How long does a fibre wig last?

How long does a fibre wig last?

I got to thinking recently about how long does a fibre wig last and how amazingly wigs have evolved in the 30 years I’ve been wearing them. The range of styles has increased enormously, and the technology available to us in terms of natural bases and hairlines has improved hugely too. When I started wearing wigs, lace fronts didn’t exist outside the bespoke, theatrical wig makers, and most wigs looked bulky and fake.
Contrast that with the choice we have now. There are so many great wig brands offering everything from classic styles and no-nonsense crops, through glam bouncy waves and sleek bobs, to the latest trends in rooted styles and hot new colours. To coin a phrase, we’ve never had it so good!

“So what differentiates one brand from another?”

What about the developments in wig fibre? Again, I think the wig companies have made great strides over the years. Back in the 80s, even when wigs were new they looked dry and a bit wiry. These days every wig I’ve ever bought or reviewed has looked glorious when I’ve tried it on; the fibre is lustrous and bouncy, with judicious use of permatease to give shape and lift without the wig being too full.

“Why do some wigs cost £60 and some are £300+?”

Well, as with most things in modern life, I think you generally get what you pay for. I’ve tried lots of wigs at different price points, and with different types of wig fibre. Some fibres prioritise shine, others smoothness, and others have used the very latest technology (really, chemistry) to allow you to heat style your synthetic wig. Generally speaking, the more expensive wigs have a hand tied cap construction and lace fronts, and often but not always they have ‘better’ fibre too.

As with everything, there are compromises to be made. One type of wig fibre cannot yet excel at everything. Although I really like the idea of being able to gently heat style my wig, I would prioritise smoothness and frizz resistance over heat resistance, as frizz is my biggest bugbear. So leaving aside the heat resistant ranges, which brands do I think offer great smoothness? For me there are two important factors to this – which brands resist frizzing the best, and which respond well to using a steamer to reduce frizz once it’s set in?gisela logoFor me the answer to both those questions is Gisela Mayer. I’ve worn several of their wigs in recent years, and they stand up to day to day wear better than a lot of other brands (note though that I haven’t tried every brand available). I’m pretty tough on wigs – I wear suit jackets which are bad for the fibre at the nape, I run around getting all sweaty at kickboxing, and I swim in chlorinated pools. No wig is every going to withstand that without frizzing after a while, but I’ve found Gisela Mayer wigs resist it for longer than most. I’ve also found the fibre will take repeated steaming sessions to smooth out the fibres once they’ve frizzed really successfully, which is something not all brands cope so well with.revlon-logoMy current wig is by Revlon, and this is the first time I’ve tried their products. I’ve been wearing this one daily for 2 or 3 months now and so far I’m impressed – there is little frizzing so far and it’s not yet at the point where it starts to accelerate and steaming becomes necessary.

Wig Fibre Longevity

‘ So field reporter Lizzie can’t yet comment on how it responds to steaming, but I’ll update you when I’ve given this wig its first steam treatment! ’


Comments

38 thoughts on “How long does a fibre wig last?

  1. Yes, colour is even more important than fibre/hair: as important as style. About half of the dozen or so wigs that I own are in colours that I don’t particularly like, but I have to wear them because I need to rotate 3 to 4 wigs at any one time.
    It would be useful to have a 360 degree representation of all of the brands and colours on Colour Queen. What is there at the moment is a collection of colour chips and descriptions, which we know to be totally unreliable. I have tried checking the manufacturers pictures on my phone, my tablet and my computer,, to check for variation. I also check out You Tube reviews, but it makes no difference. I have have had to return 3 wigs recently ( Thank you, Simply Wigs Jodie) just because their colour looked completely different from the photos on-site. In the end, I paid over £500 for a lovely wig that is darker than I really wanted, just to restock. I find Jon Renau the closest match, colour-wise and Raquel Welch the worst. I wear blonde wigs. Thank heavens for Jon Renau’s, very gentle, purple toning shampoo for human hair wigs. It tones down brassy and red tones and stops me from looking like a canary!

