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Is “Remy” always synonymous with “Best”?

Is “Remy” always synonymous with “Best”?

Many people seem to be mislead as to what “Remy” hair really means. All ponytail hair, that is to say hair collected in ponytails to keep the cuticle all going the same direction, is considered “Remy”. So whether it’s hair collected in Russia, or cut from religious devotees in India, or if I cut off my ponytail right now they would all be considered “Remy”.

The reason this hair is desired (and more expensive) is that hair where the cuticle goes in different directions will tangle and become matted. If you look at hair under a microscope you will see the shaft has little shingle-like layers all going the same direction. When these shingles go in opposite directions is when matting occurs.
 

Certainly, hair with the cuticle going the same direction is better than hair swept off a floor. However, it doesn’t guarantee the quality of the hair. I assure you no one would desire my “Remy” hair to be made into a wig (as it is currently in the orange/yellow in-between stage of going from black back to blonde).
So the quality of hair still becomes a concern. Don’t let anyone mislead you into thinking all Remy hair will be good quality. The best way to tell what is the right choice for you is simply to look at the different options, preferably side by side. There will be some obvious quality differences between, say, Follea’s Life/Style collection made in Premium European hair (All of Follea’s hair grades are Remy) and another brand’s “top” Remy hair grade. The natural sheen, luster, and movement of the hair in particular will be different. Always compare the hair if you are not sure, and go with what you feel most comfortable with. I don’t recommend to chose hair without seeing a example first.

When did 'wigs' become a four-letter word?

When did “Wigs” become a four-letter word?

By: Holly Slear

If you read our newsletter, the Follea Forum, then you know wigs have been around since the times of Ancient Egypt. They were worn by many ancient civilizations and have seen many a ‘vogue’ over the past several centuries.

Somehow, after the 1970’s wigs became associated with pillbox chignons and powdered bouffant. Suddenly wigs were for the “older” generation, and there was a great deal of what some call ‘wig abuse’ wherein large, unnatural looking wigs were worn in conjunction with a great deal of outlandish blue eye shadow and the kind of garish lipstick that would never wipe off your cheek!

In today’s world, a lot has changed. Wigs are available in natural colors and textures, and manufacturers like Follea are creating added hair using the best quality human hair that is virtually undetectable. Yet for some reason the mindset had remained the same. People are so scared to look like that iconic image of their mother or grandmother that they fear wigs, an unnatural fear propagated by lesser quality hair found in some mass produced wig shops.

While one can still find harsh unnatural synthetics of yesteryear, today’s hair market has a wide variety of modern synthetics made to mimic real hair and, the true top-of-the-line product, high quality human hair. Follea is known in the marketplace as the source of the best Premium European hair available.

People give up too quickly to find out that there is a better option out there, no one has to know you are wearing a wig, and it can look just like your own hair on it’s best day, every day. That’s where Follea comes in.  We take a real, personal pride in giving women and children the top quality they have come to expect from us. That’s why we are so passionate about our product, and that’s why we make sure all the people who stock and sell our hair are just as passionate.

Whether you are the celebrity with $1 million worth of our hair in your closet or a woman going through chemotherapy with added hair for the interim, we are proud to provide the same level of excellence our name is known for amongst the most discerning clientèle. Thank you for choosing Follea hair.

6 Year Old On a mission to raise Alopecia Awareness

From NBC Chicago:

6-Year-Old's Business Card: "I Am Not Sick"

Hairless girl on a mission to raise awareness of alopecia universalis

By KIM VATIS and BJ LUTZ

Updated 9:19 AM CDT, Thu, Sep 17, 2009

Her classmates called her "baldie."

Adults often assume she's suffering through radiation treatments.

But the reason six-year-old Maria Mahnken from Elmhurst has only a few thin wisps of downy brown hair on her head isn't cancer. Rather, she has alopecia universalis.

"Alopecia means your hair falls out and your body's allergic to your hair" she said to her classmates, who were sitting cross-legged on a rug in their classroom at Villa Park's Montessori Children's Academy. "Now how silly is that?"

Despite her young age, or perhaps because of it, Maria's grown weary of classroom taunts and adult misunderstandings about her condition.

Now she's on a mission to educate people about her condition.

So she hands out business cards.

"Thank you for your concern!  I am not sick," say the white cards decorated with lilacs. "I have alopecia universalis. Only my hair is sick. To learn more about alopecia please visit: www.naaf.org. Thanks! Maria"

Maria, who has a wig but often refuses to wear it, says the cards have been a big help.

"I just like that they don't call me baldie anymore."

And adults no longer think she's ill.

Maria's mother, Elene, has been a big help, too. Together, they've been giving presentations at school and to anyone who'll listen.

