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Where to buy wigs/hairpieces
I live on Kapiti Coast and am in despair with wig/hairpiece suppliers in Wellington and there doesn't seem to be anyone up here on the coast. The first two suppliers I had charged the earth for hairpieces that lasted, at the most, 6 weeks before falling to pieces and left me with bald hairpieces and a stupid grin on my face in public, while they so called fixed the problem - which mostly took 2-3 months! The last supplier I had was a newby on the block but just when I thought I'd landed the two partners decided to have a row and split up - I don't really want to deal with that business now. So, I desperately need some help.
Does anyone else buy on line from overseas? If so, who from and can they really be trusted by someone with a small budget? And, does anyone know a hairdresser either on the Coast, in Wellington, the Hutt, Levin or Palmerston North who either operates from home or goes to clients homes to firstly have a hairpiece cut in and then later keep what is left of my own hair trimmed? Don't particularly want to go to a hair salon and be on display to public at large. Hope someone can help me. Big thanks and hugs for all of you.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dominique Cleopatra on
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Have you looked into Hair Direct on line? I haven't tried them yet, but I know their prices are reasonable and they have a 30-day money back guarantee!
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Permalink Reply by Kirsten on
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Have you tried Haircreations - they're who I was sent to up here in Auckland and they have branches all over NZ. They have a wide range of prices and the stylists do the wigs there as well as what's left of your own hair. If you want to check them out online there website is www.wigs.co.nz - they also do the government wig subsidy for you.
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Permalink Reply by Jennah on
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I think Haircreations made the top piece I first ordered through the Hair Care Market here. I had a horrible experience with them. I went in for help as I was just an emotional wreck about my hair loss. The woman at the hair care market convinced me to order a topper from Haircreations that would be "custom made" for me. They sent samples ( which were prett) fpr me tp look at and measurements, curl density etc. She chose the shade I said I would like.
It cost me $1500 which I put on my credit card. I made a down payment.
It took over three months for it to arrive and when it did, it was so hideous. The hair was brittle from them bleaching it so much. It felt terrible and where I wanted to cover most (the area around my part) there was just the nutting showing. Not enough hair at all around the part. I expressed the fact that I wasn't happy with it. The woman convinced me to take it home.Everyone I showed it to said it looked so unnatural. I looked like a old woman!
I took it back and the woman from haircare market said she would send back to Haircreations for them to ;put more hair around the part. This conversation was on the phone. I then took it back in and left it with another woman. They rang me and said I would have to pay for it in full in order for them to send it back and correct it. I did this (as I was desperate).
It came back three weeks later looking exactly the same. To cut a long story short I was so unhappy and asked for my money back, to which they refused.
I even wrote to hair creations and pleaded with them, but they wouldn't give me my $1,500 back :(
I still have the useless piece (which nobody could ever wear!) and am still paying off my credit card (being a poor student) :( It was a really traumatic experience!
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I go into their Auckland office/studio up here and they're nice enough people - all the wigs are made in China, even the custom made ones, but from what they told me this is the case with most places. I can't say my experience has been all positive, I felt I didn't get enough input into the wig and they cut and style it on a block not my head which I constantly objected too as I need to be seeing what's happening and the block really doesn't translate well to my head, my wig is now too short (and that's not growing back). I also asked about lace fronts etc... and was told no, no, no this is what you need - they decide they know thier thing and they'll make decisions for you.
I have been back a few times with my concerns but I'm told it's the best I'm going to get and that it's more of an emotional and confidence thing and that if I wear the wig with more confidence then people will stop questioning it and me. In their words - it's never going to be just like real hair because it's just not possible and in the end you'll just be glad to have something on your head, it's how you wear it and your attitude that will be what makes it work for you - I'm not sure I brought in to all that but my confidence is low and I do need to stop fretting every few minutes wondering whether people can tell it's a wig.