  2. Hi, I have just read your post, can you give me more information about the hair piece you are recommending. Many thanks. Eileen

  3. Thanks a lot. Have several old wigs I can try this on. Still think more petite wigs are necessary without lace front. X

  4. Do you have to wear a full wig Janet, or can you get away with wearing a hair piece? I’ve foud the nly hair piece which has enough hair on it to be the Berlin, it’s a smasher and covers well. I’m in my 60’s now too
    I also find during the summer that I get too hot with a wig on and sometimes I’ve actually worn a scarf around my head cos of that or a turban, but they can be hot also.
    I’ve got a beautiful wig recently the Beso from Ellen Willie stimulate collection and I have it in Light champagne rooted and it’s so real looking, Just had my hairdresser round to cut my own hair and showed her the Beso on me, and she said it really is lovely and looks like your own hair. It has a mono front so you can brush the fringe off your face and as my real hair is white now it can be blended in with that in places. It’s light and very comfy.

  5. Yes I would love to be able to purchase colour swatches. I find it incredibly hard to choose colours on line.

  6. Not sure if this helps but I have 20 plus Hairdo wigs. All ‘rooted shades’ I put them into a big bucket once I have worn them for a while each…some baby shampoo leave for 5 mins, rinse everyone out and put a dollop of conditioer in and do them all together. I then rinse out ,shake outside and leave them all on plastic stands to dry. Perfect, just comb them into place once fully dry! They all look as good as new all of the time..I am a long term wig wearer after breast cancer, so I will be wearing them for years to come! AND I feel 10 years younger in them!

  7. I love my Trendco Wendy in almond sugar. Once it starts to feel old! I leave it in half and half cider vinegar and water, I find it does rejuvenate it. I am so happy I have come across your site ladies… perhaps men too! I haven’t spent ages on your site yet!
    I’ll be back!

  8. I agree about the Gisela Meyer wigs lasting a long time and also leaving them to soak in conditioner for a while. I’m on long term chemo so wear a wig all the time and have tried different brands from Noriko, Natural Image, Raquel Welch and Ellen Wille. For the last few months I’ve been wearing first of all Ginger by Gisela Mayer as her Champagne Rooted is the same shade through all her styles so I can then wear a slightly longer version, Lizzy, and it hopefully looks like my own hair has grown. Her wigs are shiny and a bit synthetic looking when you receive them so I always wash before trimming. I really loved Ginger but at one side the wefting shows through the blonde hair, I have two of these and they are both the same so had to use a little hair spray to make sure it was covered. It’s obviously something in the manufacturing. Hairspray shortens the life of the wig so I wash more often. I then progressed to the Lizzy which is a similar style, slightly longer without any wefting showing through so I feel confident wearing it. To give my fibre wigs a longer life I wash them regularly, at least once a week, sometimes twice, with wig shampoo and conditioner, using conditioner makes all the difference to the hair looking realistic and behaving like real hair. So to extend the life of your fibre wigs I would suggest washing and conditioning regularly using wig products. I use a wide toothed comb to loosely put it back to it’s original style, then I place it on a plastic wig stand and when it is drying, I give it a shake every couple of hours.

  9. I agree, colour is the most difficult thing to get right, so please manufacturers give us girls what we need, also i would love to see more crop style mono toppers in synthetic pre styled.

    regards Eileen

  10. I agree, buying more than one wig helps to make them last longer. And, as you say, weighing the cost of going to the hairdresser every 6 weeks against the cost of a wig, it is cheaper to buy a wig!

