When Sheri Valle was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago, her life changed forever.
“I was devastated when I found out,” Valle said. “The first reaction was am I was going to live, am I going to survive? All those questions — it was horrible.”
After six months of chemotherapy and brain radiation to ensure the tumor didn’t spread to her head, Valle won the battle against cancer, but with great sacrifice.
“I took a picture of the top of my head one day and I finally realized I could see my entire scalp,” Valle said. “I decided to search into some type of a hair loss system, I called to a couple of places.”
None of the salons appealed to her, she said, until she came across Transitions Hair Solutions, a non-surgical hair replacement service located in Wall Township. Her decision to receive treatment at the salon stemmed from her interactions with the owner, Danielle Marzella, whom she said focused on Valle and her needs.
“I felt very comfortable with her, every other place I called was very pushy, it was all about the sale, it wasn’t about me,” Valle said. “Danielle understood what I was going through.”
Prior to her work with Transitions Hair Solutions, Grillo said she was working at a regular salon, but wanted to do something more. She said she noticed the thinning of her own hair during that time which led to do more research concerning hair loss.
“Then I wound up working for somebody, that was it,” she said. “I’ve been in the hair replacement business ever since.”
Girls in their early teens, who suffer from Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes disfiguring hair loss, to women in their nineties seek treatment with the salon, Grillo said. There has been a shift in greater number of women seeking the treatment, said Grillo, who has been in the business for 20 years.“We’ve seen for the past few years, more women than men seeking out help,” she said. “I think women are noticing that it’s more accepted now to do something.”
At first, Valle said she wasn’t fully ready to commit to the Italian hair piece called the Cesare Regazzi CNC system she has now.
“I first went with a temporary system,” she said. “I wasn’t fully ready to commit to attaching something to my head yet in the hope that my hair may come back.”
The CNC system is a semi-permanent hair restoration solution that consists of producing a “second scalp,” a clone membrane personalized by each client’s needs and characteristics according to the Cesare Regazzi website. Natural human hair is selected from donors with high-grade hair and with similar hair characteristics to those of the client. The hair is then sewn by hand with precise distribution and direction of the client’s natural hair. Once completed, the clone membrane is integrated onto the scalp using a special medical adhesive, the website states.
“I love it,” Valle said. “I mean being a women and being without much hair at all and having all bald spots and having to worry about the wind blowing or anybody is looking at you funny, it’s a horrible feeling.”
With this treatment, swimming and other high-impact activities are no problem according to Grillo, the only maintenance required is a monthly touch-up to re-secure the client’s hair system. The hair pieces can be costly depending on the coverage area and the monthly services are considered normal hair appointments, the cost of which varies based on the length of the appointment and the particular service requested.
“Cost of hair pieces is different for every client because it depends on the coverage area,” Grillo said. “They could start at $4,000, but when you come for the CNC to be serviced, it’s considered a hair appointment.”
Valle said she is happy with her decision to seek out treatment for hair loss and encourages others to do the same if hair loss seems to take over their life.
“For any hair loss that makes you uncomfortable and less of a person, usually makes you withdrawn, you don’t want go anywhere, you don’t want to do anything, and then you end up becoming depressed,” she said. “If you have any hair loss, just go do (the treatment) you’ll be happy you did it, you really will.”
For more information, call 732-282-0020 or visit transitionshairsolutions.com.
Editorial Intern Ahana Dave: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; (908) 243-6618
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