Welcome to All About Hair with Danise...where beautiful hair is just the beginning.
I'm Danise, a hairstylist, educator, and salon owner with more than 30 years in the beauty industry. After owning four award-winning salons, I never imagined I'd build another one...until now.
Join me as I document the real journey of creating Panache & Company from the ground up. From finding the perfect location and designing the salon to hiring a team, mentoring stylists, serving clients, and navigating the unexpected, you'll hear the honest conversations that happen behind every milestone.
Whether you're a client looking for trusted hair advice, a stylist building your career, or a salon owner growing your business, you'll find practical education, inspiring stories, and real-life lessons from behind the chair and beyond.
New episodes feature: • Behind-the-scenes salon building • Hair education and healthy hair tips • Business and leadership insights • Stylist career development • Client transformations • Honest conversations about entrepreneurship and life
Your hair can change quietly, then all at once: a thinner ponytail, a scalp that shows in photos, a part that seems to widen overnight. After more than 30 years behind the chair, we’re hearing those worries constantly and we know they’re not shallow. Hair loss hits identity, confidence, and the way you move through your day.
We’re sharing something new we’re genuinely excited about: enrolling in Kelly Maxwell’s Elevate Mesh Integration Certification Program and bringing mesh integration to our toolkit at Panache & Company. Mesh integration is a non-surgical hair replacement method built for thinning hair, especially at the top of the head. Instead of asking fragile natural hair to hold everything, we use a fine, breathable mesh foundation where support is needed, then integrate hair into that base for coverage and fullness with less strain.
We’re working to make this expertise available in Williamsburg and the Hampton Roads area, and we’ll share what we learn as we go. If you want more honest hair loss education, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What question about thinning hair do you want answered next?
I have something new that I'm pretty excited to share with you. I just enrolled in Kelly Maxwell's Elevate Mesh Integration Certification Program. And if you have no idea what mesh integration is, stay with me because a year ago you probably could have said those words to me and I would have had some questions too. You see, the more I've learned about hair loss, thinning hair, extensions, toppers, and all the different options available to women, the more I realized there was a piece missing. And I think this mesh integration may be that missing piece for a lot of women. So today I want to talk about what it is and why I decided to get certified, and especially why this is going to become an important service at Panosh and Company, because this goes so much deeper than simply adding more hair. Welcome to All About Hair with Denise. This is where we talk about hair, confidence, and why a good hair day can seriously change your whole mood. It's like hanging out and chatting about life, feeling good, and loving your hair. No pressure, no perfection. So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's talk about loving your hair and yourself a little more. Okay,
guys, after more than 30 years behind the chair, I can tell you that conversations about thinning hair have always happened in the salon. But I feel like I'm having them more than ever now. I would say probably 80% of the people that sit down in my chair have some version of my ponytail is half the size it used to be. Or, hey Denise, can you see my scalp now? Or I think my hairline is getting thinner. Do you see this? Or they have some version of like, I don't know what happened to my hair. And they start showing me pictures of themselves from like five or 10 years ago and saying, this is what my hair used to look like. And to tell you the truth, those conversations can be pretty emotional because I don't have all the answers. You see, sometimes it's hormones or it's aging. We blame a lot on that, or it's genetics, but sometimes it's stress or illness or medication or rapid weight loss. It could be one of a hundred different things. And sometimes we just don't know why it's happening. And as a hairstylist, I'm not a doctor. I'm not diagnosing the cause of someone's hair loss. But as hairstylists, we are usually one of the first people that our clients talk to about it. And I think we have a responsibility to understand the options that are available to them. That's one of the reasons that hair and scalp wellness is going to be such an important part of Panache. I don't want someone to come into our salon and hear, sorry, there's nothing really we can do. I want to be able to say, let's look at what you're experiencing and let's talk about your goals and let's figure out what options might just work for you.
