The Biggest New Trend in the Beauty Industry You've Never Heard About.

The world of beauty has always been a completely unregulated industry generating billions of dollars per year.  It preys on the societies expectations of women to look their best at any cost, and promises everything from plastic surgery in a bottle, to longer stronger hair in 10 days.  Probably one of the biggest underground markets to have hit the beauty industry in the past 100 years is supplemental hair products.  This is hair you wear, for hair loss, for beauty, for longer hair, for healthier hair, and for achieving the almost impossible dream of looking like a celebrity.  From Beyonce to Adele, hair additions have been used in Hollywood along side makeup to get that perfect look we are accustomed to seeing in the media.  But where did this trend come from, and does it deliver it's promises unlike so many beauty trends out there that often fail to deliver?  The truth is that this Hollywood trend is far from new.  Both black and orthadox Jewish communities have openly worn hair for generations.  However, it's just recently that the popularity has exploded into the mainstream.  Just type in "wig's" on eBay, and you'll get thousands of results!  Celebrities have even been starting to open up in social media about wearing human hair.  Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj who how common human hair pieces are on the red carpet and in every day life.  Top wig makers charge up to $15000 for invisible lace wigs made with European human hair.  Human hair products such as extensions, have pushed the supplemental hair industry into the mainstream, creating a rush to get the highest quality Slavic hair on the market.  People want to have what nature has not given them, and high quality long hair is the top on the list of products in high demand.

FIND HAIR - Linking the right hair professionals with clients

This group is a unique place where supplemental hair wearers can ask questions, discuss issues and gain helpful tips from hair replacement professionals in an unbiased, understanding and supportive setting.  The aim of this group is to, 1) provide supplemental hair wearers with accurate information regarding supplemental hair care and trouble shooting tips from seasoned hair replacement professionals in a comfortable, understanding environment, and 2) to help hair replacement professionals better understand the unique needs and wants of supplemental hair wearers.

Please feel free to post pictures, voice concerns, ask for help, and post comments!  Your opinions and experiences are valued here and will be used to help others find solutions, help build an accurate understanding of hair issues, and gain support!  As a wig wearer, you will find the hair professionals in this group to be an invaluable source of information about the (sometimes) confusing and mysterious world of hair replacement!

Follow this link to the FIND HAIR group on Facebook and get the information you need!

Who is Isadore Hoffman of FeatherLite Hair Systems and why should I care what she thinks?

Isadore Hoffman is the owner and creator of FeatherLite Hair Systems, a company specializing in the exclusive use of ultra high quality virgin Slavic hair, and undetectable hair replacement pieces for women and children with hair loss.  She is an expert wig maker who has refined and developed her product over the course of 8 years in order to provide women with one of the best quality products in the hair replacement industry.  FeatherLite Hair Systems is known around the world for sourcing and using the highest quality hair in the hair replacement market.  The amount of attention to detail and quality control that goes into each individual piece makes FeatherLite Hair Systems on of the leading brands for high quality virgin hair in the wig industry today.

Top 5 Tips for growing longer, stronger hair!

This is definitely a question I get from almost everyone who finds out that I am in the hair replacement industry.  I have spent years researching hair loss and effective solutions that deal with the different causes of hair loss, as I suffer from hair loss my self.  Contrary to popular belief, hair loss is not mostly found in men.  Women experience hair loss as often as men do, however, due to cultural norms and societies emphasis of the beauty of women, the topic of female hair loss is not as openly spoken about.

So for those of you who are interested, here are my top 10 tips for growing longer stronger hair!  I am not a doctor, but I do have extensive experience with hair loss and I am happy to share with you what I have learned.

1.  Take BIOTIN.  Biotin, otherwise known as Vitamin B7, will not thicken hair, but it will help your hair get longer faster.  This is helpful for women whose hair thinning is primarily due to week hair follicles that only produce shorter finer hairs.  This shows up as many thin broken hairs at the roots or an excessive amount of baby hairs.  This type of hair never seems to grow past a certain length despite the density appearing to be normal at the roots.  If this is the type of hair you have, try biotin.  Maple Holistics manufactures high quality biotin that can be purchase directly online on Amazon.

