New hair invention is a great alternative to weaves, wigs and lacefronts

Interview by Akua Boakye for Makeup and Mane

Recently I read about the SimiWeave™, a new hair creation which provides the wearer with the versatility of a wig but the beauty and believability of a weave.

Determined to find out more about this product, I contacted SimiWeave™  creator Simi Belo to find out more.

MM: How did you get started in the hair care industry and what motivated you to create the SimiWeave™ ?

SB:   Necessity is the mother of invention! I had personally been dying for something like this, for over twenty years. I used to use weaves but hated:

1. The time they took to put in and remove
2. Having to buy the hair each time
3. The way you could not really wash or look after your own hair properly under all that weave hair
4. The damage to your scalp
5. The fact that if you cut the weave into a style, you lose that style once you remove each row of hair that forms the weave. But I loved the way weaves allowed you to blend your own hair with the weave hair, meaning that they could look quite real.

So I kept wishing that there was some sort of weave that you could quickly put on and off, just like a wig.

I realised that if this ‘instant clip on weave’ worked like a wig, then you could also take it off every night to let your hair breathe; you’d be able to wash your hair as often and as thoroughly as you’d like; and, you wouldn’t lose the style if you had it cut into style. I realised that a wig with a gap at the front was the solution.

Hairdressing/styling has always been one of my hobbies, and I have created and worn many prototypes myself. There was clearly a need for this product, and when I got fed up with waiting to see it in the shops, I decided to invent it myself.

Simi Belo and the SimiWeave™

SB: The SimiWeave™ features three outstanding USPs (unique selling points):

1. By allowing the wearer to reveal some of his/her hair own real roots, scalp and hairline, it addresses the ‘no visible hairline/roots’ problem you get with existing wigs. Hair bands, fringes, fake scalps, etc, are used to cover stitching on existing wigs, but because they also conceal the wearer’s hairline and roots visible, the onlooker can tell that something is being worn.
2. Even though there are some other existing products, e.g. hairpieces, half or three-quarter wigs, that allow the wearer to blend their own hair with the wig hair, they are still easy to spot because there is always a ‘visible bump’ at the point where the wearer’s hair meets the fake hair. The SimiWeave™ is totally bump free, because you are attaching the wig hair at the natural roots level.
3. The SimiWeave™ is quick and easy to wear and remove, and therefore saves the wearer a great deal of time and money, when compared to existing hair attachment options, e.g. weaves, bonding and extensions.

MM:  The first time you wore your SimiWeave™ what was the initial reaction from others?

SB:  I actually wore my home-made prototypes for around three years before revealing my secret! It looked so real that my friends and family just thought I’d relaxed my hair and that it looked great.

MM:  What were some of the obstacles you faced when trying to put your product out onto the market?

SB: I believe that you can do anything you want to, and you should be positive at all times and approach business and life in that way. Accept that you will make mistakes and things will go wrong. Someone once said that ’sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn’. So with that kind of approach I’ve faced ‘challenges’ and not ‘obstacles’!

Running my own business, Guru PR Ltd, before I came up with SimiWeave® had already given me the experience of building up a new business proposition from thin air. Otherwise, working with long-distance manufacturers has been challenging.

MM: What type of hair/materials are your products made from and how long is the product expected to last?

SB: The hair is either synthetic hair (also known as acrylic or monofibre hair) and is made from man-made fibers: great for ready-made styles (akin to wearing a hat) and for when you do not want to spend any time whatsoever on styling.

Or human hair, which is undisputedly finer quality hair and, for this reason, it commands higher prices than synthetic hair.

If you are looking for realism, require a long lasting hair product and have the time to style your hair, then human hair would be your best bet. Then we offer styles in the ‘Yaki’ or ‘Silky’ is the finish. The ‘Yaki’ finish is deliberately texturised to provide a closer match to most types of straightened (relaxed, blow-dried, hot combed or heat pressed) Afro hair – most of our styles are available in the Yaki finish. The ‘Silky’ finish is dead straight and smooth.

Wigs, hair extensions and pieces are typically guaranteed to last for three months, regardless of brand. With proper care, they can last even longer and up to a few years. Each one of our products has been made to the highest standards. If they are maintained and cared for as directed (i.e. do not wash in your washing machine!), severe hair loss or cap damage should not occur – the two most common causes of deterioration.

We always recommend having a selection to choose from. Just as you may have more than one pair of black shoes (i.e. sandals, pumps, slinky heels, boots), your hair wardrobe should vary in length, texture and color. Keeping a variety of styles on hand will help extend the life of each hair piece and, of course, give you many looks to choose from!

SimiWeave™ step by step photos

MM:How can clients keep their SimiWeave™ in good condition?

SB: All our hair products come with a handy ‘wearing and caring’ guide, which is very easy to follow. We also offer some care products available from www.SimiWeave.com . Each style can be washed regularly. Heat sources such as hot irons, rollers, and straighteners can be used on all 100% human hair styles. Do not apply heat to a synthetic style, as it could damage the built-in styling. The SimiWeave™ should be wrapped in protective nets and stored flat. Customers can email their ‘wear and care’ questions to us anytime at customercare@simiweave.com  

MM: Can clients with short/ damaged hair wear the SimiWeave? How do you recommend clients care for their natural hair while wearing SimiWeave™ ?

SB: The SimiWeave™ is great for customers with short / damaged hair! Their hair needs to be only 2” (5cm) to 3″ (7.5cm) long to brush over the gap at the front. Those with damaged or weak front hairlines usually find that in at least one area, their front hairline is strong enough to wear SimiWeave™.

For example, I still have a damaged hairline to the right, more than eight years after the relaxer followed by micro braids that created the damage! My hairline is stronger on the left and in the centre, so I can wear left or centre parting SimiWeave™ styles. I strongly encourage all customers to care for their natural hair while wearing a SimiWeave™. Wash, condition and treat your own hair constantly. And because your SimiWeave™ functions like a wig, it can be taken off every night to let your real hair and scalp breathe, and wash your own hair as often and as thoroughly as you like: no need to worry about damaging or loosening the stitching of a weave, or neutralising the glue of bonding!

MM: What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

SB: An appearance on Tyra, an endorsement from Oprah, the SimiWeave™ on Michelle Obama….followed by speedy retirement! No, really, this is the tip of the iceberg with the SimiWeave™, and there is still a lot of room for many more new styles, fibers, finishes, etc, before I am done! After I establish the SimiWeave™ as a household product (‘Don’t leave home without it!’), then I have some other business ideas I’d like to look into. Until then, my focus is the SimiWeave™, although I also spend a great deal of time in assisting other new businesses with PR, marketing and new business development.

For more information check out  www.SimiWeave.com or email enquiries@simiweave.com .