Q – I found your website in the NAAF newsletter.  After visiting your site I have a few questions.  Where are you located, how much would I expect to spend on a hairpiece and how long could I expect it to last?

A – I live in Burr Ridge, IL, a suburb located about 20 miles S/W of Chicago.  I hold consultations at a nice hair and breast prosthetic salon nearby or I travel to a perspective client’s home. 

Since becoming a direct dealer for Freedom Hair in early 2005, I believe my prices are the best around for this type of product. My overhead is low and my goal is to help as many people in need of this as possible to afford it.  Prices are based on finished hair length starting at $2695 for 4” and going up $200 for each 2” increment up to 10” at which point the increases become a bit steeper.

Life expectancy is generally 3-4 years with 1-2 repairs to be expected within that period of time.  A repair requires the hairpiece to be returned to the manufacturer and has a 6-8 week turn around time.

Q – Is human hair used in this hairpiece?

A – Yes - 100% unprocessed human hair.  This means that the hair you will be wearing has NEVER been chemically processed in any way. A single strand of hair when viewed under a microscope has 7-10 cuticle layers that overlap like shingles on a roof. In the case of our virgin hair, the cuticles are tightly closed and present a healthy, lustrous appearance.  The hair you receive is exactly the same as the donor hair it came from – color and curl pattern.  In the case of most other wig manufacturers, their hair sources come from Asia and Indonesia and are naturally very straight and dark.  The cuticles are necessarily opened up in order to achieve variations in color and curl pattern.  These chemical processes downgrade the hair quality so much that some cuticle layers are stripped away and the remaining cuticles never close fully, allowing them to rub against each other creating tangles and mats – ugh!  On the other hand, our hair never mats and feels like a silk scarf lying against your neck.

Q – How long does it take to have a custom made vacuum prosthesis made?

A – I have been able to deliver new orders within 3 months of the order date - in some cases, sooner.  I will alert you to your expected delivery time a few weeks in advance so that you can make arrangements for styling.

Q – Who will cut my vacuum prosthesis?

A – If you live near me or wish to travel to my area, I can recommend a stylist experienced in cutting vacuums and will make every effort to attend your hair styling appointment – this is a lot of fun for me!  Alternatively, I may be able to refer you to a stylist in your area that a client has used and liked. 

You can also look for a stylist on your own by asking family or friends about who does their hair.  I would ask for the director or educator of the salon and begin with a 15 minute consultation to let them take a look at your hair and discuss your style.  If your stylist is new to a vacuum hair prosthesis, they should know that cutting them is quite similar to cutting growing hair – they can be shampooed at the bowl, combed out, sectioned and cut with various scissor or razor techniques.  Of course, the one thing they can’t do is grow out, so start very conservatively and make minor adjustments from there.  I can provide tips for your stylist via a phone conversation before or during your cut as well.

One thing I feel pretty strongly about is to stay away from a typical wig shop for your cut and styling.  A vacuum hair prosthesis much more resembles growing hair than a wig and you want someone very much at ease with cutting growing hair – not a wig!  Finally, up-to-date, current cutting and styling techniques will make you look like you stepped out of a modern hair styling magazine.  You deserve it!

Q - Can I ever color my hair?  I love the look of highlights.

A – Yes, with caution.  Just look around you - today’s hairstyles are vibrant with multi-tonal color. It is impossible to order the hair this way.  Even with custom blended hair chosen during your ordering process, your hair will arrive as a single shade.  The only way to get the variation of color so popular today is to have foil highlights (or lowlights) done AFTER you receive your hairpiece.  This can be done before your cut or at sometime after your cut and have had a chance to live with it for a while.  In either case,
have a color specialist perform a few test strips first before proceeding with the entire head.  Since you have healthy, unprocessed human hair, your hair will react the same as any other growing hair.  Make extra sure to keep your hair well conditioned since coloring tends to have a drying effect on the hair.

Q – Is there ever a problem with excessive heat while wearing a vacuum prosthesis?

A – I have found that the answer to this question can be very subjective.  What may seem hot to some is not even perceptible to others.  Let me start by saying that the temperature of the silicone cap will match your skin temperature exactly – it will never get any hotter.  When your body temperature rises, your body will cool things down by perspiring, relishing the cooling sensation of the evaporation process.   But since there is very little air exchange inside a vacuum cap (hence the term vacuum), there can be a build up of perspiration on the very hottest of days.  If this proves uncomfortable, one can simply step into a private area and tissue off their head and the inside of the cap.  I try to stay out of extremely hot situations like a beach on a 90 degree day!  I have found that under normal circumstances, I never get a build up of perspiration – don’t we all live in air-conditioned spaces these days?  That being said, Freedom Wigs’ newest generation of vacuum hairpieces have a distinct advantage of better heat dissipation due to an advanced molecular silicone structure.  I have clients living in Arizona and Florida and they have never complained about their hairpieces being too hot.  Now, menopause may be another story…

Q – Can one sleep in a vacuum wig?

