Wiggy

It's really odd, but recently I have noticed a lot of women whose natural hair looks like a wig! I always find this mildly comforting. I am a harsh critic of my own hair choices, because I would rather not walk around looking like an extra from Hairspray. However, while I am focused on a less is more ideal, it strikes me as rather ironic that many women seem to be adopting quite the opposite.

I have seen -

• Super dense natural hair that was puffily blown out giving a wig rooty/sheitel look
• Super dense, and very long extensions 'look' that seemed like a heavy FLW
• Extremely teased/back combed roots giving a permatease appearance
• The full, full, full fringed Bob - that just reminds me of my attempts to disguise a wig rim (and many of my fellows alopecia buds do this in regular wigs and toppers - not out of choice!)

I guess it is interesting to see people un-selfconsciously choosing these styles, whereas people with hair loss tend to think of themselves as being forced into these styles that we would not otherwise choose. 

Winter - lighting

Winter brings its own challenge: lighting.

I tend to do my work later in the day, so having an adequate light source is important. I used to sit under a large standing lamp, with a bright bulb.

However, my regular seat has changed and I am finding myself in the dark. Dark hair and a dark corner is a bad mixture.

I've been researching hobby lamps, daylight lamps and other lighting. I think a nice, bright, natural type light would suit me. I have a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) box lamp, and a craft desk based magnifying lamp. Both have as 'daylight' type bulb, and I like this as it is bright, white light.

Ideally a floor standing lamp would work well. I don't always have somewhere to clamp to, so if it is freestanding, that should be okay.

These lamps are expensive. I have been loathe to buy one due to the cost, and not really knowing which one to get. In the UK they range from approximately £50 to £140.

This option, on the other hand, is interesting as it incorporates various features - floor or clamp, and magnification.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PURElite-3-1-Magnifying-Lamp/dp/B003UUCI8E

It gets good reviews and seems reasonably priced.

The things I hate about wigs...

Thought I would think about, and note down, the things I have disliked about past wigs, or even about other people's wigs (*gasp*).

1. Too much hair/too dense.
2. Forward ventilation on the vertex - it always falls in your eyes and is not how normal hair grows in general.
3. The hair being the same length on the ear tab lower edge as the rest of the 'head' - no one's 'sideburns' are like this.
4. The nape hair being really dense - it feels strange against the neck.
5. The drawn through parting/silk top that is also forward ventilated - it never seems to part easily and you cannot force that hair against 'the grain'.
6. 'Silk' tops that are not silk and are shiny and griddy.
7. Split ends and hair that splits after cutting AKA processed hair that comes from goodness knows where.
8. Open wefts.
9. Massive ear tabs and lots of hair from temple to ear tab - you can never tuck all that behind your ear.
10. Wigs that feel like a hat - most wigs feel like this to me... Only hand tied ones feel light and non-hat-like.

Update Pics

Okay, so these pics are not the best! I shall get some with my proper camera when I have finished the mid-section, and in daylight too. You'll get the gist though...

Hiatus

Hi to anyone who has been following my journey...

I am still around!

Quietly and in the background. For those people who used to watch my YouTube channel, I decided to give that a break... not saying I won't do videos again, but I have shifted my focus from working directly with people with alopecia towards looking after myself and my own interests. For a long time, I have put all my effort into helping other people who needed alopecia, wig, hair piece and coping advice, but it got to the point where I just needed to shift that focus. I no longer run a community or make major contributions to any alopecia sites and I also closed the Donation Service that I was running.

The good news it that by making these changes, I now have time and a little energy to do other things.

I am still making minor contributions to the alopecia and hair loss community - I continue to do advocacy work with the general public; I will always try to answer any questions that people email me; and I sometimes contribute to forums if I feel I have a comment worth making, but these activities are not my main raison d'être.

My challenge now is to update this blog with some pictures of where I am at... and I will do this shortly.

I continue to pursue my wig making. Yes, it has not gone as fast as I hoped... but I am getting there slowly. I feel I have learnt so much from this process and to be honest, when I look back at my first posts on this blog, I can truly see that progress. I think that when you are a craftsman or an artist... or trying to become a skilled at something... learning the skills and being creative naturally evolves over time and sometimes this intuitive learning process cannot be rushed. I can see things I did at the beginning of making the wig I am working on, that I now know I could have done better or differently. I have more confidence in my own abilities... so I won't give up... I just keep plodding on. I already have a lot of ideas for other wig making projects I want to work on in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!