San Jose wigmaker finds purpose, hones craft helping clients with alopecia
As September marks Alopecia Awareness Month, one South Bay wigmaker is providing deeper context for those who live with the condition.
Caprice Cannon is the owner of Devine Beauty Studio in San Jose, where she crafts wigs and extensions with meticulous passion and precision.
"I get excited because I know I'm going to help somebody out today. Make their day better. Make them feel more beautiful," Cannon said, reflecting on her work with clients.
Creating and customizing wigs is not just a job for Cannon; it's an art and a labor of love. She specializes in helping women with various hair conditions, including those with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that leads to hair loss.
"This is for a client that actually has alopecia. She doesn't have any hair so it's custom-fitted for her head," she explained.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, approximately 700,000 people in the U.S. live with some form of alopecia.
And, while Cannon enjoys providing hair care services for her diverse clientele, she believes the meaning of divine beauty is that women -- with or without hair -- carry divine value either way.
This message resonates with CBS News Philadelphia anchor Aziza Shuler, who recently opened up about her own experience with alopecia.
"For almost 15 years, I was wearing wigs or hairpieces, hair extensions -- anything I could to cover up my alopecia because I was so ashamed and it was a burden for me," Shuler said.
Embracing her baldness brought Shuler a newfound sense of freedom.
"Once I lost that fear and that shame that was attached to it then I realized, 'OK, I'm ready to do this,'" she said.
Shuler insists that beauty standards are personal choices.
"Do what makes you feel confident. Do what makes you feel beautiful," she advised.
Cannon echoes that sentiment.
"You have to do the self-work to be happy on the inside and feel that you're beautiful on the inside," she said.
As clients leave Devine Beauty Studio, Cannon hopes they always remember that "divine beauty" starts within.
