Wigs in HonG Kong:
History and
Charities
It was 2013 when Annie Woon, a new leader in Hong Kong industry became one of the Ten Outstanding Youths that attracted the public attention again to the local wig industry. Many may wonder who are still buying wigs nowadays after 2000, as it seems no one on the street wears the wig, nor can we find wig shops or factories in Hong Kong.
“If we trace back the history, we can still find that decades ago, Hong Kong had many wig factories,” said Zoe Wong, “but now we don’t have a single wig manufacturer, as far as I know."
History of Wig industry in Hong Kong
Hong Kong wig industry met its “golden age” a half century ago when the Hippie Movement swept around the world to create a huge craze and further led to a massive market demand. “The Leader of Hong Kong Wig Trade,” Hong Kong Businessman, George Lau, established the first wig factory in the city at the time of the early 1960s.


Mr. Lau spent much of his effort in improving the manufacturing process and the fabrication technique in Hong Kong, where at the time has only a few hand-made workshops. By borrowing industrialized production system from western countries, Lau finally found a method of semi-mechanized production, considering the sufficient labor in Hong Kong at that moment. With the advantages brought by high productivity and low costs, the wig industry in Hong Kong expanded rapidly and became even the global manufacturing center.


To hitchhike the commercial opportunity, hundreds of wig factories established under the wave and fastly outspread throughout the 1960s. At the mean time, the global Hippie movement was fading. A large-scale bankruptcy emerged in Hong Kong urged the wig industry to take actions in the face of demand reconstruction.
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The low-level skill prerequisite of the industry made those "cheap labor force" easily slipped away once jobs with high salaries available. Clothing industry came to be the competitor of wig industry in Hong Kong since the 1970s. It easily squeezed the market with a higher yield and galore profits. As a consequence, human costs became a dead weight for wig industry, which led to its later decline.
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Most Hong Kong factories, including wig companies, moved to Mainland China after the reform and opening-up policy implemented. A much cheaper labor cost is the most striking part. Guangdong Province, the closest region to Hong Kong, got more than 50% of its newly established wig factories introduced and transplanted from Hong Kong in the 1990s.
situation and market potential
In spite of the passion of fashion wigs wore off after the Hippie Movement, Hong Kong still owned a significant wig market.


According to a study conducted in 2008, about 1/4 Hong Kong males faced hair loss problem, ranking at the second highest place in Asia, and 30% of them appeared before the age of 30.


“There’re many reasons for hair loss, and the most important one is the irregular sleeping hours,” said a doctor at the Union Hospital in a television interview. Their research this year also found that 80% males thought the hair loss problem would affect the personal image, and even 21% affected emotionally for the problem.


Another big demand comes from patients who lost their hairs due to sickness or particular treatment, especially the chemotherapy. There were about 14000 new cases of different types of cancer each year in Hong Kong - 14,914 in 2013 and 14,267 in 2012.


The increasing demand for daily use requires the improved performance of wig in aspects of durability and invisibility. The needs foster the potential market of custom-order wigs, and it is now gradually taking the primary market in Hong Kong.


“I will measure the related data of customers like head circumference and hairline, and then send the information to the manufacturer in South Korea. The whole process takes over one month,” Zoe Wong introduced.
Wigs and LOCAL CHARITIES
“Artists dump wigs immediately after using it. But cancer patients treasure the wigs very much, bring wigs new meaning and life.” Annie Woon said after winning the Outstanding Youths award.
Many local wig vendors have noticed the cancer patients and their needs of medical wigs. As one of the most psychologically detrimental side effects of cancer or the chemotherapy, hair loss appears to be the thorny issue to every cancer patient. This drastic change as an apparent sign of cancer can be quite depressing especially for female patients. Breaks down confidence at first and then turns to be a severe psychological problem, hair loss can even cause an adverse impact on patients' physical therapy.
Acted to ease the situation, Hong Kong Cancer Fund (HKCF) started a “Wig Loan” service, which has been offering high-quality wigs for patients in need since four years ago. Registered clients of HKCF can borrow free wigs and return until their hair loss problems have relieved after the chemotherapy treatment.
“Any of our registered customers can make an appointment to try on the wig in our CancerLink Support Centers," introduced by HKCF officer, "We have professional hairdressers as volunteers to help our clients to pick the wigs that fit them best. They will also teach patients how to put on their wigs.”
The service is an essential part of HKCF's psychosocial support program that underlines self-enhancement of cancer patients. The program aims to help relieve their depression caused by cancer. The fund has been cooperated with one local wig vendor to sustain the long-term wig supply. While many other vendor's donations and consistent contribution also acted as the irreplaceable force to contain the sustainability of the program.
Annie Woon is one among the cooperator and donator of HKCF's "Wig Loan" program. Her wig donating started from 2006. Profiting tens of millions of HK dollar each year, she has now shifted her attention to producing particular kind of medical wig. As a designer and wig producer, she opened a medical wig center in Central area, Hong Kong in 2013, not only selling designed wigs that made at a relatively low price but also created a private space for their customers.
“I feel extremely contented to see them become gorgeous when they wear wigs. It feels like the wigs can bring back their confidence and dignity.” Annie said to GC Media Teamwork. So far, Annie has donated more than 1,000 medical wigs to cancer patients.
Annie Woon and her charity of medical wigs
(Photo Courtesy of Wonderful Knots Foundation )