So, Denise, what exactly is mesh integration then, right? Well, it is a non-surgical hair replacement method designed for people experiencing thinning or hair loss, especially on the top of the head. Okay, so instead of relying completely on the client's natural hair to support extensions, you place a fine breathable mesh foundation in the areas where more support or coverage is needed. Hair can then be integrated, hence the word, into that foundation to create fullness or coverage while reducing the amount of weight being placed directly on that fragile natural hair. You see, Kelly Maxwell's program teaches both mesh and meshless integration, with the choice depending on the client's amount and pattern of hair loss. This is really, really great. And this is what caught my attention because traditional extensions, don't get me wrong, they can be amazing. I love extensions, but extensions need something to attach to. Yeah. What happens when someone has a lot of thinning on the top of their head? What happens when there's not enough density in certain areas to even support a traditional extension method? That's where we need another option.
And believe me, I have tried some other options, and I'll probably keep those in my tool belt, if you will. I've tried the V-Light option, which is wonderful because you can do those all the way up to the hair part. However, again, if you don't have enough hair to cover them, you will see them. I've tried tying six strands of hair onto one strand of hair, but again, if your hair is too fragile to support that, that doesn't help you in the least. I still want to keep those in my tool belt because I think they do serve their purpose. And there are clients that they may need those different methods, but I want to learn everything there is. And I think I've also mentioned on here about toppers and wigs. You guys, those are great options too. And we are probably going, well, not probably, we are going to offer those as well. We definitely plan on working with toppers and other non-medical hair loss solutions at Panache, but not everybody wants to put on and take off a topper every day. Not everybody wants a full wig. Tell you the truth, they're a little uncomfortable. They could be hot. Some women just want something that feels more like their own hair. I get it. They want to wake up with hair. They want to shower with hair. They want to style it and pull it back and go to the gym and go to dinner. Maybe go in a convertible, go on vacation, go swimming. They actually want to stop thinking about their hair every time they walk past a mirror. That is what made mesh integration so interesting to me. It's another tool. And when you're working with hair loss, I don't think there should be just one solution that we're trying to make work for everybody. So
why did I select Kelly Maxwell's program? Well, I spent time looking at all the options before I enrolled, believe me. You see, Kelly's been a hairstylist for more than 20 years, and her own experience with hair loss after an autoimmune diagnosis led her into specializing in hair replacement and integration systems. Her Elevate program focuses on assessing the hair loss and then deciding which when to use mesh or meshless integration. And then she considers a safe installation. She talks about the maintenance. She teaches people how to consult. And then she also teaches you me about long-term client care. All of this matters to me. I need to know. I didn't want to just watch a few videos and then say, oh, okay, now I offer hair loss services. No, I need to know everything. If I'm going to put a service on the Panachan Company menu, especially something involving someone who may already have fragile or thinning hair, I want and I need proper education. And I want to understand why I'm doing something. I want to know when I should do it. And just as important, I want to know when I shouldn't do it. The Elevate Training specifically covers assessment, the mesh and meshless system, installation techniques, consultations, maintenance, and ongoing client support. That's the level of education I was looking for.
