WILLIAMSBURG-Small business owner Akyra Thompson believes that everyone deserves to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin…and hair. She’s quick to note that her business, Wholeness Hair Clinic, isn’t just about great hair design and technique. It prides itself on providing a space for people of all hair types, textures, and cultural backgrounds to have their hair properly cared for and well-styled.
Thompson enrolled in a cosmetology program at Gloucester High School when she was a student. “I decided to take cosmetology as a course to help me better understand how to work with my own naturally curly hair,” said Thompson recently. “I didn’t really have any intention of being a hairdresser.”
Upon graduation in 2010, she left high school with a diploma and a cosmetology license. Seeing a need within her local community for stylists with culturally diverse experience, she started her career as an apprentice at Gloucester’s Smart Style Family Hair Salon, which was located in Walmart, where she continued to work for four years. “I was able to build a clientele, and from there, I moved to private salons and rented chairs for about six years,” said Thompson.
In 2019, Thompson received certification as a hair loss specialist in order to extend services to customers with chronic hair loss before opening Wholeness Hair Clinic in November 2020. She offers free consultations for clients who are experiencing chronic hair loss, unhealthy hair, and scalp disorders. From there, she creates custom treatment plans to soothe the scalp and promote natural hair growth.
The salon also offers non-surgical hair replacement that matches clients’ color, texture, and style. “For instance, if someone has a bald spot that’s bothering them, I can acquire a custom unit made to attach to the scalp with a medical grade adhesive that blends with the customer’s natural hair color and fills in the spot for them,” said Thompson.
Thompson isn’t a fan of harsh chemicals and provides plant-based and vegan haircare for all hair textures. She’s committed to using products that not only serve clients’ hair, but also their health.
“I offer plant-based haircoloring and smoothing treatments as a less-harsh alternative to regular hair color,” said Thompson. “It’s infused with more organic ingredients with low ammonia that are PPD- and sulfate-free, which are a few different additives found in traditional haircare products that can cause allergic reactions. Some of them also have carcinogens, and my hair color doesn’t have that.”
The salon owner works with people of all ages and has no qualms in providing youngsters’ first haircuts. “The youngest client I’ve ever had was four months old,” said Thompson. “The little guy was born with so much hair. And today, I had a client who was only 15 months old.”
Thompson attributes her knack for working with children to her days at Smart Style Family Hair Salon in Walmart. Many of her original clients remain loyal customers and have followed Thompson throughout her career.
Her unique methodology embraces individual client’s natural hair in addition to boosting their self-image. “I find that what I’m doing helps people build self-confidence and self-assuredness,” said Thompson. “For me, it’s more that just making them look pretty, it’s about cultivating a better self-image from the inside out. You don’t have to sacrifice beauty for health.”
New clients are welcome, though Thompson’s availability fills up fast. She works by appointment-only.
“My clientele has grown a lot because I’ve added so many people that are from not only Williamsburg, but the Hampton Roads area in general,” said Thompson. “I’m currently booked until the end of May. I’m grateful for that.”
Wholeness Hair Clinic is located at 4391 Ironbound Rd., Suite D, in Williamsburg behind Gyro Palace Café and Carino’s Seafood. Haircare prices vary based upon length, texture, and time invested. For more information on the salon, visit its website, Facebook page, or call 757-994-1001.