I’m Doja Cat & Khloe Kardashian’s wig stylist – tips the stars use to make their hair look seamless & the $21 buy I love
HIS dorm room hobby turned into a career in entertainment, and now a haircare guru has shared how he became sought after by the stars.
With a client list that consists of Doja Cat, Kelly Rowland, and even Khloe Kardashian, this wig hair stylist has learned plenty of tricks to make your tresses seamless.
, 31, also known as Jay, didn't always have a passion for treating high-profile hair.
But as a way to help a friend during her cancer battle in her sophomore year of college, he started doing her wigs after she began losing her hair from chemotherapy.
They scouted for wigs in beauty supply stores, but nothing they came across did the trick.
"It was my mission to learn how to create wigs that were comfortable for her and made her feel confident," Jay told the U.S. Sun.
"I was determined to make sure she stayed fly and beautiful while beating the disease."
He watched hundreds of YouTube videos on the subject.
As the years went on, his wig application skills became sought after by other people on campus and beyond.
"I know it's shocking, but it would seem that women enjoy and feel comfortable with leaving their hair in the care of men," he said.
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When he first started doing hair and wigs, he had a welcome reception from women and didn't experience much negativity.
Over a decade later, Jay is now one of the most popular wig hair stylists on and off the red carpet.
The Los Angeles resident is so talented at his craft that you can barely tell when his clients are wearing them, which is exactly what he wants.
A common catchphrase of his is "Getty's not going to get me," referring to photographers from Getty Images taking pictures at red-carpet events.
Many people would be shocked to know that there are more high-profile people wearing them than you would think, especially when their hair looks great naturally.
Jay's Instagram page is flooded with gorgeous hair looks on model Winnie Harlow, singer Lizzo, singer-songwriter and actress Coco Jones, and other notable personalities.
"I feel comfortable stating that most of our favorite celebrity women have dabbled in wigs at some point. Maybe not every red carpet and appearance, but definitely most," he admitted.
Two of his most notable celebrity clients are former Destiny's Child member and actress Kelly Rowland and rapper Doja Cat.
He recalled that taking Kelly blonde was a "moment and a dope career high" for him.
His appreciation for Doja Cat goes without saying as he is currently on tour with her as her official wig hair stylist.
Jay said that her Say So music video was his first time working with her.
Few people know that he was actually booked for that music video the night before.
He admitted that he was a bit terrified that he wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but it ended up being a positive career-changing moment for him.
"To this day, one of the most chaotic and beautiful music videos I’ve ever been a part of," he explained.
Jay added that most celebrities he works with enjoy wearing wigs because it's a protective style that keeps their natural hair beautiful and healthy.
They wear wigs to lessen the damage and manipulation done to their natural hair.
The Kardashians are also big fans of wigs, and getting constant glam probably does a bit of harm to their follicles.
Jay's unique skillset even landed him work with Khloe Kardashian when he did her wig installation for the family's Bratz Halloween photoshoot.
A very close friend of his, Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Davontae Washington, brought him on to do the custom project that lasted a few hours.
"He thought I would be a great fit to help bring Khloe's Bratz persona to life and I’m so grateful for the opportunity," Jay said happily.
"I used a 60-inch blonde wig on Khloe. So, with it being a lot of hair and her having a lot of hair to conceal underneath the wig it was definitely a task, but it came out perfect."
"If it were at the expense of damaging their real hair, everyone would be bald,"; he jokingly said.
A quality wig doesn't come cheap, and many shell out the big bucks to look their best.
On the low end, the minimum price for a wig that’s good enough for a star would be around $500 to $600, but Jay has worked with wigs that have cost clients upwards of $5,000 to $10,000.
Not all are made equally, and he shared some sneaky signs that someone is wearing one that the average person may not notice.
To spot a bad hairdo, keep your eyes peeled for a light or dark “cast” around the hairline or an unnatural-looking parting, like down the middle or on the side.
Jay prides himself on only using the "best of the best" products for his clients, whether that be the best lace or the best hair.
His go-to is , $21.50 on Amazon.
"I use stronger adhesive when I know my installation may be tested by the environment such as a hot stage, lights, or sweat from performing on stage.
When asked how he makes his celeb clients look seamless on and off the red carpet, he said, "I’m JStayReady! My technique is seamless."
As an expert in the field, he varies his methods to make sure that the wigs don't budge, whether it's weeks or days.
"I use adhesives that will hold the wig in place for my target amount of time, such as GhostBond XL. I would use it if I wanted an install to last for weeks," he explained.
But if he was looking for something more temporary to maybe last a day or two, he opts for , $15.99.
"When I am installing wigs for temporary moments, such as music, videos, or photo shoots, I use less potent adhesive formulas, like Ghostbond Glow Up to remove easily and move on to the next look," he added.
Jay is currently on tour with Doja Cat and he is having fun creating unique looks for the musical artist.
"The brown, pumpkin spice Y2K moment we did was definitely a favorite," he said.
He made a video of the process of styling that wig on his , and "it got so many dope responses" and so much love for that video.
"The honey blonde, long middle part wig. We also received a lot of love online. Doja and blonde hair just go together. It’s my favorite color to put her in," Jay added.
The duo is always super collaborative on wig looks.
"Typically, she will tell me the vibe of what she may want, and then I will do my best to come up with my interpretation of what she wants," he said.
"Then we decide which look looks best with each costume she has decided to wear."
For anyone on their hair growth journey, Jay also offered some words of wisdom.
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He advised trying less manipulation of your hair because constant styling and the use of heat tools can cause it to become thin.
"Try experimenting with protective hairstyles, such as wigs, extensions, or braids to give your natural hair a break and allow it to grow," he suggested.
