Any legitimate hairdresser will have completed an approved government-registered cosmetology course.

How do I know you're qualified and how do I check? Excellent questions that are rarely asked. This is extremely important in the hair loss industry since, with a hair system, wig or toupee, once cut, it doesn't grow back. A bad haircut on a hair system is permanent. At Maria Jaggard Salon, we've seen all kinds of systems - good quality expensive wigs and toupees COMPLETELY RUINED by a bad hair cut.

Unfortunately, due to deregulation in British Columbia, it is not longer necessary to have any kind of training to practise as a hairdresser or barber. Consequently, there are hundreds of unlicensed and unregistered hairdressers in British Coumbia.

Maria Jaggard has been a member of the Cosmetology Industry Association of British Columbia since 1991. She completed her training at the Raymond Academy and had additional courses through the Suki Academy in Vancouver. She is constantly upgrading her skills through annual industry courses as well as at International Beauty Show conventions in Hong Kong and Las Vegas.

If you wish to ensure your hair care professional has the qualifications that you would like for your own satisfaction, you can call the Cosmetology Industry Association of British Columbia to ensure that he/she is a member in good standing.

Cosmetology Industry Association of British Columbia

Phone: 604-871-0222 Toll Free 1-800-663-9283

Website: www.ciabc.net

Email: info@ciabc.net

The following information was copied from the Canadian Cancer Society's website:

Hair donations

We help people living with cancer find wigs and other types of headwear when they lose their hair as a result of cancer treatment. Although we are not involved in the collection of hair or the production of wigs, we get many questions from people who want to donate their hair. 

 If you are thinking about donating your hair, please follow these instructions.

 How to prepare your hair

The following applies to all hair donations:

• it must be clean, dry and not swept off the floor

• it must be a minimum length (this length varies based on a specific hair donation program's requirements (check the list below)

• it should not be chemically treated (bleach, colour or perm)

• it should be bundled in a ponytail at both ends or a braid

Sending your hair

• hair should be sent by regular mail to the hair donation program of your choice

• remember to include your name and address as acknowledgements may be sent

It takes approximately 12 donations of unprocessed hair and costs about $1,200 to craft a single hand-sewn wig for a child, so it's not possible to find out who received a wig made with your hair. If the donated hair cannot be used, it will not be returned to the donor.

 National

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

c/o RESOLVE Corporation

P. O.Box 434
2110 Kipling Avenue
Etobicoke Station B, ON M9W 5L4

Minimum requirements: length - 8 inches. Visit www.beautifullengths.ca for hair guidelines and cutting instructions, as well as a free eLabel to cover the cost of postage if mailed in Canada.

 British Columbia

Eva & Co. Wigs

950 West Broadway, Unit 107

Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1K7

Hair donations will be accepted by mail only.

Minimum requirement: length - 8 inches (20 cm), do not braid

Havana Technical Hair Design

326 Gilmore Avenue

Burnaby, BC, V5C 4R1

Hair donations will be accepted by regular mail only.

Minimum requirement: length - 9 inches (23cm), do not braid

Alberta

The Fringe Hair Company

2609 14 Street SW

Calgary, AB, T2T 3T9

Minimum requirement: length - 10 inches (25cm), no processing, no grey hair.

Please do not braid but secure hair at the top and bottom.

 Edmonton's Microsurgical Hair Restoration Clinic Ltd.

15012-107 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada, T5P 4S1

Hair donations will be accepted by regular mail (please make sure it's dry) or walk-in.

Minimum requirement: length - 8 inches (20cm), no processing. Can be braided or tied at either end.

 Manitoba

Evelyn's Wigs and Breast Prosthetic Service

79 Lagimodiere Avenue

Lorette, MB R0A 0Y0

Minimum requirement: length - 8 inches (20cm), no processing, no grey hair.

Please do not braid but secure hair at the top.

Ontario

A- Bientôt

371 Wellington Road South, Unit 5

London, Ontario, N6C 4P9

Minimum requirement: length - 12 inches (30cm)

 A Child's Voice Foundation
Angel Hair for Kids

3034 Palstan Road, Ste. 301

Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 2Z6
Minimum requirement: length - 10 inches (25cm), no processing, preferably braided

 Hair for Kids Program, c/o Continental Hair

92 1/2 Avenue Road

Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2H2

Minimum requirement: length - 10 inches (25cm), minimal processing acceptable

 Quebec

Order Quality Wigs

5450 Côte-des-Neiges, Suite200

Montreal, Qc, H3T 1Y6

Minimum requirement: length -10 inches (25cm).

 Nova Scotia

Capilia/HeadQuarters Hair Solutions Clinic
Suite 201, Parkland Professional Centre
998 Parkland Drive
Halifax NS, B3M 0A6
Minimum requirements: length - 8 inches. Please do not braid but secure hair at the top and bottom.

For further information, please contact the Canadian Cancer Society or go to their website: www.cancer.ca

Depending on the system you choose, your hair loss condition and other factors, the system can be held by hair weaving, medical adhesive, bonding agent or clips.

Provided you properly care for the hair system, there is no reason anyone would notice. Many of our clients have been using our systems for years and have spouses, children, co-workers, and friends unaware they wear a hair system.

As any doctor will tell you, stress is a significant factor in hair loss. In fact, it can be a vicious circle - stress created hair loss, creating more stress, creating more hair loss....

Many of our clients with stress induced hair loss have grown back significant amounts of hair once they've begun wearing one of our systems. It has been amazing and rewarding to work with clients in perfecting their image and then see the "weight of the world" drop off their shoulders once they realize they don't have to live with an unsightly appearance.

Absolutely not. Does wearing fashionable pants make you vain? Let's face it, not everyone has the perfect bald head. Some of our clients have serious medical problems or unsightly head injuries while others have ordinary pattern baldness. In the words of one of our clients "without the hair system, I was mistaken for someone 10 years older. Now I look 10 years younger - that's a 20 year age difference...I choose younger!"

Much like the first time you put in contact lenses, you will definitely feel something new on you. However, in a very short time, you will feel it become a part of you. The base is "breathable" and hypo-allergenic.

If you've worn a traditional wig before, you may experience discomfort due to the "one-size-fits-all" fit. Traditional wigs have large air pockets that trap heat, moisture and bacteria. Our custom fitted systems eliminate this problem and soon it will feel like it's a part of you.

Well, we can't promise the world but our clients tell us that they are treated differently when they have a full head of hair. Studies have shown people perceive hair loss sufferers as more conservative, older and less exciting (hey, we're not making this up!). Clients claim they have had better relationships, job offers and a healthier lifestyle due to their increased self-confidence and self-image.