wig tips

Here is the video footage that was taken this past Tuesday whilst I was at Follea getting my lifestyle wig cut-in. This video provides a much better view than my previous one of Anya’s new haircut and also includes a “How To Properly Block Your Wig” clip. The importance of blocking your wig (attaching it to a head) prior to washing it is to prevent inversion (hair coming through the inside of the cap) and also to make sure you don’t tear your cap. We’re learning together, because I really didn’t know why I was suppose to put the wig on a styrofoam head before washing it, but now I do. 🙂

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Today was a great day, Vicka from Follea, snip snipped Anya (Lifestyle Wig) into supreme pure yumminess. She was awesome before, but even better now. I did take some video while there (of course) and I’ll hopefully get that up in the next few days, but for now I just wanted to do a quick video showing my new haircut and talking about the importance of getting your wig cut-in to fit you. It makes a difference, a big difference.  I think it’s important to make sure the person you have cutting your “hair” is skilled and has experience in cutting wigs, I personally wouldn’t want to chance it with a regular hair stylist, even though I have read that many people do, do that, it would still worry me.  The lighting in this video below is horrible so you’ll see the end result much better in the next video I put up.

Also, just a note, Vicka did tell me that it is REALLY important that you use four pins (2 at the sides and 2 at the nape) to properly block your wig prior to washing it. As you saw in the first video of the wig washing series, I only used 2 pins, but that’s because I only had 2 pins, I lost the rest quite some time ago. I do want to make sure I provide the correct information, so the next video will show a wig being properly blocked (secured to the mannequin head). Remember, I’m new to this too, I’m definitely not an expert by any means, just a girl living life, one wig at a time 🙂

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Here we are at the end of the series, part four. It was originally only intended to be one 5-6 minute clip of a washing wig demonstration, 4 videos later here we are 🙂

I have been getting some questions about the hair specs, so I’m going to clarify it all below. I probably at some point should have a page for my “girls” that gives this info to those interested in knowing what I’m wearing.

Neither of the two wigs in the videos are lace front, I do own the Aero-2 lace front, but she (Mila) sat this one out. I’m not sure what kind of front these wigs are considered, standard maybe? Not sure. I do place all of my wigs slightly behind my hairline, which helps to make the hairline look very natural, because even if you only have a little bit, the little you have on top and sides just helps to blend the wig in better.

The wig on my head (Natalia) in the video is the Follea Lifestyle-2 medium length wig, which has an overall length of 15″ and a layer at 10″ – The color is C5030 and the cap is all hand-tied.

The wig I’m washing (Anya) and at the end wearing, is also the Follea Lifestyle-2, but it is the long length. It has 19″ overall length and a layer at 14″ – The color is also C5030 and also all hand-tied.

So there it is, I titled this post “Freedom, Follea Style” because these wigs have given me back something I had been missing for so long… me, after just having written some of you gals back a little while ago, I’m reminded of that point and so happy about the place I’ve reached in my hair loss journey, and lets face it that title is better than “String Her Up and Throw Her On.” 🙂

And with that, I leave you with Part Four. Happy Friday! Cheers! Who has the wine?

Part Three: Changing The Part on Anya and More Wig Talk From My Kitchen

Part Two: Caring For Your Human Hair Wig

Part One of The Wig Washing Video Series

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Here is Part Three of my Wiggy Washing Video Series. This video is longer than part 1& 2 mainly because I seem to talk and talk and talk. Plus a few gals (ah hem Lina & phillygrl) said to let the tape run 🙂 You’ll see me rinse out Anya (Follea Lifestyle Wig), comb her and change the part on the wig. I had included the upside  down hanging thing I do, but then when I tried to upload it I got am message saying it could’t be longer than 10 minutes, so I had to cut a few things out of this video and that included the upside air drying I do with my wigs. That will be saved for part 4 and in part 4 (hopefully) if I can get it all in, you’ll see what she looks like after she’s freshly washed, air dried and put onto my head. Start to finish, this video series ended up being way longer than I had anticipated.

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Here is Part Two of my Wiggy Washing Video Series. This portion of the video is the shampoo, conditioner and rise. There are still more clips of this series left, so more to come!

If you’re looking for part one, you’ll find it here.

