After seeing her mother deal with medical hair loss, Lena Fleminger understood how devastating the condition could be. Comforting women who are experiencing hair loss became one of the driving forces behind her business, Lena’s Wigs, which she opened about 15 years ago out of her home studio.

The mission was to provide a judgment-free, safe space for women to reclaim their self-confidence through expert wig customization, high quality products, and a long-term support network.

Fleminger was originally introduced to wigs through the Orthodox Jewish community—she joined the religion in her 20s—and noticed many women were spending a lot of money on wigs that they didn’t even like, much less feel good in. (In many Orthodox Jewish communities, women wear wigs.) She saw an opportunity for a secondhand store and started selling wigs on consignment.

As her business grew, she organically started getting more and more customers with medical hair loss—whether from cancer treatment, alopecia, or other autoimmune disorders—and decided to shift her business model to focus on women dealing with these life-altering conditions.

“In some ways, this is like a prosthesis,” Fleminger says. “It’s restoring something that’s been taken from you and it’s extremely personal. I try to emphasize that this really is self-care.”

In January of this year, Fleminger opened her very own storefront along The Avenue in Hampden, specializing in lace-front and lace-top wigs. While Fleminger used to handle the entire customization process herself, she now has a team of artists who assist her.

The sessions with customers tend to get emotional.  “I try to take some of the intimidating aspects out of it,” Fleminger says. “But everyone cries here. I cry. They cry. That’s just how it is. We have a little privacy wall because I want people to feel like they have a safe space to talk about their journey.”

In recent years, the stigma around hair loss has lifted a bit, as Instagram celebrities have begun to talk more openly about their own struggles. And Fleminger wants to keep the conversation going.

“Before I did this, I was thinking about going back to school to become a therapist, but this almost feels the same,” she says. “I just love helping people reclaim their confidence.”