You see it first. Refer the client.
Stylists are usually the first person to notice medical hair loss, and the first person the client tells. You do not have to become an insurance expert to help them. Refer the client into Wig Medical and stay part of their care.
- You keep the relationship, we handle the medical and insurance side
- No cost to you or your client
- Your client is contacted directly, usually within one business day
- You can also train and certify to do this work yourself
When to refer a client
You are not diagnosing anything. You are noticing something and pointing them toward people who handle it.
- They mention treatmentChemotherapy, radiation, or a new medication. Refer before the hair loss starts if you can. It gives the specialist a colour and texture to match.
- Patchy or sudden lossRound patches, rapid shedding, or loss that does not match anything you have seen in their hair history.
- Scalp changesShiny, smooth, scarred, tender, or inflamed areas where hair is not coming back.
- Loss along the hairline or edgesEspecially where it has not recovered after you have already adjusted their styling and tension.
- They ask you about wigsThat question is your cue. They are already looking for a solution and do not know where to start.
- They are avoiding the mirrorSometimes the emotional signal comes before they say anything. Ask gently, and have somewhere to send them.
Say this, not that
Do not tell a client what condition they have or what is causing it. Say something like: I have noticed some changes, and I know a group that specialises in medical hair loss and insurance-covered cranial prostheses. Would it help if I connected you? That keeps you in your lane and still gets them help.
Who handles what
The reason to refer is not that you are unqualified. It is that insurance and medical documentation are a full-time job that has nothing to do with hair.
| Task | Who does it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Noticing the change and starting the conversation | You | Nobody is better placed. You see their scalp every few weeks. |
| Diagnosing the cause | Their physician | Not you, and not Wig Medical. |
| Insurance benefits and documentation | Wig Medical | Prescriptions, letters of medical necessity, prior authorisation, claims. |
| Fitting the cranial prosthesis | A certified Cranial Prosthesis Specialist | Unless you train and certify to do this yourself. |
| Cutting, colouring, and styling the unit | You, if you want it | Many clients want their own stylist to finish the unit. That work can stay with you. |
| The ongoing relationship | You | Referring does not hand your client to someone else. |
Refer your client
Talk to your client first, then send us enough to make contact. Wig Medical reaches out to them directly.
- No cost to you or your client
- We handle insurance, documentation, and specialist matching
- You keep the styling relationship if the client wants that
- Tell us in the notes if you want to stay involved
Please don't send medical records here
This first step only opens your case and tells us who to connect you with. Do not include insurance card images, member ID numbers, prescriptions, or medical records in this form. If documents are needed, Wig Medical will send you a secure way to share them.
Want to be the specialist instead of the referrer?
Plenty of stylists start by referring and end up doing this as their main business. Here is the ladder.
Get certified
The Cranial Prosthesis Specialist certification teaches consultation, measurement, fitting, textured and sensitive-scalp work, and medical wig insurance claims. Online or at a live event.
See the certificationJoin the CPS Society
Continuing education, billing and compliance support, marketing resources, and a community of specialists doing the same work.
About the SocietyApply to the Provider Network
Register your interest in the managed network Wig Medical is building, so you are in line to receive patient cases as it grows.
Register interestStylist questions
Do I lose the client if I refer them?
No. Most clients want their own stylist to cut, colour, and finish the unit once it is fitted, and many come back to you for exactly that. Tell us in the referral notes that you want to stay involved and we will make sure the specialist knows.
Do I get paid for referring?
Referring is free and there is no fee to you or your client. If you want to earn from this work directly, the path is certification and the Provider Network, where you handle the cases yourself.
Can I just sell wigs to my clients instead?
You can sell retail wigs, but a retail wig cannot be billed to insurance. A cranial prosthesis claim needs a physician's prescription, correct diagnosis coding, an itemised medical invoice, and often prior authorisation. That is the reason the certification exists.
What if I am not sure it is medical hair loss?
Refer anyway and let Wig Medical sort it out. You are not expected to diagnose anything, and there is no penalty for a referral that turns out not to be a medical case.
Give your client a real next step
You have already done the hard part by noticing. Send them to people who handle the rest.