The Wig Room

It’s Friday! Let’s go out with a bang! Last hint for this weeks “Where in the World is the Wig” contest. Leave a comment in the post or send The Wig Room a private message. Have a great weekend and go shop local for some cute fall outfits. If it ever gets chilly enough to wear them!

Good Thursday morning friends! Let’s talk about the benefit of coming to see me at The Wig Room versus buying off of a website.
Benefits:
1) I’ve been a hairstylist for over 35 years.
2) You get a personal consultation .
3) I’m just a phone call away away if you have any troubles.
4) I can guide you in the right direction for what’s best for your needs.
5) You are supporting small business.
6) I can customize each piece for your specific style.
7) I truly care about each person who sits in my chair.
Reach out to me today and we can help you get back the confidence you lost!

It’s Wednesday and another clue to “Where in the World is the Wig” contest. Give me your best guesses. You can comment below or private message The Wig Room. Please remember that you must guess all 4 weeks correctly to win one of these gift certificates from a local business that has participated!

🎀💗 TO EVERY BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR… THIS IS FOR YOU! 💗🎀

You are more than a survivor. You are a WARRIOR! 💪🏽💕

You have faced fear, endured pain, shed tears, and fought battles that others may never understand. Your scars tell a story of strength, your smile reflects courage, and your journey is a testimony of hope. 💗

Some days were harder than others, but YOU ARE STILL HERE! 🙌🏽

Today, we celebrate your courage, your resilience, and every victory—big or small. Your journey hasn’t been easy, but your life is worth celebrating every single day! 🌸

🎀 To the survivors, the fighters, and the angels we’ve lost but will never forget—we honor you. 🎀

💗 PINK IS MORE THAN A COLOR… IT’S A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH, HOPE, AND SURVIVAL! 💗

Keep shining, beautiful warriors! 🌷💪🏽

🎀 💕

It’s Monday! The start of another week of “Where in the World is the Wig” contest. You can leave your guess in the comments or private message The Wig Room. Don’t worry! I’m watching closely on who has guessed correctly. Again, you must get all 4 weeks correct to have a chance at a gift card from one of the local businesses. Thanks for playing along and let’s go!

Week number 2 is coming up for “Where in the World is the Wig” contest. We had many good guesses last week. The guesses are closed for week 1. If you guessed Kindred Market then you guessed right. Your name will go onto the list for week one. Remember, you must get all 4 correct to win a gift certificate from one of these local businesses. So some lucky winner will win a $25 gift card to Kindred Market. In the meantime go check out all the wonderful items they have at Kindred Market. Monday kicks off week 2. Be ready to post your guesses. Thank you for following along!

This is the last day of our hints for this weeks “Where in the World is the Wig” contest. Tell us where you think this sassy girl has shown up! Please don’t forget that this is at one of our local businesses in Jacksonville! We will be giving away a gift card from this local business to a lucky winner who guessed all 4 weeks correctly! Good luck!

Can you believe this is a topper? If you’re thinning on top and need volume, this might be a viable option for you or a loved one.

Here is another hint for our “Where in the World is the Wig” contest! Give me your guesses. There’s a gift card to this place that will be up for grabs if you guess all 4 weeks correctly! Leave your guess here in the comments.

Last week was trichotillomania week. I’m late in posting but take a minute to read and understand it and how to best support someone who suffers with it.

Trichotillomania, or trich, is a body-focused repetitive behavior involving recurrent hair pulling. Despite affecting millions of people, it remains widely misunderstood and is often difficult to talk about openly.

This year, we’re spotlighting our very own Skylar, Custom Product Specialist on the Jon Renau team, who has lived with trichotillomania since she was seven years old. Nearly two decades later, she has learned to navigate hair loss, wigs, self-expression, and the many ways trich has shaped her life.

Skylar was brave enough to share her story with us in her own words, and we’re so grateful for her openness and vulnerability in an effort to help others.

Read her in-depth interview below:

Tell us about yourself and your experience with trichotillomania.

I’m 27, I grew up in Southern California, I’m a Licensed Esthetician with a passion for skincare and science – and I’ve had Trich since I was 7 years old!

