Well...I finally did it!  Yesterday morning, I created a video (actually two videos) to show how to tie a few of the  head coverings I offer in my Etsy shop.  The videos aren't great... and you can tell I've never done one before (i.e., just about knocked over the mannequin...called my chiffon pin a chiffon scarf...bumped the table with a loud bang...said to fold a scarf into a rectangle when I meant a triangle...ran out of time because I didn't realized I was limited to only 10 minutes (I hate limitations!), but still, I felt like I had a very productive morning, and no, I don't intend to quit my day job! (Cringe)

Having hair loss myself, I am always striving to design good looking head coverings for times when wearing a wig is not desirable. Also, like a lot of women, I sometimes exercise in my hair piece and needed to have some cute way to anchor my hair and still be cool and comfortable.  This was the inspiration for my line of Yoga hair wraps, sashes, headbands and bandana tubes. I try to design pieces that are easy to put on and easy to wear, but I can understand that some women  need a little more guidance than a photo provides. That's why I decided to do my video(s).  I hope anyone who sees it/them might get some ideas about how to wear some of the scarves or caps they have laying around their house.  And, I hope I'll be forgiven for my 'amateur film-making' status!

Here are the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WnbT9IVWmM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bdvqXe0jE

Exercising in Wigs or Hair Pieces

Okay, summer is here, and many of us will be spending several hours a week keeping (or getting) our bodies in shape.  Perhaps you've seen women who are Yoga, Zumba, and Pilates aficionados looking cute with their hair in ponytails, never worrying about anything except going for the 'burn'?  I always envy these women their cavalier attitude toward their hair, which they obviously take for granted!  What happens when we, who wear hair pieces, want to exercise? Well, we can't just throw our hair up into a messy ponytail and go.  We have to plan ahead.  Sometimes, instead of a hair piece,  we choose to wear a little cotton cap or cloche, or a headscarf on our heads, and that works fine.  There are times, however, when we either choose to, or want to, wear our hair piece during exercise.  The problem is, once we start perspiring (okay...sweating!) what happens to our hair piece?  It slips, that's what happens. So...we need to find a way to do what I call 'batten down the hatches', i.e. to keep our hair piece in place, and our bangs out of our eyes, but still remain as cool as possible under some rather extreme conditions (I'm speaking specifically of Zumba here!)

That's why I've come up with some light weight, breathable and, yes, cute ways to anchor our hair pieces and enjoy our exercises.  If a woman is feeling confident that she won't lose her hair piece while exercising, she is going to concentrate a whole lot better on getting fit and fabulous, right?

So, if you are a woman who wears a hair piece and enjoys exercising, here are some ideas you might want to consider;  Try a stretchy, comfortable, breathable Yoga Hair Tube, which is a 7" wide tube-style bandana which also comes with an additional separate sash.  This little sash can be tied at the top of the tube, the side, or the back to add a little extra 'cute'.  The Yoga Hair Tube can also be worn by itself.   Or, try a  stretchy Yoga sash, which measures 3.5" x 36".  This sash has a polyester printed fabric on the outside, paired with a light, breathable cotton jersey on the inside. This can also be tied at the top, side, or back of your head / hairpiece.  How about some stretchy, wide gathered headbands?  These are a cotton/poly blend of fabric, and work wonderfully to secure your hair piece, and still allow your scalp to breathe.  Coming soon - my Yoga Hair Wrap, made with a fabulous light weight fabric in an extra long wrap which goes around your head twice.  This is actually my personal favorite! I'll be adding new items in the next few weeks.   If any of these ideas appeal to you, I hope you'll check out the photos of my new Yoga Hair Bands in my Etsy shop:  ninisniche.etsy.com.

Soft Headscarves from Nini's Niche

Check out a short video showcasing soft, comfortable, beautiful headscarves from Nini's Niche:

http://animoto.com/play/wqzd94jTeL14J3sWtJW89g

Soft Headscarves from Nini's Niche

Soft Headscarves from Nini's Niche

Just added some beautiful Tencel knit headscarves to my Headwrap of Marin collection from ninisniche.etsy.com. Check out the video.

A Dermatologist Says It Best - Be Wary of Weaves!

