‘Are You Wearing a Wig?’
A dreaded question for many wig wearers and can make you feel uncomfortable when asked out of the blue. Wigs are an extension of your personality and aren’t only a way to cover any thinning, balding areas, or hair loss, but they are also a source of confidence for many!
Human hair or synthetic wigs can look completely natural on men and women, and that’s why it may take you by surprise when asked, ‘is that your real hair?’, especially as a beginner wig-wearer.
Here we explore five different ways to respond to the questions ‘are you wearing a wig?’, to help overcome any fear you may have surrounding this type of question.
Responding to ‘Are You Wearing a Wig?’ and ‘Is That Your Real Hair?’
1. ‘Yes, it is my hair. Isn’t it beautiful?’
When asked, ‘is that your real hair?’, be sure to respond with confidence. You can be proud of your wig! Most people won’t mean to sound rude when asking you about your hair but, nevertheless, it can come across that way. Answer confidently: ‘Yes, it is my hair. Isn’t it beautiful?’.
When you buy anything, it belongs to you, like a car, a phone or clothes. The same applies to your wig; it is your hair! You spent time deciding between a synthetic wig or human hair wig, the wig cap construction type, the style, length and colour. You look amazing in your wig, so be proud of it.
2. ‘Why do you ask?’
If the person who’s asking the question is a close friend or family member, you can ask them why they’re asking. Most likely, they think your wig looks great and extremely natural! They may have noticed a recent change in hairstyle, or they may be surprised that you’re wearing a wig altogether. Sometimes, people may just be interested to hear about wearing a wig, as it’s not a topic often discussed (though it should be!) and may even ask for advice on where you bought the wig from.
If the person asking is a colleague or stranger, you can set the tone for this response. You could say it in a joking manner and laugh the situation off, or you could be more direct and explain that they’ve asked a very personal question out of the blue.
3. ‘Yes, I am, and here’s why…’
Depending on who has asked you such a personal question, whether they’re a family member, friend, colleague or stranger, if you feel comfortable enough to do so, one way to respond is to say ‘yes, and here’s why…’. You could explain how your wig makes you feel, how it gives you confidence and security to go about your day.
Of course, you don’t need to explain to them the story of your natural hair; it’s your hair, your wig, and you’re in control of this conversation. Remember that you don’t owe anyone an explanation and you don’t need to share your story unless you want to.
4. ‘Why, that’s a sensitive question…’
Some people might not understand that asking if you wear a wig is a very sensitive and personal question. It can also be a painful reminder of how you came to lose your hair. Why not suggest that instead of asking ‘is that your real hair?’, which can come across as a very negative and upsetting question, they could compliment your hair instead. Complimenting someone by saying ‘I love your hair!’ or ‘how do you style your hair?’ then leaves room for a comfortable and open question to discuss whether or not they wear a wig.
5. ‘What wig?’
If the person who’s asked ‘are you wearing a wig?’ is a stranger or someone who has no reason to be asking about your business, you can always turn around and ask them ‘What wig?!’ This response will most likely put them in an awkward situation which you can both laugh off, or they’ll realise that they’ve asked a rude question and apologise!
There are three main reasons that people usually spot a wig: the wig being too perfect, the wig having too much volume or not wanting to move your head a lot. Enjoy your wig, move around with confidence and try not to worry about being asked if you wear a wig. You may find our We, That Wear Wigs blogs helpful, hearing from our lovely customers who share their thoughts, feelings, and advice from their wig journey. If there’s any queries or questions that you may have, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Simply Wigs team. Or, if you’re feeling empowered and are on the hunt for a brand new wig, why not browse our stunning collections?
Comments (37)
Iam sick off people going around telling others that I have a wig on
If an adult is asking condescending/derogatory questions or making comments about a wig – say “grow up” or “how old are you?” Works wonders.
Dear Jeddie – thank you so much for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully and wisely! You are right. Unfortunately anti-female comments from pupils are increasing, thanks to Andrew Tate and the like. I suppose this was the ‘easiest’ way to insult me. I will take a deeply breath and carry on (and continue to play the lottery ?). Thank you x
Dear Rebecca,
as a former classroom teacher, I empathise with you over this attempt at a public ‘outing’ by a student.
