Talking Shop: A haven for women with hair loss at Newport Beach salon
All hairdresser Jane Meehan wanted to do was find a solution.
Clients of the Newport Beach stylist at Hair West Salon would slip into her chair and sulk before the mirror, sharing how they felt uncomfortable with a deep part of their identity. The women would talk about a common problem of thinning hair, receding hairlines, patchy bald spots or even total hair loss caused by a variety of conditions. It’s a trouble for 40% of women, according to the American Hair Loss Assn.
“I wanted to give a woman an emotional transformation,” said Meehan, a hairdresser for 10 years, in late January. “I wanted them to see themselves full of confidence, strength and self-esteem changing their life.”
So she researched ways to offer a voluminous and colorful hairpiece for women. Meehan had heard from a colleague about Evolve Volumizer, a hair goods and services company based in Florida that makes a hair integration system. The Evolve Volumizer, sold only through trained salons and stylists, is a semi-permanent hairpiece that adds volume, texture and color enhancement to clients with up to 50% hair loss in the crown. The human hair is available in a spectrum of colors, different textures and medium to high densities. The product does not require heat, glue or adhesives.
To became an Evolve-certified stylist, Meehan had to attend a three-day training course to focus on installation techniques, haircutting and styling skills. She first assesses her client’s individual needs by offering a free consultation to educate the woman on what the Evolve Volumizer can do. She said the hairpiece can last for up to nine to 12 months and that the client should make a visit to the salon every four to five weeks to have the hairpiece retightened or reset.
To install the piece, which usually takes 2 1/2 hours, Meehan hand-ties the hair with a silicone base that self-molds to the head. The translucent micro-polymer in the piece, she said, gives greater coverage and the appearance of a healthy scalp. Maintenance, she said, is simple, since most clients find that they need to wash their hair less often. She does recommend a low-sulfate, mild shampoo and conditioner.
It’s a process that client Joan Endres wanted to try for her thinning and fine hair.
Endres, a Newport Beach resident, said she came to Meehan asking what she could do to cover her hair loss.
“The result was just amazing,” Endres said as she sat at Meehan’s station to have her burgundy-colored hairpiece retightened. “You don’t feel that it’s on you. It feels natural.”
Endres said that she likes having options by being able to choose if she wants her now-fuller hair to be cut, curled or straightened. Meehan added that she can style a person’s hair with any usual hair salon service, using a blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron.
“It gave me a lot of self-confidence,” Endres said. “If your hair looks good, then you’re set.”
It’s that feeling, Meehan said, that she would also like to provide to women battling appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Meehan, who is originally from Minneapolis, said she has joined the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce so she can educate the community about finding hair products that help a woman’s self-image and emotional well-being.
“It’s an emotional transformation when they see themselves and know they can socialize and feel good,” Meehan said. “There’s a joy that comes with it.”
Meehan said discussing options on the steps to treat hair loss is a personal manner, so it’s a benefit that the salon is located in a hidden, light-industrial neighborhood, private enough for clients seeking discretion. It’s a place, she said, with a staff and surroundings that makes clients comfortable in addressing their stages of hair loss in a discreet and private way.
“I love having my hands in my clients’ hair because it’s my purpose to change lives,” she said. “I’m here to help them on their personal journey.”
If You Go
What: Jane Meehan, Evolve Certified Stylist
When: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hair West Salon, 2817 Villa Way, Newport Beach
Information: (949) 673-4186 or visit hairwestsalon.com