Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
June Paik (left) and her employees at Master Hair Care can work with clients for hours to find the perfect wig or hair piece.

Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing June Paik (left) and her employees at Master Hair Care can work with clients for hours to find the perfect wig or hair piece.

Master Hair Care offers quality wigs, warm service for cancer patients

Located in Federal Way, this woman-owned small business is one of the most recommended in the area for people experiencing hair loss.

In a strip mall near the most popular shopping spots in Federal Way is a small business with “Wigs Master Care” on the sign.

Though this helps identify what lies inside for anyone driving past, the shop is actually called Master Hair Care, and it’s one of the most recommended places in the area for finding the right everyday wig, especially for those going through chemotherapy.

Recently, there was a post on a Facebook group called “Washington Breast Cancer Support” where one woman talked about her appreciation for Master Hair Care and its staff, calling the place amazing and saying, “I cannot say enough good things about them.” Others agreed wholeheartedly in the comments, with one woman writing that “they really know how to make a difficult time OK.”

In business for 35 years, Master Hair Care has been owned by June Paikwith for the last 20 years. She employs two stylists and eight staffers. Janis Hanson has been a staffer for five years and has firsthand knowledge of just how important it can be for people in need of purchased hair.

“My background is just my hair started thinning and I was trying all the shampoos and all the tricks and nothing worked. So I just went into Scottsdale, Arizona, and went into a wig shop for the first time and took to it like a duck to water. I love wigs,” said Hanson, who really knows her stuff when it comes to finding the right hairpiece or wig for a client.

While many clients come in to the shop looking for pieces to help with various illnesses, hair thinning, alopecia or transitioning, Hanson estimates that about 40% of the clients at Master Hair Care have either recently been given a cancer diagnosis or are currently going through chemotherapy.

“I see a lot of women that are coming in before they lose their hair,” said Hanson. “I love that because I get to see what color they have and how they like it styled.”

According to Hanson, this is especially important because many clients prefer any wigs they purchase to be as close to their natural hair as possible: “They want to look like themselves and feel like themselves,” she said.

When a potential client walks into the shop, they are led to salon chairs in the back or to a private room, where they consult with staffers on exactly what they want, be it just a “topper” to help cover some thinning on top or a full head of hair to help clients feel like themselves.

“Sometimes they are depressed and their hair means a lot to them,” said Paik.

From there, the staffers will bring examples to be matched to the client’s current hair color, or as close as possible, and work with them on style and length. If there’s a color that works, but the length is a little too long, a stylist in the shop will cut and style the piece until it’s just right. The shop even offers hair shaving for free for clients who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“We just guide them step-by-step and sometimes clients are crying and they don’t expect to look natural in the wigs,” Paik said.

Most of the wigs in the shop — which range from straight to wavy in texture — are made from synthetic and not human hair. That’s because synthetic offers more variety in colors, and the wigs are not as expensive and do not require as much styling before each wear.

“With a cancer client, you have fatigue, you have the side effects from the chemo drugs. And so if they could just put one on and it has a memory style, then it’s so much easier for them and they’re good to go,” said Hanson. The shop does carry human hair wigs, and if there’s something that isn’t available in store, Paik makes sure to have it in as soon as possible.

“We don’t really recommend it, unless they will insist that they want to have human hair, then that’s fine,” said Paik, who will special order any customized hair or items that aren’t currently in stock.

Working closely with clients on what they want from their new hair is a major priority, and staffers sometimes spend up to two or three hours working with a client to find just what they

need.

Along with wigs and topper hair pieces, Master Hair Care also offers services for men’s hair systems, costume wigs, children’s wigs and creating cranial hair prosthesis systems that are sometimes covered by medical insurance.

Master Hair Care is located at 2016 South 320th Street, Suite G, in Federal Way. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 253-839-6063 or visit masterhaircare.com.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Business

Courtesy Photo, The Herald/Everett
Joann to close fabric stores in Kent, Renton and Federal Way

Part of nationwide closure of more than 500 stores after filing for bankruptcy

t
Kent-based Blue Origin to reduce workforce by 10%

Estimated 1,400 to lose jobs at Kent and other locations

t
Kent-based Blue Origin successfully completes 29th New Shepard flight

Unmanned mission launched Feb. 4 from West Texas

Ezee Fiber, based in Houston, Texas, features orange vehicles with white lettering, and will be offering service in Kent in 2025. COURTESY PHOTO, Ezee Fiber
Texas-based Ezee Fiber to offer internet service in Kent

Company announces $400 million expansion to Washington state; regional headquarters in Kent

t
Southern cooking restaurant to open at Highline College

Jumpin’ Jumbalaya offers Cajun-Creole fushion

t
Sure Lock Escapes opens 2 escape rooms in downtown Kent

Owners opened first location in 2022 in Renton

Nana’s Southern Kitchen in Kent will give away more than 1,000 meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Christmas Day. COURTESY PHOTO, Nana’s Southern Kitchen
Nana’s Southern Kitchen in Kent to give away 1,000 meals Christmas Day

Fifth year of event to give back to community and provide meals to those in need

Kent School of Rock’s new owners Phil Gustavson, Joshila Wilson and Chris Wilson. COURTESY PHOTO, School of Rock
School of Rock Kent new owners plan relaunch party Dec. 14

Group looks to bring ‘fresh perspective and energy to iconic music education brand’

t
California-based El Pollo Loco picks Kent for first Washington location

L.A.-Mex chain restaurant known for its fire-grilled chicken

t
Dough Zone restaurant now open at Kent Station shopping center

Features Chinese comfort food, including soup dumplings, pan-fried buns, noodles and potstickers

The crew that completed Kent-based Blue Origin’s ninth human flight into space on Friday, Nov. 22. COURTESY PHOTO, Blue Origin
Kent-based Blue Origin completes ninth human spaceflight

Six-member crew soars into space from West Texas for 10-minute flight

Advance Auto Parts plans to close its locations in Kent, Federal Way and Auburn. COURTESY PHOTO, Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts to close stores in Kent, Federal Way and Auburn

Part of nine closures in state and more than 500 across the nation