New iPhone

Ok, so I have recently purchased my very first iPhone (yes really!!!) and one of the first apps I downloaded was the blogger app ��

Up until now every time I want to blog I have to be sat in front of my computer (often fighting with my 10 year old to get on it!) so I am really excited to be trying this app out for the first time! No children allowed on this mums iPhone haha ��

So this blog is really a 'tester' to see how it all goes ...... I must admit though, I could get used to this way of blogging!!

Emma. Xxx
Aspire Hair

Ps - did it work !?? Lol

Our Interview With BBC Radio Sheffield

I had a call a few weeks ago from a lovely man named Rav. Rav was calling from BBC radio Sheffield and he went on to explain on how he had found our website, Aspire Hair, and had read my story on how i lost my hair to alopecia and how it had effected me at the time.

I was stunned when he asked me if i would like to come into the studio and speak with Paulette Edwards, live on air, about a photo from my past that linked in with my alopecia and how it tells a story about where my life had progressed along to :)

We set the date for Saturday the 21st April and i was told to arrive for 9.20am ish that morning.

As you can imagine i was a mix of nerves and excitement! I had never done anything like this before so i didn't really know what to expect ....

The picture i decided to use was one that i found over at my mum and dads house. It shows me, stood alone, standing next to the William Wallace sword in Scotland. I was on holiday with my parents and brothers at that time and they had made me have my photo taken. I was not a chappy chappy at all!! I was wearing the most horrible wig, that was too big, the wrong colour for me and looked .... well, very wiggy! So as you can imagine i didn't smile very much on that photo :( 

 On the morning of Saturday 21st April my nerves really started to kick in! When i got to the studio i suddenly developed a dry though and spent what sempt like the longest time trying to quietly clear my throat LOL. Meeting Paulette was lovely ... she is such a nice person and really put me at ease. The first half of the interview went by in a bit of a blur to be honest! I was nervous and couldn't sit still because of the nerves! I was almost squirming about in my seat so you can imagine what i must have looked like .... i bet Paulette Edwards thought i was ready to do a runner or something! 

By the end of the first half of the interview i started to feel more relaxed. We took a break for a song and by the time i was back on air i had started to feel a lot more relaxed and started to actually enjoy the interview. Who knew the painfully shy girl from my past (me) would actually one day be having a radio interview and not only that, but enjoying it!

You can listen to the interview here on BBC iPlayer :) Its available for the next few days and I'm not sure where it goes after that but if it goes into archives then i will update the link on this blog. My interview started at around 9.38am (approx 0.38 into the recording :)

Emma xxx
Aspire Hair

Our debut collection is here (well, almost!)

After what seems like the longest time of playing about with ideas on cap constructions, hair lengths, hair colours and hair types we have finally narrowed down all the options and have listed the new collection of wigs on our website :o) I really wanted to keep things as simple as possible with this and offer something that, not only was simple and straight forward, but something that would be suitable for both hair loss and non hair loss sufferers. I also wanted to keep it flexible in terms of cap construction so that i could still offer a custom cap service to those of my customers who needed that service. So what is our new 'Your Collection' all about??

Well, as the name would suggest this is a collection, made for you! I did my research and asked about with lots of my clients on what they would like from a human hair wig, requests included ...

• Remy human hair so that they could have versatility in styling 
• A open lace front that gave them the option to attach with tape, or not depending on their preference
• Longer length with a medium density that didn't feel too bulky
• A soft cap construction with a good amount of stretch to it
• The option to have these wigs created in custom colours that follow on with current trend
• An affordable price! I should have put this one first really shouldn't i :o) 

 Take a look at the picture of Jessie J to the left. No one could deny that this hair do is both stunning and very on trend right now! But what happens in 5 / 6 months time when this is out of fashion? Or maybe your thinking how much you LOVE this look but would not want to wear it everyday .... Well this is one of the many advantages of wearing a wig. Weather your a fashion or necessity wearer, you can change you look as much as you would like to.

With the new collection you have total control over weather you want a 'standard' hair colour like a rich warm dark brown or you fancy a trendy Dip Dye look like the one Jessie J is sporting!

Don't fall into the old fashion trap of thinking wigs look 'wiggy' or 'un-fashionable' because it does not have to be that way!

