If you’re new to the world of hair replacement, or have been a hair system wearer for many years, no doubt you have given a great deal of thought to how much cash you’ll need to part with, to afford the luxury of a head of hair.

Perhaps you have visited a flashy high-street salon and been wowed by the limitless options available but balked at the idea of spending £2000 every few months to get back the hair that so selfishly deserted you in the first place. Damn you hair, what did I ever do to you?!

Quite often, I speak to new customers who bemoan paying a salon such high prices. They eventually find an online supplier like Hair Hub and feel jubilant that they can now save a fortune. However, in fairness to our high-street counterparts, running an online business incurs far fewer costs than those working from beautifully kitted-out studios in city centre locations. Of course, the hair replacement system you purchase from a retail outlet is going to be pricey. There are higher costs to cover.

The point I’m trying to make, in a rather long winded way it would seem, is that you have options. Whether you choose to purchase through a less expensive online retailer or a full-service salon located in the heart of London, you will have access to pretty much any type of hair replacement configuration you wish. Long gone are the days of choosing thick, heavy wigs from Bob’s Wig Shop which fail to blend in with any existing hair and threaten to leave you should a summer breeze blow your way.

Online hair replacement providers

Don’t be fooled into thinking that a salon-priced £2000 hair system endorsed by an aging sports personality is superior to that provided by any online provider.

This simply isn’t the case. It costs a fortune to advertise on the back page of the Daily Mail and costs need to be recouped. Most likely, a reputable online supplier will be able to make you a hair system of unrivalled quality and loveliness for a fraction of the cost.

However, buyer beware! Should you take it upon yourself to contact Looky Looky Hair in Bangok and purchase a hair system for £50, don’t be surprised if it changes colour after week one and sheds like a molting English Sheepdog on a hot summer’s day.

The best thing to do is to trial a few companies to see whether they can provide the quality of hair you desire. As a rough ballpark figure, you really need to be spending approximately £250-£350 for a standard custom-made hair replacement system. Any cheaper, and I’d be suspicious about the quality and origin of the hair. Yak? Goat? Any more, and I think you may be paying over the odds. Unless it’s a high-street salon with costly overheads who will massage your toes, rub your shoulders and provide a tasty buffet lunch with champagne cocktails during your appointment.

What type of hair replacement configuration you opt for will have a significant bearing on how long the system will last and therefore, how much you will need to spend annually. We recommend our customers replace their hair systems every 2-6 months (depending on the base material) and ideally have a spare one to hand, just in case they damage their existing system. We are not being greedy here. As we use 100% human hair in our systems, which is obviously no longer growing, nor being nourished by your own scalp oils, the hair will only look tip-top for up to three months. Whilst many customers order an economical monofilament hair system once a year, to save money, the appearance of the hair over such an extended period of time, will not be optimal.

However, what do you do if you simply cannot afford to spend a few hundred pounds every few months? Firstly, make sure you look after your hair system in the way you would look after a long-haired Persian kitten. Handle it gently, always. Shampoo and condition the hair with the right product; SLS and paraben free are ideal. Use a wide-toothed comb or vent brush to style the hair, gently. Think of the kitten. And stay out of the sun, unless you’ve sprayed a generous spritz of a UV protection product. If you look after your hair, it will naturally last longer. However, if you’re still using your mum’s matted hairbrush and washing your hair in a cheapy 2in1 chemical laden apple shampoo, you may notice your hair looking pretty crappy pretty quickly.

Secondly, take advantage of Hair Hub’s pay monthly programme. With several price tiers to choose from, you can spread the cost of shiny and bouncy hair systems throughout the year. More and more customers are choosing this method to access hair replacement affordably. For example, our Bronze plan offers 2 hair systems per year for just £46 per month (£32 p/m for stock systems). Roughly the same price as a night at the cinema with a box of Fruit Pastilles.

Next week, I’ll be using the experience of Tom, my Hair Hub colleague, to discuss the emotional impact of losing your hair at an early age and the decision of whether to tell family or not.

For more information on our payment monthly plans, please visit the links below:

Custom-made plans 
Stock (ready-made) plans