The Hair Games: Human Vs. Synthetic

In today's economy, there are thousands of cheap choices for those looking for a hairpiece. Most uninformed people, however, find themselves unsatisfied with their inexpensive purchases. Whether the hair doesn't look natural, the style is unflattering, or it melts (yes, MELTS) with the use of hot tools. The largest culprit for this disappointment? Cheap wigs and hairpieces are made from Synthetic hair, instead of Human Hair. 

Through David Hansen's 50 years of experiences, he has seen customers enter a cycle that involves buying a synthetic wig, becoming unsatisfied with its quality and returning to purchase another synthetic. Many of these same customers feel that they do not want to invest in a human hair wig at the time of purchase, and choose to go with the more affordable synthetic wig. In fact, having to purchase and cut in a synthetic hairpiece every 3 or 4 months will rack up a higher expense than purchasing just one, top-quality human hairpiece from David Hansen. After talking to our clients, we discovered that most of them purchase a new piece every 4 or more years, and continue to wear that first piece (rotating with the new one) for 5 to 10 years after that. 

So, what's the big deal with synthetic hair?

Synthetic Hair Wigs require very little maintenance and are less expensive than their human hair counterparts, but is not necessarily the best deal. The “hair” in these wigs is made out of a monofilament fiber, and as a result means these wigs better hold short-term waves, curls, texture and volume without daily upkeep. Synthetic wigs can be returned to their original style by washing them. Because these hair fibers are a form of plastic, synthetic wigs are unable to endure a permanent wave or color change and can be damaged by curling irons, blow dryers and hot rollers. It can also give off a shine that looks unnatural (it can be TOO shiny, with a plastic-y sheen to it), and requires specific tools to prevent tangling and fraying. Synthetic hair is most popular in fashion wigs and costume wigs, which are not meant for everyday wear. 

Why is human hair a better option?

Custom Hairpieces made from 100% natural human hair are the more natural, durable and flexible wig choice. Unlike synthetic wigs, human hair wigs may be freely styled, permed and colored in any way desired. Human hair wigs are typically more expensive than synthetic wigs, but the durability, flexibility, and natural appearance is worth the price. 

The hair used in human hair wigs is selected strand by strand according to strict guidelines. This limit the availability of high quality hair on the global market, causing the price difference between synthetic and human hairpieces. One of these guidelines is that chemically damaged (permed, colored, or bleached) or low-quality hair (constant exposure to water, air, and sun can cause natural damage) cannot be used during the production process. Once hair has been selected for use in a human hair wig, it is treated with keratin-rich compounds that strengthen its cuticles and increase the durability and longevity of the hairpiece. Human hair is incomparable to synthetic hair — there is no reason to consider synthetic hair when offered quality human hair options.

Human Hair Wigs have Several Distinct Qualities:

Natural Appearance: Human Hairpieces from David Hansen Custom Hair Replacement look and feel so natural that they are virtually undetectable by others. After wearing a human hair custom piece for more than a week, it will is impossible to spot. Since human hair is like your own natural hair, it even bounces and moves with you as go on with your day. Synthetic wigs tend to remain in a fixed position despite movement, increasing its chances of being detected by others. 

Styling Flexibility: Curling irons, hot rollers and blow-dryers may used to style any human hairpiece allowing the wearer an infinite amount of styling possibilities. Human hairpieces may also be colored and dyed, although it is usually best to order any specific instead of waiting to change the color or wave pattern after the piece is made. Always ensure that a professional, like David Hansen, is the one to do this. All human hair sold at David Hansen has the cuticle intact, which allows the hair to move freely in any direction (meaning the hair may be parted in any direction). Synthetic wigs remain the same style after washes and most are irreparably damaged by hot tools such as curling irons.

Durability: Human hairpieces are more durable and longer lasting than their synthetic counterparts due to their chemical coating and intact cuticle hair. In addition to being naturally resilient, human hair wigs are chemically strengthened to allow for greater longevity and long-term wear. Synthetic wigs are made of fibers that are prone to heat damage that will cause them to fray over the course of a couple of months.

