Here is what Leslie had to say:

Hello people,

Recently I had an opportunity to shop the wig site Paula Young.  This is a great place to shop if you want to change your hairstyle or length instantly!  If you happen to live with alopecia or have had hair loss from cancer, this is a wonderful place to look for wigs or even hair extensions.

As the followers on my blog know, I have metastatic breast cancer.  This means that I have long term chemo in my future.  I have completely lost my hair as well as my eyelashes and some of my eyebrows.  There is nothing that makes a woman feel quite as self-conscious as being hairless.  So, of course I have a wig. Actually I have two, one of my wigs synthetic and one that is human hair and synthetic blend.  I like them both, but the blend is more real feeling to me.

The thing about wig shopping is that it is difficult to match how your hair looked before treatment.  The very cool thing about Paula Young wigs, as compared to other sites, is that it has so many options to choose from.  There are many different lengths, colors, styles and types.  You could choose synthetic, a blend of human hair and synthetic or even shell out a little more and get a human hair wig.  There are also different price points and they have terrific sales!  So if you wanted to have more than one wig to change your look or style, you can totally afford it here.

In addition to all the wig options there are accessories.  You will need and want a wig stand.  There are a couple stands to choose from.  There is the wire stand, which I use for the wigs I have currently and there is the styling stand.  I wish I had gotten that instead because it seems more solid for wig placement and styling than the wire one.  The wire one that I have from the wig shop my insurance sent me to, falls over and moves around.  You live and learn, right?

I never saw myself as someone who would have to shop for a wig. But here I am. Now I am trying to make the best of it by having a few wig options to choose from. If you find yourself in this situation, I would really recommend this site for a couple of reason.  One reason is that it came highly recommended by my cancer treatment center. Another reason is that in all my searches, I kept coming back to Paula Young to look around.  I guess I was drawn to the site.

If you get a wig from here, send in a photo or email and let me know what you think of it!!

Leslie Bowlus
If you’d like to read Leslie’s blog, please click here.

Prior to joining the Paula Young family I thought I knew how to properly tend to my wigs, but boy was I wrong.  Here is a quick recap of how to wash your wigs correctly:

1. Before I even start to wash my wig, I first remove any tangles using a wide-tooth comb. Then, I turn it inside out.
2. Next, I let it soak in cold water with my wig-safe shampoo (shown right) for about 5 minutes. It’s important to not rub the wig, but swirl it gently in the water.
3. After the shampoo and cold water bath, I rinse the wig thoroughly and turn it right side out again. To dry: blot with a towel to remove excess water.  Do not apply heat to synthetic wigs!

While your wig is wet…

• Do not rub, wring, twist, brush or comb.
• Place directly on wig stand.  Avoid using a Styrofoam styling head when wig is wet to avoid stretching.
• Spritz with Paula Young Wig Conditioner.
• Air dry at room temperature.

When dry…

• Simply brush or comb into desired look. Remember not to brush a curly synthetic wig: instead finger style or use a pick comb.

Proper care and maintenance with the right products will extend the life of your wig. Our line of Paula Young hair products are designed to treat, clean and condition your wig, so that it looks fresh longer.

Not sure if it’s time for a new wig? Here are some telltale signs that it’s time for a replacement:

• Color has dulled
• Hair looks frizzy
• Wig has lost its luster
• Style doesn’t hold its shape all day
• Wig doesn’t feel as comfortable or secure

Here are a few pointers:

“Shake ‘n Go!” – The “Shake ‘n Go” method is what it says.  Simply shake and go.  Many wig styles especially shorter ones, need only a good shake and they are ready to wear.

Keep Things Relaxed – Don’t worry about getting last hair perfectly in place.  This can make your wig look less natural.

Don’t Use Heat – Never expose your synthetic wig to excessive heat.  This will damage the fibers.  Do not use heated styling tools and avoid open ovens, grills and radiators.

