So I was asked by someone to do a video that would show me putting my wig up in a clip. So this is what the video was intended to be for, it took some detours (typical me, detour city) along the way. Please excuse my multiple “Uh’s” and “Anyways” filler words 🙂 Que sera sera.
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I’m often asked what was the final push or moment that led me to make the decision to starting wearing hair. That final moment was my 34th birthday, it came to me as I laid in bed and wondered how many more years I would give away to hair loss. I was 21 years old when this started and now zip zoom, I was 34. I blinked and 13 years were behind me, many tear filled days, sadness and despair, many lost social gatherings with friends and just a loss of me in general. Gone. Gone Gone. Never to return again is the time I missed out on, I can’t change the past, but I can decide what happens from this point on. I was now 34 years old, later that day I  took the opportunity to tell my fiancĂ© that “this year would be the year.” The year I would just do it and make the move towards my hair wearing life. “By the time I’m 35 I will be wearing hair!” I said to him only half believing it probably. Easier said than done, ya know? I didn’t know if that meant bonded hair or a wig, I probably was thinking more along the lines of bonding hair. I just knew it HAD to be something… anything. My hair loss had reached a point where I felt I could no longer hide it in the way I could in the years prior, it was beginning to really take it’s toll on me and I was tired of all of it.
I spent the next month following my birthday trying to work up the nerve to make an appointment somewhere to begin exploring my options. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wasn’t ready to bond, and I either had to wait until the day I’d be ready or start looking into wigs. I was done waiting, remember zip zoom? I didn’t want anymore time to pass. So each day I’d scour the internet for wig videos, looking at tons of websites and then sit with the phone next to me staring at phone numbers on the screen paralyzed to call, I’d dial 3 digits, then hang up the phone with my heart pounding. I was praying a beta blocker would show up at my door step! I even asked my fiancĂ© to call for me, he stated that he felt this was something I really needed to do myself. Jerk. Just kidding… he was right. If I couldn’t make a phone call for myself to get an appointment, how was I even going to get through the appointment. I ended up doing 5 things:
1) Purchased 2 wigs online from Freeda, and ended up returning one.
2) Made an appointment with Flora (via email) in New Jersey which I later cancelled.
3) Went to the Milano wigs showroom in Los Angeles and bought 2 wigs.
4) Made an appointment at Lee Anthony in Orange County which I later cancelled as a result of already finding my hair.
5) Made an appointment at Follea in Beverly Hills
There it was, in that order 1-5. My steps to emotional freedom 🙂 By the way, that all transpired in approximately one week, if I recall correctly. I was obsessed!!! I couldn’t do anything else, I even think I lost a few pounds that week from being engrossed in my wig searching activities. So that was a nice bonus, I’ve since added those back and a few more. Darn it. [click to continue…]
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So last week I ventured my way out to Milano Wigs in Los Angeles to pick up some more WiGrips. For some odd reason I thought they had a grayish colored grip, totally wrong on that one. So when you hear me talking about it, please feel free to ignore me 🙂
I took the opportunity to film Natalia (my lifestyle wig) in all her natural daylight glory so you can see how she looks just “out and about” driving around.
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A few days ago me and my fiancĂ© piled into the car and headed towards Follea so that I could pick up my newest girl! She had arrived and she was waiting for me. We decided to take a camera with us and shot a lot of “Q & A” type interaction in the car and I ended up with quite a bit of footage that I’l have to figure out how to best present to everyone. I don’t want to bore the heck out of everyone by posting one really long movie. In the meantime, I put together a highlight reel of the day to share with everyone. I posted the video to Facebook a couple days ago and then redid the audio music and changed a couple elements for the YouTube version.
The reason I’m starting to do more videos is because I *think* it’s what may help women who are struggling with the decision to wear hair, I want to show what wearing hair can be, and share things that I really would have loved to have seen myself while in the process of exploring and learning about wigs. If there is anything that would be helpful to you, you can always send me an email and if it’s something I feel comfortable doing or sharing, I’ll definitely try to include that in a future video. I’m very new to wearing wigs, but I’m loving it and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth or through my fingertips on the keyboard 🙂
Happy Sunday! xoxo
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I received this wonderful post from Lina a couple days ago and she has given me permission to share it with all of you!
