Mercedes Brown
Owner, Mercedes Brown—The Hair Boutique With Purpose
Photograph by ANdrew Doench
“I started the free wig campaign after a customer’s daughter came into my store to inquire about a wig for her mother who was waiting in the car. She was too weak to come in because she had just completed her second round of chemo. Her story touched my heart, and I wanted to do more than just sell her a wig. I wanted to give her something that would bring joy and a little hope.
A cancer diagnosis is scary all by itself. And when you add in hair loss due to treatments, the entire experience can be traumatic. Oftentimes these women can no longer work due to treatment side effects, which makes it even harder to afford a quality wig. I believe it’s important that these women feel a sense of normalcy as they go out in public. And through this wig giveaway, we’re able to give them just that plus more.
Photograph courtesy Mercedes Brown
During my first year doing the giveaway my goal was to help five women because that’s all I could afford to do. Now, thanks to the generous support of other local organizations, I’m looking to help close to 50 women this year, and offer spa kits, head bonnets, brushes for the wigs, and silk hair wraps. The wigs come directly from my line of 100% virgin hair or are donated by other local organizations, and come in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles for all ages, stages and ethnic backgrounds. I’ve gotten letters and cards from the different wig recipients we’ve helped over the past two years and my heart melts reading their heartfelt messages thanking me for the work we do.”
With help from organizations like The Karen Wellington Foundation and The American Cancer Society, Mercedes Brown recently wrapped up the third year of her wig giveaway campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Damia Stevens
Founder, Maggie’s Hair Blessings
Photograph by ANdrew Doench
“Back in 2015, I had a client who was diagnosed with cancer. She had started chemo and she was losing hair, so she called me one day to say she was ready to cut it all off. She came in, we went to a private room, and the tears started falling. I had never experienced something like that before. After that, we decided to make a wig for her. At the same time, my grandmother’s cancer had come back. I started thinking, “I want to do something that would be meaningful and also help women. I could get a fundraiser going and use the proceeds to custom make the free wigs that I will give away.” That’s how Maggie’s Hair Blessings was born.
Photograph courtesy Damia Stevens
My goal was simple: Give women the gift of hair. That’s why my motto is “May This Hair Be A Blessing To You.” If I could just make one or two women feel whole again with the gift of hair, then I have accomplished something good. I feel what I’m doing is very important because I know as women, our hair is our thing! To go completely bald is to lose part of ourselves. In the last nine years, I’ve helped more than 40 women. I would like to think that I have changed the lives of some of these women. To hear the stories of how they didn’t feel beautiful, or how they had been depressed until I placed the wig on their heads and turned them to the mirror, the joy in their eyes was so rewarding.”
The Bare Hair
Photograph courtesy The Bare Hair
Photograph courtesy The Bare Hair
Melissa King started The Bare Hair 5k Run/Walk in Springboro after her youngest daughter developed alopecia, an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles, causing hair loss on the scalp and other parts of the body like eyebrows and eyelashes. In the first eight years of operation, the event raised more than $50,000 for alopecia charities.
“It may not sound like much to lose hair, but it is so much more than ‘just hair,’ ” King says. “Walking around completely bald or with bald patches all over your head takes a great deal of bravery. And to deal with all the comments and stares also requires great strength.”
The run/walk is held annually in September, drawing hundreds of participants from Ohio and surrounding states. “As our event grows every year, we’re trying to reach more and more people with alopecia so they and their families can come and meet friends and gather strength to go back into the world.”
The Geriatric Hair Care Organization
Photograph courtesy The Geriatric Hair Care Organization
While cutting hair at a nursing home in 2021, cosmetologist Ashley Warner realized that several residents hadn’t been serviced because of financial constraints. The oversight planted the seed for The Geriatric Hair Care Organization (GHCO), which raises funds for aging adults in long-term care facilities who can’t afford routine haircuts and washes.
“Many families assume that haircuts, washes, and detangling are provided by the nursing facilities, but they’re not,” Warner says. “It’s important for cosmetology to be more integrated in the healthcare field, so we can preserve the dignity of these individuals and relieve healthcare staff of the burden of scalp and hair care, so they can continue to focus on their expertise.”
In 2023, the GHCO team was able to donate more than $5,000 in free salon services that include haircuts, scalp treatments, and hours of detangling matted hair.
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