For this barber, fake hair for men is more than just about making money

Fake hair has been mostly associated with women, but over the years, more men have been on the lookout for manes that will help transform their heads, their lives, and their self-esteem.

For many people, losing hair for whatever reason causes a huge dent in their confidence and there have been a number of solutions to this including medication. Recently, a new way of dealing with hair loss is the use of fake hair.

Among many people offering help when it comes to fake hair is Wade Menendez, a 35-year old barber from Maryland, U.S.A.

“I’m doing this to help other people — and that’s not just with that confidence but helping other people even make money. I’m always here to do whatever I can, and I feel like that’s what I’m called on to do, so I’m operating in my purpose and my destiny,” Menendez said in an interview with VICE News.

Menendez, who has been a barber for the last 13 years, started working with what he calls cranial prosthesis four years ago.  This is a nonsurgical procedure that fills a bald scalp with hair in just hours. The process starts with the formation of a ‘hair unit,’ a collection of hair designed to fit the customer’s head and look natural like it was generated from the client’s own hair.

Besides making the hair units and fixing it on the client’s hair, Menendez also holds sessions for other barbers and hair professionals, teaching them how to handle this cranial prosthesis procedure.  The more than 500 barbers he has had sessions with come from all over the world including London.

With his skill and technique, Menendez was able to make over $450,000 through his business alone, reports Vice. He charges about $2o0 and $650 for initial units and $100 and $200 for maintenance.

The hair profession journey for Menendez started at the age of 12 but at the time, he considered it a hobby. A few years later, he would attend the Avara’s Academy of Hair Design, where he received his license.

He would open the “The W Hair Loft,” in 2011 in Maryland and years later, the second barbershop in Washington DC.  He is also the launching his own line of products called Ultimate Essentials and is the founder of The Wade H. Menendez Foundation, launched in 2017.

For Menendez, the hair journey is a personal one. His mother lost most of her hair to chemotherapy for breast cancer.

“That was one of the hardest points of my life where I had to finish cutting my mum’s hair and she had to stay strong, singing songs of cheer while I was cutting it. It was an emotional time,” he said.

It is through his work that he would tell the difference between a healthy client from one who needs medical help.

“I would tell them to go see a dermatologist or a doctor to see what is happening,” he added saying that he believes that it is important for people to feel good spiritually, mentally and physically.