Bring on the texture – Even though these synthetic styles are good to go with a tousle, you can add even more dimension and shine with gel or hairspray.

These six new styles create a unique collection with every detail in mind.  The collection features hand-knotted tops, comfortable caps, and natural looking colors…so you always feel confidently beautiful!

The new styles include the following:

High Society: Style: Straight, Material: Synthetic, Length: Mid-Length 10″ front; 11″ crown; 61/2″ sides; 31/2″ nape. Weight: 3.8 oz. Features: Kankelon Flexlite® fiber. Velvet-lined ear tabs and nape. Sheer lace front. Hand-tied monofilament part. Personal Fit cap.

Upper Cut:  Style: Straight  Material: Synthetic Length: Short 3″ front; 31/2″ crown; 23/4″ sides; 21/4″ nape. Weight: 2.6 oz. Kankelon Flexlite® fiber. Open ear tabs. Extended neck. Comfort Band. Hand-tied monofilament crown. Personal Fit cap .

Symmetry:  Style: Straight Material: Synthetic Length: Short 3″ front and crown; 21/4″ sides and back; 2″ nape. Weight: 2.6 oz. Kankelon Flexlite® fiber. Open ear tabs.
Extended neck. Comfort Band. Monofilament crown. Personal Fit cap .

Discretion: Style: Straight Material: Synthetic Length: Short 31/4″ front; 3″ crown; 2″ sides; 21/2″ back; 11/2″ nape. Weight: 2.6 oz. Kankelon Flexlite® fiber. Open ear tabs. Comfort Band.  Extended neck. Personal Fit cap .

Flutter: Style: Curly Material: Synthetic Length: Mid-Length 4″ front; 61/2″ crown, sides, and back; 2″ nape. Weight: 2.7 oz. Kankelon Flexlite® fiber. Open ear tabs.  Comfort Band. Personal Fit cap .

I personally love Patricia’s new look! What do you think? I think it takes a good 5 years off of her age.  As soon as I saw it, I thought of Jaclyn Smith’s Lillian Wig.

Lillian is an updated shag with longer layers at the sides and back. The hand-tied monofilament part lets your skin tone show through just a bit for a realistic look. Its curlable FiberFusion blend combines the styling versatility and natural look and feel of human hair with the durability and affordability of synthetic fiber, for the best of both worlds!

Back then, the royals were notorious for having the most ornate and sculpted wigs.  To transform these mile-high wigs, they used lard to hold the hair sculptures in place.  Thank goodness for Hair Spray.

They also used mixtures of lead, quicklime, sulfur and water to dye their hair and wigs red. This caused nausea, headaches and regular nosebleeds. That’s a high price to pay for some ginger hair if you ask me!

Naomi Watts' Many Looks

The 42-year-old actress has been very outspoken about her fine blonde strands since joining Patene as its latest celebrity spokesmodel.  She says, “I want to let women with fine hair know that achieving beautiful, voluminous hair is possible without damaging your hair.”

On her hair routine…
I love that I can be versatile with my hair even though it’s fine. I can get body if I want it, go curly or dead straight. I like to change it. I’m not one of those women that wants the same hair everyday and I like changing the length as well.

I personally think that’s the great thing about wigs, hairpieces, and extensions! There are always endless ways to reinvent yourself.  One day you can be blonde and the next day you can be a fiery red head.  Don’t be scared to be adventurous!

If you’re looking to spice up your look this summer here are a few styles I recommend:

• go blonde with my new favorite style – the Ryan Wig
• go long and lush with one of our most popular styles – the Brittany Wig

Ms. Watts is also lending her voice to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program, a campaign that encourages women and men to donate their hair to make real wigs for those that have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.

Watch Patricia’s confession here!

Another celebrity joining the wig bandwagon…Welcome abroad Patricia!

Hurry…quantities are limited!

(Note:  Clearance items can be returned for exchange only)