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What Do We Mean When We Say "Hair-Replacement Specialist"?
If being a trichologist doesn’t suit you but you love doing hair, you might want to consider specializing in hair replacement.
by Karen Gordon
December 21, 2016
3 min to read
Dear friends,
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering how you can begin to integrate being a hair-loss specialist into your salon/spa business. But the thought of becoming a trichologist and studying cell division and hair root structure (among other things) might not appeal to some of you. You’re a hairdresser, not a scientist, right? For those of you who prefer the more artistic side, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you in the hair-loss world—quite the opposite. If being a trichologist doesn’t suit you but you love doing hair, you might want to consider specializing in hair replacement.
When speaking about hair replacement, I’m talking about extensions, wigs, toppers, and systems. I recently had the opportunity to tour the Jon Renau headquarters in Vista, California, while visiting my family in San Diego. I was actually visiting another hair-care company in the area, and thought I would stop in at Jon Renau, one of the largest providers of hair pieces in the country. I really had no interest in wigs or hair pieces, but I thought I should see what they are all about since I was going to be in the neighborhood, and I want to be a well-informed hair-loss specialist. Two minutes into my visit, I did a complete 360. Wigs (now called systems) and hair pieces are not what they used to be, my friends.
Truth be told, many people who suffer from hair loss don’t respond to treatment, or at least not to the degree that their hair returns to what it once was. These folks might be best served by investing in extensions, systems or partial hairpieces (toppers are hot right now!). Some people experience temporary hair loss after a baby, an illness or chemotherapy. The only way for them to have hair until their own hair grows back might be with a system. There are many instances where people want or need hair NOW, and can’t wait until it grows back—if it grows back at all.
How many of you have seen a client through chemotherapy but not been able to provide her with hair piece? I’m guilty of that. Have you ever had a client with thinning hair on top or a part that is widening, and backcombing no longer does the trick? You could have sold her a topper. And what about the client who just can’t grow her hair as long as she would like? Halos or extensions might be the solution. Becoming a hair-replacement specialist is not just about servicing people with illness or hair and scalp issues. Sometimes it’s just about fashion and appearances. How many celebrities do you think wear hair pieces and extensions to make their hair appear longer, thicker, blonder? More than you can imagine!
-Karen
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