Episode 44 - Amy Gibson, Emmy Award Nominated Soap Star: Wig Expert For Everyone
Have you lost your hair due to chemotherapy or Alopeica? Do you have thinning hair due to stress, hormones, or do you just have thin hair? Amy Gibson shares with us her secret to finding the best wigs in the world to restore your confidence and fool any man even during the most intimate moments. Listen in if you have ever wondered about hair pieces, wigs and extensions. Amy is funny and informative. Beauty Now has the latest and best in every aspect of looking and feeling your best.
Transcript
Transcript
Announcer: This program is brought to you by PersonalLifeMedia.com.
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Teri Struck: I’m Teri Struck, host of “Beauty Now,” a weekly show devoted to experts who share their knowledge on lasers, lipo, lifts, lips, lashes, nutrition, and today, we have hair. We have a hair expert with us, Amy Gibson. She’s been on “General Hospital” and many more shows.
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Amy Gibson: There are 35 million women in the United States right now, dealing with hair loss. It can be from stress, from nutrition, from alopecia, from cancer, chemo, radiation, low iron, hormone imbalance, pregnancy, high blood pressure medicine, diabetes medicine. It’s so many things that it’s now correlated with everything.
There’s some things that, first of all you need to do if you’re dealing with hair loss. You must get a hormone panel taken. I don’t care what age you are. If your hormones are even a little bit imbalanced, if your estrogen is too high, if your testosterone is too high, if your progesterone is too low, you are going to experience some form of imbalance in your body and, a lot of times, that results in hair loss.
The real secret to doing eyelashes is with a toothpick. You take the lash out of the package and, literally, looking straight ahead, which is definitely something you have to get used to, because, if you look down, it’s going to end up being too high on your lid. Take a little bit of glue on the toothpick and put it along the edge of the lash and you make your hand real steady and you slowly guide the lash right on to the edge of the eyelid.
And, at night when you slowly take them off, make sure you take the glue off at night. And then put them back into the frame, because it’s really important you keep it bent the way it is because, if not, it loses its shape.
What do you when he reaches his hand behind your neck and you’re on a date and he’s about to kiss you? “Oh, my God, he’s going to feel the wig.” Right? You take his hand away and put it on your cheek, put it on your leg
Teri Struck: Or put it somewhere else if you’re in that mode.
Amy Gibson: But, the secret is getting his attention off your hair and back on to him.
People say, well, do I tell him or do I not tell him? I think that depends on how you are with yourself first. I would say a smile and laughter can get you through anything. Men are really stupid when it comes to this stuff. They really don’t even notice it. The only time men notice it, is when you get weird.
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Teri Struck: Welcome, Amy.
Amy Gibson: How you doing?
Teri Struck: We’re doing great.
Amy Gibson: It’s so nice to be here. Thank you.
Teri Struck: I’m so glad you could talk to us and there’s some many women that are dealing with hair loss through either chemotherapy, alopecia areata, or stress.
Amy Gibson: Um, hmm.
Teri Struck: Tell us what they can do. What’s the first thing that you do?
Amy Gibson: Well, first of all, I think the most important thing – can you hear me okay right now?
Teri Struck: Yes.
Amy Gibson: Okay. I think the most important thing of them all for anybody who’s listening is to realize that you’re not alone because there are 35 million women in the United States right now, dealing with hair loss. And, I mean, it can be from anything now. It’s like a pandemic. I mean, it can be from stress, from nutrition, from alopecia, from cancer, chemo, radiation, low iron, hormone imbalance, pregnancy. I mean, you name it, high blood pressure medicine, diabetes medicine. It’s so many things that it’s now correlated with everything.
So, the woman’s who’s listening going, “Oh, my God, you know, I don’t know what’s going on with me. My crown is so much less. And all around, I’m having thinning all around.” Believe me, it has nothing to do, like you’re some strange person or that you’re alone with this disease. It’s not about that. It’s a condition that’s hitting so many women. So there are some alternatives that I do want to discuss with you so I can at least let the women out there know that, number one, there’s some things that first of all you need to do if you’re dealing with hair loss.
One is you must get a hormone panel taken. I don’t care what age you are. If your hormones are even a little bit imbalanced, if your estrogen is too high, if your testosterone is too high, if your progesterone is too low, you are going to experience some form of imbalance in your body and a lot of times, that results in hair loss.
