Q: What is the best way to store my vacuum hairpiece long-term?

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A: Always keep your hairpiece dry and out of any light source – yes, even indoor light will fade our color! For short term storage, I keep mine on a head form inside my bathroom vanity. For longer term storage, put the bag of Styro peanuts that came inside the cap of your hairpiece and then put the hairpiece inside a zipper lock bag that has a corner cut off for air circulation and store on a shelf. Our hairpiece is extremely durability and can have a very long lifespan, but the age at which it can be repaired is limited to 4-5 years. For this reason, it’s actually best to wear your hairpiece rather than store it for too long.

Q: How can I combat environmental color fading and drying?

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A: Look for leave-in conditioners that contain ingredients that act like a sunscreen for your hair as this will help to slow down this inevitable natural process. Usually after a year or so of wear (depending on your lifestyle) you will notice that the top of your hair is especially lighter than the underneath color. If you were to compare your hair sample to this hair, you would see the difference immediately. This sample can be brought to your colorist to help her choose the color to be used for your “low-lights”. Foil low-lights are a great way to restore your color and have a very natural look. Additionally, by using the foiling technique, your cap will be protected from the hair color. Even though our silicone cap is impervious to absorbing color, why put it to the test when using foils is so effective? Color toning is a good coloring option used to remove the unwanted red from your hair. This is a natural process and will happen to all hair colors, so if it bothers you, try to stay on top of it by using a “purple” shampoo and/or conditioner. Always follow any hair coloring with a deep conditioning treatment as this will seal in the color and protect the hair. Low-lights add color back into your hair, not remove it as in the case of highlights, so it will not be as damaging to your hair although it will gradually wash out and need to be repeated at least once a year if not sooner to maintain your rich color.

Q: When is a repair necessary and what is involved?

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A: A repair is necessary when there has been enough hair loss to cause you to feel uncomfortable wearing your hairpiece. We can expect to see some normal “wear and tear” hair loss over time, and depending on how well you care for your hairpiece, this could occur between 18-24 months or later.  A repair is labor-intensive and involves removing the interior lining to prepare the cap for implantation of additional hair that is matched to the current color and texture of your hair at the original length. In some cases, we can replace bangs that were cut too short which can be a real life-saver! Expect about 3 months or so to get your repair back and plan on booking a styling appointment when you do to cut in the newly added hair as well as possibly refreshing the color. It will feel great to pay this respect to your hairpiece and it will reward you with several more years of service. After a hairpiece reaches the age of 4-5 years, it becomes increasingly difficult to perform the rigors surrounding a repair (the silicone becomes brittle and falls apart) and rather than destroy your hairpiece, the repair team will deem that it is in your best interest to return your hairpiece as is. This means that it has reached the end of its “repairable life span” but it doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to wear it for less demanding events.

Q: How can I extend the life span of my Freedom Wigs Vacuum Hairpiece?

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A: Our hairpieces are designed to look effortlessly beautiful all the while providing us with a several years of dependability and the confidence to live as we choose. Your custom vacuum will quickly become a part of you – a true prosthesis – that you will never want to be without. It is hugely responsible for your personal identity and the way others recognize and relate to you. It also represents a significant financial investment that you will want to protect and care for. As tempting as it is to treat it like real hair that is growing out of your head, we must never be that casual with it if we are to get the most service out of it. A big part of my job is to help you understand what you can and can’t do with your hairpiece in order for it to live a long and healthy life! First and foremost is the issue of sleeping in it. The short answer to that question is Never. Also in this category is napping in a high-back chair, resting the head back in a recliner or any other situation that allows the head to rest on an object. It is vital to keep all forms of pressure and rubbing away from the cap as this will eventually lead to “mechanical breakage” of the hair (the effect similar to bending a wire back and forth enough times until it snaps in two) at the vulnerable implant site on the cap. Another form of pressure can come from your hands if you are not using the right technique for adjusting the fit and suction of your cap. Other obvious problems would arise from wearing a headset, snug visor, scarf or hat. There is just one other behavior to avoid and that is “over-handling” your hair. This can be a pernicious one since it may be totally subconscious to the point where you may have to rely on others to tell you whenever they see you touching your hair. Running your hands through your hair or fluffing it up may feel good but every time you do that, you are causing the hair to bend this way and that which will lead to mechanical breakage and hair loss. We can and must try to prevent this type of damage from occurring as it is the #1 reason for a premature repair.