Female veterans battling hair loss are reclaiming their natural beauty at a Bay Area restoration center
Female veterans battling hair loss are reclaiming their natural beauty at a Bay Area restoration center
Many women who served in the military eventually fight hair loss but they are reclaiming their natural beauty thanks to a Bay Area woman.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Many women who served in the military eventually fight hair loss but they are reclaiming their natural beauty thanks to a Bay Area woman.
Local perspective:
Simone Durant loves helping her clients at her hair restoration center, The Hair Dive, with hair loss and thinning.
"It's very rewarding," Durant explained. "We work with them to create either a custom hair system or a custom restoration plan to regrow their hair and give them more fulfillment in life."
In 2023, she realized veterans, in particular, needed her services.
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"When they come out of service, they experience different things with their hair," she shared. "They're looking for answers. They're looking to reintegrate into society. It doesn't always look like how it did when they went in."
Her client, Leslie Ridlon, served 29 years in the Marine Corps and Army and retired as a major. She says all those years of service took a toll on her hair.
Leslie Ridlon spent 29 years in the Marines and says it took a toll on her hair.
What they're saying:
"Just being in the military so long, besides the fact you neglect it, the hair is constantly being pulled. And it doesn't necessarily grow back," she said.
It's a battle Ridlon fought for years. It got so bad before she came to Durant that she cut all her hair off.
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Melody Costa, another client at The Hair Dive, spent nine years in the Navy.
Veteran Melody Costa is being treated at Bay Pines VA Hospital for sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease that can cause hair loss.
She's being treated at Bay Pines VA Hospital for sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease. One of the many symptoms is hair loss. A dermatologist at the VA recently referred Costa to Durant. She's a community care provider for veterans there.
"Whatever treatment plan she has for me, I will follow it thoroughly because my military training has got me to be very meticulous," Costa said.
Helping veterans:
About 30 percent of Durant’s business is now veterans.
"You know, they fight, and then sometimes they have to fight again. And to be the person who can just give them some solace where they can look good and feel better is just, it can't be replaced," Durant said.
Ridlon can attest to the results.
VA benefits can be used at The Hair Dive, but what's covered depends on the treatment plan.
"Well, look at me. I look great. Is there any question?" she said with a big smile.
She's been seeing Durant for five years now.
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The Hair Dive is located at 6920 22nd Ave N, Suite 120, in St. Petersburg, only about 10 minutes from Bay Pines VA.
Click here for more information.
VA benefits can help pay for services at The Hair Dive, but they vary depending on the treatment plan.
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13 special projects executive producer Corey Beckman.
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