Teri Struck: And what type of doctor do they go to to get diagnosed for that?
Amy Gibson: You know what? I go to my gyno; I go to my medical doctor. I just had my hormone panel tested by a guy named Wayne Wrightman, who they should know about in Torrance, who does things with women over the phone. He’s in the book. You can look him up W-R-I…
Teri Struck: They aren’t just in California listeners.
Amy Gibson: Well, no, he’s all over the world though. I mean, he deals with women all over, so if…
Teri Struck: To get a hold of him, we would… go to PersonalLifeMedia.com…
Amy Gibson: And I’ll give you that information, absolutely. But, you know, basically, will go to a lab and he already orders the hormone panel. It’s very simple, most insurance companies cover it, and you’ll get a real idea. The other thing that I’m going to have them check out is something called orthomolecular medicine and I will also give you that information where they can reach me on that, that really tells if you if your body’s imbalanced and also it will tell you what’s going on with your hair. Okay?
They do incredible testing so we can discuss that later on your site.
The next thing they have to realize is there are all kinds of alternatives that are created for women that have a little spot to a big spot to all around hair thinning. And, here are the options: there are things called top pieces, kindly known as “toppers.” Have you ever heard of that?
Teri Struck: I have heard of that.
Amy Gibson: Okay. The best thing known to man in a little tin can. I’m telling you, it’s the best invention since the napkin. It is indiscreet – if it’s done right, meaning it looks like a little – it looks like hair that is attached to a base that is literally clipped into the top of your head or glued on, depending on how bad your hair loss is. You use some of your own hair, if you’re bald completely, this will not work, ladies.
But if you have some hair and we make them here at Crown & Glory Enterprises in Los Angeles, and I do this for women all over the world and don’t meet half the women that I meet – that I do wigs for. I send them samples and colors and we pick everything over the phone. But, meanwhile, you clip it in and just like my newscasters do, you just kind of take your hair and you build into it. And, it’s, literally, you cannot tell the difference. But, what it does look like is “Wow, what’s different about you?”
And the secret to any wig and any hair loss that you’re going to be dealing with and trying to get any alternative hair to wear, is that you should not be wearing hair that’s more than 25% more than you currently have. So that’s why some people will wear these heavy wigs and someone will go, “My God, it’s such a nice piece.” What you want someone to say is, “Wow, what’s different about you? Have you lost weight or did you color your hair?” That’s the result you want.
The next thing is, there are wigs. And, you know, there – for alopecia, especially, there are millions of women, men and children dealing with alopecia and alopecia is an immune disorder. It’s not catching. It’s not fatal. You won’t give it to somebody if you kiss them. It’s called the “mystery condition,” because there really are no answers. Really, unfortunately, and I’ve had it since I’ve been 13-1/2 years old.
Teri Struck: And alopecia is complete hair loss. Right?
Amy Gibson: No, not always. There’s several stages.
Teri Struck: Alopecia areata?
Amy Gibson: That’s bald spots.
Teri Struck: Okay.
Amy Gibson: And that’s about the size of a dime to the size of the palm of your hand.
Teri Struck: Okay, so explain to our listeners for those who don’t understand.
Amy Gibson: Sure. If you see like a little baby bald spot and you see it get a little bit bigger, sometimes, that’s just from stress and it’s not “immune disorder.”
Teri Struck: Okay.
Amy Gibson: That’s number one. However, alopecia is an immune disorder and what happens is, the body, in simple terms, thinks it has a disease and the white blood cells fight against themselves and they end up causing hair loss. That’s the easiest way to put it without getting too technical.
Teri Struck: Right. Okay.
Amy Gibson: So then the next stage is totalis, which is where you lose all you hair on top, which is my story. And at Crown & Glory Enterprises, if you go, or you go to my site that I have which is AmysPresence, as in your presence P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E, AmysPresence, if you go to that dot.com, you’ll see my story and you’ll see the type of alopecia that goes on.
Teri Struck: And we’re also going to link your story to our website too.
Amy Gibson: Oh, good, so then everybody gets this information…
Teri Struck: …go to PersonalLifeMedia.com, we’re going to link Amy right there.