Here is Lina’s Story:
This is new to me but I have been inspired lately by our group of wonderful women to share.
I am 43 years old and have been dealing with hair loss since I was 18 – yep – 25 long years! I have been through the gammut of emotions that I read from others: sobbing, depression, begging, praying, anxiety. I have gone through the habits: showering and brushing my hair in the dark, wiping hair out of places that I won’t mention, counting all the hairs I’ve lost, sitting on the vanity and inspecting my scalp for hair growth, I don’t notice people – I just stare at their heads!
What has all of this gotten me? I watched my 20’s and 30’s go down the drain with my hair. I’ve loathed myself for what seems like forever. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on products that, big surprise, didn’t do a thing but make me poorer. I bought a topper two years ago and wore it twice – I hated it and it was cut wrong, so, I bought another and I have had it since Christmas. I also have a wig in my closet, just “in case”.  So after needing to be in a place where people understand – I’ve been back on this site for a few weeks now and have become so inspired by our “Rock Star Leader” that guess what? I pulled out that second topper and have been wearing it now for 3 days in a row! I’m not going to lie, it’s different. Can you explain to me how all I wanted for 25 years is more hair and now when I look in the mirror and see myself with more hair – it’s “weird”. I know! [click to continue…]
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A gal from The WHLP sent me an email that asked some questions that seem to be on a lot of ladies’ minds, so I’m going to answer her questions here 🙂
What Stage Is My Hair Loss? I consider my hair loss advanced, but still passable in the world. I started off with A LOT of hair, my bio hair had more density than my wig actually has so I’ve luckily been able to get by year after year still looking like a person with “ok” hair and then eventually maybe just looking like a gal with naturally thin hair. This past year it sort of crossed that threshold into real super sparseness that I couldn’t completely conceal my hair loss in the way I had been doing in the years prior. Having said that, I can still wear my bio hair in a ponytail and go to the grocery store and for the most part nobody would be none the wiser, except for another thinning hair gal perhaps. If I washed my hair, blow dried it, pumped it up with volumizing products and then flat ironed it, it would probably be still “acceptable” hair by many people’s standards. To me, it’s yucky, crappy, stringy good for nuthin’ hair that I’m tired of being a prisoner to.
Why Did I Decide To Go With a Full Wig Rather Than a Topper? The clip-in topper was never an option because my hair is too thin and fragile to withstand the pressure of the clips, even though topper clips are typically very small they still cause me quite a bit of discomfort, so that was out. This issue was rearing it’s ugly head  yet again when I was looking at wigs, because wigs are typically kept in place with the use of clips and combs (or glue) as well. Only I found the situation to be worse with a wig because the wig is heavier than the topper adding even more pressure and discomfort. Thankfully I found the WiGrip so that saved me and my sanity.
So the question really is why did I choose a full wig over a bonded topper? I have seen enough bonded toppers in the WHLP network to know that when they are done right, they are amazing, but they also require the guts to shave the top part of your head. I personally think if you’re going to bond, the best way to have it done is on a clean shaved surface, and while you can bond to the top of your hair, I think that would tug your bio hair and be way more messy and frustrating. Also the topper hair wouldn’t lay as flat and naturally as it could if it was on a bald surface. If I was a braver person I would have just gone for it, but alas I’m a chicken and couldn’t make that chicken leap to bonded-hair-landia. So it was either wait until I get the moxi to bond, or start looking at WIGS. I honestly never thought I could or would wear a wig, I think I had some massive negative image built up in my mind about it – like an image with a granny in a rocking chair knitting, whose crown is covered by a powered gray wig. You know THAT kind of wig, I was about to bust out my rocking chair when I realized that good wigs are pretty earth shatteringly wonderful. [click to continue…]
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Today I’m having lunch with my mom, she hasn’t seen Mila yet in person, although I did send her a photo last week. So I decided that I would let Natalia sit this one out and proceeded to get this girl ready for the day. I took this opportunity to snap photos and video of Mila (Follea Aero-2 Lace Front) in greater detail.
I’m short on time this morning so I’m not going to write much, I’ll let the video speak for itself….
