Lauren Jackson is Building a Space Where Women Confront Hair Loss

Building a Space Where Women Confront Hair Loss and Reclaim Confidence

Lauren Jackson, Mrs. Texas International, entered the Mrs. Texas International pageant at 43 as a wife, mother, and business owner who had spent years working closely with women navigating some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

Encouraged by a close friend, she stepped into pageantry not out of a lifelong plan for a crown, but from a desire to grow personally and professionally. The decision brought excitement, but also hesitation.

Jackson admits she questioned whether she belonged there at this stage of life. Part of her wondered if she had missed her moment.

What she encountered inside the pageant community quickly challenged that assumption.

Instead of competition defined by comparison, she found women intentionally working on themselves and encouraging one another along the way. Many were balancing careers, families, and personal ambitions while still choosing to pursue growth.

The experience shifted her perspective on what pageantry could be.

A Personal Experience With Alopecia Shaped Her Work

Long before her title, Jackson’s work was already centered on helping women rebuild confidence.

Years earlier, she lost her hair due to alopecia, an experience that disrupted her sense of identity in ways she had not expected. Hair had always been part of how she recognized herself, and losing it forced her to confront questions about beauty, self-worth, and identity.

Jackson has described that season as deeply difficult. For a time, she felt as though she had lost part of who she was.

Eventually, the experience led her to a realization that would shape her professional path. Losing her hair did not mean losing herself.

That realization inspired her to open Renata Salons, a specialized hair loss salon serving women across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Inside the salon, many clients arrive carrying the emotional weight that often accompanies hair loss. Medical diagnoses, cancer treatments, and autoimmune conditions can change how women see themselves almost overnight.

Jackson understands that experience personally.

Her work focuses on more than hair restoration solutions. She works to create a space where women feel safe discussing the emotional impact of hair loss while rediscovering their confidence.

Much of that work happens through simple conversations, repeated daily with each client who sits in her chair.

Jackson has also become involved in broader industry education. As a member of the American Hair Loss Council for the past seven years, she has spoken at its annual convention, helping educate professionals about the realities their clients face when experiencing hair loss.

Her advocacy brings together professional expertise and lived experience.

Pageant Visibility Expanded Her Platform

Winning Mrs. Texas International gave Jackson a larger platform to share the message she had already been living through her business.

During her pageant journey, she discovered something unexpected. She enjoyed speaking on stage. What once felt intimidating became one of the most rewarding parts of her role.

Today, she speaks regularly at women’s events and community gatherings, often addressing mothers who feel they have lost themselves somewhere between raising families and managing daily responsibilities.

Her message encourages women to reconnect with their identity and invest in their own growth.

Jackson has also partnered with organizations that align with her mission. Through Wigs for Kids, she helps support children experiencing hair loss by connecting them with free wigs so they can return to school with greater confidence.

She was also recognized by House of Shine as a “Woman Who Shines,” an honor celebrating women contributing to leadership development in their communities.

For Jackson, the crown did not create her platform. It expanded the reach of work she was already doing.

“My platform isn’t something I turn on for the stage. It’s how I live my life, how I serve others, and how I show up with purpose every day.”

Balancing Business, Family, and Advocacy

Outside of pageantry, Jackson continues managing the responsibilities she carried long before her title.

She runs her business, raises her family, and remains active in her community. Balance, she says, is not something that happens automatically. It requires intention.

She schedules time for family, prioritizes her health and fitness, and protects time for rest when needed. Over time, she has also learned the importance of setting boundaries and declining opportunities that do not align with her priorities.

Pageantry also gave her something she had not experienced in years. Time to focus on her own personal growth.

The experience opened unexpected doors. Jackson wrote a children’s book titled Sterling’s Crown, designed to encourage young girls experiencing hair loss to recognize their value and inner beauty.

She also fulfilled a childhood dream by riding in the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Grand Entry, an opportunity she describes as both surreal and deeply meaningful.

Looking ahead, Jackson plans to compete again on the International stage in 2026 while continuing to expand the work she has already begun supporting women and families navigating hair loss.

Her focus remains the same.

Helping women recognize their worth beyond appearance.

“Be authentically yourself and truly know your value. The most beautiful version of you is the one that is genuine and true.”

Lauren Jackson, Mrs. Texas International