Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Elena and I’m from Connecticut. I’ve been married to my amazing husband for 16 years and we have two sons. I am a disabled former middle school teacher with a severe case of Late Stage Neurological Lyme disease. I now focus my energy on healing myself and my family. We all have Lyme disease and several co-infections. I work with a non profit group called “Lyme Connection” as a Tick Borne disease Educator and Advocate. I am also the “bald lady” in the upcoming feature length documentary on Lyme disease called, “The Monster Inside Me”, not to be confused with the TV series with a similar name. I have been sick for over 30 years and went undiagnosed for 11 years, then misdiagnosed for 15 years and finally found out what was wrong in 2013. I am very open about my hair loss and that is why I chose to show my bald head in the documentary. Its something that many women deal with and nobody wants to talk about it, so I am trying to remove the stigma that still makes wearing “hair” uncomfortable for many. Although I am sick, I have worked hard to create a new life that allows for me to have bad days, and on the good days also allows me to pursue my passion for repurposing vintage silver spoons into wearable art. I hand stamp them one letter at a time and hand cut and bend them into rings, bracelets and other jewelry.

How long have you been wearing wigs or hairpieces?

I have been wearing wigs for a little over a year and a half now. Due to the stress on my body from being sick so long and from the intense treatments, my hair began to fall out in clumps by the roots. I first noticed it in the shower and then I would go to tuck some hair behind my ear and it would all just end up in my hand. It began to fall out faster and faster. I started wearing a wig as my hair was thinning. By the time I finally gave in and shaved off what little I had left, I had already been wearing wigs full time for a couple of months. At first it was only my family that knew that my hair had fallen out, but then I was bitten by the wig bug and fell in love with the different styles and colors. So to explain how I was a brunette in my “Heidi” one day and a blonde in my “Zara” the next, I had to come clean and tell my friends, which only built my confidence and led me to share my story for the documentary.

What advice would you give to a new wig wearer?

My advice to new wig wearers is to have fun with this! Seriously…. I ask my husband each day which “girlfriend” he wants to be with. It’s fun joke that we have because your really can change your look in an instant. I choose my wigs based on my mood or the activity I am going to be doing that day. I have a short pixie style (Vanessa), the classic bob(Victoria) and the long gorgeous locks that I could never grow myself (Heidi and Zara). I’ve never had better hair and it so easy to wear. Styling takes no time at all. I suggest to get the longest wear out of them that you rotate though a couple different wigs and use the Jon Renau products to wash them and care for them.

What do you love about our brand?

I love that Jon Renau’s wigs look so natural that I fool hairdressers when I wear them. Everything from the colors, highlighting and density make them super realistic. The lace front creates the most natural looking hairline and they are cool and comfortable in the summer and help keep my head warm in the winter. I fell in love with Jon Renau when I put on my Victoria and my son said to me, “Mom, you look like you again.” I knew I found my brand.

Would you like to share your story? Contact us or find us on Facebook.