Visiting wig makers "You can take my breasts, but you can't take my hair"

The profession of wigmaker is almost unheard of in Switzerland. blue News visits one of the last workshops in the country and shows you how a wig is made.

Hair can change lives. At least that's the opinion of Sabrina Kaiser-Kossmayr, Managing Director of Rolph AG. For 60 years, the company has been dedicated to producing customized hair solutions for people with hair loss.

A craft that has almost completely died out in Switzerland.

This is because there has been no traditional training to become a wigmaker in Switzerland for over 60 years. The profession is even considered a "highly endangered trade" by the federal government.

Rolph AG does not train wig makers either. The knowledge is always passed on to the next person and the profession is learned directly on the job. "Our people may not be trained wigmakers, but they have so much skill and passion," emphasizes Kaiser-Kossmayr. And they want to keep it that way.

Because although the profession is endangered, she is not afraid of the future. "You can't replace a haircut with digitalization or artificial intelligence - but the human element of my employees is essential." You can look online to see what you would look like with a certain hairstyle, but you also need people to do it.

Every wig is unique

Around 500 customers visit Rolph AG every year for a second haircut. The majority of customers are people with a medical diagnosis, such as cancer. "We have a solution for every hair problem," says Kaiser-Kossmayr. As every hair replacement is unique, she offers tailor-made solutions. Every wig is therefore unique.

Women make up 80 percent of her customers, men around 20 percent. According to her, there is a reason for this: "Women have a very emotional attachment to their hair. I've already had several customers who have said, you can take my breasts, but please don't take my hair."

Men often only become aware of hair loss when acquaintances point it out to them. "Only then do they start to deal with it. But by then it's often too late," explains Kaiser-Kossmayr. Help can still be provided, especially if the receding hairline is slowly receding or the hair is thinning.

"We sell products that nobody wants"

"We actually sell products that nobody wants," says Kaiser-Kossmayr. "But they are needed to restore self-esteem."

The profession has changed a lot in recent years. In the past, the focus was on the fashion aspect, but today it is mainly about helping people with hair loss. "More and more new hair situations are coming our way. We also have to keep developing and looking for new solutions."

One example of this is hairpieces for people with circular hair loss. In this case, no normal wig will fit. "If someone still has almost all their hair, a wig looks strange and doesn't fit well," she explains. That's why they needed a different solution. So they developed a special hairpiece. This only covers the bald area in the case of round hair loss.

Breaking taboos

Despite all the progress made, the topic of hair loss and wigs often remains taboo. She and her team want to change this: "Wigs can no longer be compared to the carnival wigs of the past. The product has modernized in recent years and adapted to people's needs and everyday habits," she explains.

For many people, however, it is still a big challenge to visit them. "But as soon as the wig is presented to customers, you see that 'aha' moment and a smile on their face."

So Rolph AG really is a place where hair can change lives.

Want to know how a wig is made? Then watch the video above.

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