  11. I didn”t know you could do this, thanks for sharing! Shall look on you tube….

  12. Vicki, I am so with you when it comes to colour – the hours I have spent over the years, pouring over wig colour (shall i go lighter, shall I go lighter/darker/warmer…. which photo is a more realistic ‘true’ representation of the colour, etc etc…). In the early days I borrowed samples, but tbh these are so small they are not overly representative. I just hope that one day there will be a Simply Wigs near me that i can visit…. :))
    Dawn

  13. Patricia, I feel your pain; I have a petite bonce too. Happily, though, I found some tutorial videos on YouTube (I searched “how to make a wig smaller”) which showed me how to snip a few wefts out and get the size just right. Takes about 15 mins of careful cutting and stitching whenever a new wig arrives, then they fit nicely and I can order everything in average size. I hope this works for you as well.

  14. Hello everyone, and thank you so might for sharing your thought! As ever we have had a range of experiences but there’s quite a lot in common I think. I certainly share the wish that there were more petite cap options! I’ve also moved towards having several different wigs, but I tend to wear the same one every day in the week, so as others have found it’s in need of some TLC after about 3 months. But if the fibre will take steaming I can keep the same one going for a few more months and still looking good.
    To answer the questions about the wig I’m wearing in the photos, that one is actually my new wig, which is High End Page from GM. It’s one of the ones I reviewed in the videos and I really like it – it’s now become my daily wig
    Lizzie xx

  15. I also have a very small head and usually have to make the wig cap smaller by removing a few wefts. It’s quite easy to do and there are loads of video tutorials on utube to help you. Experiment on an old wig first. Remove the wefts where the most looseness and bunching is so it fits flatter and closer to your scalp.

  16. Thanks all for lots f thoughts and information. I have been wearing a wig for 10 years and like all of you find that fibre wife are very good and the choice is abundant!
    Whilst I have got a Giselle Mayer wig my go to choice would be Raquel Welch, I find her wigs last well and have a very natural look. I agree with the poster who said they found GM wigs can look a little too shiny and, therefore, artificial.
    My biggest problem is ordering colours, it is often difficult to really select over the internet and the samples are very small and don’t show a full wig in each colour 360 degree. Whilst Simply Wigs are very good at returns if colours don’t correspond to expectation it is never the less disappointing. Perhaps, if we as buyers have a favourite manufacturer it would’ve nice if we could purchase a full colour booklet and actual colour samples for our favourite wig manufacturer?
    What do others think or are you all more successful in your colour choices?
    Vicki

  17. I totally agree with you. I wear a wig full time and have done since my 20s (35 yrs!! Where did that go??). Synthetics are definitely more manageable, lovely choice now. Mine also go from new for 3 months so my ‘best’, then they are eventually relegated to ‘weekend/messy living’ wig, before becoming ‘swimming wig’, like yours.

  18. Dear Friends at Simply Wigs,
    I am possibly not the norm because I have to wear a wig all the time, and have done since a teenager & now a pensioner. Wigs have changed so much for the better over the years and, in most cases, are not at all obvious. It will, no doubt, depend on how expensive your wig is but I choose fibre wigs before human hair. This is not only because you can buy a few more fibre for the cost of Human Hair but because I have found Human Hair wigs a total disaster. I’m disappointed about this because they feel so soft and ‘real’ but they do not retain either their style or quality for any length of time (from one who has had several over the 60+ years).
    Today’s fibre wigs are lovely. I like to have a few to choose from. I would say they retain their ‘good looks’ for at least 3months. They continue to look fairly good for another 6 months at least, although it’s nice to have others for special occasions. After 6 months or so I would wear the first one for swimming, sunbathing, sleeping etc.
    I have had many lovely wigs from Simply Wigs and the wonderful thing is ……. not a grey hair in sight!

  19. I enjoyed watching the videos of Lizzie showing the wigs. They suited her well. I have wigs that I have had trimmed too much hair for me and I think I look stupid, I like hair to stay in place with not a heavy fringe. I also feel very hot in them.
    I am thinking of getting a wig with a Breathable Mesh Cap hand tied, I would like any thoughts on that please.