"We're hoping that by telling Maria's story we'll get not only the awareness to help her, but all the other millions of people out there who do have this illness."

Maria has no idea if her hair will ever grow back, and if it does, if it will fall out again.

But her mom assuages Maria's feelings.

"You are so lucky, you look good with hair and without hair," her mom tells her.  "Not too many can say that!"

10 things you need to know about Female Hair Loss

An excerpt from Homemakers.com - Health & Fitness:

10 things you need to know about female hair loss

Balding is not just a bane for middle-aged men. Female hair loss affects 22 per cent of women by the age of 45. Find out what you should know about androgenetic alopecia.

By Susan Peters

Is your part wider than it used to be? Scalp looking a little "bare"? Jokes with your guy friends about their chrome domes suddenly a lot less funny?

Women can start shedding hair at many times and for many reasons -- after giving birth, after traumatic medical events like chemotherapy, or because of a lack of iron. But one of the most common causes of hair loss for women is androgenetic alopecia -- sometimes called alopecia androgenetica, or simply: female pattern hair loss.

Here are the 10 things you should know about female hair loss:

1. You're not alone!
A 2004 Australian study of 5,000 men and women found mild hair loss in about 22 per cent of women by age 45, with hair loss increasingly prevalent as women get older. Female pattern hair loss is similar to men's, except that women's hair tends to thin out all over the top and sides of the head, rather than a receding hairline. It's rare for women to get a bald spot on top.

2. Female pattern hair loss warrants medical attention
The first stop on your mission to save your hair: your doctor's office. "If your hair loss is not explainable or if the GP doesn't know [what's causing it], a dermatologist could be helpful," says Dr. Eileen Murray, a Vancouver dermatologist and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia's dermatology and skin centre.

3. Female hair loss causes
A chemical called DHT, dihydrotestosterone, produced from an excess of androgen is a cause of androgenetic alopecia. This can be an indicator of serious illnesses like polycystic ovarian disease or adrenal gland syndrome, so don't dismiss your hair loss as merely a cosmetic problem. "It's really a sign of an abnormality," says Dr. Murray. Genetics and age may also play a role in hair loss.

4. Hair loss prevention
For healthy hair, eat well, get enough iron, protein, and a wide variety of nutrients. "The commonest cause of hair loss is poor diet," says Dr. Murray. Want more health tips? Try stress reduction -- it turns out, worrying really can make your hair fall out.

5. Female hair loss treatments

Getting your hair back once it's gone isn't so easy. For a cure, women can try the drug many men use: Minoxidil (you might know it as Rogaine). Though it doesn't work on everyone, and it only works as long as you're using it. Furthermore, Dr. Murray warns: "It's not as effective in women."

6. Surgical options
Although it comes with a steep price tag, surgical treatment is also an option to help you get your hair back. "The new techniques are really very good," says Dr. Murray. In scalp reduction, doctors stretch areas of skin that still have hair, and reduce the area that's balding. In hair transplantations, doctors move tiny pieces of skin that still have hair (such as at the back of your neck) and implant them to thinning areas.

7. How your hairstylist can help
Your hairstylist can help you to disguise balding. "Women have so many more options than men, between hats and hairstyles and wigs," says Robert Gage, owner of a hair salon in Toronto's ritzy Yorkville for 20 years.

Gage says his clients with thinning hair go gaga over a cosmetic hair enhancer they can use to disguise a wide part or too-bare scalp. "It's called coloured hair thickener," he says, and further describes it as eyeshadow for your scalp. "It comes in all hair colours, except in white."

8. A hair cut can help disguise hair loss
Talk to your stylist about a hair cut that will make the most of what you have, with a little length and volume on top, but not so high and pouffy that it shows too much scalp.

And if you want to colour your hair, perm it, or get extensions -- go ahead! Perms and colour treatments don't cause permanent hair loss. According to Dr. Murray, colouring has no effect on hair loss and while it's true that perming, or even straightening, can weaken your hair and make it break more easily, it will regrow the same as before.

Perming can give hair more texture, while colouring can temporarily thicken thin strands. "It'll plump up the hair. It will have a lot more body for a few weeks," Gage says.

9. You can wear hair accessories
Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Go for headbands, clips, and loose ponytails. But beware of tight ponytails, which can lead to permanent hair loss called traction alopecia, cautions Dr. Murray. The tense pulling action of a tight ponytail can make more hair fall out.


10. You can wear wigs and hair pieces
Consider wigs and hair pieces to pump up the volume. "More people than you'd ever know have hair pieces. Put your hair back in a little ponytail, then cover the top with a hair piece, with your bangs in front, " suggests Gage, who also likes the style of a rich-looking hairband with extra strands flowing smoothly back.

