Ranada McLaughlin
Small Business Owner, Hair Stylist, and Artist in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ranada McLaughlin
Small Business Owner, Hair Stylist, and Artist in Colorado Springs, Colorado
I’m a licensed cosmetologist, freelance hairstylist, hand tied wig maker, designer and educator. Having over 20 years experience in the industry I have learned to hone in on my niche and I’m loving it! Over the last 20 + years I have had the pleasure of owning 3 salons and co-owning one with my very talented sister Tabitha Robertson, in Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years, I rod the waves of trends as they came and went, but nothing ever deterred my love for wig designing.
Therefore when full lace wigs, frontal's and closures hit the public sector, I being a designer became very intrigued with the construction of the units so in 2009 I purchased one for a whopping $800 –it was beautiful!!!! However, after about three months of use the wig began to shed and I was losing hair daily but when I spoke with the establishment I purchased it from they quickly blamed me for “combing or brushing it too much”. My thoughts at that point was, I paid $800 for the wig so I should've been able to brush, comb, curl or anything else I would like to do to this wig without the hair coming out in groves. Later I found out the knots were never sealed, never the less the establishment was absolutely no help. Unfortunately, they didn't have any suggestions on how to get the wig repaired or where for that matter, I had to conduct my own research. Within about 4-5 months I found someone in New York City in the film industry willing to repair my wig but between the labor charges, shipping and the cost of the hair, it was just not worth the outrageous expense!
Several months later, I came across a you tube video of a gentleman in the UK that made the wigs from scratch, I was so intrigued by the process I stepped out on faith and left him a message explaining what happened and asked for help. Surprisingly, he provided me with a wealth of information on where to purchase the necessary tools. After receiving my purchased I continued to follow his videos and eventually mastered the skill. Yes, I repaired my wig! It may have taken forever but I did it! Since then I have been honing in on my craft one wig at a time and I love it!