Amy Gibson: Oh, wonderful. Thank you.
And so then, there’s alopecia univeralis, which is where all body hair, eyelashes and eyebrows and that is devastating because, you know, you don’t realize, you and I, I only have totalis, but I am lucky enough to have my eyelashes and my eyebrows and my nose hair.
Now, just – you know, it’s interesting, we don’t realize that the eyelashes prevent dirt…
Teri Struck: Now, you really want your nose hair?
Amy Gibson: You know what I mean? But, they have a purpose, right?. God made everything for a purpose. It has a purpose. You know, it keeps the dirt out of your nose. You know? Right?
Teri Struck: Right. Okay, well that’s good to know.
Amy Gibson: So, when people come in with me with alopecia universalis, my heart really goes out, because they have even a harder road because they’ve got to make their eyebrows look good and tattooing sometimes works great. A good body art tattoo and you can certainly link me, they can come to me and I’ll tell them more use for that.
But, body art tattoo works great if you have a good brow. A person that has the real hairline sort of technique that looks like real hair. Or, you know, you can definitely get false eyelashes and we do them here at Crown & Glory, but you can also get them online. There are some wonderful, wonderful eyelashes now that are made of human hair that, literally, you cannot tell the difference.
Teri Struck: But how do false eyelashes stick on if you don’t have any hair for them to stick?
Amy Gibson: Because they stick on to the edge, edge of the lid.
Teri Struck: Oh, so that’s great. These are special then, not just the kind you can buy in the store.
Amy Gibson. Yeah! You can buy them in the store. That’s not the secret; the secret is putting them on.
Teri Struck: Oh, okay.
Amy Gibson: The real secret to doing eyelashes is with a toothpick. People go, “What!?” You take a tweezer and you take the lash out of the package. But the problem is, they’re usually too long and people think, “Oh, I better cut it from the inside. You never cut the lashes from the inside, always to the outside, and you measure them against your eyelids.
And, literally, looking straight ahead, which is definitely something you have to get used to, because, if you look down, it’s going to end up being too high on your lid. So, looking straight ahead, add just a little bit of glue, you take a little bit of glue on the toothpick and put it along on the edge of the lash and you make your hand real steady and you slowly guide the lash right on to the edge of the eyelid. Really quiet. And don’t trip out if you get, “Oh, my God, my eyes are blinking and oh, they’re going to start to tear.” Give yourself a break, take a…
Teri Struck: Oh, you know me, huh?
Amy Gibson: Well, most [crosstalk] of that. But, the secret is looking straight ahead. And get used to your eye; get used to your finger coming towards your eye a little bit. Before putting any lash, kind of get used to that. Real fast, putting finger to your eye so you don’t back off. Get used to something going towards your eye. That’s the number one thing because, if not, you’re never going to be able to put your lashes on correct. And that’s really how you do that
And, at night when you slowly take them off, make sure you take the glue off at night.
Teri Struck: How do you take them off? Do you do something special?
Amy Gibson: Put your nails, no, just kind of peel off the little glue at the end. It usually comes off in one little thing once you start taking the edge off. It takes it right off, the glue. And then put them back into the frame, because it’s really important you keep it bent the way it is because, if not, it loses its shape. And, but, you know, there are wonderful makers out there. So, that’s, that’s what comes with alopecia a lot of the time.
But there are other solutions. We created the first women’s swim wig with a futuristic cyberhair. And cyberhair looks and feels and moves just like human hair. Okay? But it’s actually a high-grade synthetic that when you wash it, goes right back into shape. In 20 minutes, it’s dry right back into shape and you can get out the door. So there’s no maintenance involved.
And, it breathes. The only thing is it needs a little moisture so you have to spray a little moisture on it every day. But, it reflects light. If you were to feel your hair, Teri, and then close your eyes and feel the cyberhair, you would not feel the difference. It’s amazing.
And the first woman’s swim wig was tested for two years in sales. And I believe it’s sometimes not always about the destination, sometimes it’s about the journey. And I have been making wigs for many, many years. It was my goal making them by hand and basically using European or fine Italian hair and I would have the base made and it was sort of a very easy process.
