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Hair Replacement Center Has
Solutions For Women.
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Wigs needed for hair loss or religious reasons are expertly designed and fitted in a caring atmosphere,
"Personal service you can trust" is Laurie Pompelia's
pledge to customers at her full-service hair
replacement center and salon, the Ultimate Image, in
West Bloomfield.
A licensed practicing cosmetologist since 1978, she
decided to enter the hair replacement industry because
"I wanted to stay in the same type of business, but do
something more challenging and gratifying."
After apprenticing in her new field, Pompelia felt ready to
open the Ultimate Image in 1991. She and her staff of
cosmetologists offer a comprehensive range of services,
including custom wig fitting, expert color consulting,
complete styling services and an on-site lab for handling fittings and repairs.
Laurie
Pompelia
"We care about you first" is Pompelia's message because she and her staff can appreciate the
devastation of losing one's head hair.
Women with hair loss caused by chemotherapy treatment, referred through the American Cancer
Society (ACS) and many oncologists, can choose a free wig from the Ultimate Image's wig bank. Wigs
are donated to the ACS in Southfield, but occasionally some get dropped off at the Ultimate Image.
Pompelia and staff refurbish and style the donations, and then help women find something they like or
offer them a substantial discount if a new wig is preferred. Comfortable scalp coverings and scarves are
free.
"These women are going through so much with their cancer treatment it's very important for them to
look good and feel good about themselves," said Pompelia. "A good wig does that."
Orthodox women seeking a wig will find the unprocessed hair they require at the Ultimate Image.
These wigs can be customized individually to suit each woman.
With more than 20 years' experience in providing non-surgical hair restoration and hair replacement
solutions, Pompelia is confident about her products and service.
"Before you make any decisions regarding your hair loss, you should sit down with our expert staff to
discuss your options," she said. "Our technicians incorporate what's best from a variety of materials to
custom-design hair replacements that suit each customer's individual needs."
It's particularly hard "for kids in high school because hair is everything," she said. More males are
seeking treatment lately as "there's been a huge turnover of guys shaving their heads." Shaving had
been a popular, temporary solution for younger men experiencing male pattern baldness.
For young women who have female pattern baldness, the Ultimate Image
will create a hair replacement in the area where they used to have hair.
Traditionally, hair loss was considered a man's problem. Now women make up half the clients at the
Ultimate Image. Females as young as age 20 have come in, and the trend is on the rise.
"There are several confident and comfortable attachment methods available," Pompelia said. "Clients
will then confinue monthly appointments with us, like they would in a typical hair salon."
Those seeking a solution to hair loss may want to consider the Ultimate Image's inventory of 70 wig
styles, obtained from distributors throughout the country. The natural-appearing full cranial replacement
wigs benefit women whose hair loss is due to medical treatments, female pattern baldness, overall
thinning, side effects from thyroid medications, as well as alopecia.
Being a full service salon, the Ultimate Image will do coloring, highlights and touch-ups on their
growing hair in privacy, while also taking care of the customer's "system" (wig or. hairpiece).
Caring for customers is paramount with Pompelia.
Weighing only a few ounces, the full replacements are designed for comfort and breathability — a far
cry from the popular wigs worn in the 1960s. Those were shiny, and itchy, with tiny plastic fibers in
their synthetic web.
"Our motto is: This decision is personal — let's keep it that way. Our solutions are so undetectable that
our clients don't have to share unless they want to," she said.
Wigs "are not made like that anymore," Pompelia said. "You can blow-dry and flat-iron today's high-
heat synthetics. You couldn't put heat on those wigs from years ago."
"With this type of hair service, you need to find a home, where you feel comfortable," Pompelia
explained. "I have no problem with women coming in and having a couple of consultations with me or
any of my technicians. I want customers to feel that they're in the best hands they could be."
When it comes to covering a scalp, the Ultimate Image offers "cutting-edge solutions that are virtually
undetectable to sight or touch," she said.
When it comes to a hair loss solution, "If it isn't something I'd want for myself, I wouldn't expect my
clients to want it either," she said.
The "lace front wig" style looks like "hair is growing out of your head," Pompelia said.
Another option is a "lace wig." The mesh base cap wig is undetectable as a wig with the mesh
matched to the wearer's skin tone. The wig allows for an exposed hair line.
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Pompelia is successful because "when any of my clients leave my center, they are confident and can't
wait to share their happiness."
The Ultimate Image is open daily except Friday and Sunday at
7091 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 250, in West Bloomfield.
Visit www.theultimatehair.com for more information.
For appointments, call
(248) 855-9600
June 14 • 2012
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