CONTINENTAL HAIR BLOG

February 18, 2012

When we make a custom wig or piece one of the variables is colour. This can be tricky. In the case of a woman with high lights we usually pick one or two ‘base’ colours and then do what a woman would normally do – namely get it highlighted (or foil lighted).

It is important to nail it.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Integration Systems, Postiche, Wigs

February 10, 2012

Everyone says it, but it does not always translate into reality. I got an email from a woman that was very upset. She is a cancer patient and had bought a wig from a wig salon at her hospital (not Continental Hair’s wig salon at The Odette Centre, just to let you know) and was not at all happy. Why? Because they refused to style it. Any wig, even a synthetic like the one that she purchased, needs to be styled. But they said that not only could they not style it, but that no one should either. It would ruin it.

Well, she heard about us and asked if we could help. I emailed back to her that its not usual for us to work on someone else’s stuff but I would make an exception for her. I told her it would cost $150 and we could not take any responsibility for the outcome. I know that does not sound very accommodating but it was more than she was getting anywhere else.

She came in this afternoon. I was not here and did not even meet her. However, after I got back from wrestling with my Toyota dealership (well, that is not entirely fair, they were very nice), I got this email which I immediately shared with my staff, and now with you.

“Hi Michael:

I want to sincerely thank you so much for allowing me into your salon. We received the upmost exceptional service ever at your salon today! I went in very sad and depressed about a wig that I purchased for a great deal of money that I refused to put on because I just hated to look at myself in the mirror. Corale was my stylist and she was so kind., helpful, knowledgable and professional. She made my experience today life changing along with all the other stylists in the salon today. You have the best staff.”

Its nice to know that I don’t even need to be here and people are happy. I might not want to advertise that too much though.

I started saying it in the ’80s, a wig out of a box looks like a wig out of the box. You can’t wear a suit without it being tailored. Its just the same thing. Actually, usually it takes more than one styling session as it sometimes needs to be “tweaked” as we call it around here. So make sure that when you are looking for something that they not only will style it, and that they stand behind their styling, but that you can still get it changed.

Have a great weekend. Making someone this happy has already made mine.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Testimonials, Wigs, Your Stories

January 24, 2012

Live television is always exciting. I remember years ago I was on a phone-in show where people called in with their questions. Near the end of the hour a woman called saying that her mother had bought a hair piece from me over the weekend. My mind raced because I knew that I did not sell a partial to a anyone over the weekend. Why was someone calling to say that if it did not happen. Was it someone with a grudge? Were they going to start saying nasty, nasty things about me on air? I thought that this can’t be good. Then she talked about how her mom was treated “like rolled gold” at Continental and how beautiful she looked and how everyone loved her hair. She even started crying at how wonderful the experience was.

I was quite taken aback a this. Who was this mysterious admirer? And why would she say such nice things about me? The first thing I did was double check my records for that Saturday. My memory, for once, was correct. I did not sell any partials that Saturday. I then got suspicious of my marketing advisor. Did she have someone planted to call and say nice things about my work? I confronted her and she swore up and down that she would never do such a thing.

Then a couple days later a woman called and started telling me about how she and her family had been calling City-TV like mad trying to get on the air and that she finally did. She said her mother loved “the piece” and everyone wanted to say so on television. I checked and I said, “But your mother bought a full wig.” She replied that she knew that, but she calls it ‘a piece’ anyway.

So, it was a matter of semantics.

And we had Breakfast TV here yesterday morning. I was up at 3:00 am. I let the tech guys in at 5:00. My staff started showing up at 5:30. And the hostess, Jennifer Valentine, arrived at 6:10. When she left home her husband was not yet awake so I had to zip up her dress. Its like carrying a woman’s purse for her, after 20 years of marriage its no big deal.

We had been planning this morning for a long time. I realized the night before that there was nothing left I could do. It was either going to be a success because of the work that we had put into it or not. The biggest concern was if my client/models would arrive. Cold feet? Snooze button fail? Anything could go wrong. But nothing did. They were all there and I have to say I am so grateful to them. It was funny because they thanked ME for the experience. They had a great time. That is the mark of a successful event.

