To meet Frank and learn more about the HAIR+ category, join us at the HAIR+ Summit, Oct. 16-17 in Atlanta. Details and registration here: hairplussummit.com.

Frank Rizzieri, owner of New Jersey-based Rizzieri Salon and Spas as well as new salon venture Fourteenjay, is a self-described idea guy and implementer. In addition to running salons and working backstage at Fashion Week, he founded hair tool company RSession Pro Tools, Vomor extensions, a barber shop, school, and has snagged three NAHA awards over his notable career.

His 15,000-square-foot flagship location hosts a medical spa run by an independent doctor. Here, trichology analysis, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and other surgical procedures are performed.

Additionally, Rizzieri has a management consulting relationship with two of the well-ness centers out of Virtua Health System in New Jersey, operating a salon out of the lower level of one of these locations. He says the Virtua partnerships are quite progressive.

“As an industry, we aren’t geared to deal with severe hair loss like alopecia,” Rizzieri says. “I’ve been very connected to the medical arena because of my work with the hospital. Convenience is crucial for a guest—women who have severe hair loss aren’t even coming into a salon because they’re embarrassed. We need to understand trichology, toppers, pieces, wigs and all the different elements that go into it on the cosmetic level.”

Seeing nearly 2,000 clients a week at this location, hair-replacement services have been promoted almost exclusively internally and by word of mouth.

“Salons have an ability that a lot of them don’t understand,” Rizzieri says. “They have a captive audience—guests listen to recommendations from a service provider. If a salon can take unused space and turn it into a thinning-hair-solutions clinic offering these types of services, that’s capturing new revenue from clients who otherwise wouldn’t know where to go. With hair loss, you’re holding back the inevitable. If you get in front of it, you can actually help.”

In many cases, he says, surgery is necessary. For this reason, he has the eventual goal of running a hair-transplant center.

“There is a lot of opportunity,” Rizzieri says. “But as the education, scalability and aware-ness of it ramps up, there will be even more.”