Centre For Hair and Wellness

When Area Woman asked me to visit with the women who run the Centre For Hair and Wellness, I accepted immediately. A cancer diagnosis in August 2021 rendered me completely bald by October. Now that I’ve beat cancer and am trying to get back to “normal,” the absence of normal every time I look in the mirror is a drag on my con dence and self-esteem. I really want to look like my old self again. This is exactly the goal of the team at Centre for Hair and Wellness, located inside the Urban Edge Salon in South Fargo.

Medical-related hair loss is generally known as alopecia. It can be caused by many things, including auto immune diseases, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, trichotillomania, hormone imbalances and heredity. As we age, hair can naturally thin in both men and women.

Violet Deilke started her own salon almost four decades ago and has been specializing in hair replacement since 1990. That year, she began attending annual education programs to learn the latest in hair replacement. Her journey has taken her through her mother’s cancer treatment in 1996 and her own treatment for breast cancer eight years later. Casey Anderson, the owner of Urban Edge Salon, has recently assumed ownership of the Centre. Deilke remains on sta to create a smooth transition.

Consultations by appointment with Anderson or Deilke are free of charge. They both recommend getting started before hair loss begins, if possible. This gives the team the best opportunity to match the client’s natural hair. They encourage a client to bring a picture. “We want to help people experiencing hair loss match their original color and style as closely as possible,” says Deilke. “Then a heavy burden has been li ed for them and their con dence returns.”

The Centre for Hair has a large inventory of hairpieces in stock, made of both synthetic and human hair. Clients are welcome to try on hairpieces during the consultation to nd the one that suits them best. The client can o en leave the salon with their hairpiece that day, depending on the level of customization that’s needed. All hairpieces can be altered for a perfect t, style and cut. Natural human hair can also be colored. Hairpieces and wigs that have to be ordered usually arrive within a week. Custom orders take longer.

Clients are provided with instructions on maintenance for their hairpiece, including washing and styling. “We want our clients to be fully satisfied with their hairpiece. When you look good, you feel good. This business is about returning confidence to our clients,” says Anderson.

Anderson and Deilke rely on Priscilla Schiefert, hair replacement assistant, for the nal nished product. Schiefert helps style the hairpieces and keeps the process organized. She is behind all the wonderfully styled pieces that leave with their guests and provides instruction and assistance to clients with the upkeep of their new hairpiece.

Anderson opened Urban Edge ten years ago where she houses a wide variety of stylists and massage therapists, in addition to the Centre for Hair and Wellness. She’s always on the lookout for new talent to join the salon.

For someone who has experienced hair loss as I have, the caring and professionalism of these two women is both reassuring and heart-warming. My only regret is that I waited so long to seek their help in getting back to “normal.”