A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Wigs

If you’re a first-time wig wearer, choosing the right wig can be confusing and overwhelming. No matter what’s the reason you need to buy it, you should take your time and decide what’s the best option. Many options on the market differ in material, style, colour and length, and if you’re not familiar with what you’re shopping for, you’ll make the wrong choice.

Human Hair

No matter what the reason you’re looking for a wig, it’s very important that you find something that will make you feel beautiful and confident. Wigs can be made of synthetics and real hair. Of course, the more natural option is opting for realistic hair wigs from human hair. They’re more popular among customers but are also a bit more expensive.

These wigs look and feel natural. They fall naturally around your face and shoulders. You also have more styling options. This means you can use styling tools such as hair straighteners, curlers, hairspray, moisturisers and much more. These wigs are customisable and you can cut them short or even colour them. With the proper care and maintenance, they can last for a long time.

They should last at least 1 year. But depending on the upkeep, you can use them even longer than that. Plus, they won’t fade after prolonged exposure to the sun like the synthetic ones can. There are several things to consider when you’re browsing for a wig to buy. The number one thing is the climate you live in. If you’re living in a hot and humid area, breathability is a must.

Look for a wig with a basic cap to give you the airflow you need. Next is the parting visibility. You can either get one with a mesh top that will allow parting the hair anywhere or permeating ones that add volume but hide the scalp. Of course, the price can be a big factor. With natural wigs, you should invest as much as possible if you want to get that natural look.

And last but not least, consider the styling. If you’ll be doing it a lot often choose a hand-tied wig because it will give you more styling options compared to a machine-wefted one. If it’s your first time buying a wig, you should first measure your head. You can do this at home or go to a wig retailer and they’ll do it for you.

If you decide to do it yourself, you’ll need a soft measuring tape. The first thing you need to do is measure from one ear to the other. Place the tape on the top of one ear, and reach across the other just below the crow area. This measures how much room you’ll need in the cap. Next, measure the circumference of your head to determine the exact position. The third one is from the start of your hairline and back towards the end of your neck.

Synthetic Hair

As the name suggests, these options have synthetic origins, including man-made materials like nylon and acrylic. Unlike hair wigs from human hair, synthetic ones have fibres that go through several chemical processes. This gives them properties similar to human hair such as the colour, feel, look and styling abilities.

These types of wigs have their pros and cons. The main advantage is that they’re low maintenance. They’re easy to clean and retain their shape even after you wash them, there’s no need for styling. They don’t even create frizz which is a problem with some natural wigs. They come in many colours and styles. From classic shades to bright and abstract tones.

They’re also less expensive and can look as natural as real human hair. They’re lightweight too, which makes them more comfortable to wear. However, they also have some disadvantages. Some of them can have an unnatural shine, they have a shorter lifespan and you can restyle or colour them as you want.

You can also find heat-friendly synthetic wigs. The fibres they’re made of are specially designed for styling and can handle a lot of curling and straightening. This way you get a fresh look every day without spending money on real hair. On the other hand, they can get fuzzy after a while and can potentially get damaged from too much heat.

Lace Front

Lace-front wigs are a very popular option. It can be either synthetic or made of human hair and it’s attached to a sheer lace connection at the front. Since the wig falls straight over the forehead, there’s almost no space between the skin and the wig because of the lace’s delicate and fine construction. They look very similar to human hair wigs and you can barely tell them apart.

These wigs are breathable and you can part them wherever you want. They’re adaptable and you can shape them as you need. To dress up a lace front wig, first, make sure your hair is flat on your forehead. Second, clean the skin where the lace will start so the glue can work properly. Next, fit the wig, and finally, apply the glue to keep it in place.

Monofilament

Monofilament wigs are very natural-looking. They have a polyester or nylon micro mesh that has individual strands of hair attached to it by hand. It blends in with the skin and you can part it and brush it in any direction.

French Drawn Top

If you want an even more realistic look, go for French-drawn top wigs. They have 3 layers that hide the knotting underneath. This gives the wig a more realistic look. The first layer is glass silk and it rests on your scalp. The second layer is the Swiss where you’ll find the knots. And the third layer is again glass-silk that hides the knots.