By: Ayeshah Somani

Before the online consultations. Before the nationwide pop-up salons. Before the partnerships with cancer centers and the push for insurance coverage. There was a single chair in a small local salon, and a woman named Ruby.

Back then, Lauren Ashtyn didn’t have a showroom. She didn’t have a team of colorists, stylists, or fulfillment staff. She had about 8 to 10 toppers to her name and a vision rooted not in sales, but in service. It was one of the earliest events she ever hosted: a small “hair party,” where stylists would invite their clients to try on the luxury hair pieces Lauren had spent everything to create.

Toward the end of the day, Ruby walked in. She didn’t make a scene. She didn’t ask questions or look at price tags. She quietly lingered on the sidelines as the last few guests wrapped up their consultations. “She truly shone just like her name,” Lauren remembers.

It was immediately clear Ruby hadn’t come to buy. She didn’t pretend otherwise. In fact, she said as much: she couldn’t afford one. She had only shown up to see what it would feel like to have hair again.

Lauren didn’t hesitate. She invited Ruby to sit down. She gently placed a topper on her head. And when she turned her toward the mirror, Ruby burst into tears.

The room went still.

She looked at Lauren, eyes filled with emotion, and repeated it again: she couldn’t afford it. She just wanted to see herself again, even for a moment.

Lauren gave her the topper. Without hesitation, she offered it to Ruby.

That day, Ruby left with a piece she hadn’t expected to own. But the moment left Lauren with something even greater: a sense of clarity that would shape her for the next decade.

“That moment changed her life, but it changed mine more,” she says. “The feeling it gave me to help her was a high I had never experienced before. And I have been chasing that high for ten years now.”

That moment became the heartbeat of what would grow into The Lauren Ashtyn Collection, a luxury hair brand built on three principles: empathy, excellence, and trust. Lauren’s leadership is not shaped by corporate playbooks or market trends; it’s shaped by lived experience. By growing up in the hair world. By working behind the chair. By learning firsthand how hair can impact a woman’s confidence and identity.

“I’m direct, but I lead with heart,” she says. “I expect a lot because our clients deserve a lot. But I also protect my people fiercely. We’re a family.”

That ethos extends beyond client relationships; it lives in every decision she makes internally as well. From training and communication to team flexibility and education, Lauren has made sure her workplace reflects the same care her brand gives its customers. “We celebrate wins, encourage idea-sharing, and honor flexibility so our team can thrive personally and professionally,” she says.

Today, The Lauren Ashtyn Collection is a respected brand in the luxury hair space, known for high-quality, fully customizable toppers and extensions made from 100% Remy human hair. Every piece is designed by stylists who understand the realities of hair loss, and every consultation is rooted in care and education, not driven by pressure. The goal, Lauren says, is not a trend. It’s a transformation.

In an industry that often treats hair loss as a niche or vanity concern, Lauren takes a clear stance: “It’s emotional. It’s identity. It’s real.”

Her vision for the next 5 to 10 years reflects that belief. She’s focused on making luxury hair solutions more accessible, without ever sacrificing quality. That includes scaling The Lauren Ashtyn Collection’s pop-up tour across the U.S., expanding online consultations for women who can’t travel, and actively pushing for full insurance coverage for medical hair loss solutions. She’s also deepening partnerships with cancer centers to ensure women going through treatment feel supported, not alone.

“I want every woman to feel beautiful and secure,” she says. That belief drives everything, from how products are developed to how the brand communicates across platforms. The Lauren Ashtyn Collection is relationship-driven at every level. “If you don’t understand what she’s been through, you can’t serve her.”

It’s not just talk. The brand has created a strong community where client feedback isn’t just welcomed, it’s actively used to shape new offerings. Whether it’s a DM, a product review, or a post in the brand’s VIP Facebook group, Lauren’s team is always listening. “Our clients shape this brand just as much as I do,” she says. In fact, it was client feedback that led to the creation of the Hand Painted Collection, an answer to the growing demand for more natural-looking hair color dimensions.

As the brand grows, Lauren’s leadership is evolving too. Her current focus is on empowering her team to lead with the same integrity, compassion, and care that have defined her journey. “Real impact comes from equipping others to lead with the same heart and excellence I bring to our customers.”

At the core of everything, every consultation, every innovation, every expansion, is the same purpose that started it all: helping women feel seen.

And while Lauren’s eyes are firmly on the future, her heart remains grounded in that very first moment. One chair. One topper. One woman named Ruby.

Because in that moment, Lauren didn’t just give someone back their reflection, she found her own purpose.

And she’s never looked back.