I wanted to share this article written by a New York Dermatologist,  since it fits in with  my last blog about appropriate hair pieces for women.  Here's the link:


http://www.dinastrachanmd.com/blog/general-dermatology/the-viscious-cycle-of-braids-hair-weaves-and-hair-loss-musings-of-a-nyc-dermatologist


My motto is "Every hair is precious!  Don't camouflage your hair loss with any hair piece which will do further damage!"

Headwrap Guru

www.ninisniche.com

www.ninisniche.etsy.com

#alopecia, #hair loss, #female hair loss, #female hereditary thinning, #auto-immune hair loss, #hair replacements

Hair Pieces Appropriate For Women With Androgenetic Alopecia

Any woman who has experienced hair loss may eventually consider purchasing a hair replacement (I hate the word wig!) to camouflage that loss.  Whether the hair loss is due to Androgenetic Alopecia (also known as female hereditary thinning), Alopecia Areata, or is a result of chemotherapy treatments, there are different types of hair pieces suitable for each kind of hair loss.

In this blog, I’d like to talk about the hair pieces particularly appropriate for women with Androgenetic Alopecia (AA) which is the type of hair loss that I myself have.  My favorite happens to be a full cranial, net base human hair piece, but I have also worn other types of hair pieces through the years.  A few years ago, I worked in the hair replacement field with the famous Charle Dewitt, and during that time I learned a great deal about different types of hair loss, and which hair piece offered the best solution for each of our clients.   

Women who have AA, can, of course, wear a full cranial synthetic or human hair piece, which can be found with a net or breathable cap. Although synthetic hair pieces are good as an interim hair piece, I always found that I was far happier in a human hair piece, aesthetically as well as for comfort and security.   Some women opt for a custom made, full cranial vacuum type piece, which, while designed for women who have no hair at all, can still be worn by women who have some hair.  They would just need to wear a bit of double stick tape just below the front hair line for security. These custom made vacuum style pieces are expensive, but they are designed to fit very well and look extremely natural.   And best of all, they don’t damage the existing hair.

Depending upon how much hair a woman has, she may want to consider wearing a partial, or integration hair piece.  These are pieces which are usually custom-made, and may be attached with the use of clips, combs, double stick tape (below the front hair line) and/or by pulling existing hair through openings in the wig cap. 

A word of caution (and I’m going out on a limb here):  it is my belief that hair extensions are not a good solution for a woman with Androgenetic Alopecia (AA).  With AA, the woman experiences diffuse hair loss, i.e. hair can shed from any part of her scalp.  Any additional stress on these fragile hair follicles can cause what is known as ‘traction alopecia’, and in some cases this type of hair loss will not correct itself, even when the extensions are removed.  Hair extensions were originally intended for runway models.  With extensions, these models would have ‘thick and/or long glorious’ hair to show off the larger-than-life couture fashions, then after the fashion show they’d have the extensions removed. 

You can imagine what happens to hair that is put into horizontal sections of tight cornrows starting at one temple, around the back of the head, and ending at the opposite temple.  Onto these cornrows, lengths of hair extensions are attached horizontally until the scalp is covered.  Regardless of the expense (and time!) to have these extensions put in, most women wear them for at least several months and in some cases, years. Periodically, they need to return to the stylist who originally put these extensions in to have them tightened (which is usually not free!).   Wearing them 24/7 is very damaging to your own hair.  You are constantly rubbing your head on your pillow when you sleep, which causes tangling and additional stress to your existing hair. The extensions themselves suffer as well.  Very shortly, hair extensions that started out looking great begin to look sad, tired, fuzzy, and abused.   Shampooing is difficult and time consuming and the constant weight of these extensions is very hard on your fragile follicles.  If you are considering this type of hair addition, please stop and think how long you are planning to wear these.  To my way of thinking, if you wear cornrows and hair extensions for any length of time, you are ‘mortgaging your future’ both from a hair standpoint and a financial standpoint!

The lesson?  Don’t wear any piece which will cause further damage to your hair.  To my way of thinking… every hair is precious.

Before buying any hair piece, do your homework.  Research what is out there (don’t you just love the internet?!) and when you think you’ve found a great hair piece and styling resource, ask to speak with a few of their customers.  There is no better way to assess how reputable a hair replacement company is than to speak to an existing customer. 