If the Jessie J Dip Dye look is a trifle to dramatic for your tastes then why not try out another fashionable look that is set to be a big hit for the summer. This subtle yet effective 'Ombre' look as modelled beautifully on the right shows how effective a small change in colour towards the tips of the hair can make a massive difference!

Notice how the hair trails down to show a lighter colour at the tips / ends of the hair. You can control how delicate or dramatic this look is by choosing your colour options. Don't worry we are always here for advice, so if this is a look that you LOVE the look of but are not sure of the colours then we can guide you in the right direction.

 Now , the picture to the left takes us right back into a dramatic look! Team a gorgeous medium warm brown with pink and blue ( creates an almost tie-dye effect!) and the result is head turning hair.

If wearing hair that has a mix of pink and blue in it is not your cup of tea then why not tone the whole thing down just a little by using more natural colours that compliment each other. You could try a dark brown base colour with red or purple. That's the beauty of the new collection is that we can create anything you want! without a custom price tag attached to it.

For inspiration , why not check out the Become Gorgeous website for lots of hair ideas!





The Low Down On The Your Collection Cap Constructions

As i wig wearer myself i totally understand that there is NEVER one wig cap construction that suits everyone We all want different things from time to time and these differences range from a 100% glue less wig to a bonded hair replacement system. I always used to find myself saying to my hubby Gary things like "this wig would be perfect if only it had ........" or "yes i love this cap construction but i wish it came in a longer hair length!". This is another to put on the positives list for the new collection .... you get to chose either a cap construction and length that we have stated OR you have us work with you and design you a 'bespoke'  cap construction at no extra cost :) Take a look at our set cap constructions below .....

• Standard Cap -  Open lace front (temple to temple)  /  Mono filament top  /  Hand-Tied cap  /  Adjustable back. This cap type can be worn either as it is as a glue less wig or with a small amount of tape added to the open lace front for a little more security. Tape can also be added to the ear tabs too. The standard cap would be great for both fashion and medical hair loss wearers.
• Deluxe Cap - Open lace front  /  Mono filament top  /  Hand-Tied cap  /  Adjustable back  /  Silicone ear tabs. The Deluxe cap offers that extra bit of security for medical wearers who are experiences hair loss because of alopecia or chemo. The silicone grips to the skin well meaning no need to use tape!
• System Cap - Full lace  /  with or without a stretch panel at the crown  /. This cap construction is great for medical wearers who have no natural hair of their own. I would recommend removing your system every week for hygiene reasons and then re-attaching. This type of cap construction requires bonding all along the perimeter using a liquid glue or special tape.
• Custom Cap - The sky is the limit with this cap design! We can create a cap to suit you and your lifestyle perfectly.

What started as a little blog post has turned into an essay! Sorry folks LOL

As always we would love to get your feedback on this so please feel free to leave your comments below :o)

Emma xxx
Aspire Hair 

Toni Warne - BBC1 The Voice

Being in the industry i am in, and also being an alopecian myself i always try to promote a positive attitude as regards alopecia and always give it my all with my clients and try to help them feel beautiful and confident in their own skin (and new hair :)

My father in law, Alan, has always taken a great deal of interest in my business and my work and is always keen to hear how i am doing and what i have been up to which is so lovely of him as he is always genuinely interested in my ideas on wig design and offers a friendly ear at times when i may have had a tough day, or have met someone that has made me feel a little tearful (through no intended fault of their own i might add!). I quite a sensitive person which, in many lines of work may be a bit of a disadvantage, but in my line of work i think sensitivity is a must .... as, at the end of the day, my number 1 goal is to do what is right for my clients to the best of my ability.

Well, Alan came up to see us last Sunday as it was my (now 4 year old daughters) birthday and we had a bit of an all day tea party for her. Alan and I got to chatting as we always do and he mentioned about a programme he had watched the night before called The Voice on BBC1. He continued on to tell me about a lady who had auditioned in front of the judges of the programme and he continued to tell me how she had Alopecia.

So off i went to check out BBCiplayer on my laptop. I skipped through the first few auditions (sorry the Voice ... i have since watched the show all of the way through i promise!) and found Toni Warnes pre audition interview and her performance. To say i could relate to a lot of what she said into the camera would have been a major understatement! It brought back every feeling i had many years ago of struggling with my own alopecia and worrying about being judges by the way i looked first before people would even give me a chance to prove to them who i was. I also used to be a club singer and am constantly having a sing song at work, around the house etc ... so i felt i could relate to her on quite a few levels.