XOXO
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I am frequently asked, how far back I place my wigs and where it joins my hairline. My mom asked me this same question when I told her I was wearing a wig, she said, “where’s your hair and where’s the wig? I don’t get it.” I pulled up my hair to show where everything was, but the color of the wig and my hair are such a close match that it is still hard to demonstrate, but I wanted to give it the ol’ college try anyways. I showed an upclose shot of my wig in the video from July 1st, (Show & Tell Sunday – Video and Slideshow) but I didn’t actually lift the hairline of the wig up to show where it is placed on my head.
The beginning of this video is me attempting to show how I blend my hairline and then the last portion of the video is just more pics of me and Natalia. Yes, it seems I snap a photo of myself with my new hair whenever I get a chance, I’m so glad I got the iPhone with the extra hard drive space.. ha. I pity the thief that steals my computer and is greeted with a gazillion images of me and wigs. This IS normal right? 🙂 As my friend BrooknixEllie says, “It’s the NEW normal.” Amen to that.
OMG I just realized I have a typo in the video, I put “WONG” Instead of “WRONG” oh well 🙂
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Rubber ducky you’re the one…
Hi everyone! So this past Tuesday, I purchased the Aero-2 glueless lace front wig from Follea. My longer “Lifestyle” wig is on order, I’m not sure when it will be here and I was seriously chomping at the bit to be in possession of a long wig. I mean seriously, if I’m going to be wearing a wig full time, as I am now, I need to have OPTIONS and I can’t even remember when the last time was I really got to “enjoy” long hair. Also, in addition I’ve been dying to get my hands on a glueless lace front. Everyone is always talking about lace fronts, I’m frequently asked about them and I wanted to see how I could get this type of a wig to work for myself. Lace front wigs are generally meant to go at or slightly in front of your hairline, it’s meant to replace your hairline with a very natural look. However, I have a wonky hairline, it’s kind of hard to explain it, but I really need to place the wigs slightly behind my hairline in order for them to blend and work perfectly. This is not the easiest task with a lace front, it took me 4 days to get it to work for me. I don’t attribute this to be a fault of the wig, rather more of a result of how I’m choosing to wear it, my head etc.
The Aero-2 lace front is a less expensive wig than my Natalia, as such there are some key differences. The back is a machine wefted closed cap. It has a lace top, lace front and a hand-tied top. Natalia is ALL hand-tied. Both are comfortable, but I think the hand-tied wig feels a tiny bit better. The hair is also European hair, but has been processed, so it isn’t virgin hair. And no, virgin hair doesn’t mean that the the girl who grew out the hair was a virgin (haha) Â it means it has had no chemical processing, like hair coloring, perms etc. It is hair in it’s most natural and luscious state. Â The hair quality of the Aero is still amazing though. Can you feel the difference if you put both wigs together and touch each? Yes, you can. One is uber yummy silky sweetness, and one is OMG WTF, this is insane, spank me crazy and call me Santa Claus, I think I’ve died and done to heaven. How’s that for painting a picture? Where this wig shines in my view, is that is lays pretty flat (in a good way) Â on top of your head, and that makes it look extremely real and natural. That is a result of the lace top, with the lace there is less space between the hair of the wig and your head, less material (?) I don’t know what the technical way is to represent that in words.
A lace front has.. wait for it… lace. I found this to be a tricky situation for myself when I was working to put it behind my hairline because it is sitting on top of my hair and it seemed to lift the lace up from my scalp at the very front of the wig hairline in one spot, ever so microscopically. I also had suspicions that the WiGrip was creating an extra “lift” to the lace that wouldn’t be present if you didn’t use the WiGrip on this type of wig, but since I can only wear a wig with a WiGrip the point was a bit moot to try and  make it work without it. To me this “lift” I was seeing made that section of the wig noticeable. If it was on direct scalp I would imagine this issue wouldn’t be present. This was an issue I was having when trying to style it with a parted hairline straight down, it wasn’t an issue to clip the hair up in the style you’ll see at the end of  the video below.  So on Wednesday I got frustrated with the lace wig and made her sit in the corner facing the wall on her styrofoam head. Bad girl!  Natalia was waiting for me, like the trusted bestie she is, I thew her on and went on with my day.