Ventilation: Human hairpieces are lightweight and allow the scalp to breathe and remain cool — just like your own natural hair! Synthetic fibers are not ideal for scalp ventilation and can scratch the head, causing a frustrating experience.

Hairpieces, as with everything related to fashion and apparel, are an investment in an individual’s beauty and self-confidence. And, as with any other product of this nature, the buyer will get what they pay for. Many who purchase a synthetic hairpiece and intend to wear it frequently find themselves unsatisfied with their purchase, and end up purchasing another hairpiece as a result. Customer feedback on synthetic wigs is always the same: they are itchy, uncomfortable and unnatural. 

Backed by our customers, David Hansen strongly recommends only 100% human hair custom made hairpieces to anyone planning to buy a hairpiece. Before honoring the bad rap that your doctor or neighbor has given human hair wigs, come in and give us a chance to show you what high quality human hair wigs can really do for you. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did!

Wearing Your Piece in Any Weather

Spring is here, which means unpredictable weather. How does this affect hairpiece wearers? Just like with natural hair, there are steps you must take to keep your hairpiece fresh, clean, and looking perfect.
Rain is one of the gentlest natural forces on your hairpiece, especially if you live in a rural area with low pollution. Air pollution and dust particles get trapped in raindrops that can get your piece dirty over time. If you have a custom made hairpiece, you won't have to worry about the style being ruined by a passing cloud. The hair in David Hansen's custom hair systems is ventilated by hand to achieve maximum mobility. If the rain tousles your style, your hairpiece is natural enough to just run a comb through it, and the style is done! All in all, a little rain won't hurt. But bring your umbrella!

Spending time in the sun can give your skin a great glow, but it can also bring some unwanted color to your hairpiece. When exposed to sunlight and air (especially near bodies of salt water), the hair in the piece can oxidize, or turn color. Pieces with grey or white hair can turn a yellowish color, blonde can gradually turn orange, and brunette pieces will display much more of a reddish tone.  This doesn't happen overnight, but a summer of fun in the sun can leave your piece looking lackluster after only a few months. There are options to both prevent and combat sun exposure. The first and most obvious is a hat. David Hansen's custom hairpieces use a lightweight yet durable mesh-type base that lets your scalp breathe just like it would with regular hair. Wearing a hat with one will not overheat your head like other hairpieces. The other option is talking to your stylist about shampoos used to tone yellow and red colors in the hair. These shampoos, like ShimmerLights, are purple or blue colored, and gradually remove yellow, orange, and red from hairpieces that have had too much sun or have aged considerably.

If a strong gust of wind blows past, your LAST thought should have to be worrying about your hairpiece staying on. If you have a custom hair replacement system from David Hansen, then your hairpiece is shaped perfectly to your head for an undetectable fit. If your scalp and piece are clean, and you are using the proper double-sided surgical tape, your hairpiece will stay on, even in winds that could blow YOU away!  The wind is not the danger to your hairpiece, but the wrong styling products are. NEVER use hairspray on a hair system. The alcohol, aerosol, and propellants in hairspray dehydrates hair and causes it to break easily. There is also alcohol in most generic hair products for natural hair. These chemicals are much too harsh for hair in hairpieces, so there are plenty of alternate styling tools and products that are alcohol-free.  You can buy Wet Look, a holding spray for hairpieces, at our studio. The best styling product for a hairpiece is just plain water. Custom hair replacement by David Hansen always styles easily, and can be combed back into place.

With the weather warming up, the beaches and pools will open. But before you take that dive, here's a few things you should know. Swimming in a hairpiece is one of the quickest ways to age it. Not only does the act of getting it wet and matted pull hairs out of the base and cause terrible tangling, what is IN the water can hurt the piece, too.  Chlorine from pools dries hair out, and will cause hairpieces to thin rapidly due to all the breakage. Salts from the ocean or salt lakes also have a drying effect on the hair. This combined with the matting of the hair can take years of life out of your piece.  There are a few alternatives to this, David Hansen suggests wearing a swim cap or even using an old hairpiece that has seen better days. The new ones, though, should be kept out of the water.