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Wig Washing Video Series – Part One

by Y on August 14, 2012

So… I intended to do a short video on how I wash my wig, and well, uh an hour later I was done taping! Oh my gosh I guess I talk too much. So even after I trimmed the video it ended up being 20 minutes, and no one wants to sit there and watch a 20 minute video of me and a wig so I decided to chop it i to 4 five minute clips. This is part one, it is an introduction and it shows how I prepare my “girl” for her rubber ducky bath time.

 

Things You’ll Need: [click to continue…]

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This past week has been a busy busy wig week. Last Sunday I went to Milano Wigs in Los Angeles to buy the WiGrip. The WiGrip is this handy dandy little strap that ties around your head like a comfy headband and keeps a wig in place without the need for clips or a comb. Amen! I kid you not, this little invention is amazing. I’ve seen several other similar grips online, they all look the same and probably function exactly the same as well.

Whilst at Milano Wigs I was taken in by the massive amount of wig supply they had there, a showroom filled with a ton of wigs that you can just try on by yourself. At first I felt awkward, out of place and a bit timid, but pretty soon I was flinging those bad girls on my head left and right. I think the plastic wig head fumes got to me and I ended up purchasing 2 wigs, that quite frankly are likely not going to see a lot of wear time. The wigs are quality wigs, don’t get me wrong, but the color isn’t exactly right for me and they don’t look as good on me as my Freeda Wig (Rina), or my new Follea Wig… but more on that later.

I think what is pretty fantastic about Milano wigs is their partline, sharp and distinct, they look amazingly real. Also it doesn’t have that knotted tight hairline problem which I experienced with Rina. It lays quite flat and looks very real. I also found out that this shop does coloring, cutting and repair on any wig, not just wigs purchased from them, so I ended up taking Rina in to try and have the hairline knotty bundle smoothed out and perhaps be made to look more natural. I get her back next week, so we’ll see how that goes. I am thinking I might also have Rina colored to better match my hair color and also have some long side swept bangs put in.

I’ve been on a wig rampage, determined to find that perfect, ah hem.. “hair enhancement” aka wig. I was quite interested in seeing two particular brand of wigs because of their reputation for quality and awesomeness, Follea and Flora Wigs. Flora is located in NJ and also in NY and since I’ll be in that area soon I thought I would take the opportunity to set up an appointment with Flora which I did do, but ultimately ended up canceling it this past week because I bought a Follea wig and there really isn’t room in my budget for two wigs in this type of price bracket, but I’m still very interested in checking out Flora’s wigs at some point. I’m curious how it compares with Follea and what the pluses are to each of them. [click to continue…]

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I’ve seen enough fabulous hair pieces and wigs to know that it remains a very realistic, viable option for women who deal with hair loss. But the question always remains, where do you go? I know I’d definitely want to go somewhere that was caring, compassionate, patient, and a place that wasn’t pushy and truly had my best interest at heart. After all we aren’t buying iphones, we are buying something so intimately personal, I think a little TLC and hand holding is in order.

There is no question in my mind that a lot of women close the door to wearing hair because their first attempt turned out to be an awful and traumatizing experience, or the product was subpar, and from that they probably figured there was no point in continuing to try. Unfortunately, wearing hair isn’t really SO common that you can just turn to your girlfriend and say, “Love your hair, where’d you get it?” It’s also a completely different experience when you are buying hair because you NEED it, as opposed to buying it because you just think it would look neat with an outfit. One situation has deep rooted emotions and the other is really more of an optional accessory. For that reason, it is crucial to find a place that actually deals with women losing their hair and understands the devastation and feelings that encompasses it.

I think finding a good hair replacement salon is probably tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack, so I wanted to share the names of two shops that seem to truly be helping women.

I have heard several positive stories about:

Lee Anthony
1001 W. 17th Street, Suite H
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-515-0631
leeanthony.com

One WHLP member stated that Lee actually told her that it was too soon for her to need to wear something, which I think definitely shows honesty and integrity.

The place I most recently heard about is:

Wigs Today
6338 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 9006
323-954-8809

If you make a visit here, make sure it’s the address I listed above. I did find another place in Los Angeles by the same name, which had horrible reviews, but I’m pretty certain this isn’t the same place. According to the listing I found on Yahoo: http://local.yahoo.com/info-20415634-wigs-today-los-angeles#overview this place was only recently established in 2009.

