A Santangelo’s product to be featured on national TV!

Reallusions, the hair system line offered exclusively at Santangelo’s in Western New York, is going to be featured on The Balancing Act, a new show airing on Lifetime Television.  The Balacing Act features 4 women dealing with life’s trials and tribulations and some are facing hair loss.  The show chronicles them going through the consultation process, determining which hair loss solution is right for them and then the grand finale will feature their reveal!

If you’ve been considering a non-surgical hair replacement option such as Reallusions, ,but you’ve been nervous or scared to take the leap, this show will be a great opportunity for you to see first hand what you can expect as you go through the process.

The Balancing Act airs every morning at 7:00 a.m. on Lifetime Television.  On Monday, July 30th, be sure to tune in as this is the interview and consultation segment that features the ladies beginning the hair replacement process.  Then mark your calendar again for the big reveal on Monday, August 13th.

I’d love to hear from you about the show, so please feel free to call me at 716.681.7120 or email me at jcalero@santangelohair.com with your feedback! – Jennifer Calero

In the mean time, take a look at our photo gallery and get an idea of what Reallusions can do for you!

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Is there a hair loss solution that doesn’t require maintenance and provides results in one treatment?

I hear this question all the time from my potential clients and when they hear my answer, they are often disappointed.  Like any other change you make in your life whether it be weight loss, quitting a bad habit or resolving to improve something about yourself, there is no one time solution, it’s on going process that requires regular attention in order to achieve and maintain results.

The same holds true with hair loss solutions.  There is no one-time, maintenance free cure for hair loss.  Non-surgical hair replacement options, like a hair system, require a client to visit us for regular maintenance.  Laser hair therapy, another non-surgical option, requires regular visits for a year and then maintenance visits afterward.  Even using products and/or prescription drugs requires a daily time commitment from a client.

Surgical hair transplants are the closest thing to a maintenance free, one time solution that a client can get, however, even with surgery, a client may require maintenance down the road, and it can take up to 18 months before you see the full impact of a surgical hair transplant.

Bottom line, change takes time and commitment, so before you pursue a hair loss solution, ask yourself if you’re ready to commit to change.

Client Success Story: New Body + New Hair = New Life

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Catherine S. is proof that when you are not happy with your appearance and you make the commitment to change it, amazing things can happen!  I want to share Catherine’s story with you because I think she will be an inspiration for anyone considering hair replacement or for that matter, anyone that is not happy with what they see in the mirror.

Her journey to a change began in 2003 when she was in college studying to be a Veterinary Technician.  She was stressed, not exercising and not eating properly.  She started gaining weight and noticed that it was having a negative impact on her body.  After joining a weight loss program she lost 70lbs but over the course of a few years, and several other attempts to keep the weight off, it eventually crept back on.

In 2008 she decided to do something more aggressive. Several years before, one of her family members had a successful gastric bypass surgery and Catherine began considering the option for herself.  With a team of Doctors leading the way she began the process of  preparing herself for the changes her body would go through.  Her Doctor also explained that hair loss and thinning hair could be a potential side effect of this procedure, but she felt the benefits outweighed the potential costs and in May 2009 she had the procedure.

Just a few months after she was starting to feel good.  Her body was changing and she was happy with her decision but she also noticed her hair had started thinning.  The front and the crown started to get so sparce she considered purchasing a wig or wearing a bandana 24-7…until she came across Santangelo’s website!

Catherine came into my office and wanted to know her options.  We talked about Hair for Life and how wearing a hair system could really change the way her hair looked.  She decided on the spot that she wanted to get started and a few months later, she came in for her first delivery and left with a full head of hair.  Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

“I felt comfortable at my consultation discussing my hair loss and my expectations.  The consult was very professional and I was very happy with my options, the pricing and payment options. I have been very happy with the whole hair system process.  The hair stylists have been great.  I enjoy the process and also the fact that the system can be cut, colored and styled any way that I want it!…All in all I have a happy ending…I have achieved and stayed at my goal weight (I lost a total of 115lbs) for 2 years, I have great hair thanks to Santangelos, and I am busy planning my wedding!”

Now in 2012, Catherine has a new life.  She has the body she’s always wanted, the hair to match and she’s found someone special to share her life with.  Congratulations Catherine on committing to change, achieving your goals and on your upcoming wedding, we can’t wait to do your hair!