No matter what the weather may bring your way, you can keep you hairpiece looking undetectable!

The Purchase: The Best Place to Buy

If you intend to invest in a high-quality and well-fitted hairpiece, trust only an expert. You can avoid the most common disappointments in the finished product if you start right--by selecting someone who knows his business.

Let us use David Hansen as an example. He has won every hair styling competition available: State, Midwest, National, Canadian, and World Championship. More recently he has receive recognition in the field of hairpiece construction and styling. This is the type of man you can put your trust in.

Stay away from mail-order hairpieces and prestyled creations! You have distinct characteristics which must be analyzed by a professional before your hairpiece is designed. Ideally, you should buy your hairpiece from a stylist who manufacturers his own pieces. Only then will you receive a truly customized product.

When asked his opinion of mail-order hairpieces, David Hansen was very adamant in his judgment, insisting: "I would be amazed if a man could take his own measurements and hair samples, determine his most complimentary hairstyle, and then shape and style the hairpiece. He'd have such a rare talent, I'd probably offer him a job! In the case of mail-order pieces, there's only one person who comes out smelling like a rose, and that's the seller! That's not what this business is all about. We're here to please the customer. Doing that through the mail is quite inconceivable. I not only refuse to handle hairpieces from out-of-town sources, I insist on making my own. This is the only way I can guarantee a perfect match."

Even if you take a mail-order hairpiece to a local stylist for the cutting and fitting, chances of satisfaction are very limited. Prior consultation is a necessity, just as personal instruction in the handling and care is required.

You'll be able to tell if a man is serious about the quality of his hairpieces just by taking a look at the premises on which he conducts his business. Does he have a private consultation area and fitting rooms that are modern and well-equipped? Are there ample supplies and sample pieces on hand? Is the atmosphere a professional one in which transactions are carried out in an orderly and efficient member? Do his employees and customers respect him?

If the answer to any of these questions is negative, find another distributor, someone who is serious about serving you. Just take a good look around you when you enter a shop, keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll have no trouble deciding whether or not the man is a pro.

The man you are looking for will be innovative and progressive. He'll be willing to give his personal guarantee of satisfaction, and he'll be willing to take the extra time required to guide you in the wear and care of your new hairpiece.

In most cases, your instinct will be a satisfactory guide. But if you'd like some assurance, check with your local Better Business Bureau, consult with previous customers, and take a look at a competitors' offers before you're willing to say that one man's services look like the best.

Check out www.davidhansen.com

Celebrity hairpieces, celebrity hair transplants… You are not alone

Celebrity hairpieces, celebrity hair transplants… You are not alone

Whether you are famous or not everyone is concerned about his or her looks. In this day and age it seems like everyone wants to look their best, not only for others but also for themselves. Many actors wear hairpieces, this help them boost their self-esteem as well as makes them look or feel younger. After all, a good head of hair is associated with youth, and attractiveness, so when hair loss happens, it can come as a surprise.
Some examples of celebrities who wear hairpieces are,

John Travolta has a very natural looking hair replacement. He wears a lace front system that creates a soft hairline. The color and wave pattern are well matched making the hair blend right into the hair replacement system.

William Shatner who starred in Star Trek has an excellent hairpiece; I have been following him for about 40 years. The reason it is a great hairpiece is that he has good hair on the sides and on the back of his head. This creates plenty of hair to blend into the hairpiece.  If you do not have that much hair on the sides or in the back, it would be much harder to blend the hairpiece in with the hairpiece. Unless done by a professional, you would have to take a hair sample from the right areas of your hair. From my opinion, he wears a lace front hair replacement hairpiece, showing his recession, which also gives it a natural look.

John Wayne, known for his in many western films is another exception. He has a variety of different hairpieces. Sometimes he wears good hair replacement systems and sometimes he wears bad hairpieces.
There is plenty of hair replacement specialists out there with different opinions about the right hair loss hair replacement system. You would have to find the one that fits you the best and makes you feel great about yourself. Every man or woman can experience hair loss for any of these reasons whether it be from childbirth, to an infection, or from medication. The treatment is in your hands to decide.