I am super cautious about ever recommending a product or service provider, but I feel confident that the experiences I have heard about regarding these salons are from real women who have been a part of the site for quite sometime with no ulterior motives.

As a final note, I’d also run (not walk) from any place that asked you to sign a contract, gave you a hard sell or made you feel uncomfortable in any way whatsoever.

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Hair Pieces Demystified – Q & A with Cara

by Cara on September 28, 2009

Many of you have expressed interest in hairpiece options and many have posed the same questions so bear with me as I attempt to provide some answers.

How Do I Know If a Topper or Full Wig Is Right For Me? What Are The Estimated Costs For Hair Replacement?

A topper will work if your remaining hair is in good condition on the sides and in the back. If you have diffuse thinning you should consider a full piece.  The costs of toppers will range anywhere from $450 to $1,500 and a full piece can fit into that range as well. The average cost of tapes or glue will be about fifteen dollars a month . There are so many materials these pieces can be made of. The advantage of a lace piece is that once it is pressed into tape or glue it will disappear into the skin providing a natural look that is ideal for those who do not want to wear bangs at all.

Can I Shower or Swim In a Bonded Hair Piece?

Yes, you can shower and swim in a bonded hairpiece. Most medical grade tapes and glues hold up just fine. If you know you will be swimming certain adhesives will hold up better than others and I’m happy to fill you in on all that if you are planning on doing so. As for showering…not a problem. It is a different feeling/experience when you first start showering in a hairpiece but you get used to it. Once you are out of the shower, it is very difficult to tell your hair isn’t real.  You style it just as you would your own. If you have hair underneath it may take a little extra time to dry it but that’s really as complicated as it gets.

Daily bonding with tape should take very little time  (5 minutes). For longer periods of bonding you will take more time of course, but the longest it should take is 45 minutes. It does take practice though.

What About The Bedroom?

As for the “mattress mambo” (sorry, but many of you asked)…yes it’s all good. Even on the wildest nights you should be fine:) if your hair is bonded. Again, it may take a bit to adjust to the feel of the hair, but trust me, you will feel one thousand times sexier with hair than how you do with thinning hair in my opinion. For those of you who rock the bald look, now that can be just as sexy though! Okay…enough of this subject, hope I didn’t offend anyone:)

Wearing a bonded piece to bed is a small adjustment as well, you will be aware that it’s there but you’ll get used to it quickly.

Waking up in the morning to a full head of hair is a great way to start your day!

Sleeping with it in a low ponytail is sometimes preferred. Sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase will help reduce damage while sleeping also. [click to continue…]

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Julie’s Wig Buying Tips

by Y on September 14, 2007

Wig Buying TipsJulie had made a comment on the “Daily Hair Loss Grind” post about her suggestion for the steps to make yourself “wig” ready. I thought it was so beautifully put together that I wanted to share it with everyone here as an actual post on the blog. So here it is:

Steps to make yourself “wig” ready

Read your daily affirmations of the things you are grateful for, what makes you beautiful and strong? Do this for at least one week.

Call your friends and tell them about your “Day of Beauty” excursion and make appointments to get your nails done…makeup, whatever you want.

Locate the wig shop within the vicinity of the places you want to visit.

Write a journal about what it is you’d like to achieve when wearing a wig…create your positive thoughts and believe in them. I used to say, “i’m going to look just like Sandra Bullock with my new wig, I can’t wait” or I’d picture my face in so many different styles…so I new what look I wanted to achieve.

Plan an outfit for your day…wear something comfortable and try on different hats…use makeup lightly and embellish your favorite features.

When you wake up the day you are going, don’t look at yourself AT ALL! Ask your friends if something is in your teeth! Just avoid mirrors. Bring a “before” picture with you and keep it within reach, like in your wallet or pocket. Look at yourself, that’s who you will be again…pick out different styles and try them on..only look at the mirror once, it’s completely on your head! Wear your new look for at least 3 days and go everywhere with in on…Put it away for another 3 days and write about what it feels like for you. Find it within yourself to want change…and then do it.

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