The only glitch was that we had no idea Jennifer Valentine wanted to model our wigs. She wanted to have a different look for each of the four segments. So we scrambled to get looks that would be different for her but also complimentary. It worked, except in on shot the wig slipped and you could see a sliver of the cap underneath. That was the only thing that went wrong. Actually, she liked the look of the long, dark wig so much she had me take a photo of her so she could immediately use it as her facebook profile picture.

After everything was done my staff got a picture with Jennifer Valentine. I am not in it because I had gone to get her car which had to be parked a couple blocks away. They look pretty good for having to come in so early on their day off.

So it was a very successful morning. A lot of women saw that they have some options when it comes to their hair loss. And that’s what it all about. Now I can sleep.

Posted in: Alopecia, Ask Michael, Chemotherapy, Integration Systems, Postiche, Wigs

January 12, 2012

In a family business you always have some history bubbling up. Some hairstylist in Yorkville (or Vancouver) saying how he used to work with my parents. A client saying her mother got a fall from us in the 60′s. And you come across things in the basement that you never thought you would see again.

My father wrote this back in (I can only guess) 1968. It has our old address at 219 Avenue Rd, Toronto 5. It is to “give the hairdresser some practical information regarding wig handling…” It describes different types of hair, processing, advice on what to get for a client, wig care, measuring, colouring. It just goes on, with the wildest drawings and black and white photos. And there is my mother’s design of the ‘postiche’ and how to cut it. They developed the ‘lift’ as well. This would go underneath a fall or wig to give it more hight at the crown. This is not in demand any longer (obviously) but I would love to come across one.

There is a wealth of information in this booklet despite its age. I know for a fact that most people in the hair replacement industry would not know half of what is in there. A lot of what we do, and why we have such beautiful hair to provide for our clients, is documented in its pages. It is one of the reasons why so many tens of thousands of women over almost five decades have been pleased with how Continental helped them with their hair. I am going to keep it safe.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Postiche, Wigs

December 20, 2011

I have had to deal with a certain ‘hair myth’ more often recently. It is a false assertion that even some hair stylists adhere to, but it is totally wrong.

It is the idea that shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker.

This is simply wrong. Hair is not like a plant. Hair grows under the skin, not from the tip. The hair that is cut is actually dead keratin, like your fingernails. When you cut it does it bleed? Is it painful? No.

The hair follicle is where the hair grows. If you pull that out is it painful? It is where the cell division takes place and this is where chemotherapy has it’s effect. It is not effected by how we style our hair.

I had someone inquiring about shaving her head and wearing a wig until her hair grew back thicker. I tried to convince her that (i) it was not necessary and (ii) it would not have the desired effect. A small partial would work with the hair she has and it will blend beautifully, or wearing a wig on top of her hair would look great as well.

I am sure that she thinks I am crazy or that I had some ulterior motive for my advice. But I see so many women that have lost their hair the idea that one would shave her head for a misguided belief is not something I could counsel. I hope that in her travels she finds enough hair professionals out there that will convince her that she does not need to do anything that drastic.

Many people believe that to wear a wig you have to shave your head. I would guess that this is coming from the rising popularity of lace wigs. These will not stay secure unless they are glued in place, and you do not want to do that if you have unshaved hair (see ‘pain’ above). But most wigs do not fall into this category. They are designed to stay on without glue. Don’t worry. They work well.

