Before You Buy a Hair Replacement (hairpiece, hair system, and toupee) Care and Maintenance

Before you buy your hair replacement you should learn about what is involved in keeping your hair system clean and looking its best.

1. Make sure you get your hair cut by a professional who is in the hair replacement business. Take your time and find the best hair replacement specialist in your area or travel outside to a different state or city. Usually the larger companies are less personal with their clients and their products are not of high quality. Many times they also hire people right from beauty school who do not have the experience in cutting-in hair replacement. Try finding someone who has been in the business for a long time and they know what they are doing. Ask if you could come in and see them work on one of their clients. If a person is confident in their abilities and the final product they will be more likely to let you observe them at work (you want to know what to expect). Since a hairpiece is a long term investment make sure you find the best specialist possible (unfortunately there are few left). Another advantage of getting a hair replacement specialist cut your hair is that they prepare it for the hair replacement system. It lets them study your hair, its movement, what it will and will not do, its texture and feel. Then ounce the time comes that you need to get a hair replacement system your hair will blend a lot better with the system.

2. To extend the longevity of the hair system you should avoid swimming in the system, chlorine, lake water as well as salt water damages the hair. Also avoid having your hairpiece out in direct sunlight or under florescent light for an extended period of time as this oxidizes the hair making it slowly lose its natural color.

3. Make sure you get regular maintenance done on your hair replacement system. As you notice that it is time to get a haircut make sure you go to a hair replacement studio. Bring your hairpiece along for its regular maintenance, at this time you can also bring your other pieces to get cleaned and styled as well. When you get a haircut from a hair replacement specialist they know exactly how to cut your hair so that the hair system blends in without destroying the hair piece. As you take your hair system in the patch material as well as the hair will be cleaned, the hair piece styled so that it is ready to wear. If you need to clean your hair replacement system in between haircuts make sure you take off the tape first. Turn on lukewarm water, come through the hair piece before submerging it into the water (this will prevent major tangling and pulling out of the hair). Wash it with a gentle shampoo moving your hand in circular motions; make sure you rinse out the entire residue. Only towel and air dry your hairpiece using a brush or comb to style it (you should leave the hairdryer drying to a professional). Once again for best maintenance let the professional handle and wash the hair replacement system.

4. Do not use regular hair spray on your hairpiece. This will speed up the oxidation of the hair piece as well as leave residue on the individual strands of hair. This residue is very hard to take off and looks like white dots on the hair. The hair spray will also dry out the hair making it more delicate and brittle. Instead of using hair spray turn to water. Purchase a spray bottle, fill it with water and mist it over the hair system. After it dries it will lock in the desired style. If you have to use hair spray use one designed specifically for hairpieces. I have one that I recommend on my website www.davidhansen.com you can purchase it by calling my salon at 312-943-8171 or emailing me at davidhansen@davidhansen.com (the hair sprays cost $15-$20 each).

5. Do not wear a base ball hat that is fitted too tightly; get them a size or two bigger. This will prevent dents from forming in the hair system.

If you follow these suggestions and have regular maintenance done owning a hair replacement system should be as easy as one, two, there. You wake up put new tape on (if needed, you do not have to replace tape every day. As long as it is still tacky you do not need to put new tape on) put the hair replacement on your head. Comb or pick the hair through, mist with water if needed and you are on your way out.

I hope this blog was informative for more questions you can visit my website provided below or contact me by phone or email I am always glad to help.

David Hansen
Chicago IL
www.davidhansen.com
davidhansen@davidhansen.com

Hair Replacement Parts And Front Lines

The most critical areas of the hairpiece are the part and the front line. Even if a hair replacement is custom made, has European hair, a fine welded mono base, it may still be detectable if the part of the front line are not designed properly.
A good hair system will be created with some versatility in the way it can be parted. Nevertheless, the location and type of part are usually predetermined by both client and stylist. The names given to parts are often the result of the base used under them or the style involved. Five kinds are in common use:
1. The French Part, pre-styled into the hair replacement by a special weaving of the hair sewn in (one hair at a time) A gauze or lace base is used.
2.The Lace Part, just as impressive as the French part; in fact, a little more so. The hairpiece base used is lace cloth, a little more delicate than any other, with a very fine, closely-woven texture that can hardly be seen.
3.The Simulated Part, This is not an actual part. The hair is sewn into any one of a variety of hair replacement bases to create a slight separation. It has the appearance of a part, but has no skin tone showing through from the base. Very effective for today's styles.
4.The Skin Part, usually made on a skin-like plastic material, although recent advances have now made it possible to also have this on a lace base. It is designed to look like your own hair growing out of the scalp.
5.No Part. This is the most commonly style used by me. It is the most versatile style. It allows you to choose if you want a part on your left or on your right, you can do whatever you want with your hair and it will still look good.
The front lines available in a hairpiece are even more extensive than the part choices. It is enough to say that whatever style you want, the hair replacement can provide it: left to right, right to left, forward,forward than back, tossled, etc. The choice is yours. Consult with your hairstylist as to which style would look best with your facial features and existing side hair.(Bring your stylist a photograph of yourself when you had a full head of hair often facilitates this decision the most appropriate hairstyle.)
Just remember, the better the quality of your hair system, the easier to make, not only your front line, but every aspect of the piece appear natural. A hairpiece is truly one of those commodities of which "you get what you pay for!"

David Hansen
Chicago, IL
www.davidhansen.com