I must admit i did shed a little tear when Toni was speaking and when she started singing ...... well that was it the flood gates were well and truly open and there i was balling like a baby at how beautiful her voice was, how perfect the song choice was and how amazing she looked up on that stage, in front of all those people in the audience and at home. She was saying "This is me!" She was fabulous and i am rooting for her to do well in The Voice.

I think Toni may not yet realise the positive impact she is having on other alopecians who are struggling with their condition right now. Although Toni is not verbally saying it, her actions are loud and clear .... THIS IS ME  ~  TAKE ME AS I AM ~  YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOU MIND/HEART ON. 

Check out Toni Warnes Website  ~  BBC1 The Voice Page  ~  Facebook Fan Page 

Well done Toni and thank you for following me on Twitter **nearly faints** :) :)

Emma xxx
Aspire Hair

The Little Princess Trust

Hello *waves* from sunny old Sheffield :)

For those of you that know me or follow my work on line you may already know this but for those of you that i don't get to speak with on a regular basis i though i would do a short blog about what we have been up to recently! Plus i am very keen to spread the word about this charity as they so deserve the praise and tooting about!

The Little Princess Trust charity are UK based and fund new hair (wigs) for Children and teenagers who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. I am absolutely over the moon to have the chance to work with this charity and the amazing patients at Sheffield's western park teenage cancer unit in helping them find new hair that they will feel comfortable in, that will look natural and also make them feel confident so they can concentrate on getting well again.

You can donate to the Little Princess Trust charity by clicking here
Please do get involved in fund raising if at all possible :) More information on fund raising ideas can be found right here.

I am working closely with one company who i shall not name at this point on being able to offer something that is quite special to the girls i have / will be meeting at the western park teenage cancer unit so i will keep everyone up to date on this as it all emerges!

Emma xxx
Aspire Hair

our #WOW win!

If you are a bit of a Twitter addict like i am then you may already know that Jacqueline Gold runs a weekly competition on Twitter calling all women in business to tweet their business and she then re-tweets her fave 3. The 3 re-tweeted businesses then becomes a #WOW winner and becomes part of the #WOW club.

Well it was Wednesday the 7th March and i was browsing twitter from my BB and saw that the #WOW comp was running. I had totally forgot about it to be honest what with work / consultations and updating the website etc ... I decided i would have a go and put my tweet in and to be amazement, Aspire Hair was one of the 3 businesses to be re-tweeted by Jacqueline! 

To say i was excited would have been a slight understatement. I was literally jumping and hopping around the kitchen and running through our house saying 'OMG! OMG!' My partner Gary was laughing at first but then started to become a little concerned when i lent over saying 'i cant breath!' ...... i am not the fittest of people and i admit that (i will start back at the gym though ... promise :). So, with Gary rubbing my back and asking me what on earth was going on i told him the whole story and how chuffed i was that we had been re-tweeted by Jacqueline Gold.

Of course, being a typical man he headed straight onto google and checked out Jacqueline's website.

I am so blown away that Aspire Hair got a #WOW win and it means so much to us, so thank you Jacqueline Gold! And take a look at the funky little badge we got too!

Emma xxx
ASPIRE HAIR

More Fabulous Client pictures :o)

A lovely client of ours has been kind enough to send us in some wonderful pictures of her wearing her Codi Amore Wig, Zara SmartLace Wig and Julia SmartLace wig for everyone to take a look at.

We all know how helpful it is to see someone else wearing a wig that they are interested in purchasing so i would like to say a massive 'Thank You!' to Denise for giving me the permission to publish her pictures for the world to see :o) Take a look below ...

Here Denise is wearing her Zara SmartLace Wig in the colour 14/26

Denise wearing the Codi wig by Amore in the colour Creamy Toffee

And Denise wearing her Julia SmartLace Wig by Jon Renau in the colour 24BN22

Check out the natural hairline on the SmartLace wigs! We think you look amazing Denise and would like to say a massive thank you again for letting us share your pictures with everyone :o)

Emma xxx
Aspire Hair