And here's another reason this is so important for Panochan Company. We've talked a lot about what Panachan Company is going to be, right? Yes, we're going to do beautiful haircuts. Of course, we're going to do gorgeous color. Of course, we're going to specialize in believable gray blending and low maintenance color. Of course, we're going to do extensions. And of course, we're going to have great products. All of that matters. But one of the things I want Panache to become known for is helping women navigate the changes that happen with their hair. Especially as we get older because hair changes. Mine has changed. The density changes. Gray hair actually behaves differently than your hair used to 20 years ago. Our hormones change our hair. Now, some women may notice their part getting whiter, or they may be losing density around the hairline. And some people experience a lot more hair loss. And I don't want the answer to always be, we'll just cut it shorter. Goodness, there's so many options now. And mesh integration gives us another one. There's something else I'm excited about too. Once
I complete the Elevate certification process, Pinoch and Company plans to bring this service to the Williamsburg and Hampton Roads area. This certification isn't simply attending a class. Kelly's program actually requires additional practice and documented work after training before the full certification. And her program says many students complete that process within three to six months. And I love that. And we've all been there. If you're a hairstylist and you're listening to this, you know that. I want to earn it. I want to practice. And you know what that means. I'm going to need models. So if you're listening to me right now and you're in the Hampton Roads area, Williamsburg area in Virginia, reach out to me if you're suffering, because I'm going to need a few models. And I would love to practice on you. And this is, I mean, I don't know what the rate would be. Um, I have to learn what that is because I'm assuming you're going to have to pay for the hair, but that's all you'd be paying for. Anyway, reach out to me if you're interested. Okay, so I want to practice and I want to understand the system. And the only way I could do that is to practice on real people. And I want to be confident that when somebody trusts me with something as personal as their hair loss, I want to know exactly what I'm doing. Our goal
is for Panash and Company to be the only salon in the Hampton Roads and Williamsburg area certified in the Elevate Mesh integration method. And that is pretty exciting. But being the only one isn't the part that matters most to me. What matters is that someone in Williamsburg, Newport News, Yorktown, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, or somewhere else in Hampton Roads, Richmond, they won't necessarily have to travel hours away looking for someone who understands this type of hair loss solution. I want that expertise available right here in our neighborhood. Because hair loss isn't just about hair. If you've never experienced it, it's easy to look at hair loss as a cosmetic. It's just hair, right? Except when it's yours. Then it doesn't feel like just hair. Your hair is part of how you recognize yourself. I was just having this conversation with my son over the weekend. And we were saying, isn't it amazing that hair is so much of who you are and your confidence. And it is. And if you've ever experienced your hair getting thinning thinner, it can be really frustrating. Yeah. I've had women apologize to me for their thinning hair. Think about that. They're sitting in my chair apologizing because their hair has changed. You guys, there is nothing to apologize for. What we can do is talk about it. We can educate ourselves. We can look at what is happening with the hair and scalp. And then we could talk about options. Yeah, maybe it's a different haircut. And maybe it's color placement that makes the hair appear fuller. Because if you've ever sat in my chair, I'm all about that. Maybe it's scalp care. Maybe it is traditional extensions. Maybe it's a topper. Maybe it's meshless integration. Maybe it's full mesh integration. And sometimes the right answer may be seeing a dermatologist or another medical professional before we do anything at all. The goal is not to sell everybody the same service. The goal is to have enough knowledge to help someone find the right solution. This is also exactly why education will be such a big part of Pinoch and Company. Because you know me. I can't just learn something and keep it to myself. I have spent a huge part of my career educating hairstylists, and I'm already thinking about what this knowledge could eventually mean for our Pinoch team. Our stylists are going to understand changing hair. They're going to understand consultations. They're going to learn how to talk about thinning hair without making someone feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. They're going to understand when something is within our scope as hairstylists and when we need to refer someone to a medical professional. Because I think the salon industry has a huge opportunity here. Our clients are asking for this. They need people who know how to help them. And I want Panash and Company to be one of those places. So I'm going to take you along with me. I'll share more as I go through the training. I'll show you what I'm learning on my YouTube channel. And I'll talk about the differences between regular extensions, meshless integration, mesh integration, toppers, and some of the other hair loss solutions we're going to be offering at Panach and Company. And when we're ready to start taking consultation appointments at Panache, you'll hear about that too, okay? This is one of those moments where I can see another piece of the Panache Vision falling into place. Yes. Beautiful color, great haircuts, healthy hair and scalp, education, and solutions for women who look in the mirror and think, I just want my hair back. Well, maybe we can't give her back exactly the hair she had at 25, but we may be able to give her the hair that makes her feel like herself again. And that's something I'm pretty excited to learn how to do. All right, thanks guys for being here. And always remember, when you know better, you do better.
.png)
