From Hairless to Care-less: A Local Novi Hair Business Changes Lives
Hope touches down in a local Novi salon where a 19-year-old lad sits quietly, his mind racing and palms sweltering. His aim? No big deal, it’s just hoping to hide genetic hair loss and win back his confidence. Instead of the usual haircut or dye-job, he’s here at Project Hair Company for a “hair system”. That’s a fancy term for a super-natural looking toupee which helps it blend with the person’s real hair.
Thinking of a wig or hair extension market might make you imagine a number-cruncher keeping track of billions of dollars. And you wouldn’t be wrong. In fact, this market was worth a whole $7.7 billion in 2022 and is now projected to hit $15.7 billion. As for this young man from Kalamazoo, he sees it as a golden chance to fit into his age group and look ‘normal’. He is ready to shell out $600, the price of the service, in exchange for feeling more self-assured.
The business making this difference is highlighted this August, which is National Hair Loss Awareness Month. The US market for hair replacements raked in $1.5 billion in 2022, and it’s on path for steady growth. But this is about more than just dollars, it’s about changing lives.
Bekah Lakies, an expert in hair replacements at Project Hair Company, wants to draw the world’s attention towards cosmetic hair replacements. Like they say, there’s more than meets the eye, right? Beyond wigs and transplants, there are nonpermanent hair installations that help people look AND feel better.
She loves the feeling of making people happier and more secure, and seeing the end results after all the worry and hope wrapped around it. She and her colleague, Sara, assist clients suffering from hereditary pattern baldness, burns that affect hair growth, chemotherapy, different types of alopecia or scars from procedures to grow hair like surgery, etc.
Sara, the powerhouse behind the Project Hair Company, highlights the increasing realization that hair loss isn’t just genetic. It could be a side effect of cancer, alopecia, thyroid or hormonal issues. And, it’s because of these varied causes that their services are so diverse. They offer full bonding, perimeter bonding, clip-on “toppers,” “systems,” which are like toupees, and strand-by-strand extensions that give existing hair some much-needed density.
The ladies have about 200 clients who they help on a yearly or monthly basis. These clients come from as far as Chicago and Ohio, and can be as young as 16. When dealing with a new client, Sara and Bekah propose a tailored plan to help them achieve the look they want. They design a prototype that matches the color, length and texture the client wants. When the client gets the hairpiece installed, these can last anywhere from a few months to a year for toppers.
“They’ve tried everything by the time they arrive here,” Sara says. Some have even gone as far as Turkey for hair transplant surgery. It’s incredibly important for many clients to maintain their image and their confidence. In fact, some of them have never even revealed their true hair to their own spouse.
This repaints the image of a hair salon. It’s not just about sprucing up or a quick trim. It’s about rediscovering oneself. It’s about mustering the courage and leaving the seat with a new perspective and, of course, a new do.
