Bellevue salon owner works with Wigs for Kids

For a child facing chemotherapy treatment, losing their hair can be heartbreaking. Monique Smith, owner of Monique’s Salon in Bellevue and Spokane, hopes to heal the heartbreak through hair replacement and hair restoration.

Her clientele include women, men and children who have experienced various degrees of hair loss due to genetics, trauma, or medical reasons such as illness and treatments including chemotherapy. Through the work at the salon and as a board member for the non-profit Wigs for Kids, Smith works her magic to give back what people often take for granted.

“You never think about brushing your hair, but you would think about it if it wasn’t there,” she said. “I try to restore some of that loss.”

Smith was recently nominated by two of her clients for the 2009 Washington State SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award. The Small Business Administration honors a small business person every year. Each nominee must submit information regarding the business including a business profile, biography of the candidate, financials of the business, photos of the business and staff, and supporting documentation for the nominees achievements.

To Smith’s delight, two of her clients, both teenage girls, nominated her independently of each other. One of the clients was a 17-year-old girl who was a candidate for a custom hair piece designed by Smith as part of the Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest. Every quarter, Smith donates one custom-made hair piece to the foundation which then chooses a candidate who is in immediate need of a wig. In this particular case, the client had senior pictures and wanted to look her best. Smith was glad to do her part to help.

Smith first met the other client who nominated her when the girl was just 13 years old. She had lost all her hair within a 30-day period and was need of a wig quickly. Smith provided her with one and still works with her to this day.

“That means so much to me that these girls would take the time to nominate me for this award,” Smith said. “I’m very touched by their consideration.”

Beyond her work with Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, Smith is also a board member for Wigs for Kids. She designs hair pieces for Washington state and Idaho, producing roughly 50 a year for the foundation. The wigs are made from real hair and are made possible through financial giving and hair donations.

A donor with long hair arranges his or her clean and dry locks into a secure ponytail or braid, which is then cut. A minimum of 12 inches of hair is needed. Because natural hair is a blend of many colors, one hairpiece requires the generosity of many donors. It takes 20 to 30 ponytails to make one hairpiece.

Once it is made, the child receives the hairpiece along with special coaching on how to look and feel her best. The hair is cut and styled to the child’s liking by a certified cosmetic therapist.

“Seeing a child light up when they look in the mirror and see their new hair is indescribable,” Smith said. “It goes beyond words.”

The winner of the Small Business Person award will be honored at the Washington State Awards Event on April 23 at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle.

If Monique Smith is awarded this recognition, she will then move to the National Competition in Washington D.C. She would be competing against the other 49 state winners in the same category.

Monique’s Salon is located at 515 116th Avenue Northeast, Suite 143 in Bellevue, 424-455-4247 or at 12016 East Sprague Avenue in Spokane, 509-926-6429. For more information, visit www.moniquessalon.com.

Wigs for Kids, www.wigsforkids.org; Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, www.candlelightersinlandnw.org.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or at 425-453-4602.

Bellevue salon owner works with Wigs for Kids

For a child facing chemotherapy treatment, losing their hair can be heartbreaking. Monique Smith, owner of Monique’s Salon in Bellevue and Spokane, hopes to heal the heartbreak through hair replacement and hair restoration.

Her clientele include women, men and children who have experienced various degrees of hair loss due to genetics, trauma, or medical reasons such as illness and treatments including chemotherapy. Through the work at the salon and as a board member for the non-profit Wigs for Kids, Smith works her magic to give back what people often take for granted.

“You never think about brushing your hair, but you would think about it if it wasn’t there,” she said. “I try to restore some of that loss.”

Smith was recently nominated by two of her clients for the 2009 Washington State SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award. The Small Business Administration honors a small business person every year. Each nominee must submit information regarding the business including a business profile, biography of the candidate, financials of the business, photos of the business and staff, and supporting documentation for the nominees achievements.

To Smith’s delight, two of her clients, both teenage girls, nominated her independently of each other. One of the clients was a 17-year-old girl who was a candidate for a custom hair piece designed by Smith as part of the Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest. Every quarter, Smith donates one custom-made hair piece to the foundation which then chooses a candidate who is in immediate need of a wig. In this particular case, the client had senior pictures and wanted to look her best. Smith was glad to do her part to help.

Smith first met the other client who nominated her when the girl was just 13 years old. She had lost all her hair within a 30-day period and was need of a wig quickly. Smith provided her with one and still works with her to this day.

“That means so much to me that these girls would take the time to nominate me for this award,” Smith said. “I’m very touched by their consideration.”

Beyond her work with Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, Smith is also a board member for Wigs for Kids. She designs hair pieces for Washington state and Idaho, producing roughly 50 a year for the foundation. The wigs are made from real hair and are made possible through financial giving and hair donations.

A donor with long hair arranges his or her clean and dry locks into a secure ponytail or braid, which is then cut. A minimum of 12 inches of hair is needed. Because natural hair is a blend of many colors, one hairpiece requires the generosity of many donors. It takes 20 to 30 ponytails to make one hairpiece.

Once it is made, the child receives the hairpiece along with special coaching on how to look and feel her best. The hair is cut and styled to the child’s liking by a certified cosmetic therapist.

“Seeing a child light up when they look in the mirror and see their new hair is indescribable,” Smith said. “It goes beyond words.”

The winner of the Small Business Person award will be honored at the Washington State Awards Event on April 23 at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle.

If Monique Smith is awarded this recognition, she will then move to the National Competition in Washington D.C. She would be competing against the other 49 state winners in the same category.

Monique’s Salon is located at 515 116th Avenue Northeast, Suite 143 in Bellevue, 424-455-4247 or at 12016 East Sprague Avenue in Spokane, 509-926-6429. For more information, visit www.moniquessalon.com.

Wigs for Kids, www.wigsforkids.org; Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, www.candlelightersinlandnw.org.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or at 425-453-4602.