Amy has turned her own struggle with alopecia, which began when she was 14, into a thriving business. Ms. Gibson is not only a popular television actress in the US, starring in "The Young and The Restless", "The Facts of Life", and "Guiding Light", she is also the creator of the "Amy's Presence" line of wigs. You can read a transcript of a WebMD live event during which Amy answered questions about wigs and hair loss. Amy also owns Crown and Glory Enterprises, a group of personal hair loss consultants.
Team Superstar: Duncan Goodhew
Duncan won Olympic gold for the UK in 1980. He has also been appointed as a member of the 'Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' by the Queen. Mr. Goodhew is now a much in demand motivational speaker and appears regularly on British television specials. Duncan is also the author of the book "Sink or Swim" You can read more about this fascinating person, athlete, and alopecian here.
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Alopecia can be a lot of things, and one of the things alopecia can be
is expensive. From doctor's appointments to treatments to wigs, hats,
and concealers; alopecia takes a substantial bite out of your wallet.
Add to that the cost of the items we buy that don't quite work, don't
fit, or are of poor quality. And as if that weren't enough, we
alopecians are often the victims of those marketers who prey an our
hair-loss insecurities.
Well we here at Team Alopecia would like to declare "Enough"! Together
we have probably bought every product and shopped at every website. So
here is a place where we can share our knowledge of these products and
stores, whether they be good, bad, or otherwise. Take a few minutes to
look over the products and sites up for review. And if you have
experience with any of them, please give your review for the benefit of
others who may be considering purchasing.
You may also notice that we have review categories for things that are
not really products or stores. But as these things can also be money
sinks, we thought it was a pretty good idea to put them out there for
us all to talk about as well. There are some treatment areas on the
list, (some physician prescribed, and some not-so-much).
Some treatments and therapies can actually contain or halt hair-loss
and some can help to re-grow hair. And some are useful for general
health, happiness, and confidence. And, okay, let's face it. What works
for someone, may not work for someone else. So when you review
something, please give as much detail about your experience as
possible.
More than anything, we want our wigs and falls (sometimes called
wiglets or toppers) to look natural and attractive. And it's wonderful
news for us that hairpieces
are so hugely popular now. Celebs like Jessica Simpson are even coming
out with their own lines. There are more brands than ever, and the
quality and style are getting better and better.
But there is still alot to talk about and to compare and review.
Especially since there are so many different brands out there, and it
can be really difficult to sort out which brand is best for our
particular needs. Some lines run large while others tend to be a bit
snug. Some look more natural than others and some last longer than
most. For the most expensive wigs, some brands offer a better value for
the money spent, and some are better under certain conditions than
others. And when looking at buying a fall, it would be good to know
which lines offer the most coverage, blend in with remaining hair the
best, and have attatchments that pull and pinch the least.
Wigs are almost always an expensive purchase, even if you are buying synthetic and machine made. Falls, while generally cheaper, are in no way a throw away item. And there are lots of things to know about a hair piece before you buy. Some websites are really good at explaining about the wigs and falls that they sell. Some sites deliver in a timely manner, have great customer service and support, and reasonable and even generous return policies. And some just don't.
If we share what we know about the offerings and support that sites offer, we can help each other out enormously. More than that we can actually change how some sites do business with us. When websites know that we are reviewing them, some of the lower rated sites may change their policies and services to reflect those of the sites that have earned the highest ratings from us. And having sites compete for our business is always a good thing!
Let's be straight. Hats, whether you are experiencing hair-loss or not,
are just playful and fun! Most of the sites in this category have no
alopecia related marketing strategy. They just sell headwear to the
stylish masses. Men love them. Women love them. And men and women love
each other in them!
For our purposes we are interested in the different styles the websites
carry and how they can help us alopecians cover our hair-loss without
looking like we are. We also want to know which sites have good return
and exchange policies, and which offer excellent customer service.
For men, there are some occasions when a baseball cap just won't cut
it. And women can dress their heads up for a special formal event, or
down with a hip, sexy, casual look, just by changing their hat. And
kids are also big fans, especially those kids who just have no interest
in wearing a hair piece.