Armed with these tips, there's no reason to lose your head if you lose your hair. After a quick medical pit stop to rule out health issues and a stop at the stylist to check your style IQ, you'll be back on the street in no time, strutting your stuff, thinning hair or no.

Find more articles on Women's Health under Health & Fitness.

What's new at Follea? Excerpt from the Follea Forum...

September is Alopecia Awareness Month

We saw this written by Sandra @ My Alopecia Experience, and wanted to share it with you.

www.myalopeciaexperience.com

Alopecia Awareness Month is held in September and is the month dedicated to spreading awareness of the autoimmune disease Alopecia Areata. This disease affects over 5 million people in the United States alone. Many organizations and individuals like myself  utilize this time to join together and support those that are challenged by this disease to impact and empower the Alopecia community and foster greater public sensitivity through education.

Why is Alopecia Awareness Month important?

When faced with any ailment that cause changes to your self image, I believe that the the most effective medicine is to take the focus off of yourself. Instead of having pity parties about the problem, channel that energy in the direction of a solution. If you do not fight for yourself and the causes that impact you, then who will?  Alopecia Awareness Month is the perfect time to jump start your own healing by taking an active stand and getting involved in something greater than yourself. The effort you put forth today, can make a world of a difference in the lives of many.

What can you do to support Alopecia Awareness Month?

Whether you have Alopecia, or just know someone who does, you are a perfect candidate to get in the fight. Here are some ideas of things you can do:

• Make a tax free donation to organizations like NAAF to support the work they are doing for the Alopecia Community.
• You can start, support or even join a support group in your area for people living with Alopecia.

There is always work to do but the laborers are few. This month, consider taking an action that will be a blessing to you and everyone around you.

Holly, here at Follea, also recommends donating hair to Wigs For Kids

Vendor's Corner: "Women of Want" vs "Women of Need"

An article for Hair Replacement Centers as Seen in The Spring Issue of Hair Journal International.

‘Women Of Want’ Versus ‘Women Of Need’
How to Successfully Market Wigs & Hair Pieces To Different Kinds Of Women

By Jean Pitzer

Wigs are certainly not a new product category; they have been around for centuries. Once worn by those as far back as the ancient Egyptians, wigs today are commonplace and are worn for numerous and diverse reasons: from religious and medical to theater, fantasy, fun and fashion. The women who wear professional wigs today will fall into one of two categories, Women of want and women of need.

Follea in the News: "Wigs Are NOT Cool. They're HOT!"

Follea is featured in the following article written for the DC Fashion News.

Wigs Are NOT Cool. They Are Hot!
A Discussion About One Of Fashion’s Most Misunderstood Accessories

By Jean Pitzer

Wigs have been a part of human culture for centuries. Ancient Egyptians used wigs to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays. Women have used wigs to look beautiful while covering their head for religions reasons and others have used it to signify a position of authority or class. Today, many women in countries across the world wear wigs and hairpieces as fashion statements. Many American women are different. They have a stigma against wigs and added hairpieces. Why exactly does that stigma exist? It could be the decline in quality that the added hair industry has experienced in the last 20 years coupled with a lack of understanding about how wigs and hairpieces actually enhance a woman’s life and look.

Follea in the News: "Follea Brings Unsurpassed Quality to the United States"

Follea has been seen in Woman and Cancer Magazine, Hair Journal International, and THIC: The Hair Industry Connection, and Salon Galaxy.

From Salon Galaxy:

Beverly Hills, CA      Follea is resetting the bar in the beauty industry for added hair and hair replacement with an unmatched dedication to quality and value. Follea uses the finest human hair to create the world’s most beautiful hair additions crafted by the most talented artisans. Follea then sells their hair additions to only the finest hair replacement centers and salons all over the world.

About Follea

    Every woman can wear nature’s most beautiful hair, every day.  Whether she simply considers her personal choice of hair to be part of her daily wardrobe, or just for special occasions.  Or whether she has a need for hair augmentation because of thinning hair, impaired hair, or for “hair-health” reasons (such as Alopecia, or the side-effects of Chemotherapy).  There is never a reason to compromise with low-quality hair. 

    Follea – Nature’s Most Beautiful Hair™ – lives up to this promise.  You’ll fall in love with your new hair all over again.  One look and feel will convince you.  The natural sheen, the roots, the texture, the light-as-air feel.  That first impression will be reinforced every time you, or your professional stylist, shampoos and styles your Follea Hair.  And after 50 shampoos, you will still be amazed.  No one will know you are wearing Follea hair unless you tell them – but they are most likely to tell you how beautiful YOU look and ask you “who did your hair?”.

    Please visit your Certified Follea Elite Salon, or professional hair replacement center, and ask for Follea by name.  On behalf of our 650 artisans who live and love hair, and strive every day to make our beautiful hair collections the best in the world - - thank you.