Learning how to create wigs like this was something that was a real learning curve for me. I was sent to the Philippines to learn at the factory and we had failed a bunch of times. I mean, like, tons, umpteen times I failed.
And I finally said to the company, “you know what? I really appreciate that you want to put up all this money for this line and, I know, that you understand how necessary it is for women to feel sexy and feel beautiful. And I don’t feel beautiful in a bathing cap. Some women are okay with it, but I really feel that they need a swim wig that they can exercise in and feel active in and feel light and airy and it weighs three ounces. And you can go swimming and it won’t come off. But if this doesn’t work, then I guess I’m supposed to just stay with what I’ve been doing.” And I really let it go.
You know they say about giving it over and just saying, “I surrender.” And I really, truly after almost a year and a half, and said, almost two years, “Okay, God, you know what? I give up.”
I’ve learned a lot and this is what it was about. Well, the next prototype worked. And it has now been worldwide and the first women’s swim wig with cyberhair is the most successful swim wig that’s ever been made. Not because I designed it, but I do have great partners that have helped me bring it to the marketplace in a wonderful way, and great technical people. So, I’ve been very supported in that. And that’s something women really need.
The other thing is, how do you be intimate with a wig on?
Teri Struck: Right. How do you?
Amy Gibson: Well…
Teri Struck: Tell us, please.
Amy Gibson: I’m telling you, baby. I created something called the Pearl Program and women fly in from all over the world to literally learn how to make love with their wig on so the man doesn’t know.
For example, how – what do you when he reaches his hand behind your neck and you’re on a date and he’s about to kiss you? “Oh, my God, he’s going to feel the wig.” Right?
Teri Struck: Right.
Amy Gibson: Wrong. What you do is, the whole secret – number – there’s two very important things. One is…
Teri Struck: Push his hand down.
Amy Gibson: You take his hand away and put it on your cheek, put it on your leg…
Teri Struck: Or put it somewhere else if you’re in that mode. Yeah.
Amy Gibson: And, but, the secret is getting his attention off your hair and back on to him.
People say, “Well, do I tell him or do I not tell him?” You know, I think that depends how you are with yourself first. I would say a smile and laughter can get you through anything. And, I teach my clients to say, “Okay, listen.” I say, “Are you ready?” “No, I’m not ready, I’m not ready.” “Okay, then if he asks about your hair or, you know, you could say, “You know, I had extensions put in today and my head’s a little sore. So kind of just, you know, maybe not touch it for a while?”
[laughter]
Amy Gibson: Okay, with all due respect, because I know that, you know, Mark is your wonderful producer on the phone and listening. Mark, with all due respect, men are really stupid when it comes to this stuff. They really don’t even notice it. Okay?
Teri Struck: Most men, right.
Amy Gibson: They really – most men don’t. The only time men notice it, is when you get weird. When a woman starts getting weird and starts acting really insecure or self-conscious, that weird dance…
Teri Struck: Like flipping your hair…
Amy Gibson: Sort of like, oh, oh, or looking down or oh, oh, oh – all of that. So, I always tell all my clients and I do, you know, through personal consultations with women all over the world, via emails, phone, everything, in person, and I always say to them, “Now, here’s how I handle it.”
You take a breath, and you smile for a moment and you just look at him and say, “Listen, you know what? My hair is real short right now. I had a perm so it kind of got real short and stuff, so I’m wearing this – by the way, do you not love this style? Do like this style? Really? Ah! Thank you. See, I picked it out recently. I know I wasn’t real sure about it.”
Teri Struck: Now, I know why you’re the expert. I mean, you’re amazing. The stuff that you’re teaching women is very…
Amy Gibson: Thank you, but I went through this for, you know, 25 years without any Amy Gibson being around to show me. So all this stuff and all these lies that I had to tell all the ways out of these situations, I just had to learn and what I do is share that with women now.
Teri Struck: And young girls even get…
Amy Gibson: Oh!
Teri Struck: That’s just so, so heartbreaking. I’ve seen so many things on that. We’re going to have to take a quick commercial break.
Amy Gibson: Okay, great.
Teri Struck: And we’re going to be right back with Amy Gibson and how you can deal with your hair loss.
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Announcer: Listen to “Money, Mission and Meaning: Passionate Work, Purpose of Play,” a weekly audio program bringing you success in the business of life, on PersonalLifeMedia.com.
