No substitute for self-esteem, says wig maker

By REBECCA WALSH

Dunedin wig maker Murray Barrington produces nearly 700 real hair wigs a year.

Mr Barrington, who has made toupes for men since the 1970s, said that until a decade ago he had no idea some women lost all hair as a result of alopecia. Now he has about 160 customers in New Zealand, the majority females aged 10 to 70.

Most of the wig hair comes from Spain, Russia and America. In parts of Eastern Europe women are paid for hair. In the US an organisation called Locks of Love - set up for children with alopecia whose parents cannot afford a wig - sometimes sells hair unsuitable for children's wigs.

Customers can match their wig to their own hair or choose something different. The hair can be highlighted, streaked or permed.

Making a wig involves taking a plaster cast of a person's head, making a mold to create a scalp from silicone and fabric

The hair is then implanted by hand and a machine that can pull through one or two hairs at a time. To make a wig of 22cm to 24cm in length, the imported hair needs to be a ponytail about 30cm long.

Production time (Mr Barrington works on a number of wigs over about two months) and the cost of importing real hair make wigs expensive.

A real hair wig costs $2200 to $2800, compared with $400 for a synthetic wig.

But Mr Barrington says a real hair wig has many advantages.

"It looks better, it behaves better. In the wind it falls back into place. It doesn't stand up."

People who wear synthetic wigs often find they irritate the scalp.

It is also remarkable to watch the transformation in people's confidence, says Mr Barrington.

"Usually people are just so grateful to get something that makes them look like they used to look, to get their appearance and self-esteem back."