The following steps should be followed to ensure a proper and thorough cleaning of your new hair system.

  1. Gently brush out your system, ensuring there are no tangles in the hair.
  2. With your index and middle finger in a scissor motion, hold the part line of the system. NOTE: It is important to hold the system by its part line throughout the entire washing process.
  3. Begin by rinsing your hair system with warm running water. Ensure that you rinse the inside of the cap as well as the hair.
  4. Fill your sink/basin about halfway with water, adding a small amount of shampoo (use salon or professional quality) to the running water to disperse it through the sink. Make sure there is enough water to fully submerge the system.
  5. Dip the wig into the sink so that it is fully submerged. Make sure to handle the system very gently, as if you were washing a fine garment. Draw the system through the water slowly, letting the water do the work. Do not agitate or scrub the system.
  6. Drain the sink and rinse the system thoroughly.
  7. Fill the sink with water and add shampoo again. Wash the system a second time with just as much care as the first time.
  8. Drain the sink and rinse the system thoroughly.
  9. Fill the sink a third time, and add conditioner (use salon or professional quality) to the sink.
  10. Draw the system through the sink a few times, drain the sink and rise the system.
  11. Place the system on a towel and pat the excess water out. Be sure that you do not rub or agitate the hair.
  12. At this point, you can add a leave-in conditioner or Moroccan oil to the mid-shaft through to the ends.
  13. Brush the system gently to disperse the product and to ensure easy styling.
  14. Place the system on a Styrofoam head and style as usual.

These steps should ensure a thorough and easy cleaning of your hair system. Remember that the hair system should only be washed every 4-6 weeks with daily wear.

If you encounter a problem with your system at ANY time during the process, STOP and call Continental Hair at (647) 735-5362 or email us at in**@co*************.com. Our friendly and helpful staff will walk you through any issues and help you in any way we can.

A postiche, also called a topper, is a small hair system or hair piece that clips into your own hair to give your hair more fullness and coverage. It can be ver small so as just to fill in your bangs, or larger if you have more acute hair loss. The postiche sits on top of your own hair and is secured with ‘comb clips’ which snap on some of your own hair. It is secure and will not fly away even during a workout.

The postiche design at Continental Hair is unique in that it is the result of decades of refinement and improvements but it has never lost the one characteristic that makes it look so good: natural virgin, unprocessed hair. This quality hair is the only type that is fine enough and natural enough to blend properly with your own. Since this is the hair that someone else will see it has to be of the most natural quality. This means it is also important to make sure that the colour blend is perfect and that the style is how you want your hair to look. That is why these are custom made. Many times with an impression of the top of your head ensuring that everything is perfectly fitted and designed for you.

The reason that this is such successful design is that it uses the most natural hair and not a lot of it.

The postiche usually lasts about 2-3 years of everyday wear. You usually wash it every 3 -4 weeks. This can be done by yourself or the salon but you must be instructed in how to do this properly. Hot tools and styling products are encouraged as they enhance the enjoyment of your hair.

The manufacture takes 8 – 10 weeks. Our prices start at $2700 and go up according to length and colour. Our average price is between $3000 – $3500 plus taxes. All styling and colour work in the initial fitting is included, as are any alterations for the first month of wear.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Continental Hair is very proud of this design and has women from all over the world that love it too.

If someone you know is going through chemotherapy, one of the things they may want help with is choosing a wig. Here are some tips on how you can help.

I remember when I was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for my cancer. It was back in 1990 but I remember it vividly. I am still grateful for the support and love I received from my family and friends. I see hundreds of women going through this every year and I believe it would help the process go much more smoothly if their friends and loved ones had some guide as to how they could help.

Like most good advice, these tips are not necessarily unique to wig shopping. They’re based on compassion and rationality, which are two qualities very much in demand when supporting someone battling cancer.

Do’s

  1. Help her to determine a budget and a “look” before you visit the salon. While this is a purchase with a lot of emotion attached to it, you are still shopping. Discuss goals.
  2. Be honest. If it looks like a tumbleweed wrestling a rat’s nest, then tell her. Nicely.
  3. Be respectful of the person styling your friend or loved one’s wig, even if you’re a hair stylist. There’s a difference in how growing hair is styled and how wigs are styled. Trying to override the wig stylist makes the process more stressful than it has to be and could result in a poorly styled wig. Try to stay in friend mode.
  4. Ask questions of the consultant. There are no silly inquiries. Hair is important and expensive. Your friend may not be in the mood to ask so help her out. A wig needs to do three things to be a success: It needs to have good look, a snug fit, and a comfortable feel. Help her keep these things in mind throughout the process.
  5. Have fun! Remember you are, in a way, shopping for a piece of clothing. Encourage her to try stuff on. Take pictures. It can be a trying time but many patients really do manage to have fun with this! The salon should indulge you to see how she looks as a redhead!

Don’ts

  1. Change your mind half-way through. If you only tune in to cast doubt when the wig is being styled, your friend will have to start from scratch and the whole process stops being fun very quickly. Be engaged from the beginning.
  2. Don’t play with your phone. Husbands, please pay attention when helping your wife. This happens only rarely, but as a husband it bothers me when I see it: Stay off your phone. Give her feedback and suggestions. This is important for her because for the next year, she knows she has to wear it, but YOU will be the one looking at it the most. And despite what she might say, she really does care what you think.
  3. Don’t be competitive. It does not matter that she is not choosing what you like. She appreciates your opinion, but ultimately it’s her decision, as she’s the one living with it.
  4. Don’t crowd the stylist. If she is having a wig “cut-in” please don’t stand next to the technician styling the wig on her. It can be an interesting process, but it’s distracting to the stylist. And distracting the person styling your friend’s wig does no one any good! Do the salon thing – sit and chat with your friend as she has her hair done.
  5. Don’t stress. This may be obvious but it’s not always the case. Sometimes you may have to interject and say “Let’s go have a coffee and talk about it.” That’s fine. It can be overwhelming and you are there to help her through it.