Above all, be realistic.  Don’t expect to look just the way you used to when you had your hair.  Find a hair piece that is suited to you, and that can be styled in a way which enhances your appearance, rather than detracts from it.  You need more than just a ‘cover up’ if you are going to feel good about presenting yourself to the world! Make sure your stylist knows the look you are after before purchasing a hair piece.  Remember that you probably will need to have bangs cut (they need to camouflage the front of the hair piece), so if you used to wear your hair in a slicked back pony tail or chignon, don’t think you are going to be able to duplicate that look exactly.  Bring photos of styles you like, but be prepared to be flexible. Be prepared, also, to return to the stylist for a little more detail work after the first cut.  Very few stylists are able to interpret exactly what the client wants the first time, and there is usually a bit more cutting, thinning or 'fine tuning' required.  Most stylists (hopefully) will not charge for this second visit.

You may have to compromise a little on your expectations, but if you find the right hair replacement resource and communicate your expectations to the stylist, you are probably going to be happy with your purchase and feel good about wearing your new hair replacement.

Linda Rieschel

We Are Not Our Hair

As are millions of people around the world, I am a serious Oprah Winfrey fan. To me, she is a sincere, intelligent, high energy, self taught powerhouse of a woman whom I greatly admire.  Recently, I watched a fabulous program on the OWN channel.  It was Episode 7 of her Master Class series entitled "An Intimate Conversation with Oprah"; Part 1.  This segment focused on the lessons Oprah learned along her way to becoming a "Media Icon".

In it, Oprah briefly describes a troubled childhood fraught with insecurity and estrangement from her mother.  She shares her journey starting from a young girl of 4 through her young adult hood. Throughout the one hour segment, her focus, resiliency and fortitude was very much in evidence.  There were things I had not known about her, which brought tears to my eyes.  I particularly appreciated her comments towards the end of the  segment.  It seems that early in her television career, she was told by a producer that she needed to make some changes, starting with her name.  She was also told that she needed plastic surgery;   her eyes were too far apart, her nose too wide.  Finally, it was suggested she drastically change her hair style.  It was poignant to hear Oprah say that she had never felt as though she was a pretty girl, but she knew she was intelligent, and she knew she had great hair.  Having no intention of changing her name, or her facial structure with plastic surgery, she opted to see a stylist who could change her hair.  Just when Oprah was becoming highly visible and very well known in television,  she began to lose her hair as a result of a bad perm given to her by the stylist. 

To hear someone as famous and successful as Oprah Winfrey talk about how deeply her hair loss affected her, and her feelings of devastation at the loss of part of her identity resonated with me.  When her hair began falling out, she was heartsick, saying to herself, "Now, I've only got my smarts".  She made several comments about that difficult time of her life, the most compelling of which was her determination not to let others judge her by her appearance.  She said to herself, "I am  not my hair, I am not how wide my nose is, I am not how far apart my eyes are.  The essence of who I am has nothing to do with what I look like."  Profound words from someone who knows only too well how much appearance is valued.

I came away from that segment with a new-found respect for Oprah, as well as a feeling of thankfulness for her insight and wisdom. She is a brave and generous woman who has shown others by example the heights one can reach if they are determined and focused enough. She possessed an inner strength even as a child, and had the grace and positive attitude to remain true to who she was, regardless of the upheaval in her life. It was tremendously gratifying to hear a celebrity as famous as Oprah share something so very personal.

When I worked in the hair replacement field, I was asked several times if there are celebrities who have suffered from hair loss.  My answer was always, "of course there are".  Whether the hair loss is caused by heredity (Androgenetic Alopecia or Female Hereditary Thinning) , auto-immune conditions (Alopecia Areata) or medical treatments (Chemotherapy, etc), no one is 'exempt'.  Hair loss can happen to anyone, man, woman or child.  I only wish more celebrities would talk about their hair loss, and share with us what they have done to overcome the frustration and embarrassment.  Would we feel any differently about a man or woman we admire if we knew they had lost their hair?  Of course not.  I believe we would feel even greater respect for what they have managed to achieve.   

It is not your hair loss which defines you, it is how you handle the hair loss which defines the person you are, exemplified by the strength and determination you possess.  Everyone has something about their appearance which bothers them.  The healthiest among us are the people who focus on those things around them that they can change and improve, instead of focusing on the features and characteristics we possess that we cannot change. 

We are, indeed,  not our hair. 

Linda Rieschel