I returned to visit the Aero wig the next day, she looked at me and I looked at her and believe there was that wild west music from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly movie playing in my head, you know the dueling music…. “How is this going to go down little missy?” Uh, not good. Same thing as the day prior. I felt that yet again I could see a tiny bit of the lace lifting as a result of it being on top of my hair behind my hairline and being used with the WiGrip. Also, to the girl who asked me if you can see the WiGrip though a lace wig, the answer is yes… it isn’t really bad, but you can see it though. I have no problem with how it looks, it sort of looks like you got a bit of hair dye in that area of your scalp. As someone who used to religiously dye my hair red in college, I can attest to the fact that sometimes dye gets on your scalp and does give your scalp a bit of color, it’s not a big deal. But yes you CAN see it. [click to continue…]
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If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know I went on a wig shopping spree determined to find something. I was let down a bit when I realized that the wigs didn’t stay on for me without clips or combs and much like topper clips, they hurt, only worse because the wig is heavier. I was defeated. Seriously defeated. It felt like the option of wearing a wig securely and comfortably was going to be out of the question for me. Hair loss was leaving me out in the cold, yet again. It was one heck of a depressing week before I had discovered that there are companies that sell headband grips that keep the wig in place. The company that makes the one I use (WiGrip) is made by Milano Wigs, they have a showroom in Los Angeles and I went their one day to check the grips and the wigs out. I tried the amazing headband and found hope again. I also ended up buying two wigs from them when I was there. I just still didn’t feel completely confident though, The Freeda wig and the Milano wigs are good, they really are good quality wigs.. but they weren’t me. I was beginning to get a little discouraged about this process and decided I would make an appointment (which I later cancelled)  to go to see Flora (as in Designs by Flora) in New Jersey, I was hopeful the maybe I could find something better there. At the same time I was on my search for my wig, my WHLP friend, Bonnie was on her search for her hair too. Through our email messages she had shared with me that it might be worth it to check out Follea hair if I could find a place that carries it. Honestly, I’d never really heard of them or their wigs. Bonnie’s clear excitement about the hair, got me excited to want to maybe check them out myself. I googled the company and found they are located a hop, skip and jump away from me in Beverly Hills… and there is where life began.
Finding Follea
Follea hair, oh let me count they ways I love thee. Soft, silky, european sexy hair. I find myself sitting watching TV in the evenings with my wig on my lap, and I just sit and stroke the hair, it’s somehow soothing to me, I don’t know… call me a freak 🙂 It reminds me of the feel of my own hair before I began to loose it. The way it moves, falls, blows in the wind, pure yumminess. It’s been two months since I’ve purchased my wig from them and while wearing a wig IS a process and a journey all by itself, I have finally found some peace in knowing I can walk out into the world with my head held high, I can look into the mirror of any well lit bathroom with a smile and I can rest my wigless head at night knowing, that the best of life is yet to come.
These past two months have been eye opening for me, a strong realization about the fact that wearing a wig really isn’t bad at all, it does have to be the right wig for you or I think you’ll be fighting with the wig and it will just add to the frustration of the whole process. I am incredibly enthusiastic about wanting to help women take this step when the time is right for them, sooner rather than later and not waiting and suffering like I did. I think we really know when the time is right for us. It’s the moment you feel you can no longer face the world, that your couch begins to get a nice deep dent in it from you sitting there at home rather than going out and enjoying life with your family and friends. When your hair takes away the joy from your life, you can take it back. Wigs are a great option and I think there is a cloud over them because they somehow have a bad stigma, bad wigs gave way to that. A good wig can be your best ally in your hair loss struggle, you can still treat your hair loss how ever you choose to, and wear a wig to go out with confidence into the world. I can definitely say I wish I made this choice sooner. [click to continue…]
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*Welcome
- New? Start Here
*My
Hair Loss Story - How Did I Get Here?
*Low
Iron Stores: A Risk Factor For Excessive Hair Loss
*Medications
That Can Cause Hair loss
*Endocrinologist
or Dematologist- Which Doctor Should I see For My Hair Loss?
*Does
Nutrition Affect Hair Loss? Is There a Hormonal Connection?
*Is
Shaving The Head Necessary For Bonded Toppers?
*Spironolactone
- Hair Loss Story and Question
*Hair
Loss at 20 Years Old - Sarah's Story
*Synthroid
and Hair Loss - Leah's Story
*A
Bittersweet Light at The End of The Tunnel
