1. How long will it take to create my human hair wig? Human hair wigs are made to last for years, and each strand of hair is meticulously attached by hand, which is a time-consuming process. Make sure to ask how long the creation of your wig will take.

2. Do you want to match your hair’s natural color or choose a new hue? One great aspect of having a wig is being able to change the color and cut the way you’d change your natural hair. Wigs can be dyed to match your natural hair, but if you want a change, be sure to bring a hair sample from a friend or a color ring to make sure the color is matched well. Bringing in a photo of the style you want for your wig will also be helpful.

3. What will the styling and maintenance consist of? Caring for and maintaining a human hair wig isn’t the same as caring for your own hair or for a synthetic wig. Make sure you clearly understand what you’ll need to do to keep your wig looking great. (Joseph Fleischer offers their clients regular wig maintenance).

4. How do I style my wig? Many people end up badly damaging their wigs because they use styling appliances that use heat and burn the strands of hair. Always ask which tools to avoid using before attempting to style your wig.

Here are three trends that are destined to forever change the way we see hair and beauty salons.

1. Salons Will Become Greener

More than ever, people are concerned about how eco-friendly the products they’re using are, not only because of health concerns, but environmental ones as well. Knowing whether products have been tested on animals and what types of ingredients they’re made from are common questions that are being asked more than ever. This growing consumer concern is going to help make salons turn to greener products and procedures.

2. Mobile Beauty Stations

With employees working longer hours than ever, and with less leisure time available to people, mobile beauty stations are rising in popularity. Can you imagine scheduling an appointment, leaving your office to walk a block and pop into a mobile salon for a quick cut and color? It’s already happening in some locales around the country, and it’s due to be a bigger trend over the next few years.

3. Robotic Salons

Would you trust a robot to perform basic salon duties, like washing your hair? It’s already being tested after Panasonic built a hair washing robot to be used in salons in 2010. If hair washing can be automated, it’s possible that lots of other aspects of the salon experience can be automated too, such manicures, pedicures, or even simple haircuts.

Take a look and let us know what your favorite boards are – or link us to some of your favorite hair related boards.

1. Tonja Lee’s Hair Board – this Pinterest board has a ton of great hairstyle ideas for both casual and formal occasions. They’ve also got a lot of photo tutorials to help you master whatever style you want to try out.

2. BeeCustom Design’s Hat Fashions – What’s a hair accessories post without hats? Hat fashions is a great board that updates regularly with unique and fashionable ways to wear hats, along with suggested clothing pairings.

3. Lizzie Pauling’s Hair Accessories in Vintage Pics – While what’s considered vintage is constantly changing, the love of vintage never dies. We love this board for the 40’s and 50’s vintage inspiration it inspires both with hair accessories and hairstyles.

4. Kayla Martell’s Alopecia - This board is great for its inspiring images of people with alopecia, along with stories, quotes, and interesting tidbits. We highly recommend following this board for both it’s great shared information and its community of followers.

Let us know what Pinterest boards inspire you, and we may feature them in an upcoming blog post!

A hair shaft defect are often noticed early in life and look like abnormal hair growth and generally will only affect specific areas (like the nape of the neck) instead of the entire head. Rather than just being genetic, a hair shaft defect can also be acquired by external factors such as overprocessing hair and overuse of hair products and styling. When these types of physical hair defects occur, they’re often a precursor to hair loss.

Is there a way to treat a hair shaft defect?

Hair shaft defects caused by external factors like over styling can be helped by adopting a hair routine that doesn’t put so much stress on the hair follicles and the scalp. Specifically:

• Stop using straighteners, hair curlers and other types of heating devices that can be damaging to hair follicles

• Refrain from dying and overprocessing hair

• Make sure ponytail holders aren’t too tight, which can damage hair.

• Switch to a less harsh shampoo and conditioner

   

Today we’re looking at three lesser talked about causes of hair loss that is temporary and can usually be corrected with lifestyle or diet changes.

1. Too Much Estrogen - An abundance of estrogen in your body can cause all sorts of issues ranging from weight gain to depression, fatigue and even hair loss. This generally happens during perimenopause and can also be brought on by excessive weight gain.

2. High Testosterone - High testosterone can also be a surprising cause of hair loss in women. Hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc on the body, and hair loss, along with accelerated hair growth on the face, can be a symptom of a testosterone imbalance.

3. A Low Thyroid (or Hypothyroidism) - The thyroid is a gland that creates the thyroid hormone, which control the body’s energy usage. This can cause of hair loss for women in some cases, along with depression, brittle nails, dry skin, and a general feeling of tiredness.

Here’s four women that have jumped into the wig business and bringing a more positive light and attention to wigs and wig care.

1. Raquel Welch

Probably the most well-known celebrity wig brand, Raquel Welch has been in the hair business for quite a few years now. She’s even branched out and carries wigs, hair additions and hair extensions.

2. Sherri Shepherd

A newcomer to the wig industry, Sherri Shepherd created her LUXHAIR line, focusing on the various styles that she likes to experiment with on a day-to-day basis. From long waves to asymmetrical bobs to short, tight curls, there’s a range of styles in her line.

3. Daisy Fuentes

Television host and comedian, Daisy Fuentes, expanded her business recently to include a wig line with the same wig maker at Sherri Shepherd. Daisy’s line has mostly super short do’s and longer, wavy wigs.

