Hannah’s Story

“Did you always want to be a hair stylist?” The answer , “No! I never thought I would be hair stylist in a thousand years. I actually avoided salons at all costs. So how did I get here? Let me explain.

It all began after my father died, and my mother remarried, and I was then living in abusive situation with my stepdad. Shortly after they married, when I was 13 years  old ,I noticed I began to pull my hair out. It wasn’t something I couldn’t control no matter how hard I tried and I didn’t understand at all what was  causing it. It first originated with me pulling in my sleep, then progressed to me pulling it out awake as well. It was extremely subconscious. It wasn’t until I would see a pile of hair in the area where I was sitting or standing that I even became aware I was doing it. This was about 22 years ago so there wasn’t any social media and doctors knew pretty much nothing at that point. I was desperate for answers, but the harder I looked the more alone and confused I felt. See the worst part about having trichotillomania, is thinking that you are the only one. I literally didn’t know if there was even one other person out there who was going through what I was. The bullying and torment I began experiencing from peers , combined with shame and self hatred I was feeling for myself, led me into a deep depression.

At 16 years old I was at the point of wanting to commit suicide. But on that day at the age of  16 God intervened, and I found hope and love I never thought would be possible for me. Its easy to feel like no one will love you for who you are when you don’t know how to love yourself.

But that day I knew I was loved.

By the time I was 16 my hair loss was so bad it became impossible to hide my spots anymore without needing a wig. We were poor growing up and definelty could not afford a human hair wig, so my first experience with wig life was a horrible synthetic wig. It was so itchy and shiny and didn’t look anything like my hair did.

It was also very hot and didn’t fit my little head at all. It was very obvious it was a wig so the teasing definelty didn’t stop. There were girls who would threaten to knock it off my head , and a couple times it was. I will never forget the pit in stomach that would form every time someone got close to me, or have a conversation with me , but instead of looking me in the eye, they would be staring at my hair line.

Then one day things  drastically change. I was babysitting my pastors kids, and one of them wanted to play with my hair and accidentally pulled my wig almost all the way off. I was so embarrassed and after I put the kids to bed , my pastor and his wife Amber came home from their date early to find me crying in the living room.

I hadn’t told anyone about my hair , but that day when Amber asked me what was wrong I told her. I expected her to freak out but she didn’t. She smiled and looked at me and said" Hannah did you know that this isn’t my hair?”

She then proceeded to tell me that she had female pattern baldness and was wearing a hair piece! I count believe it! Her hair  looked amazing and she could wear it up and down and and do all differnt styles with it, which I never could with my wig.She told me she went to a place that specialized in women’s hair loss, and invited me to come with her to next appointment. When I went with her to her next appointment, we met with the owner Bobbi Russel. I hadn’t shown anyone what I looked like without my wig on yet, and she asked me if I would please show her. I cried through it but I took it of. I immediately started to explain that I know it sounds crazy, but I pull my hair out and I don’t know why and I can’t stop. She just smiled at me said those few words that forever changed my life. “Hannah did you know that what you have is called Tichotillomania?”

I immediately screamed, “What? There is name for it?”

She began to explain to me that there are lots of people that have trich, and that she had several clients with it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My prayers were answered, I knew for the first that I was not alone. I then went on to get my very first human hair piece that actually fit me and I was in heaven. The very first thing I did was go swimming in my apartment pool. I hadn’t swam in the ocean or pool since I was 14. I had always been an adrenaline junky and loved skating, dancing, rollercoasters ext.

I had stopped doing all of those things because whenever I tried my synthetic wig would go flying off.

I started to do all of my favorite things again, and to say it was life changing for me is an understatement.

One day Bobbi asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I said “This”! I want to be able help women just like me  and impact their the lives the way that you have mine.”

I never had a desire to be a hairstylist in the slightest bit, but if it meant I could this, then I would.

I went on to work for Bobbi for 4 years, training and getting the best education on hair loss I could possibly get. I got to meet other women just like me and having that community helped to build back my confidence slowly but surely. I had no idea that 14 years later I would end up having running my own women hair loss salon, become a national educator training and equipping stylist to help their clients with hair loss, a wig maker and countless other oportunitys. The most amazing part of all is  being able to meet and help 100s of  women with hair loss all of all over the United States and the world!

My favorite part of all has been getting to walk these amazing women’s journeys with them, and introducing them to other amazing women just like them. Thats why perfectly you exists , thats why I do what I do, Because of YOU! Because when something changes your life, you want everyone to know that same freedom!