Wig Information

How do I care my hairpiece or wig?

Washing:

Wash as needed, a good way to tell when it's time to clean your wig or hairpiece is simply by the odor.  You can wash and condition when you feel your hair is looking dull and isn't soft.  Always use products designed for synthetic wigs.

Synthetic

1. Fill your sink basin with cool water.
2. Add a capful of synthetic wig shampoo and blend in. Never use regular shampoo on synthetic wigs! If the wig has picked up the odor of smoke or other strong odors, you may add a teaspoon of baking soda to your basin, and blend in.  I prefer to put a hair net on culy pieces to lesson tangles.
3. Gently swish the wig or piece in the water for about 30 seconds to a minute until saturated. Gently scrub the front of the wig cap, where it meets the forehead until clean.
4. Leave the wig soak in the basin for about 15 minutes
5. Empty the basin of water and rinse the wig or piece in cool water.
6. Follow the same 5 steps as above for conditioning or if using spray conditioner go to step 7
7. Gently squeeze out excess water. Do not rub or twist.
8. Spread the wig out on a thirsty towel and leave in a ventilated area to dry overnight. You should spray on a little leave-on wig conditioner, when you start the drying process.
9. When the wig is entirely dry, and not before, re-style the wig gently. We recommend a pick and not a brush. Shaking and fluffing by hand is your best starting point for styling. We offer good quality wig shampoo and conditioner for our customers. Do not use regular shampoo. It is too strong even for human hair wigs.

Human Hair

1. Follow the same first seven steps as above using lukewarm water instead of cool, and the manufacturer's prescribed shampoo and conditioner for your human hair wig.
2. Wigs may be set in rollers if desired and placed under a dryer or left overnight to dry at your disgresssion. A hot curling iron may be used on human hair wigs only. .

Setting and Restyling:

• Synthetic hair - never use anthing hot on synthetic hair
• No blow driers, hot curling irons or straighteners!!   Excessive heat will melt or frizz the plastic in your fibers.

1. Pin the wig or piece to a styrofoam head so you can work on it.
2. Select rollers of the proper size to re-set your curls. Wire mesh rollers or foam work great.
3. Wet the entire hairpiece with lukewarm water and set the curls. Use perm papers, which you can get at a beauty supply house to protect the ends of the hair. Use plenty of rollers with a little hair in each for best curly results.
4. Take the pinned up piece to the sink basin. If you have a spray nozzle at your basin it is best to "spray" the hottest tap water on each set curl for about 3-4 seconds. This process, relaxes the hair without damaging it like a curling iron.
5. When you are done relaxing all the curls, immediately spray each curl, in approximately the same order as you "relaxed" them with icy cold tap water. You can also use a mist bottle, filled with some ice and water. This "freezes" the curl into a new semi-permanent curl pattern.
6. Allow your hair to air dry overnight, and when dry, take down the rollers. Now you've re-set your curls the most professional way possible.
7. Don't want to hastle with it, we'll take care of resetting your hairpiece or wig. See services

Human Hair

Yes a hot irons may be used on any human hair just like your own hair. Though a better method is to set them on rollers and use a hairdryer to set the curls.

Synthetic Hair
Today's better quality synthetic wigs are virtually indistinguishable from human hair, except to the most practiced eye. Synthetic wigs are easier to care for and lower priced. The monofilament fiber (hair) used to make synthetic wigs has (memory) which means it maintains its wave or curl, texture and volume, requiring minimal upkeep. Synthetic wigs, however, are not designed to accept a permanent wave or color change and can be permanently damaged by the use of curling irons, blow dryers or hot rollers.  The advantages of synthetic hair is that it's wash and wear or shake and go styling and the weather won't ruin your lovely hair style.

Human Hair
A human hair wig is the most natural looking option. It can be cut, styled, permed or colored to suit your personal taste. Human hair wigs are more expensive that synthetic wigs and require more care. They have to be shampooed, dried, styled and conditioned, just like your natural hair. Like your hair, they can lose their style if they get wet and frizz on humid days. If you feel that you are not able to provide the care required of a human hair wig, there are human hair-synthetic blended wigs that offer a natural look and will retain the style better than a 100% human hair wig.

