This story was originally published by the Ledger-Enquirer.
Shanea “Bella” Buie, a licensed hairstylist in Columbus since 2009, made a good living providing popular hair styles like silk presses and twists to her customers.
But during her time as a stylist, Buie noticed an alarming trend. Many of the women she worked with were experiencing hair loss.
The phenomenon pushed her in a more specialized direction of the complex and emotionally debilitating world of women’s hair loss
“I didn’t know how to approach it,” Buie said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced salons shut down, she used the time to further her education in hair loss.
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
Buie took a course through Toni Love International and earned a certification as a hair loss specialist.
She now treats Columbus women with hair or scalp challenges because of medical conditions. To help educate others, she will host a free open house event next month at her salon in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“We focus on helping women restore their hair,” Buie said. “Our crown is our Glory. That’s one of the things that deals with our self-esteem. When our hair is not right, we’re not right altogether.”
Novi Te salon
Buie rebranded her salon to Novi Te and moved to a new location on Schomburg Road about a year ago.
“Novi Te means ‘New You’,” she said. “I thought it was something different that speaks to where we were going and the direction that the business was going.”
The salon offers hair treatment, non-surgical hair replacements, medical grade wig and hair toppers. The wigs and treatments can be expensive, with some of the custom, medical-grade wigs costing $500.
These wigs are different from commercial wigs that people might be used to seeing, Buie said. Medical-grade wigs use specific materials that are designed for people experiencing hair loss, she said.
If someone is going through something like chemotherapy and experiencing severe hair loss, it is recommended that they get a medical-grade wig instead of a cheaper commercial wig, Buie said.
Her wigs are customized to fit an individual’s head perfectly, she said, and they look more realistic and are breathable.
“Inside the wig cap, it has silicone and other things to help keep (the wig) on the head,” Buie said. “It’s totally different.”
As a certified hair loss specialist, she can also accept insurance as long as individuals receive a diagnosis from their doctor. The diagnosis helps with getting insurance to cover the treatments or wigs, and also helps Buie know best how to treat a person’s hair loss.
This is why she asks everyone that comes for a consultation to see their doctor for a diagnosis first.
“Once you are diagnosed, then you will get a prescription from your doctor,” Buie said. “...And once they write your prescription, you can bring it to us. And we will help you file your claim.”
Cancer awareness
Buie is intimately familiar with the impact cancer can have on people because of how it’s affected her own family.
Her mother was previously diagnosed with breast cancer, she said, but luckily only needed a surgery to defeat the disease. But that was not the last time cancer would affect Buie’s family.
Her father is now also battling cancer.
Because women typically make up her clientele, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has become very important to Buie.
“I cater to women, and it’s women going through these things,” she said. “Not only do I want to just bring awareness, but I also want to let women know that there are resources and things out there to help them while they’re going through this.”
Buie is hosting the free Pink Hope Affair on Oct. 14 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. During the event, she will provide resources, complimentary demonstrations of Novi Te’s products and services and offer hair and scalp analysis.
Anyone interested in attending should RSVP online, she said.
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
Working with women who are struggling with hair loss is more than just about the treatment and wigs, Buie said, a lot of her business is being there to help women mentally as well.
“I have had women sit in my chair feeling hopeless — crying,” she said. “Some womens’ husbands don’t even know what they’re dealing with. They deal with it alone.”
She often sees women who haven’t seen a doctor about their hair loss because they’re ashamed or not ready to face what is happening to them. But she encourages people who are having hair loss to visit a dermatologist or other doctor first because that’s the first step in helping them get treatment.
When Buie helps someone on a hair loss journey, she always takes pictures. As a stylist, she can see the progress they’ve made, but sometimes the person needs help seeing it themselves. Realistically, not everyone she treats will have their hair grow back like it was before, Buie said, but they can see progress in the photos.
“Everybody is different,” she said. “So, when they do see it, they get excited.”
Throughout her journey becoming a hair loss specialist and helping others with hair loss, Buie has learned how important it is for all hairstylists to learn more about hair loss.
“I love the creative side of hair styling,” she said. “But I know there’s a need for (treating) hair loss, and there’s not enough of us taking it seriously. We should be because we are the first responders to hair loss.”
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
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