There are other myths out there, like hair needs to “breathe” to mention one, or that extensions are a technique for thinning hair, but we will discuss them in due course. In the meantime please understand that shaving your head is not your first option but your last resort.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Wigs

December 13, 2011

And look at that. A guest post arrives even before I can get the Guest Post part of the blog set up. So I will set it up here.
First I will give you some background. Karen has alopecia, and so does her 9 year old daughter. She was kind enough to model for me on Marilyn Denis’ show on alopecia earlier this month. This is her blog post::

Michael,

Thanks so much to you, Jacquie, Seven, Richard and Ivana for all your support/expertise in making Ashlyn and me feel special and confident.
The friendly, warm service we have received from you and your staff has been outstanding. From the beginning with calls and arranging appointments through Ivana, to our consultations and conversations with yourself, make-up by Richard and hair trimming, styling and washing by Seven and Jacquie our experiences with Continental Hair have been most positive. Having alopecia is at times a challenge but through its challenges it has brought us in touch with so many positive people and positive experiences.
First of all, we are thankful for the “Wigs For Kids Program”. At age 5 when Ashlyn lost her hair we were very upset and so quickly wanted to make her “fit in” to society’s expectations. Thankfully your “Wigs For Kids Program” allowed for this to happen. As parents we wanted to protect our daughter and have her wear her wig but Ashlyn had other intentions. Young, child-like, and unaware of other’s perceptions she chose to be free of her wig, hats and scarves. Now, since the beginning of grade 4, she has become more self-aware and has chosen to wear her wig regularly. The longer brown wig that you provided has created a lot of delight, allowing her to create a new hairstyle and look everyday with headbands, braids, and clips. Watching Ashlyn having so much fun experimenting with her new wig and look has brought many smiles!
I too love my new wigs from Continental! They are comfortable, stylish and easy to care for on a day to day basis. I so appreciate the time Seven took to shape and trim up one wig and Jacquie who took the time to help me learn how to wash and style my second wig. Thanks so much for a fun morning!
Finally, I want to say thank-you Michael for the support you have given the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation (CANAAF). Living with alopecia can be a challenge for many and the work you and your staff do to create and style wigs as we as provide a positive and accepting atmosphere goes a long way to making one’s journey a much more positive experience!
Thanks so much!
Karen and Ashlyn.

Posted in: Alopecia, Ask Michael, Guest Entry, Wigs

July 8, 2010

Our Wigs For Kids program is one of the oldest in North America. Its started about fifteen or so years ago when the Canadian Cancer Society called me up. They were getting a lot of enquiries from people wanting to donate their hair and they wanted to know what could be done with it. I suggested making small cap wigs for children that needed them. They agreed and we started a very informal program.

It is still informal, and it is still works very well. I had a mother call me this morning form Sick Children’s Hospital asking if they could bring her eight year old daughter in to see me. We cleared the decks for her and she came in after she had finished her chemo. Her father brought her in. I found a wig that was made with donated hair and all we had to do was cut it in. The dad asked “How much do I owe you?” He asked this after we started cutting it because it did not matter what the price was. He and I are alike when it comes to our daughters. I said that it was part of the kids program so there was no charge. He was really surprised at that. He then started asking if I needed a prescription or what other paper work…? I told him that I could see that his daughter needed the wig. There was no need to do any of that. We try to make things easier, not tie people up in knots.

The kids that come in for wigs are tough as bent nails. As a parent I know its the mom and dad that are taking as much of the bad experience away from their kid as they can. And would take all of it if they could. So making things easy for the parent, financially as well as in every other way, gives me a great feeling. It was especially good since although she missed the first day of school because of chemo, she will have her look for when she goes back tomorrow.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Wigs

July 4, 2010

I got a call this week form a woman in Michigan. She has a dear friend about to go through Chemo and is looking to help her get a really nice wig. She is really sweet and we were chatting so I asked her how she heard of Continental Hair. I thought that she had just Googled us. She said that “a friend who works in a beauty school in New York State has a student whose mother wears one of your wigs and it’s beautiful.” Well, I hope I got the details right. Its fun to see how people find people. Maybe they will make a game of it. I will make sure that her friend gets the nicest wig I have in the salon.

Posted in: Ask Michael, Chemotherapy, Wigs

January 17, 2010

Michael Suba from Continental Hair speaks about medical wigs. For more information, visit http://www.continentalhair.com/wigs.php

Category: Howto & Style
Uploaded by: continentalhair
Hosted: youtube

Posted in: External Videos, Wigs