Jane Genesi is a true visionary in the industry of Hair replacement. The following are excerpts from a recent interview with Jane, the Owner/Founder of J.A. Alternatives. They contain her thoughts on her career, her company, the Hair replacement Industry, and her very personal motivations.

How did you get started in this business?
At 19 years old I had my hairdresser’s license, my make-up license from several top make-up companies and I was working as an apprentice barber. When I think back the only word I can use to describe my outlook on work was "serious". The Hair Dressing and barbering environments were less than professional in the mid-seventies. Blaring music and wild looks left very little room for stable earning potential. Even though it may not have been fashionable I wanted a serious Career. I started working for a company called Hair Replacements Centers out of Fairlawn, New Jersey, with several offices in the New York area. Today that company is called Hair Club for Men.

What is your professional background?
I have a hairdresser’s license for over 30 years. I have been in hair replacement for 29 years, 20 of which I have owned J.A. Alternatives. The company never came with a manual but I have created several along the way. I have created and taught numerous courses on hair replacement and customer service. I sat on the board of the American Hair Loss Council and currently sit on the Board of Directors for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society South Westchester Chapter. I am a past member of the Alopecia Areata Society. And take an active role in the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America.

What is the one thing about JA Alternatives that sets it apart from anyone else in the industry?
There truly is only one word that comes to mind, caring. We care. We always have cared about our clients and staff. I have a giant ego that needs to be best at everything we do and we have been the best for close to 20 years. I know that in this day and age it may seem somewhat gratuitous to say you care about your client satisfaction. But I truly do. I have very old fashion values. I cannot tolerate lies or deception of any kind. I feel if you take someone's money you have made a moral agreement to satisfy them.

What is different about hair replacement today as compared to only a few years ago?
I would have to say three distinctly different areas have changed. The actual materials, the attention to details, and the expertise of the staff all have improved. Ironically, the concept has gone completely backwards to the impeccable work of the early 1920's, when lace work was king and only the celebrities and leading men of Hollywood had the best workmanship or could afford it. We have incorporated some of the old world artistry along with modern day materials to create the same effect worn by the stars of yesterday.

So many of your competitors have fallen by the wayside over the years, yet J.A. Alternatives has continued to grow. What do you think your secret has been?
I believe we have always attracted the "thinking man and woman", who continue to be the most discriminating critics. Working on people who have high standards force you to seek better products and methods. We naturally tend to rise to their expectations. Being a responsive company means meeting and exceeding those demands of our clients and creating some new ones along the way. It means never being satisfied with good when great is possible. There is nothing wrong with perfect.

What about the Internet? Is that a good source of information on hair replacement?
I think everyone today's uses the Internet as a means of initial research. And I must admit the Internet is a start. However I am not impressed with the lack of responsible information being offered as factual truth by anonymous sources. I question the value of unsubstantiated information to the consumer in their quest to make an intelligent decision with information that is based on what I can only consider to be slanted and inaccurate. My advice is to use the Internet with caution. There is no substitute for seeing the facility, seeing real clients, and meeting the people that will actually be performing your work.

I see some advertisements that say they have the one product that will revolutionize the industry and that everybody should use it. Is that the approach of J.A. Alternatives? Do you have one method that works for everybody?
That product has yet to be invented. There is no one product that is right for everyone. Hair Loss is an individual circumstance and needs to be addressed on an individual basis. No one is alike and any approach to altering a person's appearance that does not take into consideration their individual and unique lifestyle is doomed to fail. First, we ask questions and second, most importantly, we listen. Most clients are very certain they know what they do not want but are unsure of what is actually possible. Clients will always tell you what will and will not work for them if you learn to truly listen.

Are there any new methods on the horizon for non-surgical hair replacement?
I am very excited to announce 3 new products that we have recently added to our menu of options offered at J.A. Alternatives. Hair Support - An incredible new shampoo, conditioner and nightly treatment formulated to decrease unnecessary hair loss. I use it myself to cut down on the amount of hair I was shedding and I can tell you first hand it really has made a difference. It really works! It is important to note we do not promise re-growth but our objective is to stop unnecessary hair loss. B.) Interlink. We have, for the first time, a solution for clients with just thinning hair that in the past we turned away. People who are thinning or who simply want more hair will love our new products. For a fuller look with out using a hair replacement or any adhesives, Interlink will impress you beyond your expectations. We can now add 4 times the amount of hair you have on your head without any base materials, hair replacements or adhesives. C.) Details - Our answer to hair extensions. I have never been a big fan of Hair Extensions simply because they tend to weaken hair and in some cases actually cause hair loss. But Details is something completely different because we are using Syngenic Hair, it is lighter than human so it causes much less stress on your growing hair. If you want length, fullness, or just fun highlights, consider Details.

Talk about clients from other companies. What can they expect when they visit JAA? Will they get a fair evaluation of what they have now?
There is an old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Not the case here. If asked for, and only when asked for, we will be respectfully candid about work performed by other companies. No one wants to feel they have been taken advantage of, yet unfortunately, some have. Our job is to help each client attain a better look based on what is important to that individual client. Listening is our most practiced skill at J.A. Alternatives.

Talk about the employees of JA Alternatives.
True professionals who care about the satisfaction of their clients. I think we have accomplished what many companies only dream of. A staff of talented professionals who care about their clients, each other, and are proud of the company they work for. Their skill and expertise level is second to none yet we still takes class every month to see how we may best improve on our techniques and expand our product knowledge.

What is the most gratifying thing about doing what you do?
I love to change people's lives for the better. I never underestimate what it feels like to be sitting in the chair and have your appearance in someone's elses hands. It is an enormous responsibility and one that I have never taken lightly. How a person looks and feels are equally important. We can do phenomenal work but if a person feels like you do not care, he or she will not enjoy the product as much. A mix of craftsmanship, skill, experience and concern are the main components found in the Technical Designers and Staff of J.A. Alternatives. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate because I am as excited about what I do today, as I was the first day started.