School age kids + social media = torture potential. You already know that if it wasn’t the wig, it might be something else. That’s what they do, especially around 13/14/15. In my day, most often, girls to female teachers. I left teaching before I felt that I needed to wear a wig, so I escaped that particular version, but I was picked on because of my (maiden) name, my nose and my accent. My sister-in law, who still teaches, is picked on for her stature and the same, rather weird name (She must really love my brother to put up with that! ) As you know, we all have something that they can have a go at. It isn’t personal, it is just anti-teacher, or in some cases, anti-female teacher. There will be some kids out there who feel sad for you taking this abuse. Some may stand up for you. You will have to tough it out. I guess that you may be worried that something may be said or done to you in front of the class? It is natural to feel that way. I really don’t think that it would ever happen. To give you comfort, invest in heavy duty wig tape, if you haven’t already. If a hand is laid upon you, remind them that this constitutes a personal assault AND intimidation. Make it clear that you will have them reported and perhaps prosecuted. A previous responder had a very good idea of what to say when asked if they would remove the wig to show them what they looked like without it. Your school version would be something along the lines of, ” OK, if you shave your head and draw red and blue arrows all over it in permanent ink, then I will show you, just you, my wig, off my head”. If you were challenged (no, no, you won’t be!) then you could just show that kid one of your wigs, off your head. You would probably be suspended for suggesting such a ‘levelling up’ these days. I would be more inclined to say something like, ” well, I’m disappointed in you. I didn’t have you down as a bully, yet, quite clearly, you are trying to intimidate me, aren’t you?” I really don’t think that you will experience any of that, especially if the school has had the post taken down. If the school knows the identity of the kid responsible, then it might be a good idea to have a three way meeting with that individual. Perhaps with the school counsellor present? You could then ask directly if you had ever done anything to that student to make them want to hurt you. Bottom line is, if there is any disruptive behaviour in class that affects your teaching ability, then there should be some sanctions applied.
I know that there are some lovely wig wearers out there who would tell you to explore your wig-wearing self and to acquire a full range of styles and colours, changing dramatically from day to day. This would be viewing the whole incident as liberating! Everybody would know. Nobody could ‘out’ you for fun.
Good luck. Be brave. You are doing your very best to show the world the best, possible YOU XXXX
I’ve found all these contributions really helpful, thank you. I have androgenic alopecia and have been wearing a big for 10 years now. It has given me a lot more confidence, however i’m a teacher and have just found out that the students are gossiping about me wearing a wig and one has made a TikTok with hundreds of views, calling me Little Miss Wears a Wig. The video has been taken down, but I just feel so humiliated and am wondering how I’ll have the confidence to stand up in front of the students in class. I feel so ashamed that they have noticed and are laughing about it. I’m really struggling to get past it. Any advice gratefully received!
Just answer with pride,” I love my hair to look beautiful,, don’t
you?”
My sister was wearing a wig and she looks gorgeous.
XXXXXXX
Here’s a good comeback –
Them: “Are you wearing a wig?”
Me: “If you can’t tell, why should I?”
🙂
I lost my hair at 21 to very sudden onset male pattern baldness. It was gone in 3 months. I’d barely dated at that age and decided to wear a hairpiece. I don’t regret it. I’m 53 now and have worn a piece since those days of my youth. I’ve been “outed” several times at work, often as not by jealous types and usually when my hair looked particularly good. I used to clam up or retaliate verbally but as I matured the best retort was always “Sorry, I never discuss personal grooming.” If pressed I would simply shrug and add “I know, silly hang up of mine but no, I don’t want to discuss my personal grooming choices in front of a room full of people”. Then I’d play with my phone or saunter away with a friendly nod and smile. It’s neutral, a good diffuser and keeps everything loose. Keep that field of privacy around you and love who you are, no matter what tricks people play.
Thank you, Jeddie. I think you hit the nail on the head. She is someone who always has to be right and doesn’t mind belittling. During our coffee date, she belittled my purse (which I love) and laughed when I held it up so she could see it. I think she is very insecure.
Oh! How unpleasant and upsetting for you. Your friend was very awkward in the way that she expressed herself, especially as she is losing hair herself. She should be more sensitive towards you. It is difficult to work out what her motives might be, but she may just be one of those women who is always competing with others. Do you think that you ‘Upstaged’ her? She expected to be giving you comfort about ‘having to wear a wig, poor thing…’ and instead, you looked nice, whilst she is terrified of losing all of her own hair now. I’ll bet that you have other friends who continue to see you, rather than the wig. This woman doesn’t deserve your company until she comes to terms with her own problems.
You showed courage in the way you dealt with this difficult situation. Keep on being brave. Refuse to let people make you feel sad. Refuse to take offence. XX
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