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Teri Struck: This is Teri Struck, host of “Beauty Now.” We’re back. We’re talking with Amy Gibson. Have you lost your hair? She’s here to tell us how to get our self-esteem back and how to look great doing it.
Welcome back, Amy.
Amy Gibson: Hi there.
Teri Struck: How do you get it back? Right? So, how do you get it back?
Amy Gibson: Oh man. Self-esteem is so affected by our hair.
Teri Struck: It is.
Amy Gibson: You know, I always say women, you know, girls, I say, “Remember, girls, we are more than just hair.” And we are, however, you know our hair, in this society, we are reflected, we are looked upon as this hair is our crown and glory.
Teri Struck: And it’s a real sexual thing too. I mean I…
Amy Gibson: Very. How you feel about yourself and your hair and men love hair and, you know, you would feel really bad if you lost it.
Teri Struck: That’s why there are great wigs. And for those great wigs, that’s why there’s Amy Gibson to [laughter] you.
Amy Gibson: Well, you know, it took me a long time to create wigs at Crown & Glory. You know, I started this company selling wigs out of the luggage in my trunk. I would go to support groups and I wasn’t really doing this as a business. I was really going to – it was more cathartic for me. I was still healing from my own loss. Because it’s a grieving time when you lose your hair.
And I would hear women say, “God, you know, your wig looks really good. Do you know where I can get one? I said, “Oh, I’ll find one for you.” And I’d charge them 50 bucks extra for all my time. But, I really wasn’t making money, but my heart was very fulfilled.
And then, I realized, you know, “Geez, maybe I should kind of look into this.” So for two years and a lot of pro bono work, I literally would deliver wigs even down to Newport. And I would then buy, like, seven, eight of a different style and I was like the traveling wig person.
Teri Struck: Down to Newport Beach?
Amy Gibson: Newport Beach to Agora Hills.
Teri Struck: That’s where I grew up.
Amy Gibson: Really! Oh, I love…
Teri Struck: That’s for our listeners who want to know.
Amy Gibson: Oh! I love Newport. And, but it got to be just, you know, spending too much time on the road and losing money and not, you know. So, sometimes the universe moves you in a direction where you’re supposed to be if you’re not there. And I had a very bad back accident and I had been bedridden for a year and, had to really look at my life and decide what I wanted to do.
And I got really strongly, during that time, that I was supposed to really come out and really go public and I was very scared in going public about my illness because, or condition, because everyone in the industry, I’m an Emmy-nominated actress for 20 years in daytime, and no one ever knew. I kept it quiet. When I was recently in “People” Magazine and they validated a story that, everybody in my life.
Teri Struck: We’ve seen you everywhere, “Tyra,” “Extra,” “Eye on LA,” you’ve been everywhere and I actually, even before those shows, saw you in the beauty salon. Your picture and everything and I think you have inspired women to, you know, be proud to get some hair and don’t care.
Amy Gibson: Well, I noticed something. Hair used to be looked on as “Oh, my God, you must be dying if you have to wear a wig.” It’s not like, you know, wigs are fashion now. They’re medical and fashion together. And so, you don’t really have to feel that way, but our self-esteem issues are huge with this. And…
Teri Struck: And, you know, mostly I think you also inspire people to not wear their hair if they didn’t want to do it. Like, for instance, my mom just passed from cancer and she actually tried some hair and it really didn’t work for her and she had a beautiful face and she looked great without her hair too.
And I think you really actually have inspired women just to, if you want to wear your hair and you want to feel great, great, and if you want to just go without your hair for a little bit, if you’ve had chemotherapy, that’s great too, because it means you’re a survivor.
Amy Gibson: Well, it is that, but it’s also beyond – it’s beyond labeling “I’m a survivor.” Because that means that you are coming from a place of negativity trying to be positive and there you are and you’ve overcome it. And there’s something wonderful about that statement. However, what’s even a more wonderful place to go is that, this is who I am.
Teri Struck: Right. And that’s a – I like that.
