It has been said that your hair is the only crown you never take off. But not every woman is blessed with a thick head of hair. Some women have naturally thin hair, or struggle with hair loss after menopause. Last month, beauty specialist Samaela Cannonier Darrell opened Crowned in St George, providing services which help to thicken and extend hair. “I do microbead extensions, eyelash extensions and I also offer eyebrow services,” Ms Darrell said. “I started Crowned because I wanted an alternative to a traditional weave. As my own hair got longer I wanted a less invasive, more natural look that I could maintain myself. Microbeads fill that void. They allow your hair to grow healthier while having the length you desire.”She said they are undetectable and require no braids, thread, heat or adhesive.“People want something they can manage without having the prohibiting nature of a typical weave,” she said. “Weaves are great, they allow your hair to grow and flourish but this texture allows you to have that as well while wearing your hair out.”She first started doing hair in 2010, but had to put it aside for a little while when she had her daughter five years ago. Now she is back at it, operating out of a corner of La Belleza Salon on Bridge Street in St George.“I initially took a class in microbeading in 2010 while enrolled at Toni & Guy hairdressing Academy in Warwick, Rhode Island,” she said. “I learnt to do the technique then but it was typically for straighter hair textures. Now that the industry has included more textures I wanted to be able to offer the technique to all hair types. I went to recertify in July 2019 so I could cover all hair textures.”She took a class in microbeading for kinkier hair types with Ella Griffin, a social media influencer who owns the Coco Hair Company.“I had been following her for some time and found that she was one of the best,” Ms Darrell said. “She is from Atlanta, but she was in New York on particular date. I flew up and had the best experience in my career as a hairdresser learning how to do this technique.”Ms Darrell has been getting a lot of attention and inquiries since she started posting about her new business on social media.“Business has been good since I started,” she said. “The more I post the more people want to book.”She said right now her biggest challenge is just getting the word out there.“The challenge is getting people to understand that it is a luxury service, and that it does take time,” she said. “I am really mastering sourcing the hair from the best companies out there, which takes time and money.”She is offering a microbeading promotion for $650 which includes 150 strands, the average amount of hair that a client would need.“I am not planning to push the price up much higher,” she said. “That can be affordable. People can save to get this done in two months. The service lasts for up to six months with regular maintenance.”So far, a lot of her clients are middle- aged women who have thinning hair due to hormonal changes. “They just want to get the thickness back,” she said. “It is a great service if you want to add length. For people who have really thinning hair to the point where they might have patches, this is a service for that, too. We can tailor the beads and the links smaller for that.” Ms Darrell was not aware of anyone else in Bermuda doing microbeading. “There are people who do microblading and tons of people who do eyelash extensions and waxing eyebrows,” she said. “But I like to have the best products on the market. That cuts into how something comes out looking.”Crowned is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm. • For more information e-mail slcannonier@gmail.com, call 705-4282 or check Crowned out on Instagram and Facebook @crownedbysam