What this is really about is her privacy for the next 6 to 12 months. This is new and scary so help her by familiarizing yourself with wigs and see that she gets something that she can have confidence in while she is going through her battle. She’s counting on you.

Many of my more recent clients that are undergoing chemotherapy have told me that they have not receiving any hair loss or wig information when they are told about their treatment regimen. I find this odd because it used to be that all the hospitals would immediately give their patients lists of options and vendors to help them with their hair loss and privacy issues. However lately I have been told that at certain hospitals they have not.

This has caused some patients to scramble and be under pressure to find something suitable for them after their hair has started or has already fallen out. This makes it difficult for the patient because as a survivor I can tell you the last thing you want to do when under the effects of chemo is to go wig shopping. It also makes it difficult for the hair replacement salon because we have to guess or go by photos as to colours and styles. This is something that should at least be looked into well in advance of the treatment starting to have effect on the hair.

I have contacted people I know at Sunnybrook and have been told that they do make sure that patients are aware of these issues. I have tried to get in contact with other hospitals but I have not had anyone get back to me.

Maybe they do not know what a nice guy I am. Yet. But I hope that all centres working with patients that will suffer hair loss due to chemotherapy and radiation will give their patients some guidance.

Until then, here are some tips for you or the person you are researching for:

  1. Start early, but you don’t have to make a decision.
    You should look around even before you start your treatment. Ask your hairstylist for some advice. Bring someone that can give you support and advice. You do not need to buy anything right away, but don’t get into analysis paralysis. Of course, if you see something that is perfect, don’t be afraid to get it. It might not be there in a week.
  2. Wear your hair the way you want to have it during treatment.
    This way you can show the hair loss professional what you want to look like. You can change this if you like. Nothing says that you have to wear your hair the same way, and many have found that they can take advantage of trying something new. But its good to have a starting point. Also, and this is important, you might have a style or colour that does not translate well into a wig. Be prepared to compromise (a bit).
  3. Try stuff on.
    When you think about it, what you are doing is shopping. It’s for something that you never really wanted, but if you think of it as shopping it’s a much more enjoyable experience. Try stuff on. Get back to your roots.
  4. Check with your insurance.
    If you have coverage, find out how much. Usually it is not enough to get a really good wig, but it helps. Also, a medical wig is tax deductible. See if you would be in line for some money to come back to you. You can claim whatever isn’t covered by insurance. But you need a prescription (from your doctor, oncologist, anyone that can write script) and the insurance company will want all originals of the receipts and prescriptions. The CRA will make do with photocopies.
  5. Get it styled.
    Any salon that you go to should style the wig for you. We insist on this and it is always included in the price of the wig. The style is part of the salon’s responsibility. You are buying a look, not a few ounces of hair.
    Continental Hair will not style anything that is from another salon or purchased on line. There are reasons but that is for another blog post. The basic bit of advice for this is that you always cut it leaving it 1 cm too long (at least). Especially in the bangs. Length cannot be added to the bangs. And the wig should ALWAYS be cut on your head. Colour and perms etc don’t need to be, but any cutting needs to be done with you wearing it.
  6. Does it pass “The Barstool Test?”
    If a bar stool is missing a leg, it’s not able to do its job. It needs all three. Just like a wig needs to have three things so it can do its job.

    1. Have a style you like
    2. Be comfortable.
    3. Be secure.

There are limits to these, of course. Wigs are essentially hats with hair. But it should be a look you are satisfied with, it shouldn’t be ratcheting into your skull, and it shouldn’t chase the bus when it drives by you when you are on the sidewalk.

Remember, the reason for a wig is to maintain your privacy while you are on this journey. Its nobody’s business what you are going through unless you want them to know. And one of the best things I can remember about my six months of chemo were the times when I myself was able, for short periods at a time, forget what I was going through and could enjoy moments with my family and friends. Those times were like oases in that desert of a year.

If you have any questions or comments I would appreciate hearing from you. Take care.

Michael Suba
President
Continental Hair Ltd
Toronto
mi*****@co*************.com

I tell my clients the “hair should be fun!” And they agree, especially since none of them are having fun with their hair.

So I decided to show how someone that has no hair can still have fun with their hair!

Brittany has been a client of mine for years. She is a wonderful, beautiful young woman who has never had a salon experience. So we gave her one.

Daniel Fiorio is a fixture in the Yorkville landscape. He has been working his magic in his beautiful salon for so long that his reputation is legendary. He has worked with me before since like many stylists he will call me when a client is suffering from alopecia or is about to go through chemo. So he was excited about doing a cut and colour on Brittany’s new wig.

The virgin hair has never been processed and is permanently attached so can be cut and coloured just like growing hair. The day at the salon showcased Davide Luizza applying the system with a bonding agent. Daniel Fiorio styling and colouring, and Sara Bella doing her makeup.

At the end Brittany looked like she had fun. And we all did!

In case you missed it, a few weeks ago we had the distinct honour of having the Marilyn Denis Show come to our salon for a feature on Hair Loss and Alopecia. We were humbled and proud when Ms. Denis called Continental Hair the hair loss experts and “such a great, reputable place.”

 

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We have to thank our beautiful client Lucy who bared all to share her story and model different looks with their resident Hair Expert Cindy Duplantis.

Here’s the link to Marilyn Denis segment.

And yes, there are a couple commercials at the start but we promise it’s a great segment and well worth the watch! I’d also encourage you to share the segment with someone if you know they’re going through something similar. It’s a wonderful piece!