCHMeet Kayla Martell, Gemtress Spokesperson, Miss Delaware 2010 and star of the On Rite conference 2014.
Kayla Martell, Miss Delaware 2010 and Gemtress Spokesperson, has been dealing with hair loss since age 11 when she lost her hair due to Alopecia Areata. Martell embraced her new look, fighting any stigma attached to "baldness", choosing to celebrate her beautifully shaped head and enter beauty pageants. Although she did quite well in her early competitions, Martell learned she would have to wear a wig to actually win, even just to have something to anchor the crown!
Thus began her journey in the wig and hair replacement world. That journey was not taken lightly. Martell entered with passion, learning more about caps, synthetic fibers, honeycomb wefting, integrated systems, adhesives, prosthetics, construction, caps, monofilament, lace fronts and everything else an expert in the field would need to know. She is now a member of just about every wig and hair loss community and the founder of "Cap 4 YAPs (Youth Alopecia Patients). Featured in People Magazine and on The View, NBC News, CBS, The Early Show and The Wendy Williams show among others, Martell has touched thousands of men, women and children enlightening all on the options for those suffering hair loss. Her comfort, both with and without hair on top of her head, has encouraged other members of this community to look at their own hair loss situations differently.
MODERN caught up with Martell at the most recent On Rite Conference, held this past week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was one of the stars of the show, modeling different looks for the almost 400 hair loss professionals in attendance.
After the interview with MODERN's Beauty and Fashion Director Maggie Mulhern, Martell whipped off her wig to chat about why she loves Gemtress wigs. We asked her to do it again to give an up close and personal view of the inside of the cap and to learn what a client and professional should be looking for when shopping around for the perfect look and fit. While departing, Mulhern asked, "If you could grab a magic wand and end up with a beautiful head of your own hair, would you do it?" We loved her answer, "Not now...not yet. I can't tell how I will feel in the future, but having Alopecia Areata is no accident for me. It is right for me right now." And right for everyone she encounters.
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