Open Mic Event

Do You Know When You've Been Served?

When I quiet my thoughts, remember that God’s knowledge & wisdom is infinite, and mine is not, or that even though God made me in His image "an image" is never greater that the One after which it is fashioned, it is in those moments that I can humble myself. In humbling, I will not get lost in the "whys" but allow magnification of the favor given.

My afternoon did not turnout in any way that I had expected. I "thought" my afternoon was going to be spent serving others but instead I found myself being the one served. On my way to "serve" smoke started coming from under the hood of my car coupled with my "check engine temp" light. My mind wanted to risk driving on but the "sane" me said, "Don't be stupid." Therefore, I reached a point where I could pull over and check under the hood to see what was going on. Of course, because I am a car technician, I knew exactly what I was seeing. Yeah, right. Not at all, I just saw smoke coming from the engine. Standing there pondering what to do, I saw the Firestone only about one block from where I was. In addition, coincidently (so I thought at the time) my sister’s street was the next street over from where I had stopped my car. A woman pulled up, “Do you need me to call a tow truck for you?” This woman explained that she had passed me by and she said God told her to come back. With it being the holidays and how the minds of people are now days, she was hesitant to come back. Long story short, I left my car there and she ended up driving me over to my sister’s house so I could determine what I was going to do. Just as I was about to call the Firestone to see how late they were open and if they could fit me in, my sister drove up in her driveway. I know she was tired; she had just been out grocery shopping. Nevertheless, she took time to take me back to my car and trail me the short distance over to Firestone. Where normally I would have had to sit at the shop for servicing on my car I was able to stay at my sister’s house until my car was ready less than about a 3-minute drive from her house. The people found the “costly problem” I had and got my car repaired.

Things could have been a lot worst. No one abandoned me. I did not spend my afternoon trying to get a tow and transportation for myself. I don’t know the “why” to how my afternoon was spent but I’m glad that God allowed me to see the favor in how everything I needed was placed right at my feet. Today, a stranger, my sister, and a car service shop served me...even if the service shop did require my money. Seriously, they could have been over-booked for that time of the day. When I humble myself and keep perspective, I can more clearly see what is important.

Hair Loss Led Me To Find My Hair Peace

I wear a hairpiece and I bet you can’t tell! Millions of women suffer from hair loss in silence, forced to wear bad wigs or pay huge sums of money for clearly detectable hair replacements. Too many women don’t know that there are better options for them. Options that look and feel natural. Options that allow you to go about your daily business as you did before you experienced hair loss.  I was one of those women. I know all too well the emotional hardship of losing my hair and not knowing what to do about it, but that all changed once I met a lady that transformed my life. Her name is Sherri Thomas. To truly understand this woman’s impact on my life you first need to know what led me to find her.

I was a young woman in her prime when I was stricken with an unexplained scalp infection rendering me with permanent hair loss across the top of my head. There are few things more devastating to a woman than learning that you can no longer grow the beautiful hair for which you have spent your whole life caring.  After close to a year of self-treatments, because the dermatologists had no answers for me, my scalp finally healed and I began to wear wigs.  Over the course of about 5 years I spent a lot of money on wigs and they always seemed to look better on the heads in the stores than on my head at home.  I invested boatloads of money in a well-known hair replacement company for weekly laser scalp treatments; did not work.  I bought an online at home laser scalp treatment gadget; did not work. The financial burden of constantly replacing bad wigs was putting a strain on my bank account, but it paled in comparison to the toll on my emotional bank. The pain of knowing that I didn’t have real options to cover up my head was always on my mind. I could not escape the thoughts of being seated in a crowd and someone accidently causing my wig to shift or worst someone snatching my wig off. Oh the horror! Think about not being able to just answer a simple knock at the door, or order room service when traveling, or run outside to get the mail before pausing to turn that door knob because you’ve forgotten to cover your head.

Once I tried a braided wig for Zumba

Your mind plays tricks on you when you’re hiding a secret and you know you are not hiding it well. I even gave up Zumba parties (which I loved) because Zumba gets hot…fast and when you get hot you sweat. Let’s just say that attempting to cover a sweaty bald slippery scalp while jumping around to energetic Zumba beats don’t mix. The last time I went to Zumba I wore a scarf and I got so heated that my scarf started slipping, almost revealing my bald spot. Although I caught it before anyone noticed, I was so embarrassed over what could have happened. That ended my attendance at Zumba parties. Some people say, “It’s easy. Just cut it all off.” It’s funny that it is always someone with hair that gives that recommendation. It’s easy to say that for people who still have their hair. Going bald wasn’t me. I wasn’t connected to my inner Grace Jones. I couldn’t just become this “bold, bald black woman.” I wanted hair. People can be mean too. I once had to endure two female co-workers pretending to get something out of my hair when actually they were trying to determine if I was wearing a wig. I allowed them to think I was naïve and didn’t know what they were doing, but what I wanted to do was head butt them both in the lower lip. It’s amazing what we as women do to each other.