There are four basic types of human hair used in wigs: Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Caucasian (also called European hair). Most human hair wigs are made from Chinese or Indian hair. Caucasian/European is the strongest, most durable human hair for wig making. However, this type of hair is not as readily available and is the most expensive. Remy hair is kept in the same direction when making a wig or hairpiece as when cut from the donor's head. This additional attention to detail maintains the hair cuticle in the same direction for each hair, which, in turn, reduces tangling.

This handy guide will help you choose wig styles by considering your facial shape.
Which do you have?
Pull your hair back and then stand in front of a mirror. Using an eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, or other erasable pencil trace the outline of your face.  Stand back and decide which of the 7 basic shapes best matches your face shap.

The descriptions below should help you find styles/cuts that work with your face shape Why does this work? Hair style is all about drawing the eye to your good points. OVAL is deemed to be ideal. Use hair/style to work the 6 other shapes more towards an oval, and you've got the big picture. Keep that in mind as you read through the face shapes. Soon, you will get the knack of it. When you see the beautiful results.

The OVAL Face Shape has MANY CHOICES 
As its name implies, the OVAL Shaped Face is longer than wide, with a jaw that's narrower than the cheekbones. Because the oval shaped face has no dominant areas and is so proportional, the oval shaped face looks good with just about any hairstyle, length or texture.

The ROUND Shape Face is characterized by a wide hairline and fullness below the cheekbones. The client may be overweight and the neck may appear short. These faces look very good with a geometric or linear style, which breaks up the "round" appearance. ADD HEIGHT, when possible, and long, wispy side areas to make the cheeks look narrow. Comb hair close to the head on the side and at the neck.

The SQUARE Shape Face is characterized by a wide hairline and jaw. Square shaped faces need height or waves on top and narrowness at the sides, to break up the "squareness". Comb the hair off the forehead to add height to the face. CURLY or WAVY texture and wisps of hair around the face break the wide, straight lines common to the square face.

REDUCE WIDTH at THE SIDES with the DIAMOND Shaped Face
The DIAMOND Shape Face is characterized by a narrow chin and forehead with wide cheekbones. Diamond shaped faces need narrow sides and fullness at the chin. Bobs work very well for this shape. Avoid wearing height on top or volume on the sides. Use some fringe or bang to cover narrow forehead.

ADD VOLUME at THE CHIN with the HEART Shaped Face
The HEART Shape Face is characterized by a wide forehead and a narrower chin. Bring some hair onto the forehead to disguise its width. Keep hair close to the head at the eyes but make it slightly full around the jaw, and below and in front of the earlobes.

ADD VOLUME ABOVE the JAW LINE with the PEAR Shaped Face
The PEAR Shape Face is characterized by a small or narrow forehead and a rather large pouchy-appearing jawline. Comb hair to add width from the eye level through the crown of the head. Set and comb hair close to the head on the sides and at the nape.

ADD SOFTNESS to the OBLONG Shaped Face 
The OBLONG Shape Face is characterized by a very long and narrow bone structure. The client who has an oblong facial shape often has a long, thin neck. Use a fringe or half-bang across the forehead by creating soft waves or curls in the crown and nape areas. This helps to create the illusion of an oval.

The cap is the base or skeleton that gives the wig it's shape and a base to attach hair to. Wigs are available with several different types of caps and the hair of the wig is then attached to the cap using various techniques. Each cap type has its own distinct advantages. On most wigs, hair is attached in "wefts." These are strings of hair doubled over and sewn closely together in long strands. This string is then machine sewn, hand sewn or hand tied horizontally onto the vertical lines of a wig cap.

What you will notice is how they look and move on the outside and how they feel on the inside. (see chart below)

Adjustable Cap - A wig cap construction with adjustable tabs that extend from the crown to the nape of the wig cap. Average wig cap can either be adjusted to a smaller or larger cap size.

