If you’ve never had a wig consultation before, you might imagine it’s simply a case of coming in, trying a few wigs on and choosing your favourite.
There’s a little more to it than that.
For me, a consultation isn’t just about finding a wig that looks nice.
It’s about working out what will actually work for you.
Your hair loss, your previous hair, how you normally style it, your lifestyle, your face shape and even how much hair you’re accustomed to seeing when you look in the mirror can all change what I recommend.
We start with you — not the wigs
One of the first things I want to understand is your individual situation.
Do you still have biological hair? Is it thinning in particular areas? Are you expecting to lose more of it? Is your hair expected to grow back?
That can help us decide which cap construction is going to work best.
Someone who still has hair around their hairline, for example, may have the option of wearing a lace-front wig for full coverage or choosing a Beginners Cap and integrating some of their own hair.
Neither is automatically better.
It depends on you, how you naturally wear your hair and what you need from your wig.
I want to know what your hair was like before hair loss
This is something we talk about properly.
When hair loss has changed your appearance, being able to recognise yourself in the mirror can be incredibly important.
So tell me about your old hair.
Was it thick? Fine? Straight? Full of extensions? Did you always have a fringe? Were you somebody who never left the house without a bouncy blow-dry?
Photos are incredibly useful too.
That doesn't necessarily mean we're going to recreate your previous hair exactly. But it gives me a really good understanding of what feels like you.
Density isn't about choosing the thickest hair you can afford
This is something I think people can get wrong when shopping for wigs online.
More hair isn't automatically better.
130% density is my thinnest option. I often recommend it to women who were accustomed to naturally fine or thinner hair, or who simply want something lower maintenance.
150% density gives more of a good, full head of hair and can suit somebody who was previously used to wearing extensions.
180% density works well for someone accustomed to very thick hair, but I’ll also deliberately choose it when I know I’m going to create lots of layers.
I can take a 180% wig, cut a substantial amount of layering into it and effectively turn it into a choppy 150%. I’ve got enough hair there to create the shape without leaving the wig feeling sparse.
I've even removed tracks from the back of a 130% wig when it was still too much hair for the woman wearing it.
Natural is personal.
Then we look at colour
I could easily say that every natural-looking wig should have a natural root that complements the client’s eyebrows.
And yes, a natural root can make balayage and dimensional colours look incredibly realistic.
But what if you’ve worn bleach-blonde hair your entire adult life?
I’m not going to suddenly tell you that you need a darker natural root because that’s technically more realistic.
You still need to feel like yourself.
I once had a woman come to me wanting a brown wig with highlights. We tried different options and every time I put one on her, something wasn’t right.
She showed me photographs of her biological hair before she’d lost it. Her brunette hair had looked lovely on her.
But on the wigs we were trying, I just couldn’t see it.
Eventually I asked her to trust me.
I put a blonde unit on her.
Wow.
The difference was immediate. She was made to be blonde.
Interestingly, it was also a colour her biological hair might never have comfortably achieved without significant damage.
That's another freedom wigs can give you.
Sometimes a consultation recreates the hair you had.
Sometimes we find something you never knew would suit you.
Getting the cap fit right
Measurements are important, but they aren't the whole story because everybody's head shape is different.
I'm actually a good example myself.
By measurement, I'm a small.
I wear a medium.
It sits better on my head because I need to accommodate my biological hair and sometimes a row of hair extensions underneath it.
If a wig is too big, it can move surprisingly easily — bending down, being hugged or simply going about your day. It can also gape around the front hairline depending on your face shape.
A wig that's too small creates the opposite problem. You can get that “pop-off” feeling where the wig constantly wants to move backwards, and an overly tight cap can cause headaches.
If we're in doubt, I'd rather size up because there are things I can do to make a wig smaller. There isn't much I can do with a cap that physically doesn't have enough room.
I'm still checking the fit when you think we're just chatting
Once we've got a wig on, I'll feel how easily I can get my fingers underneath the cap.
I'll check whether the circumference hooks need tightening, whether biological hair needs integrating around the hairline, whether the hair underneath is lying flat enough or creating bulk at the back, and whether a wig grip would help.
Then we'll usually talk.
We'll chat about the wig, maintenance and how you're feeling about it.
But while we're talking, I'm watching the wig.
I'm looking at what happens when you talk, smile, move your face and naturally move your head.
A wig needs to work when you're living your life, not just while you're sitting perfectly still in my chair.
Then comes the hairdresser bit
Finding the wig is only part of it.
Once we've established the right colour, cap, density and length, we can start thinking about how that hair should actually look on you.
Your face shape matters. Your usual styling matters. Your lifestyle matters.
If you have a smaller face, for example, a blunt bob with a heavy full fringe might completely overpower you. I might suggest a side fringe and longer layers instead.
If you love wand waves, I probably won't cut masses of layers.
If you're a bouncy-blow girl, we're going to want those layers.
If you wear your hair up regularly, I can add shorter pieces and baby hairs around the face so they naturally fall out of an updo.
This is the part I love because we're no longer just choosing a wig.
We're turning it into your hair.
And yes, you're allowed to be unsure
If you're completely new to wigs, I don't expect you to walk into a consultation knowing what cap construction you need, what density you should choose or whether a particular hairline is right for you.
That's rather the point of coming to see me.
You might put a wig on and immediately know.
You might need to try several.
You might arrive convinced you want one thing and leave loving something completely different.
My job isn't to push you into whatever wig I want to sell.
It's to listen, look at the things you might not know to look for yet, and help you work out what feels right.
And when you eventually get your wig?
I come with the wig.
If you're local, I can wash and blow-dry it for you. I can refresh and restyle it. I can tone or darken the colour when appropriate. And if you're struggling with something, you can ask me.
Because choosing your wig shouldn't feel like buying a product and then being left to figure everything out by yourself.
That's what the consultation is really about.
Thinking about booking a wig consultation?
I offer both in-person consultations in Liverpool and online consultations via FaceTime. Whether you're completely new to wigs or looking for something different, you can book a time to chat through your options with me.