Written in 2020
I bought and reviewed this box in 2020, the year Helper Hair Box launched via Kickstarter. It’s run by Heather Scott, who is Toronto based and also runs Pretty Wigs To You. Check directly with them for current availability and pricing before you subscribe, because I can’t vouch for how it operates now.
My Helper Hair Box unboxing review – my first ever box, which I purchased with my own money. I was so excited when this arrived and it did not disappoint. If you want to see a follow-up, I also unboxed the Fall/Autumn edition of the Helper Hair Box.
I want to talk about this for a minute before we get into the video, because I think the concept of this box deserves more than just an unboxing reaction. When you’re dealing with hair loss – any kind of hair loss – the world is not exactly designed with you in mind. Beauty boxes are full of volumising products that laugh at you. Gift guides recommend luxury hair oils. And most subscription boxes assume you have a full head of hair that needs managing, rather than a scalp situation that needs understanding.
Helper Hair Box is different. It was created specifically for people going through hair loss.
Table of Contents
What is Helper Hair Box?
Helper Hair Box is a personalised, seasonal subscription box curated specifically for people with hair loss. Not a general beauty box with a token scalp serum thrown in to seem inclusive. Everything inside is chosen with the hair loss community in mind – products that are actually relevant to what we deal with day to day. That might mean scalp care, accessories that work with alternative hair, lifestyle products that make things easier, or things that just make you feel a bit more normal in a situation that often doesn’t.
The personalisation is real. You fill out information about your hair loss situation when you sign up and the box is curated based on that. That’s what makes it meaningfully different from a generic wellness box. It actually tries to meet you where you are.
Why I bought it
I bought this myself. Not gifted, not sponsored. I’d seen it mentioned in a few hair loss communities I’m part of and I was curious whether it actually delivered on the idea. The hair loss community can be a bit starved for product recommendations that don’t come with the caveat “but obviously your results may vary” plastered over every single thing – so when something is specifically designed for us rather than adapted for us, I pay attention.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had cautious optimism, which is the appropriate emotional setting for most things in the hair loss world.
What I thought
The short version: I was pleased. Everything inside felt genuinely considered. Nothing felt like filler. Nothing felt like it had been thrown in because a beauty brand needed to shift stock. The curation actually reflected someone who understood what it’s like to manage hair loss day to day, and that’s rarer than it should be.
What was in it
A confession first. I’d already opened it before filming, because I’d recorded an unboxing for IGTV and then couldn’t move the video across to YouTube, so I re-recorded it. I put everything back in as best I could. It arrives considerably tidier than I managed to make it look.
The cards, and one that got me
On the top there’s a small stack of cards. A “we love unboxings” one, some alopecia facts, and a care card for one of the items.
There’s also a note from Heather that says you’re amazing with or without hair. It’s a small thing. It landed anyway.
Head On, a book of alopecia stories
This came separately in its own sachet rather than inside the box. I hadn’t started it when I filmed, since the box had only landed the day before and I’d gone straight for the things I could put on my head.
A black wraparound hat
It fastens with velcro, so you wrap it round and that’s it, hat on.
It was already turning cold here when this arrived, so realistically it’s going away until a holiday or next summer. What I like about it is that it rolls up to nothing, so it goes in a suitcase or a bag without thinking about it.
Jon Renau Hat Magic
Mine came in shade 6, a brunette. I got excited about this one and had the tag off before I’d finished filming.
If you haven’t come across one, it’s a hairpiece on a strap with no hair across the crown. It sits on your head and you wear a hat over the top, so you get hair showing under the hat without wearing a full piece underneath it. For anyone who lives in hats, that’s a genuinely useful thing to own.
The rest of it
A little bag with “sun, sand, book in hand” on it, which I’ve been using to carry bits around. Travel size facial wipes with hyaluronic acid in them, the sort of thing I keep in my bag for planes and hotels. A necklace from Leah Sofia in its own box, with a small charm hanging off it. An elasticated bracelet, which I’ll actually wear.
A pair of sunglasses, which is never a wasted item for me because I always have a pair on me and a spare to throw in a bag is welcome.
Vinyl nail wraps in black and gold, which I’d never tried. I am hopeless at painting my own nails, so something that gets them looking done without any skill on my part is exactly my sort of thing.
And eyebrow tattoos, which I’d also never tried. I still have my eyebrows so these weren’t aimed at me, but I’ve seen them on people who’ve lost theirs entirely and they look genuinely brilliant, so I wanted to have a go and see how they work.
The personalisation is real, and here’s the proof
When you sign up you fill in a questionnaire, and one of the questions is what your favourite colours are.
I put black first, then red and blue or navy.
A lot of what turned up came in black. The hat, the nail wraps. That’s not a coincidence and it’s the moment I stopped thinking of this as a nice idea and started thinking of it as an actually personalised box. Plenty of subscriptions claim personalisation and deliver the same contents to everyone.
Worth knowing there’s a children’s box as well. I’ve only seen photos of it and it’s lovely.
What I was wearing while I filmed
Since people always ask: this is my Lusta 7×7 topper, in the colour Trust Fund Baby.
I’ve got it clipped all the way forward, and there’s a reason. It still needs rooting, because my own hair at the top is much darker than Trust Fund Baby is, and that difference shows if the piece sits back off my hairline.
So that’s my workaround whenever I hit a colour mismatch at the roots. Push it right forward and the problem mostly disappears. It isn’t perfect. I like how it looks and that’s the bit that counts.
Would I recommend it as a gift for someone going through hair loss? Yes, actually. It’s one of those things that says “I see what you’re going through and I’m not going to pretend it isn’t happening” without being heavy about it. Which is exactly the kind of gift I would have wanted when I was first figuring out my own hair loss situation.
FAQ
What is included in the Helper Hair Box?
Helper Hair Box is a personalised seasonal subscription box for people with hair loss. The contents vary by box and are curated based on the recipient’s hair loss situation. Items typically include scalp care products, hair accessories, lifestyle products relevant to hair loss, and sometimes wigs or topper-related products.
Is Helper Hair Box a good gift for someone with hair loss?
Yes, and I bought mine myself so I’m not saying that because anyone asked me to. It’s one of those gifts that says “I see what you’re going through and I’m not going to pretend it isn’t happening” without being heavy about it, which is exactly what I’d have wanted when I was first working out my own situation. The personalisation is real too. You fill in your hair loss situation and the box is built from that, rather than being generic beauty samples with a token scalp serum thrown in.
How do I subscribe to Helper Hair Box?
When I subscribed you filled out a questionnaire about your hair loss situation, your favourite colour and what you’d like to see, and the box was built from that. Worth knowing before you go looking: it’s run by Heather Scott, who is Toronto based and also runs the wig boutique Pretty Wigs To You, and the box started life as a Kickstarter in 2020. I reviewed mine that same year, so check current availability directly with them rather than assuming it still runs the same way.
Are there subscription boxes for people with hair loss?
Yes. Helper Hair Box is one of the most well-known subscription boxes specifically curated for the hair loss community. It’s seasonal rather than monthly and includes a mix of hair, scalp care, and lifestyle products chosen with hair loss in mind.
More on life with hair loss
- Helper Hair Box Fall/Autumn Edition Unboxing
- Hair Topper vs Wig: Which One Do You Actually Need?
- I’ve Been Wearing Alternative Hair for Years. Here’s What I’d Tell Myself at the Start.
- Hair Loss Resources UK
- Androgenic Alopecia in Women: What It Is, What to Expect and What Helps
- Nobody Talks About What Hair Loss Does To Your Head (The Inside Part)
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