Monofilament - Breathable, flesh-tone material used in the fabric/construction of the wig cap. Disappears against the scalp allowing natural skin tone to appear through.hair is individually hand tied at the crown so the hair can be parted and brushed in any direction. The entire wig may be hand tied, or the wig may have a monofilament crown with wefted sides and back.
Lace Front - A wig made with delicate lace that frames the face or front hairline. Tiny, fine hair is hand-tied around the lace for an up-close realistic appearance
Fashion wigs also known as conventional, traditional, capless or machine made wigs are the most durable, stylish and affordable. Each type and designer offers it's own design options.  Most fashion wigs have a pre-tease at the root which is what gives it the beautiful lift and fullness  and some have a skin top with a permanent part.
The pure stretch cap will stretch through the entire perimeter while the conventional cap stretches partially on the side band only. All materials used are made of the thinnest and most resilient fabrics currently available to make "The pure stretch cap" the most comfortable wig cap ever constructed. This new technology will stretch fully with any indoor or outdoor activity. The wearer will not be aware of the fact that she is wearing a wig.
A capless wig is very similar to the standard cap design. However, it does not have the closed lace layer at the crown. It is open-wefted in the back, sides, and crown. This allows for maximum ventilation. It is also the lightest weight cap you can purchase. Capless wigs have are open wefted on top, sides and back machine sewn open construction makes it breathable and allows air circulate while wearing the wig. Capless features slight pre-teasing which gives style, volume and lift on the top.  Capless open construction means fewer materials are used keeping it lightweight cool and comfortable.
A standard cap is the most common and most affordable cap design. The layers of hair are open-wefted in the back and sides to allow for ventilation and have a closed lace layer at the crown. The hair at the crown is often lightly teased or crimped so you can not see down through the cap. This type of cap often gives the hair a natural lift at the crown for volume. Traditional wig cap construction is exceptionally durable and has a slight pre-teasing at the root which is what gives it the beautiful lift and fullness.  Traditional caps can be identified by the closed flower lace top and open wefts sew in rows by a machine to allow air to circulate through the wig. Tradional caps weigh a bit more, but they exceed all caps when it comes to durability and fullness through the crown area.  Skin Part - Is parted all the way to the base of the cap, and it's white appearance resembles the natural look of the scalp. Skin Top is basically a wefted cap with an insert of scalp-colored plastic sewn in at the crown.  Individual hairs are inserted into this material to give the appearance of hair growing out of a natural scalp and a permanent part. A skin part cannot be changed or styled in another direction.

HEAD SIZES FOR WIGS

Almost all women can wear average size wigs. That means your head size when measured is between 21" and 22½, you can wear average size wigs. Everyone has variations of high, low or even flat spots on their skull.  Janise, The Hair Lady, can alter the wig cap to provide you a secure, close fit.  If you are not sure that you have an average size head by looking, measure your head with a tape measure going around the forehead at the hairline, under the hair, behind the ears and around the nape of the neck. If this is too difficult to do by yourself, have someone help you.  Janise can custom fit just about any size wig to fit you comfortably.  See services

 Ultra-Petite or Child's - Fits very small head sizes - 19.5" - 18"
Petite Fits most petite head sizes - 21" - 20"
Petite-Average Fits a small average or a full petite - 20.5" - 21.5"
Average Fits Most Women - 92% off all wigs are sold as average - 21.5"- 22.5"
Large-Average Fits average and a tad larger than average - 22" - 23"
Large Fits larger head sizes - 22.5" - 24"

Helpful  Insurance Information

If a person requires a wig while or after receiving therapy for Alopecia or cancer, they could be eligible to receive reimbursement from their health insurance plan.

Most insurance companies cover from 80% to 100% of your wig expenses (cranial hair prosthesis).

When you file an insurance claim for a WIG!. Always call it a "CRANIAL HAIR PROSTHESIS". Some insurance companies reject claims for "wigs". The more received term is cranial hair prosthesis that  accompanies medical therapy.

Your doctor should give you a prescription for a "cranial hair prosthesis", save this and send a copy along with your wig receipt and your claim form to your insurance company. 

Notify us about your medical need for alternative hair and we will bill you for a "cranial hair prosthesis" .

Your emotional well-being is an important part of your medical recovery process. If you encounter resistance from your insurance company, a letter from your doctor, spelling out that he "prescribed" the prosthesis, not for cosmetic reasons, but as part of your recovery program, should suffice.

The American Cancer Society has a wig voucher program: it provides $75 towards the purchase of a new wig to qualifing individuals.  Janise Crow, The Hair Lady does accept these vouchers.  To see if you qualify contact The American Cancer Society at 800-417-9391.