Buyer Beware

Hair loss is a scary thing for people.  They come to us for help and as a Consultant, I always try my best to offer them the product or service that is going to be the right fit for them and get them the end result they are looking for.  For me, it’s not about making a sale.  It’s about helping my client’s solve their hair loss problem.  I also want them leave our studio looking and feeling better than when they walked in. 

I would like to think other hair replacement professionals would do the same but I had a consultation last week with a potential new client that told me otherwise so this post is dedicated to a “buyer beware” message.

My consult, we’ll call him Doug, was a 34-year-old male with standard hair loss.  He had some recessions around his hairline and he was starting to thin out in the front.  The rest of his hair was pretty well intact.   His main objective was to rebuild his hairline and thicken up the front.  My initial thought was that he would be a good candidate for a surgical hair transplant but I began the consultation by asking all my usual questions, including “have you done anything about your hair loss or are you currently using anything?”. His answer surprised me!

Doug went on to tell me that several years ago, when he had much less hair loss, he went to one of our local national competitors for help.  They sold him a hair system.  For those that aren’t familiar with what a hair system is, take a look at our website, but in short, a hair system is a good option for a lot of people but mainly someone that has some significant hair loss.  They shaved his head and attached the hair system with a semi-permanent adhesive.   

I couldn’t believe they would take someone so young and with such little hair loss, shave their head and put them in hair system.  If he had come to me, I would have suggested Laser Hair Therapy at that point as a means of preserving the hair he had and thickening up what was starting to thin.  I would have suggested he use some topical products, like dht Sensor, to stabilize the loss as well.  This approach would have allowed him to improve his hair for a while, putting off the committment of wearing a hair system. 

I’ll add, there is nothing “wrong” with what they did.  If a client wanted a hair system or their hair loss required one in order to achieve the client’s desired outcome, their approach would have been fine, however in Doug’s case, there were several solutions on the market that would have been a better fit for him at that time, they just sold him what they offered instead of suggesting other options, even if it meant loosing a sale. 

Not knowing there were other options and trusting those he went to for help, Doug wore the hair system until he realized it wasn’t a good fit for him.  He took it off and went several more years feeling self-conscious of his hair loss before he came to see me.  He’s scheduling a surgical hair transplant in the next few months and I think he’s going to be very happy with his end result.

The moral of the story is, you can’t always trust those you go to for help and that call themselves professionals.  Not every hair loss solution is right for every client.  To avoid the same situation Doug found himself in, you may want to consider using a hair replacement studio that has several options for you to select from.  That way, you get a hair loss solution that fits your needs and your budget!

The Internet: Your Most Trusted Resource or Your Worst Nightmare?

When I begin a hair loss consultation, I always start by asking the client to give me some information about what they have noticed with their hair and I try to learn more about what may be causing their hair loss.  When we start to talk about what may be causing their hair loss I always ask clients if they have seen a Doctor.  With the explosion of the Internet and the resources it has to offer, I find it becoming more and more common for consumers to turn to the Internet to self diagnose their problem. 

The Internet can be a very valuable tool for researching and educating yourself but it shouldn’t be your primary resource for establishing a diagnosis.  Hair loss can be caused by a number of things so it is important that if you start  to notice your hair thinning, you should  mention it to your Doctor so he/she can make sure there are no other health related factors that are causing your hair to come out. 

When it comes to hair loss solutions, like a surgical hair transplant, Laser Hair Therapy or other non-surgical hair replacement options, consumers are also taking more time to research their options online before committing to a treatment plan.  It is great to work with a knowledgable client, they are usually my easiest consultations because they have an idea of what they want before they even walk through the door. 

On the other hand, they can also be my most challenging.  When a client reads something online about a hair loss solution that makes them nervous or “turns them off” to a particular option, they are limiting what we can do to help them.  It’s important to keep in mind that many things you read in blogs or on social media sites are typically people’s opinions or perceptions.  Someone else’s perception or experience may be totally different from what you’d experience.  To find a  solution that best meets YOUR individual needs, approach hair loss solutions with an open mind because what you read online may lead to the perfect solution or turn you away from one that could change your life!