I was fortunate enough to meet Karen at a grief camp for teenage kids. I first noticed her when she walked in as we were having our opening assembly. She was striking – a petite woman with creamy skin and fabulous red hair.
During a break in the day, I approached Karen to introduce myself. “Your hairstyle is terrific,” I told her. “I work in a salon and I have to tell you that your cut really complements your face. You have a great look.” She thanked me and we continued to talk about the camp and her role as a hospice volunteer for a local hospital.
Later on, Karen and I found ourselves together again in working on a craft activity for the camp. I made another comment about her great hairstyle. She smiled and said, “I’ll let you in on a secret – it’s a wig.” And she went on to tell me her story…
I lost my father to pancreatic cancer in 1954 when he was only 37 years old, and I was only 9 years old. A few years later, alopecia areata came along and claimed most of my beautiful naturally curly auburn hair. The only psychologist in the small town where we lived advised my mother that it was a delayed reaction to my father’s death. My high school years are extremely painful memories due to my appearance and lack of confidence caused by my drastic, but thankfully not total, hair loss. Fortunately for me, one of my high school teachers suggested to my mother and me that I should wear a wig to improve my appearance which would greatly enhance my ability to have a successful career in life. My teacher’s wife, who was a cosmetologist, did all the research, made all the arrangements, and they drove my mother and me to St. Louis to purchase my first hair prosthesis. From that day forward, my appearance, self-esteem and life changed drastically for the better.
Karen went on after high school to be a court reporter, a career that required her to be up in front of a lot of people. She says she could have never done a job like that had it not been for her teacher’s help with her appearance. Today, she volunteers with adults and children who have lost a loved one, she writes about grief and healing for different publications, and she also works with stray rescue.
Karen has several wigs – she told me that she has an extra one just for her kick boxing class. She has purchased the brands Jon Reneau, Rene of Paris, Noriko, and Raquel Welch – all brands that we carry at the Wig Shak in Collinsville (Metro East St. Louis area)! And she has had a great result with them. As she stated earlier, having a hair prosthesis not only enhanced her looks ( and she looks GREAT! ) , it changed her entire life. And her confidence has spilled over to benefit every person to which she has given her time and care.
