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These Flawless Wigs Empower Women As They Fight Cancer

By Ariel Cheung | August 4, 2015 7:45am

AVONDALE — What's true for luxury cars is also true for wigs: If you want top quality, you've got to go European.

Turns out, human hair from Europe is considered finer than Asian or American varieties. But what's most important at Chrysalis Custom Hair is finding "hair that feels like your hair."

"Just because it's simply high end doesn't mean it's right for you. If it feels like yours, you get used to it. You want it just be part of your outfit, like a great-fitting bra," said owner Kimberly Johnson.

Chrysalis, 3015 W. Roscoe St., exclusively provides female cancer patients with hand-customized wigs, which start at $475 and can be trimmed to fit your style. Bangs? No problem. Side part? Got you covered. For top dollar, they'll even hand-dye the wigs to match your highlights.

One Chrysalis customer is seen with her original hair (l.) and hand-customized wig. Chrysalis Custom Hair works specifically with women going through chemotherapy. [Provided/Chrysalis Custom Hair]

Chrysalis started, naturally, with a hairdo. Johnson was at a bar in 2008 and complimented a woman on her cute hair. The woman and her friends turned out to be cancer survivors and volunteers with Imerman Angels, which pairs survivors and fighters for one-on-one support.

Johnson began volunteering, too, and it was through Imerman Angels that she learned the ins and outs of cancer treatment. One of the outs, she said, was the awkward trip to the back of the salon. 

"They take you into a private room in the basement, and everybody know what's going on if you're being walked to the basement — that's where they do the cancer [wigs]," Johnson said.

Johnson "didn't like the way things were being done," but it wasn't until a brief stint marketing for a hair salon that her idea began to take form.

Kimberly Johnson, 44, opened Chrysalis Custom Hair in 2013 after realizing there was a need for customized wigs for women going through chemotherapy treatments. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

"You've been told you're sick and, on top of that, somebody's told you you're going to start losing your hair in about 10 days. So having a place to go where it's completely private and people understand what you're going through? It's not just about the hair, it's about the whole person," Johnson said.

It took Johnson over a year to find a venue that was "off the beaten path, yet accessible and in a nice, safe neighborhood with parking," she said. Finally, at the corner of Elston and Roscoe, Chrysalis Custom Hair opened in September 2013.

After almost two years of building contacts, Johnson relies mainly on referrals from hospitals or cancer support services. Word of mouth has spread to neighboring states, with clients journeying from Wisconsin and Michigan for the wigs.

Chrysalis Custom Hair, 3015 W. Roscoe St., helps women going through chemotherapy find a hand-customized wig to put their minds at ease. The store was designed with shaded windows to give clients privacy during what can be an emotional appointment. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

Appointments generally take about two hours, during which Johnson and a stylist test out different synthetic and human hair wigs to find what works best for a client. Most leave with a styled wig the same day, although custom dye jobs take about two weeks.

Custom wig-specific businesses are rare, Johnson said. Her wigs are specially made for bald heads, and her experience with cancer fighters makes for a more comfortable experience mentally and physically.

While Johnson knows her customized wigs are on the high end in terms of affordability, she's also working to make beautiful wigs accessible for more women. Since organizations like the American Cancer Society only accept new wigs, Chrysalis is launching a wig recycling program in the fall. Johnson said she plans to accept donated wigs, which will be refurbished and given away at a yet-to-be-announced event.

With her store's success, Johnson is also looking to open a second location near O'Hare International Airport in the next couple of years.

"It did take, I'd say, a year of solid struggling and marketing to get on the list. You have to prove yourself, and that's ever-building," she said. "But it's a necessity, and we do it very well."

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