Amy Gibson: And claiming that. In my book that I’m writing, I talk about the fact that, you know, I have never, except for one lecture that I gave where I took my wig off or privately with clients, I have never, ever been in pubic without my hair. I still am attached to my hair. I’m like, I always say that I’m lucky to be able to talk about this stuff. But, I’m no different than the woman in Lynchburg, Virginia who’s dealing with it.
There are times I wake up and I go, “Oh God, I really wish I had my hair back.” You know?
Teri Struck: I’m sure. I’m sure every single day. So tell us…
Amy Gibson: No, no, not every single day…
Teri Struck: How is it? What is it every single day though? Do you wear a wig every day? Is it permanent?
Amy Gibson: I wear a wig every day. I change my wigs every day. Whenever, whatever I feel like doing, I wear. And when I’m around the house, I also wear a little scarf. The men in my life are okay with it because I’m okay with it, which is where I was going before.
You have to sort of get okay to a place where you’re either not okay with it and how are you going to get by, meaning that what are the excuses you’re going to give and know them. They’re your elevator speech, so that you’re comfortable that [xx] start. And if you are comfortable with it, here’s some ways you can tell someone.
Teri Struck: So, tell me something…
Amy Gibson: This is like the second. You usually want to get to know somebody a little better. Okay. So, the second date or third date, or whatever, now obviously, I’m out of the box so most men once they Google me, they know who I am. And either they’re going to live with it or not and I don’t waste a lot of time.
But, for the woman out there, when she’s okay, she can say, “Tell me something. You know, I know like all men have a preference. Are you like a tushy man, a breast man, an eye man, a hair man, leg man?” I mean, kind of put the hair in there a little bit. And most men will say, “Oh, you know, I love faces or I love eyes, I love hair.” “Really, do you like my hair? Oh, you do, [laughter]. Thanks because, you know what? I don’t have any. That isn’t a problem for you, is it?
Teri Struck: Oh, that’s good.
Amy Gibson: You’re looking straight in with a smile, and most men will say, “What? Wait a minute, I need to process this for a moment.” That’s the common answer. And then they’ll say, “What happened?” And the first thing you need to do and I implore women to do, is make sure that person know right away that you’re not dying and it’s not catching.
Say, “You know what? It’s this weird condition. You can’t catch it. It’s really strange. But you know, it hits people’s hair. What can I tell you?”
People get really scared when they hear the word “dis-ease.” Okay?
Teri Struck: Okay. I’ve heard about chemo patients and radiation and all that, that are out there?
Amy Gibson: I think they’re the most amazing women on the planet.
Teri Struck: Right.
Amy Gibson: I work with Cedar Sinai by the bedside of women because I really believe that a woman who has had her breast removed or is going through radiation and chemo and loses her hair and loses a part of herself and is fighting for her life and fighting to be here for everyone around her, when everybody around her is in fear as well, to trying to make them okay. You give her a little bit of making her feel beautiful again and, I’ve got to tell you, give her her mojo back, man, she wants to stay here and fight a thousand times more.
And I’ve seen Stage 4 go into remission for a woman who wants to stay and fight. So, I love working at Cedars and I love working at the bedside of women. And, I’m really, really sorry about your mom.
Teri Struck: Oh, no, thank you. I’m in a – she actually really, you know, was a great…
Amy Gibson: What did she do with her hair?
Teri Struck: She actually just ended up going bald, I mean, she looked like an angel. She did try wigs, but it really was itchy for her.
Amy Gibson: Yeah.
Teri Struck: It was itchy. So I don’t know if that was because of chemo and all that. But it was very, very itchy.
Amy Gibson: Well, most of the wigs out there are. The reason why my wigs work is because I kind of walk the talk. So, anything that I can’t – if I can’t wear it, I don’t sell it. I only sell the things I know work and are comfortable and light and that I can wear. And, if I can’t ,then I don’t’ sell it because I think that’s out of integrity.
So, I think that the most important thing a woman has to do first is realize, “Okay, here’s my deal. I don’t have to be sick to wear a wig. And, if I am, great because they’re fantastic wigs in the marketplace.” Crown & Glory Enterprises, Amy’s Presence, all that stuff, I don’t want to advertise forever, but I mean, there’s also other makers out there that are phenomenal at making wigs. Okay?
