3 Questions Women Ask When Choosing A Hair System

This is a hard question to answer, but it’s even a harder question to ask. Its very difficult for a woman to accept the fact that she needs a hair system to help with her thinning hair, and can spend years first avoiding the question before even answering it. This is not unusual. And I have had many clients that have come to see me for an initial consultation and then come back several years later saying that now she is ready. And that’s okay. You go at your own pace.

What I would like to do is help you determine what hair system design is best for you; your look, your lifestyle and your budget.

1. Will it look natural?

   This is the first question everyone asks, and the answer is, “Well, that depends.” There are a lot of hair systems and wigs and extensions out there that decidedly do NOT look natural. This can be due to several reasons; bad quality hair, too much hair, styling malfunction, bad fit. These are the things that you want to avoid because you need to realize that these can and do look amazingly natural. You have seen these natural hair systems, but you have not noticed them.

   I have said for years that it is difficult being in an industry that, by definition, no one see your good work. And you have seen mine. There are several very prominent Canadian women that wear my stuff when they are in the news or reporting it and the public have no idea. This could be done for you as well.

2. Will everyone know that when I start wearing it?

   If you are going from hardly any hair to a lot of hair it can be difficult to hide. But most women that come to see me about a hair addition design only want 10 to 20% more hair. Now make no mistake, that 10 to 20% makes a difference. But not something that stands out. And many clients will ease the transition by wearing her hair up or in a ponytail for a week or two before wearing it down.

   You actually will be very surprised at how you get away with it (there are other strategies but that is not for a public forum). So don’t let this stop you. The longer that you leave it, the more worried you will become as the transition phase will become more apparent to you.

3. How can I tell what design is right for me?

   The first thing you have to determine is whether you want to have something that is ‘permanently attached’ or ‘daily wear’?

   The second thing is do you want virgin hair or processed hair?

   Permanently Attached vs Daily Wear

   A permanently attached system will stay in place for 3 to 5 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows (among other factors). Then you must return to the salon for the system to be removed and re-applied. This is a time and financial commitment so you have to decide if this is worth that investment. It depends on you.

   There are several different methods of attachment and each salon has their favourites. You have to find one that is comfortable and secure. What you should be aware is that most permanent systems use processed hair that has had the cuticle stripped to avoid tangling. This takes away from the natural look and behaviour of the hair. Make sure that you see a sample to determine if the hair quality will give you the look that you want.

   A daily wear system is something that you can remove and apply yourself. Most take it off at night and put it on in the morning but you can wear it (or not) whenever you want. This is actually the more popular of the two. These can be made in both processed and virgin hair.

   Virgin Hair or Processed Hair

   All my postiche/toppers are made with virgin hair and there is nothing more natural looking. Again, make sure that you see samples to determine if you like the quality. In any case I would avoid synthetic hair as it does not have a good look and only lasts for a few months and for these reasons I do not discuss it.An extra bit of advice; go shopping. I do not mean that in the sense that this is a bargain hunting exercise because getting the cheapest thing out there is definitely going to make sure you will not like it.

   But look at different designs and ask questions. Get a feel for the salon and what they have done before. Ask about how they stand behind their product and what happens if something goes wide. Bring someone with you if you think it will help. A friend, sister, hairstylist, husband. This can help you immensely in making they right decision.

Know that hair in general is expensive. And good hair is really expensive. But you can get an amazing look that will give you a boost every time you look in the mirror. There are thousands of women out there that will swear to this. And each and every one of them felt the same way you do now.

Michael Suba

President
Continental Hair