2.  Get your hormones checked.  Hair loss can be a symptom of thyroid issues and estrogen dominance.

3.  Minimize follicle damage.  Did you know that repeated heat styling and heat on your scalp can damage the integrity of your hair follicles causing permanent damage?  Yup! Keep the blow drier away from your scalp and don't use excessively hot water in the shower.  Warm water is best.

4.  Make sure you're not deficient in any vitamin's, especially vitamin D.  Vitamin D is a precursor to many of your bodies natural process.  Deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to many health issues.  This is why vitamin D is routinely checked at your yearly check up, and given to children living in colder climates from birth.

5. DON'T let harsh chemicals touch your scalp.   Sounds obvious right?  Well actually, there are many salon products you want to avoid if you want to spare your self follicle damage.  You know how the entire world seems to be getting Brazilian Keratin treatments?  Few stylists know what is actually inside the product they are applying to peoples heads, but suffice to say formaldehyde is NOT something you should ever come into contact with.  Besides hair loss, formaldehyde is a KNOWN CARCINOGEN.  Wondering what on earth it's doing in your hair products?  Let me know if you ever figure that one out...

So there you have it.  These 5 tips will help you enhance what nature has given you.  Continue researching and asking questions.  Send me an email at flhairsystems@gmail.com if you find anything new and interesting.  I would love to hear your recommendations!

Is South American hair as good as European hair?

The second most common type of hair you will find on the market is South American hair. South American hair is can occasionally be of superb quality, but most often does not come in the spectrum of colors needed for the Caucasian client.  South American hair will sometimes be partially stripped of it's cuticle in order to enhance shine, but will almost never be fully stripped of it's cuticle as the hair is naturally flexible and finer textured, similar to European hair.  What you will find with South American hair, is that it is almost always dyed.  Lightening dark colored hair to a blond shade rarely has a natural result, and therefore if you have lighter hair, South American hair will not be a perfect match for you in terms of color.  It is also important to note, that as the color wears off over time, the discrepancy in color will become greater and most likely trend towards a more brassy shade.  South american hair is ideal if you have dark hair, and if you can find a piece that has not been dyed. South American hair will also tend to be slightly less expensive than Slavic hair, so if you are a dark haired lady you can benefit from this by getting great hair at a lower price.

What is Mongolian hair and is it good hair?

"Mongolian hair", aka Asian processed hair, is a term coined by many factories and often used by third party vendors.  It refers to Asian hair that has been striped, either partially or fully, of it's cuticle for the purpose of making it look and feel more like European hair. This type of hair typically goes through a number of additional chemical processes including bleaching, dying and coating.  Chemical hair softeners may also be applied to make the hair more flexible and manageable so that styling is easier, because natural Asian hair is stiffer and will not hold styling as well as European hair. In addition to the above mentioned processes, colour sealants may be used on the hair to prevent colour change.  This can also make the hair resistant to subsequent bleaching or dying attempts and can make further colour customization difficult.  Mongolian hair may also be sold as "European textured" hair or as authentic European hair by unscrupulous or unknowing vendors.  It has a very short life span compared to other hair types such as virgin Slavic and virgin South American hair.  "Mongolian" hair will typically stiffen when wet and may appear dry and brittle after a few washes if the combination of chemical processes used was not done precisely.

Why is it so hard to find virgin blonde hair in longer lengths?

In addition to being rare (blonde is a phenotype expressed from a recessive gene and gene sharing), the wholesale hair industry is dominated my extension makers, therefore the majority of longer blond hair never reaches the hair wholesale market. Contrary to popular belief, blond may be more rare, but it is not as rare as we think it is.  It is however in popular demand, which contributes to the higher price and difficulty obtaining it.