4. Tabatha Coffey

Not surprisingly, after fixing numerous salon operations through her television show, Shear Genius, Tabatha’s now tackling the wig industry. Her standout version is, of course, her trademark platinum blonde bob, but she also has a range of others in platinum blonde and brunette.

1. The Low Ponytail - The low ponytail is almost exactly what you think it would be – a version of the standard ponytail, tied low at the nape with shorter hairs in the front left out of the hair band for a loose, wispy look. To make sure it stays that way, it’s a good idea to add in a few bobby pins by the hair in the back to ensure that it stays in place all day.

2. Fishtail Braid - The fishtail braid has been worn by a ton of celebrities lately, including Vanessa Hudgens and Kim Kardashian. The end goal is a casual, super textual braid that looks great if you’ve got long hair. For a detailed tutorial with photos, check out this blog: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2011/09/how-to-style-a-fishtail-braid-.html

3. The Sicilian Twist – One of our favorites this year, the Sicilian Twist requires some accessories – namely, a silk head scarf. To get started, roll up the scarf and tie around head, ending at the base of the neck, similar to wearing a headband. Then, loosely twist up the hair inside the perimeter of the scarf and use bobby pins to secure in place. Don’t worry about getting it too perfect – the beauty is in the slightly touseled look.

4. Side Swept Knot - The side swept knot is a great way to pull off an elegant and polished look without a lot of work. That’s likely what it’s graced the red carpets of some of the most high profile events in Hollywood recently. To pull this look off, brush hair to one side, twist into a bun and secure in place. Pull a few wisps out around the face to complete the look.

1. Dolly Parton - Even though she has said she doesn’t suffer from hair loss, Dolly Parton has been wearing wigs every since she entered the entertainment industry. Mostly stemming from the fact that her hair is very fine and is difficult to style, she chooses wigs because of the variety and ease-of-use and is a very vocal advocate of hair pieces.

2. Tina Turner - According to third party accounts, Tina Turner experienced hair loss after a hair dying incident and began wearing wigs in the 60’s. That trend has apparently lasted decades and has become common place for her. In fact, Turner has been called one of the wig industry’s biggest supporters.

3. Cher - Like Dolly Parton, Cher doesn’t suffer from alopecia or any other type of hair loss, but she does consistently wear wigs on a day-to-day basis. Whether its for fashion or for function, Cher chooses the variety of wearing wigs and being able to quickly change styles, colors and cuts.

If you’re looking for an organization to donate your time, money, and hair to in 2013, give these 5 nonprofits a try.

1. Angel Hair Foundation ( http://www.angelhairfoundation.org/)

The Angel Hair Foundation is a nonprofit based in Eugene, Oregon that works with children and teens who suffer from hair loss due to medical conditions. The organization provides quality hair systems to kids and teens who need them, but can’t afford them. You can get involved by making a cash donation, holding a school fundraiser, and donating hair.

2. Pantene Beautiful Lengths (http://www.pantene.com/en-US/PanteneBeautifulLengths/Pages/default.aspx)

An offshoot of the Pantene Pro-V hair care line, the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program helps women fighting cancer get human hair wigs. Pantene partnered with the American Cancer Society to help improve the overall quality of life of the brave women that are battling cancer through chemotherapy. To get involved, you can donate hair directly to the program. Make sure to read their donation requirements first, though.

3. Locks of Love (http://www.locksoflove.org/)

Locks of Love is a much more well-known organization that caters to children and teens under the age of 21 who need assistance in obtaining hair prosthetics due to medical conditions that cause hair loss. Volunteers can help out by donating financially, donating hair, holding a fundraising event, and registering as a participating salon (if you’re a hair stylist) to collect hair donations.

4. Wigs for Kids (http://www.wigsforkids.org/)

Wigs for Kids helps children under the age of 18 who are referred by a medical professional for hair loss stemming from radiation therapy, alopecia, chemotherapy, burns, and trichotillomania. Their goal is to help improve the lives of kids suffering from hair loss by improving self-image and self-esteem. Wigs for Kids is currently looking for hair donations, and there are a few other ways to help out the organization.

5. Childhood Leukemia Foundation (http://www.clf4kids.org/)

The Childhood Leukemia Foundation is a great nonprofit that works with kids who are fighting leukemia and their families. Their goal is to provide a range of assistance to these families, and through their Hugs-U-Wear program, they provide thousands of human hair wigs to children who experience temporary hair loss through cancer treatment. To see a list of ways you can donate to the CLF, check out their website.

Accessories come in all different shapes and forms – from scrunchies and bands that hold your hair together, to more visual accessories that work solely to add flair and fashion. But not all hair accessories are created equal. In fact, some of them are downright strange. These are the oddest hair finds we’ve found so far this year. What do you think? Would you wear these?

Mesh Braided Chain Headband – this headband seems more functional as a belt. Regardless, it features chains that drop down from the forehead.

Hair Bow Made of Hair – This might take home the award for strangest hair accessory yet. Designed to match your hair color and blend in, it’s a hair bow made out of synthetic hair.

Giant Hair Bows – Giant hair bows may have been big in the early 80’s, but these days we think the “bigger is better” mantra doesn’t ring so true – at least with this trend.

Hair Belt – A cross between a headband and a belt, this hair accessory – although a bit strange – can actually help keep your hair in place.

Hair accessories are a fun way to dress up your look, and change up your hairstyle without having to spend money on a cut or color job for your wig. How do you spruce up your look?