Charleston Heston, known as Moses from The Ten Commandments. This is a bad piece. There is too much hair on the front and top, it is too heavy and not enough hair on the sides, I would suggest he grow out the hair on the sides more. The sides are thin and the top is too heavy. He has never had that much hair in his lifetime, there would be no need for him to have that much hair at his age now. The hairpiece should be lightly ventilated and with a slight wave to give it movement. In addition, it should be a lace front, so it would soften his hairline and look natural with his scalp. This is an example of what not to wear; it is all in the cut which is 75% of the hairpiece.

Hugh Hefner, known for Playboy. He does not wear a hairpiece anymore. The man is 88 years old, but notice he has hair on the front, all he needs is a partial hairpiece that he can comb his own hair over. In addition, you would never know it, but if he grows his hair longer on the sides, he can blend it in more into the hairpiece and look more natural. This would also give his face a better frame. I would love to make him a great hairpiece if I got the chance to.
Good Luck & Good Looking
David Hansen,
www.davidhansen.com
312-943-8171

Things to know when living with a hairpiece

Things to know when living with a hairpiece

When a person starts to wear a hair replacement system, there are certain things they must know in order to have it look natural and last for as long as possible. Here I will explain how it is to live with one and still live your daily life.

When thinking of getting a custom-made hairpiece, it would typically take 6-8 weeks from order date to come in to get it to the right specifications. The specifications would include color, texture, wave pattern of your natural hair and style. Reasons for that are not only to give the natural look but also to prevent any changes to the style when you come in for fitting of hairpiece.

Typically, a hairpiece can weigh about 2 ounces. It weighs that little after the cut and styling with your own natural hair. This is an advantage for you since it will feel undetectable and blend in with your own.

If you have read my previous blogs, I have stated that a tape on hairpiece is the best way and most sanitized way to wear a hair replacement system compared to when you bond on a hairpiece. It takes just a few minutes to put tape on the hairpiece. The tape used would be double-sided tape, and all that is needed is a few small pieces. When put on properly and when applied to a clean scalp, the hairpiece will not budge. Winds would blow YOU away before the hairpiece!

The hair replacement specialist will explain and show you how to place and tape on the hairpiece. If you can spare 3-4 minutes a day and have a wide-tooth comb or a bristle brush, a tape on hairpiece is for you. With time and more practice, you will probably do it with-in 1-2 minutes.  That type of comb and/or brush is best not only for your hairpiece but also for your own natural hair.

For the hairpiece to last the longest and keep looking its best, it is best not to shower and sleep in it. If you leave the hairpiece on, you are shortening the life of it. Your hairpiece is like clothing; you wouldn’t shower or sleep in it if you intend to wear it continuously. It also best not to swim or do strenuous activities outdoors whiling wearing it. Extensive sun can also cause the hairpiece to lighten in color, as much as 3-4 shades lighter. It is best and also suggested to have a synthetic one to knock around in and also your custom made hairpiece for all other activities.

When the hairpiece is in need of a servicing, bring it to your hair replacement specialist. The hairpiece is just like a car, you would take it to a mechanic unless you are a mechanic yourself, and it goes the same for the hairpiece. It must be cleaned with special fluid that performs best only by a professional. Typically, every time you would need a haircut, the hairpiece should be treated just as good.

A hairpiece, if taken care of, would last up to a year and maybe longer, with few or no adjustments or repairs required. The main “repairs” needed for a hairpiece is re-coloring, addition of more hair, and/or replacement of base.  It may seem like a custom made hairpiece is expensive but it would be well worth the money in the end compared to a stock piece, which you would probably have to keep buying month after month and end up paying the same amount. Quality is always better than quantity. Hope this helped to give some answers and feedback. Good Luck & Good Looking

David Hansen,

The Ultimate Mens Hairstylist & Hairpiece Specialist

Chicago, IL

www.davidhansen.com

312-943-8171