FeatherLite Hair Systems specializes in the creation and production of virgin blonde Slavic hair wigs.  Many of our clients contact Isadore Hoffman directly for the specific purpose of sourcing and creating virgin blonde hair pieces that will mimic ones own natural shading pattern as closely as possible.

Why do wigs knot more than your own hair and how to prevent knotting - by Isadore Hoffman

I wouldn’t say that there is a definitive answer to which type of wig knots the most. The factors that produce knotting in virgin hair wigs are totally different than the factors that produce knotting in processed hair wigs, although the issues can sometimes be combined in one individual wig. It's actually normal for virgin hair to knot to some degree specifically because the cuticle is still intact. Because the cuticles from different ponytails of hair can be different shapes and sizes, and multiple ponytails of hair have to be combined to produce 1 wig, the cuticles from different ponytails will catch on each other whenever there is friction. Different types of hair also produce a different electric charge.  Processed hair will have a tendency to knot if the chemical process was left on for too long or if the concentration was too strong for the specific texture of hair it was applied to. Static is also a factor that can produce knotting in processed wigs and less so in virgin hair wigs because different types of hair have a different electric charge. Whether or not a given wig will knot, processed or virgin, depends on a large variety of factors and is, to large degree, unpredictable. There are steps in the production process that can be taken to reduce the chances of knotting which involve highly skilled work and experience with hair. It is harder to apply this level of attention to detail and expertise when wigs are being mass produced and there will be a lot more variability in this case. As far as virgin hair goes, there are various hair coats and treatments that can be applied to the hair to minimize knotting in many cases when it does occur.  These treatments are less effective on processed hair, but are still part of the line of treatments you would apply to try and alleviate the problem.  For more information about FeatherLite Wigs please visit our facebook page at FeatherLite Wigs, or email flhairsystems@gm

ail.com for more information.

WHY IS AUTHENTIC VIRGIN HAIR SO HARD TO FIND?

When looking to purchase a hair piece is always best to start with a bit of research.  FeatherLite specializes in collecting virgin Slavic hair for our hair pieces, so we will go over some of the challenges in finding virgin hair, how to know if it's authentic virgin hair, and why wig manufacturers often avoid working with virgin hair.  

Why is virgin hair so hard to find?  Let's start with a little background info.  My name is Isadore Hoffman.  I have been the owner and main wig maker of FeatherLite wigs for 9 years.  When I first started in the industry I was completely perplexed with the terminology used by wig makers and factories concerning types of hair and what it all means.  Even more challenging, was finding the quality of virgin hair that I wanted once I understood how it all worked.  It seemed to me that people who had it were impossible to find unless I was willing of visit Russia myself in search for it.  But I had a dream.  I wanted the perfect hair that I could simply wash, air dry, and leave the house with.  I wanted to be able to flip my hair from side to side, play with it between my fingers, and put it up in a ponytail just like I did with my own hair.  I wanted to make women feel beautiful!  And so, my journey began, and today I'm sharing this information with you in the hope that it will help you make more educated decisions about purchasing hair pieces.

To start with, virgin hair was not always hard to find.  As Slavic countries started to modernize, women stopped growing their hair so long.  They started dying it, cutting it, and adopting more modern hair styles.  Hair collectors had their work cut out for them, having to travel to more remote areas to find women with longer hair who were willing to sell it.  This began the surge in prices that continues today. 

Another road block I ran into, was discovering that the market is saturated with fake virgin hair ponytails fashioned by hair sellers who have perfected the art of chemical processing.  Now, this doesn't mean the hair is not Slavic or that it's cheaper hair sourced in India or China.  The issue for hair sellers is that hair comes mostly in darker colours and requires colour treatment to provide the spectrum of colours hair buyers and wig makers are looking for.  In addition, the hair often needs some chemical processing to make it finer.  This is part of the reason why you are almost never getting the hair you think you are getting.

