When you look good, you feel good! Sure, you've heard the saying before but you've probably experienced it, too: the extra bounce in your step after a fresh blowout, the boost of confidence you feel in your favorite outfit...you know the deal! The fact is, for many women, hair plays a big role in how they feel about themselves so dealing with struggles surrounding hair loss can be especially difficult. Of course, beautiful hair is just the beginning, but it sure is a good place to start!
Loren: on perimenopausal hair loss, making the time for self-care, and how life is too short to wait for your hair to grow
Luxy Hair: Okay so, let's go back to the beginning. What made you decide to try hair extensions in the first place?
When I turned 40 and working in the medical field helping cancer patients, I realized how short and precious life is. I went through this mid-life transformation; I started exercising again after being busy with three kids and career and decided to start taking care of myself. I've always wanted to have long hair, and I was always waiting for it to happen! Of course, it never did!
My hair is coarse and brittle due to having Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism, which I discovered I had after 30. I am now entering perimenopause at 47, which is another phase of possible hair changes. While watching TV one day, I saw some celebrities wearing hair extensions and decided to try it. Life is fleeting and I thought, why not life it with the long hair that I dreamed of! I know it may sound funny to hear that having long hair was a wish of mine, but it did make me feel happier.
Luxy Hair: We know there are tons of misconceptions surrounding hair extensions! What was your impression of hair extensions before trying them out?
Before trying our hair extensions for myself, my only experience with them was working with those undergoing chemotherapy. It was beautiful to witness these patients who had been through so much get to enjoy beautiful hair so they could focus on being warriors and battling their cancer.
At first, I first thought it was a bit odd to wear someone else’s hair, but I soon got over that; the empowerment and joy from my cancer patients immediately changed my perspective. Of course, when I tried my first set of Luxies myself back in 2010, I was sold!
Luxy Hair: How has your image of yourself and your impression of hair extensions changed since becoming a regular Luxy wearer?
As a now 47 year old woman, mother of three, and a health care provider, self-care is crucial for my happiness. As women, we tend to take care of everyone else first and put ourselves last on the list. Luxies are part of my self-care routine, along with working out, swimming, hiking, and pampering myself from time to time. I felt clip-ins were best for my lifestyle as I'm an avid swimmer, hiker, and I do some cross-fit training. I actually have a set of older Luxies I use just for my workouts! It's excellent because I can take them out when I'm swimming, showering, or going to sleep.
I love how easy Luxies are to wear and style. If I'm getting ready for a special event, I can curl my hair ahead of time and clip them in right before the event so I feel fresh and ready to go fast! I've also had my Luxies cut a little shorter to my preferred length.
People compliment me on my hair constantly and I’m happy to share that I wear extensions. They are surprised and then want to know more! I believe in supporting and empowering one another, and if that means wearing extensions and having the hair you have always dreamed of, I’m all for it!
Christina: on postpartum hair loss, transforming your confidence, and embracing the changes of motherhood
Luxy Hair: Tell us about your natural hair.
I have always had thin hair, or as a stylist once put it: “Your hair is fine, but you have a lot of it.” I was used to my tiny buns and having my hair fall flat within an hour of curling it. This still didn’t prepare me for how it would feel to see my fine, light brown hair coming out in clumps as I showered a few months after having my son. Friends with kids had been asking me if my hair was falling out yet, and I truly didn’t know what they meant. I had never heard of postpartum hair loss.
About 3 months postpartum, it started happening. Handfuls of hair started falling out at once, and I wondered how long it would take before it started to be noticeable. My hairline and temples were the first places I noticed it. It’s hard for me to look back at pictures of this time because it still shocks me to see how bad it was. Now, at 14 months postpartum, I have a fringe of new growth a few inches long that goes around my entire head.
Luxy Hair: Many of our readers struggle with postpartum hair loss. It's unnerving and scary to see your hair falling out even with the knowledge that it's quite normal after having a baby. Did you do anything in particular to combat the hair fall?
I tried everything to get my hair to stop falling out: special shampoos, supplements, you name it! I even stopped washing my hair regularly because I thought if I didn’t touch it, it wouldn’t fall out. At 5 months postpartum, I got a haircut hoping that taking some length off would help fluff my hair up and make it look more full. The stylist gave me a shoulder-length bob and told me: “Don’t worry, hon. It’ll grow back.” I went out to my car and cried in the parking lot. I cried some more to my husband when I got home, and that’s when I started watching YouTube tutorials for styling thin, fine hair. I don’t remember how I found it, but I came across a video of Pia putting in Luxy Hair extensions. Her hair was shorter than mine, and the extensions looked so natural and beautiful. I was pretty much sold right then and there.
Luxy Hair: We're glad you found us! What made you decide on Luxies?
I researched all different kinds of hair extensions, but I kept coming back to the Luxy website. None of my friends had ever worn hair extensions, and I got mixed responses about it. Some friends told me to go for it, and others told me I was giving into the pressure to conform to society’s standards of beauty instead of embracing the changes my body had gone through during and after pregnancy. This was around Thanksgiving, and Luxy was running a Black Friday deal. I had been hesitating on making the purchase because as a mom, I was feeling guilty for wanting to spend money on myself and my appearance especially, but the Black Friday deal was the little push I needed to go for it. I ordered my set, Chestnut Brown, and anxiously waited.
Luxy Hair: How did it go clipping them in for the first time?
My first attempt at putting the wefts in didn’t go well. I had watched so many videos by then, but my execution wasn’t great and I wondered if I had made a mistake in buying them. Then, I took them to a stylist friend of mine who showed me how to put them in and style them, and after that, it was just a matter of practicing and learning how to blend my bio hair for a seamless, natural look. I can now put them in from start to finish in 13 minutes flat!
Luxy Hair: What does it feel like wearing Luxies now? How have they impacted your self-perception?
When I wear my hair extensions, my confidence goes from about a 4 to a 100. I don’t have to worry about fluffing my hair or making sure it’s pulled forward to cover the bald patches that are growing in around my temples. I can just be me. I realize now that lots of people wear hair extensions. They aren’t just for celebrities and models. They gave me my confidence back, and I don’t feel vain in the slightest, just like someone shouldn’t feel vain for wanting to wear clothes that flatter their body type, or choosing a pair of eyeglasses that make them feel fabulous.
Women go through so much during and after pregnancy, and while I’m happy to embrace my new marks and wider curves as a badge of motherhood, I’m grateful that I can also still feel like a woman, a beautiful, confident, head-full-of-long-flowing-hair woman!
Have you had a similar experience with hair loss? How have Luxies changed your life? Let us know in the comments below, we love hearing from you.
Thank you again to our incredible customers Loren and Christina for sharing your stories with us!