After years of suffering my answer came in the form of junk mail of all places. One man’s junk mail is another woman’s Godsend. I was looking through a packet of mailer advertisements the ones I normally throw away, and one of the advertisements caught my eye. I recall pictures of balding women. Women like me! Women losing their hair for all sorts of reasons. I immediately stopped flipping through the ads and took notice. The House of Raw Elegance Salon, 2955 Patterson Rd., Florissant, Missouri. The ad mentioned hair replacements with no gluing or braiding. I was curious, “how is this possible?” No glue. No braids. I loved the sound of that. Glue is icky and braids have the potential to break or pull out what hair I had left. I didn’t want any part of either of those things, but the possibilities sounded too good to be true, and we all know what they say about things that sound too good to be true. It was about to hit the trash. Then I noticed looking up at me the words free private consultation. The magic word was private. Free is a good word too, but the idea of being able to speak with someone about my problem in private without the fear and pressure of other salon onlookers was a major thing. I must say the thought of a private free consultation was the main reason I made an appointment and I’m glad I did.



Before receiving my handcrafted piece

Fast forward to the evening of my appointment. I arrived at House of Raw Elegance salon in Florissant, MO and from the moment I walked in, I knew this was not “just a beauty shop” this was truly a business that cares about their individual clients. I felt welcomed and at home like no other hair salon/beauty shop to which I’d ever been.  The mother of the owner of the salon, Sherri Thomas, greeted me at the door and showed me around pointing out pictures of hairstyles, hair shows, and fashion shows Sherri had done. There was a framed feature article from the Post-Dispatch about her earlier days as wig-master. There were mannequins on display resting on podiums adorned with Sherri Thomas custom handmade wigs. There were two separate sections, a salon for general hair styling clients and a barbershop for men. After giving me the grand tour I was escorted to the private room where all the magic happens. That’s when I finally met the one and only—Ms. Sherri Thomas. As I entered the private room I was struck by the array of impressive licenses and certifications that embellished the wall. This lady is the real deal. Sherri is a Licensed Cosmetologist, a Licensed Instructor in the state Missouri and California, a certified Wig Master (from London), a Trichologist, and a Non-Surgical Hair Replacement expert. To add to all of that, she also volunteers her services to the American Cancer Association’s Feel Good Look Better Program for suffering cancer patients. Sherri understands the struggles of hair loss and battling cancer because she herself is battling pituitary cancer. That may be why she was so pleasantly down to earth, warm and hospitable. She was never pushy. Never selling.  It was clear to me that she was more than just a cosmetologist. I felt at ease. I have never felt so comfortable removing my wig for someone. No shame. No judgment. I’d found a new freedom. She started the consultation and assessment of my issue. She

 asked me about my hair loss and the services I was interested in. This is very important! She actually listened to what my desires were. She explained alternatives and what the long-term requirements would be for the different options. For my needs it would be a closure for my bald area. I could be done with whole wigs. For me that meant not having to grab a wig before going out to the mailbox, answering the door, or taking off a wig before bed. I could go Zumba it up in public without the need for a head covering. And with a Sherri Thomas custom closure and her patented application system I could leave it in place until my next visit.  Oh, and I can’t forget that Sherri is a national Health Care provider which means she can take care of your hair loss needs through your health insurance. She also has in-house financing available. After everything I’d been through, I knew this was what I needed. There was no need to look further. We finalized my order that night. She took measurements, and made a mold of my bald area. We chose hair, the length, and talked styles. Sherri explained that due to how she creates her custom hairpieces they can be styled how ever you like. Just like your natural hair. I made my down payment and left filled with expectation and excitement. It took several weeks for her to craft the handmade customized one of a kind piece and I waited anxiously like a young child waiting Christmas morning. And then the day came and after 6 long years of enduring private emotional pain and turmoil, Sherri gave me my “hair peace” and I emerged from that private room a whole new woman. My hair was beautiful and for the first time in years I felt comfortable and confident. It was the beginning of the new me and over the years since I started seeing Sherri not only has my hair and scalp health improved so has my self-esteem and willingness to get out into the world and mix it up.  Let’s just stay, Stella got her groove back!


Now you understand why I believe so much in this St. Louis County treasure that so many women suffering with hair loss know nothing about? She doesn’t just do this as a business, she actually identifies with the women she helps and runs a true business that caters and cares for those women. Ladies out there…men with moms, sisters, wives and girlfriends who’ve suffered hair loss hear me when I say that I am so grateful that I discovered Ms. Sherri Thomas and her unique services. As a woman suffering from hair loss she has given me my life back in so many ways. And that is my wish for every woman suffering from hair loss, that they discover their own Sherri Thomas and find their own personal hair peace. Once you find peace with your hair situation you will not be disappointed in how your life will open up again. Please seek out help. There are options available. You too can have your own hair peace.

Sherri Thomas, Tricologist Wig Master, House of Raw Elegance Salon, 2955 Patterson Rd., Florissant, Missouri, 63031 – (314) 299-8926, www.Hrehairsolutions.com