I started pulling a few hairs when I was seven. By age nine I had gone from long locks to a pixie cut. At age 16, my mom purchased my first wig for me! (From Jon Renau, of course). I vividly remember one of the first times I started pulling, sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car. However, it wasn’t until I had a bald spot at the top of my head that my parents intervened and found a psychologist.

My journey has lasted nearly 20 years, it’s still very much ongoing, and I would be lying if I said it hasn’t changed the course of my life completely. I have had hair loss longer than I’ve had a full head of hair, and in a way, it’s all I know.

Trichotillomania has impacted every area of my life, but this is kind of a” lemons into lemonade” story. I can’t change the events that led me to pulling my own hair, but I believe I can change others’ lives with the courage to share my story.

What do you wish more people understood about trichotillomania?

I think trichotillomania is kind of framed as a self-inflicted disorder, posing the question “Am I the victim or the villain in my own story?”. I wish people knew that trichotillomania isn’t the cause, but rather that trichotillomania has a root cause (pun intended).

For myself and many others, trichotillomania is a response to childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, C-PTSD, trauma, abuse, controlling behaviors and unsafe people/environments. Trichotillomania is a way to self-soothe and regain control at the cost of one’s own appearance, confidence, and livelihood. So often I get the question “Wait, you pull your own hair?” when the question lingering just beneath the surface is “What happened to you that made your mind & body react this way?”.

How has trichotillomania impacted your day-to-day life?

I tell people that trichotillomania isn’t just a disorder, it’s a lifestyle. Every single decision I’ve made from age seven and up has been from a place of self-preservation… and wig preservation. As my hair loss progressed, I gave up my love for swimming. I never learned to braid or curl hair, I didn’t have eyebrows, dating comes at the cost of radical acceptance, friendship comes at the cost of deep fear and the need to hide.

From the minute my feet hit the ground in the morning, my first thought is, “where is my wig or shower cap, I don’t want my roommates to see me without hair”. There is not an area of my life that trichotillomania hasn’t touched. It is always more than hair.

How has trichotillomania influenced your relationship with your hair and your appearance?

At first, hair was a means to an end. I got crafty, my goal was to hide my hair loss any way possible. With tinted dry shampoos, root sprays, beanies, you name it.

Then when my mom pulled me to the side and told me it was time for a wig at 16 years old, everything changed. Confidence was not a word in my vocabulary. Hair no longer felt like an extension of me (pun intended, of course), it felt like a band aid. It wasn’t until I was 26 years old that I looked in the mirror, decided that if this is my life… then this is my life.

From there on, I’ve embraced [wigs]. I speak on it. Loss is no longer a reason to be afraid, but a reason to connect. I’m finding new, fun ways to express myself through wigs, through accessories. I feel most myself when I’ve drawn my eyebrows on. I’m still learning to love every version of me, but growth is a journey. I’m finally just in a place where I realize that our appearance is a billboard for our personalities and lives – and I want to express myself accordingly.

What role has alternative hair played in your journey?

I got my first wig at 16. Wearing alternative hair in high school came at a cost, especially because I was practically bald one day and had a head full of hair the next. At first, I only wanted to blend in. To restore what was lost in terms of color and length. I would only wear lace front wigs in a specific shade of red to match my bio hair. But as I grew personally, and I became more accepting of this, I realized – I had years to make up for. So, every day now, I wear a different wig. Blonde, brunette, strawberry blonde, raven [black], you name it.

I believe if you get to a point where you’re comfortable enough, wigs can boost your confidence rather than feeling like something you have to hide under. But looking at the nearly 11 years of wearing wigs, I can say that alternative hair restores dignity.

Has wearing alternative hair changed the way you express yourself or feel about your appearance?

Yes! At first, I was so afraid of change, I would only wear a Courtney or Amanda in 27MB. One specific style, one color only, hoping someone couldn’t tell I was wearing a wig. But now… it’s an outlet for my self-expression.

I’m bubbly, I’m artsy, passionate, sassy, creative, finding out who I am after years of OCD telling me who I should be. As my need to hide falls away, the real me comes out. I gladly tell people I have hair loss. I connect with people over it! On Facebook, at the beauty supply store, at the grocery store. A compliment on “my” hair turns into a way to remove the veil of shame. If you own it… then own it!