A – Yes, but we don't recommend doing so since the tossing and turning will pull on the hair and eventually weaken it. For special occasions, it won't make a difference, but if you are going to make a habit of it, just know that this action will most likely reduced your hairpiece's life span to some degree. Of course, it's your choice.

Q – Does your vacuum prosthesis feel tight on the head?

A – Not tight, just secure. It is a balance of feeling not too tight, yet not too loose. Since the cap is made of soft silicone, it warms to your body temperature and conforms to your head almost perfectly. The size and shape of the cap is an exact replica of your head since it is made using the plaster mold of your head I take at the time of your order. The "skin" is thin enough to feel the water spray of a shower and yet durable enough to withstand everyday wear and tear. There is a normal maintenance done at about the one year period that involves peeling out the old silicone, checking for any hair thinning and then re-coating with new silicone. (There is a cost of from $200-$400 to do this.) With good short term and long term care, your prosthesis can last up to 4 years or more.

Q - "What types of things go wrong with the piece that you would have to send it back?"

A - A vacuum hairpiece will wear at different rates for everybody since individual lifestyle and general care will make a big difference. For example, when I got my first hairpiece, I wore it all the time (except to sleep in), including teaching several sweaty exercise classes a week. I remember that in about 9 months, I was ordering a second piece because I began seeing the signs of it being in need of repair and with a 3 month delivery, I figured I had better get the process started. These signs were thinning and bubbling of the silicone in spots and a bit of peeling at the edges. I didn't have any hair loss that I was aware of but that could be another sign. They don't generally lose much hair at all, but with some clients, the part line and crown can be a stress area due to continual combing and styling. On rare occasion, a product defect will cause spots of hair loss in non-stress areas and this will be repaired as quickly as possibly under warranty. Keeping the interior silicone really clean will help preserve it from the effects of perspiration, oils and skin acids. Keep in mind that when a repair is needed, it is a gradual thing -you can continue to wear it for a while longer and it won't hurt the piece. They are very durable and won't suddenly just fall apart! But the other side of the coin is to wait so long that the underlying "skin" becomes too fragile and it is deemed "irreparable" by the manufacturer. If you ever see the implanted hair totally exposed, you are getting close to this point.

Q -"How long does this usually take? The cost?"

A - A repair on average, takes 2 months for a total turn-around. The cost will vary according due to the amount of work needed and the length of the hair ordered. (When hair is re-implanted, it is matched as closely in color to the repaired piece and at the original hair length.) Most of the quotes I have seen range from $200-$400.

Q - " Also should we get these trimmed once in a while for split ends? "

A - Only if you feel the need. I have never had the need to trim any of mine due to split ends. But my hair is mid-length and my style doesn't require a lot of combing. Longer, straighter styles may need it over time - like after a year or two. Your new hairpiece has already been trimmed of split ends during the blending phase. Now, you may want a subtle or not-so-subtle style change and this will take something off the ends. The hair is really very strong since it is virgin hair and has never been subjected to chemical processing that wears away and weakens the cuticles. If you elect to have a process done like highlighting, remember that it is only done once so the damage is quite limited.

Q - "About how long do they last? (I said I thought about 2-5 years depending on how it's cared for.)"

A - I say 3-5 years with at least two repairs. You're so right regarding the care factor. I have a few elderly clients who have had their hairpieces for over 5 years. Those with very little perspiration and scalp oil can go up to two years before they even think of having a repair. Yet others who perspire a lot need a repair like I did - just before the 12 month period. I think the vapor that can develop inside the cap from excessive heat/sweat can break it down faster and this is simply unavoidable because of the nature of the material. The main thing is that we get to live our lives and if it means less time between repairs, so be it.

Q – I often tell my husband that I just want this situation solved one way or another. Either grow back or fall out completely so that I can resolve it and move forward. I am literally a shell of my old self and I am quite frightened. Sometimes I just want to shave my head and get a full wig so I don't have to see anymore hair in the shower drain, sink, bathroom floor, back of my shirt, etc. I know you've been through this and by all appearances, really came out on top. Do you have any advice for someone like me?

A – Yes, I have been there, and yes, I have come out of it, so please keep the faith! First look at the big picture: an incurable autoimmune skin disease causing hair loss does not effect our general health. We have healthy bodies - just minus the hair! Finding a natural-looking hairpiece that you can wear through all of life's pursuits will go a long way toward loving yourself again. Transitions are so difficult, but it is an important part of the process that can't be cut short. We all have to go through them to come out on the other side. Since alopecia is extremely unpredictable, my advice is to be prepared for the worst case scenario - that you will lose all of your hair. You may reach a point where you have so little hair that it is just as good as lost. Only YOU will know when you are ready to take the next step and I believe it begins with trying to let go of your desire to control your alopecia. It will do whatever it wants so don't even bother with it. Instead, focus on the things you CAN control, like adopting a healthy lifestyle and searching for the highest quality hairpiece available, like the Freedom Wigs vacuum.