The problem is there is really nowhere else to go, they also do all the TV stuff, some of the movies and have celebrity clients so they must be doing some of it right, but I do know with my next wig (which won't be until next year) I will be more pro active about the way things are done. If there is another wig specialist in Auckland I would like to know as I can't find them listed anywhere and don't know any other wig wearers up here to ask.
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I just think what i got from them was hideous and I don't think I got at all what I asked for. Maybe that was due to what the hair care market people translated to them or the fact that my hair is curly and they didn't do curly well. I actually took the piece into Freedom wigs (as it is her in Dunedin) for their opinion and they agreed that the quality of what I got was poor, especially for the expensive price I paid. I think it was unfair that they gave me an ultimatum to pay in full of they wouldn't fix it to my liking. I really think I was taken advantage of when I was in a desperate and volatile way. That's just my experience though. On reflection I really should have looked into it more before I went ahead with it and maybe if I had been able to have felt directly with then and not through the hair care market it would have turned out better. The hair care market people I dealt with were very rude and pushy
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Permalink Reply by Ellyn on
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Thank you all for your replies - it does mean a lot. Actually, I now wear a hair piece because my hair problem is runs from the front of my head (the hairline included) to about halfway down the back so it's like a massive part in the centre of my head. I did wear full wigs for a long long time until I was talked into trying a hair piece. The first one was a total disaster - from Hair Creations in Auckland. For a number of reasons I didn't wear the hair piece as soon as I got it and then when I did start wearing it, it actually went 'bald' within 6 weeks. Their agent here in Wellington laughed at me and asked how long I had expected it to last - having no experience of these things I felt speechless. The said piece was sent away for repair and then it also fell to pieces within 6 weeks. I never went back to them - they'd already had my full allowance from Health Benefits for 9 years and I had to figure out how to pay for a replacement "something". I ended up with another well known company that operates internationally, paid megabucks as a deposit and waited 3 months - no word from them so phoned only to discover there had been a change of management and had no record of my order. Then had to wait almost another 3 months - Don't these people realise just how soul destroying alopecia is - especially to women? Making do is terrible - no social life at all - wearing damned hats everywhere - feeling naked all the time, like you've been stripped naked as a punishment. Anyway, when my hairpiece finally did arrive it also only lasted 6 weeks. A replacement was on hand but it also only lasted 6 weeks - then they went into a tizz but I must admit they were the best because they had a hairdresser on site and she was just lovely to deal with and went to extraordinary lengths to help me by cutting up old hairpieces that she had on hand etc. But in the end another new manager shat in his own nest by demanding full payment without even checking on what had and was happening for me - I still didn't have a hairpiece - so had to cut ties with them also. And that is when I came across this new company but have lost confidence in them now too. It won't be long before I have to seriously find something and think I might just try Hair Direct (thank you Dominique) which I have been following on line for some time but wondered how good they are. In meantime - have to find the money to tide me over until 2015 when my next allowance kicks in from Health Benefits. Don't really want to go back to wearing a full wig but if that is what I have to do then so be it. Just wish there was a supplier who really cared and that there was some sort of choice.
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I was hoping I was just feeling over sensitive about the way Hair Creations treat you but you ladies have confirmed my fears. Oh did either of you see the article in this weeks Canvas (comes with the NZ Herald) on Female Alopecia?
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There are people that care...message me and I'll pass on my number.
Rosy
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Hi
I'm a New Zealander as well. Ellyn, this really depends on your wants and needs around a wig. I help a lot of people in New Zealand with their wig choice (Freedom Wigs) and would be happy to help you.
Before doing that though I think it is really important that you work out your needs around a hairpiece. What are they??? What are the things you really want to achieve? When I first started looking (in New Zealand) I worked out with my daughter (she has AU), what her needs were. She wanted a wig that was secure without tapes and glue, that looked real, that moved like her own growing hair, that was comfortable, that was easy to care for and she could live her life in. For us the result was a Freedom Wig.
I'm happy to pass on my contact details if you feel I could help you. Pop into my page and you will see my daughter in her wigs. (I have my page set to private - so I will have to friend you).
If I can be of further help just pop in and let me know.
Rosy
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