When I finally started producing hair pieces on a larger scale in around 2010, I quickly found out why wig makers avoid using virgin hair.  That's right, big brand wig makers AVOID using virgin hair!  Why?  It's important to first understand how wigs are produced.  Normally, hair is sent to the factory in large quantity and gets sorted according to texture and general colour.  Any differences in texture are corrected and made uniform by chemical processing (more about this later), and the hair is dyed to meet consumer demands for various popular colours.  This way, they are always producing exactly what clients demand.  Virgin hair wigs are significantly more complicated to make.  Firstly, the hair available for purchase does not reflect consumer demand for colour and texture.  This means more women need light brown and blonde hair than there is hair available to purchase.  Only a small percentage of the hair available is naturally those colours. Secondly, more women are looking for straighter hair than wavy or curly hair, but the majority of the hair available is wavy or curly.  Therefore, if you wanted to produce wigs on mass to meet the demands of your consumers, you would not be able to do so with virgin hair.

I hope this was helpful to you all!  Stay tuned for our next blog post on how virgin hair wigs are made.  Visit FeatherLite by Isadore on Facebook  for information and events or email flhairsystems@gmail.com for inquiries.

How to purchase you first hair piece

The following article was written to give first time wig wearers some advice on how to purchase your first hair piece.  Click here for helpful tips on what to look for.  Check Check Maple Holistics for regular updates on the best products and solutions for virgin hair wigs.

Over the years I have been asked many questions on probably every topic having to do with hair.  In this article by Maple Holistics, I go over the most common questions people ask about wigs and hair. Read on to find out what people REALLY want to know when it comes to wigs and hair.

Ashy Hair - Why is it so hard to find?

This is by far the most requested hair colour and the most difficult colour to get.  Why is that?  Hair may grow out of our scalp ashy, but as the hair grows it tends to become progressively lighter and warmer toned as you move down towards the ends.  Since hair is normally collected by cutting it from a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, the ashy roots are not included.  This issue can sometimes be solved by collecting hair from a donor who is willing to cut many small ponytails very close to their scalp.  Secondly, virgin hair reflects what is available in nature and some colors/tones are more common than others.  It is harder to find ponytails that are ashy from the roots to the tips.  Virgin hair wigs are almost always more ashy on average than dyed wigs.  For instance, a colour 8 in a dyed wig will look auburn while a virgin hair wig comparable to a colour 8 will simply be a lighter shade of brown.  For more information on this subject, email flhairsystems@gmail.com or visit FeatherLite Wigs on Facebook.

FeatherLite Wigs Styling Video by Isadore Hoffman

Wigs For a New Age

So you have decided to embark on a journey to find your self the perfect wig.  It seems like a pretty straight forward endeavor at first, browsing through stores, trying on different styles...  But sooner or later you become inundated with unfamiliar industry terminology, pushy sales people, and by the middle of the day your ready to go home and accept the hair God has given you.  You can't have it all, can you?

Well actually, yes you can.  It does take a little bit of research and know-how to land your hands on a good hair replacement system, but once you do, there is definitely a huge silver lining to it all!  No more messing with your hair in the morning for a an hour trying to erase all signs of bed head, no more dealing with humidity issues that make you look like the lion king right before that all important lunch meeting, and no more fussing with a plethora of volumizing sprays, vitamins and concoctions to try and minimize the looks you will get from people giving you a second look.

In this blog, Isadore Hoffman of FeatherLite Hair Systems will take you through what you need to know about hair types and cap styles in the wig industry and how to choose the right type of piece for you.  Follow us for weekly updates on a variety of topics such as how to purchase your first hair piece, terminology used in the hair industry, different hair types you can buy and what they mean, how to decipher virgin hair from processed hair, and how to care for your hair piece properly.  In addition, we will provide product reviews on styling tools and products that are best suited for various hair types and provide you with information on ingredients to look for and which to avoid.  Feel free to email flhairsystems@gmail.com for blog topic suggestions as well as for any questions you may have.  Enjoy!  Follow us on Facebook at FeatherLite Wigs for updates on sales and events.