Painful hair loss prompts new Wichita business to help: ‘It’s just life-changing’
Following a career in IT and HR at Spirit AeroSystems, Robyn Sullivan never intended to start her own business until a bad retail experience convinced her she should.
Her new Sullivan Hairwear is a specialty salon that she said is designed to help women like her who have had hair loss — or “just any woman who wants to . . . have instant beautiful hair.”
Following menopause and surgery, Sullivan first noticed her hair starting to fall out 15 years ago.
“I just dealt with it and dealt with it.”
She tried products and processes, but nothing worked.
“I was just desperate to figure out — what was I going to do about my hair?”
Finally, she found an out-of-state store that offers toppers, which are different than extensions. It’s human hair she could pin in place to help her own look more full. Except no one at the store acknowledged how painful and emotional hair loss and finding solutions can be. Sullivan loved the products but not the experience.
“On the plane on the way home, I just thought to myself, wow, I could have done that better.”
So what she’s created is more of a high-end, comforting experience within the new Utopia Modern Salon Suites at the Offices at Cranbrook at 10111 E. 21st St., just east of Webb Road.
Sullivan has two suites where her services will be available by appointment only. She’ll greet guests, offer them some bubbly or spa water and talk privately about what they are looking for.
From there, guests will visit stylists, “and then they will work their magic.”
Appointments are an hour and a half, and Sullivan said guests “walk out having gorgeous hair.”
Sullivan Hairwear will sell hand-tied luxury human hair toppers. Sullivan said the 100% human hair is of exceptionally high quality.
“This hair is considered virgin hair,” she said. “It’s never been colored until it was colored for us.”
That means there is “more of a newer, finer quality to it.”
She said all of the cuticles of hair run one way and are from one donor. There are 20 varieties of color.
There are short and long options and light or full volumes from which to choose. Prices range from $650 to $1,450, and the toppers last two to three years.
The salon also will carry products to care for the hair. Customers also can return the toppers to have the salon wash and style them.
The toppers need to be washed every 20 to 25 wears.
For now, Sullivan said she’s focusing on nontextured hair.
“We’re hoping that we can expand out as business builds.”
Sullivan said she wants to work with stylists in the market and offer incentives for them to refer clients who need toppers.
“We really need to partner with them.”
She said almost everyone, not only stylists, knows someone who is experiencing hair loss of some sort.
Sullivan is open about sharing her experience and even takes off her toppers to show people the before and after of what her hair looks like.
“I’m like a party trick at this point.”
She said toppers can help anyone with fine or brittle hair or even someone who is just looking for a bit of a lift.
“The beauty of it is that it can add fullness and make anyone’s hair look more luxurious.”
Sullivan said the toppers take years off her age and make getting ready much quicker.
“It’s a huge, huge time saver.”
For now, Sullivan is scheduling a few color-matching appointments, but she’ll fully open for appointments in January.
“This is just a passion project for me,” she said.
Her husband, Greg, is her business partner.
For people with hair loss, an emotional Sullivan said, “We just think we’re never ever going to be able to look at ourselves in the mirror or a picture again and think it’s going to be good.”
Once women find toppers, she said, “People cry. . . . It’s just life-changing.”