Teri Struck: I was going to look into your wigs for my mom, but she, unfortunately, went very, very fast. So, when she was diagnosed Stage 4, then went very, very fast, it’s a little bit different.
Amy Gibson: But in a way…
Teri Struck: But, we would have looked into it for sure.
Amy Gibson: But the first thing a woman has to do is realize, you know, “I’m going to go into a wig shop and I’m vulnerable. I’m not going to be sold. I’m going to take my time. I’m not going to be pressured. And when I look at a piece that I like, I’m going to say, ‘is this synthetic hair or is this human hair.’”
Teri Struck: Okay.
Amy Gibson: “Would you mind coming with me? I want to go outside in the real light so I can see the real color. Because I know that inside and under fluorescent lights you’ll never get the proper hue or degree of the color. So, would you come with me? Is there a window I can go by.” Then you hold up a hand mirror with you in that light. Very important.
When you’re looking at a wig, hold it up to the ceiling, to a light and if you can see through that wig, you’re going to be able to breathe through that wig. If you can see through it, you can breathe through it. And, if you can’t breathe through it, put it back or walk out of the store and go elsewhere.
Teri Struck: Great advice, I would have thought that would be the opposite that’s, I mean, really, that’s great.
Amy Gibson: The other thing to ask that’s really important is, “Tell me something. So, is there a guarantee on this wig or what can I expect the lifespan to be of this wig, honestly?”
I tell people cyberhair really is not meant, if you were to wear it every day, it’s not meant to really last more than a year because it breaks down. And it’s still a nylon. And, what you’re doing is you’re paying a little bit more for a more natural, more comfortable look for a shorter amount of time than you would a human hair. But the enjoyment is amazing and it’s worth it.
I don’t tell people, buy the wig; this is going to last for two years. I think that’s a lie. Now, if it’s human hair, human hair can last a lot longer. But, you’ve got to be honest with your customers. So I want the women out there to go in from a place of strength instead of weakness. And, yeah, you’re going to go in for a wig, but we’ll look at it in a new way. Did you like your hair? If you didn’t, guess what? This is the one opportunity you have to get anything you want, look any which way, you want to look. So, let’s go have a ball and let’s pick out something that really makes you feel like the diva within that you are.
And, if you have that type of attitude going in, you’ll have a far greater positive result than going in as a maimed, as a maimed and fragile bird.
Teri Struck: What’s the difference between human hair and synthetic hair cost-wise.
Amy Gibson: Very big; very big difference. Synthetic hair is itchier, it doesn’t last as long. It’ll look good for the first few months and then, you’ll have to get another one pretty much if you wear it every day. Because the nylon doesn’t – it releases its elasticity, it loses its shine. It starts looking fake. It doesn’t have any movement and so human hair will last you far, far longer.
However, here’s the difference in prices. The synthetic can start at a hundred bucks and go to, good synthetics at 500 and fiber hair can go into a couple of thousand, if that’s the case, because you custom order it to your head and it’s specific colors that it matches exactly. And we also have stock pieces that are a little less expensive than that.
With human hair, human hair will start on the Internet at 500, those will not last as long. Some of the better ones will be above a thousand. My custom human hair ones, that will be exactly to your specifications, even including down to your ear – everything you need. I have eyeglass loops on mine. I have scarf loops in my bases. My bases come very high, so if a guy is going to reach you in the back of the neck, he’s not going to feel the base. All different ways that I make the wigs at Crown & Glory.
And what happens is, that will go anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000, depending if you’re talking what type of human hair. There’s Italian human hair, European hair, that’s very good, one of the best, on a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a good 9. Russian hair is the best, most expensive hair on the market. We do Russian hair. We’re one of the very few people in the country who that do Russian hair. There’s only a handful of us.
Then there’s Ramy hair, which isn’t bad, but it’s sort of – it’s Indian hair and if you flatten it out with a straightening iron, it’s fabulous. It has a tendency to frizz and maybe puff out a bit. But, it’s fabulous and it will work for you and it’s fine and you don’t have to spend a fortune for it.
So, when you see the word, “Ramy” hair, Indian hair, it doesn’t mean it’s terrible, it just means it won’t be as smooth as European or Indian and some women have a coarser hair anyway. So, it doesn’t make a difference. You won’t have to spend as much.