Scarves and bandanas are kind of a staple in the alopecians arsenal.
There are even alopecia related sites that sponsor bandana exchanges.
Scarves and bandanas are just so easy. They are relatively cheap,
comfortable, stylish, and fun. They can keep your head warm, or keep it
safe from the hot sun. They are masters at covering the oddly placed
patch or patches. There are so many ways to tie them and wear them,
that even the most sophisticated head scarf wearer can always learn a
new trick.
Here we will focus on sites that sell these little marvels. Some sites
carry high-end head scarves that would be as comfortable in the office
as they would be at a dressy lunch. Some sell just the workaday
bandanas that you love to run around the house and run errands in. Some
sites cater to alopecians and others that have medical hair-loss.
Because of these specialty sites we will also include hair-loss
sleep-caps and swim-caps in this category, as well as those unique
fabric head covers that are meant for alopecians.
When reviewing these sites, we want to know if the scarves are comfortable, if they stay put once they are tied on (often this means that they have at least a little bit of stretch to them), and if they look good. Most alopecians prefer a somewhat larger scarf or bandana, as they offer more coverage and are easier to tie in different styles. We also are interested in a specific site's return/exchange policy, and if they offer good customer service.
Y'know, patch sprays and concealers have kind of a bad rap. We blame
the infomercials! So there's this guy right? And he has this huge bald
area covering most of his head. So he sprays this product on and Voila!
He now appears to have a beautiful full head of hair and the ladies
can't resist him! Hooray! No, no seriously, we believe you.
But the simple fact is that these products have some great uses.
Small(ish) patches can be hidden. Used correctly, these products can be
really useful. Some work better than others. Some are dangerously
overpriced.
What we need to know is, which ones really do work? And are there some that work better than others? And as there are tips and tricks to using even the best of
them, what is the best way to use them? Because, unfortunately, as these useful concealers really do have such a bad reputation, many alopecians who could really benefit from them, are reluctant to try them. So if you have ever used one of these products, please take a moment and leave a review.
Eyebrows
and eyelashes really do help define a face. And for those of us who
have lost part or all of our brows and/or lashes, the loss is much
harder to hide. Fortunately, false eyelashes are trendier than ever and
becoming more natural and easier to apply.
And there are now several eyebrow options as well. Some brow pencils
and powders look great and last for many hours, if not all day. And
there are even eyebrow "wigs", each with varying degrees of naturalness
and steadfastness. There are even alopecians who swear by the
permanence of tattooed on eyebrows and eyeliner as a way to define the
eyes.
If you use any of the products listed, kindly tell us all of your experience with them. If you use something that we don't yet have listed, please let us know and we'll add it to the list so that other alopecians can benefit from your knowledge.
Duncan won Olympic gold for the UK in 1980. He has also been appointed as a member of the 'Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' by the Queen. Mr. Goodhew is now a much 
hairpieces
are so hugely popular now. Celebs like Jessica Simpson are even coming
out with their own lines. There are more brands than ever, and the
quality and style are getting better and better.
Wigs are almost always an expensive purchase, even if you are buying synthetic and machine made. Falls, while generally cheaper, are in no way a throw away item. And there are lots of things to know about a hair piece before you buy. Some websites are really good at explaining about the wigs and falls that they sell. Some sites deliver in a timely manner, have great customer service and support, and reasonable and even generous return policies. And some just don't.
er in them!
Scarves and bandanas are kind of a staple in the alopecians arsenal.
There are even alopecia related sites that sponsor bandana exchanges.
Scarves and bandanas are just so easy. They are relatively cheap,
comfortable, stylish, and fun. They can keep your head warm, or keep it
safe from the hot sun. They are masters at covering the oddly placed
patch or patches. There are so many ways to tie them and wear them,
that even the most sophisticated head scarf wearer can always learn a
new trick.
Eyebrows
and eyelashes really do help define a face. And for those of us who
have lost part or all of our brows and/or lashes, the loss is much
harder to hide. Fortunately, false eyelashes are trendier than ever and
becoming more natural and easier to apply.
Wig Site Reviews