Teri Struck: What’s your best advice for somebody who really can’t afford it? Really has to…
Amy Gibson: If you really can’t afford it, you know, if you really can’t and you can prove that with your W2 to me, I do a lot of pro bono work. Locks for Love gives away wigs for free. If you need a piece for kids, the Hair Club gives kids wigs for free.
Teri Gibson: That’s good advice. I mean, we’ll go to PersonalLifeMedia.com and we’re going to link up with Amy’s website and…
Amy Gibson: And they can write me, you know, they can write me and I’ll try to help them find something, you know?
Teri Gibson: That’d be great. That’d be great. Because I also want to help our listeners that can’t really afford these huge pieces but then, if you can, you’re really lucky. And they’re beautiful and you look beautiful.
Amy Gibson: Thank you, thank you. But, you know, it’s after long time of lot of mistakes, so what I teach women and what I have is what works. I’m not a wig store that you walk into and I’m going to show you a thousand pieces. I have an exclusive studio in Westwood. We make wigs not only for women here, but all over the world.
You know, I’m making a wig right now for one of our sergeants in the army.
Teri Struck: Oh, that’s so great.
Amy Gibson: Who’s stuck in Iraq. Who, from the stresses, has lost all her hair and her boyfriend has no idea. And there’s no way she wants to come home to the holiday and scare him. So, she wrote me and her mother wrote me. I said, “Okay, we’re going to send colors and pieces back and forth. Give me some pictures of you.” What I do, is I blow it up to a 9 x 11, and I will make this for you according to your facial structure and you’ll look exactly like you look right now, like I do for so many other women.” And I don’t meet half the women I make wigs for. And I make women’s – wigs from women from here to Australia.” And it’s the most incredible process, the most creative process.
And they’re also fabulous ready-made wigs that we carry. But, the ones that I carry, the ones work. The ones that I wear that are ready made is because they last. And you’ll get more than just walking into a wig shop and not know what the hell you’re buying. You know, because it is a very vulnerable world out there coming to this.
Teri Struck: And you don’t want to waste your money. I mean, and not knowing and that’s why I think this show is so valuable to do. And you’re really helping millions of women across the nation.
Amy Gibson: Yes, figure out how to buy a wig, where to start.
Teri Struck: When you first lose your hair, it’s pretty horrifying.
Amy Gibson: It is. And, but for the woman that’s out there, you’ve got to know, number one, you’re not alone like I said in the beginning. Number two, that there are fabulous alternatives. As long as you have the tools at your fingertips, you won’t be emotionally distraught.
If you don’t have something that makes you feel like you, it’s going to be a little more of a challenge.
Teri Struck: And let’s not forget the men. You make toppers for men too, right?
Amy Gibson: Absolutely. I make toppers for men both in cyberhair and human hair. The other thing that women especially have to realize, and men, is that the secret to a wig besides getting good hair and a good lace, is the cut. And one out of 15 hairstylist really know how to cut wigs, because they don’t breathe and they don’t have natural oils so they don’t respond to the scissors like regular hair does.
So, you’ve got to ask, “Have you cut wigs before?” If they say no, “Could you recommend?” Start calling back to wig shops, “Would you mind recommending some?” Give me where you are, write me, I’ll try to find someone in your area. If that’s the case, I deal with people in the country all the time asking these questions. So, I’m on the phone 24//7 or by email and I speak to about 500 women a month.
Teri Struck: That is really great advice. And we’re running out of time.
Amy Gibson: Okay, baby.
Teri Struck: So, we’re going to have to say goodbye, Amy Gibson, PersonalLifeMedia.com.
If you’d like transcripts for today’s show, please go to PersonalLifeMedia.com. If you want to email me, email me at [email protected].
We’re going to link you up with Amy’s websites. You can email her, you know, find out everything you need to know about hair. She’ll answer your questions.
Thank you so much for being with us. I wish we had more time.
Amy Gibson: Thank you, I hope I got…
Teri Struck: You’re a sweetheart and this was so special and I dedicate this show to my mom.
I’ll talk to you guys soon. Beauty Now.
[musical interlude – “You Had a Little Work Done” by Mark Winter, (http://mark-winter.com/)
Announcer: Find more great shows like this on PersonalLifeMedia.com.