  20. Ihave a small head and complete hair loss and wish there were more petite wigs. Those that come in petite generally have lace fronts thay irritate my skin. I tried the expensive gel band to alleviate this but found that when positioned to cover the lace front the band was visible to all! I have found that turning under the bottom row of hair shortens the wig for a bit better fit but there is still a loose area in the middle. My favourite wig is the Tova by Amore with mono. If only this came in a petite mono without lace front. Please!

  21. Love all the comments –

    Lizzie your Wig in the pic look great I what style is it please – and colour.

    Many thanks

  22. Thank you Jeddie will order a steamer and try it got loads of wigs that might be revitalised if it works for me, thank you

  23. Hi, I have used synthetic shorter wigs for the past 6 years and have washed them (using the correct shampoo/conditioners) many times, always leaving them to dry naturally with a tweak here and there. I am always amazed at how well they retain their shape,. With proper care they will last for a long time, a couple of years even, before they begin to look past their best. Admittedly I don’t wear mine every day but they are certainly excellent value for money.

  24. Hi Halina,
    there are lots of tutorial videos on YouTube which demonstrate wig steaming. I have tried it on an old wig and it works reasonably well. A little garment steamer, e.g. from Amazon, is all you need, plus a wide toothed and a narrow -toothed comb. Whilst the hair is still steamy, you can use a curling iron very quickly to re-style the hair. You have to use a maximum 120 degrees C setting. If it isn’t heat-defiant fibre, you also have to be very quick though, or you will permanently damage the fibre. I agree that GM and Dimples wigs seem to be frizz-resistant.

  25. I HAVE NOTICED THAT BUYING A NUMBER OF WIGS NO ‘ONE’ WIG IS GETTING THRASHED BY DAILY USE.

    WHEN I HAD HAIR IT WAS COSTING AROUND £70.00 FOR EACH CUT AND COLOUR AND EVERY 6-7 WEEKS I WAS HAVING TO PAY THAT TO KEEP ‘ON TREND’.

    WEIGHTED WITH A NUMBER OF WIGS, IT IS STILL FAR CHEAPER TO BUY THE WIGS.

    I PREFERE HAIRUWARE, HAIRDO AS THEY HAVE MULTIPLE ROOTED STYLES AND I LIKE THAT VERSITILITY AND NATURAL LOOK.THEY ALSO TAKE HEATED WANDS SO YOU CAN CHANGE THE STYLE IF NEEDED.

    GISELA MAYER, I FIND THEY CONCENTRATE ON SHINE, IT CAN LOOK ARTIFICIAL I FIND, SO THAT IS ONE MAKE I DON’T WEAR, AND YES I HAVE BOUGHT ONE!

    EVERYTHING IS PERSONL EXPERIENCE. AS WITH ALL WIGS, AND NATURAL HAIR, WASH AND CONDITION. THAT KEEPS THEM HEALTHY AND NATURAL LOOKING.

    THANK YOU, I HOPE THIS HELPS, OH YES MINE ARE ALL SYNTHETIC!

  26. I have worn synthetic wigs for 15 years now (really can’t afford human hair ones) I have never heard of steaming them, once the nape goes frizzy I throw them. Please explain the steaming process.
    many thanks
    Halina

  27. Well thanks for your help.
    This is my worry. Over the years I’ve often wondered How Long would the item last and know one seems to really say. I’ve been struggling the last few years as I can’t seem to get a petite wig, they seem to try and find a small fitting style.
    I’ve been looking at your web site and now planning a trip as I live in Derby. Your advice has really helped me
    Thankyou

  28. Lizzie your wig is amazing, so natural and you look great. I’ve been wearing my Gisella Meyer daily for six months and it’s great, got at least another few months in it still I reckon.

  29. Great informative report Lizzie!
    My go to wig for the 18 months is the Evanna from Rene of Paris and as I think it’s beach wavy frizz isn’t too much of an issue and gently steaming revives the curls especially at the back!
    Longer wigs can suffer from rubbing/frizz and trimming can sort that issue out too!
    On the whole I think 3 months of continual wearing is about the life of a synthetic wig?
    Denise xx

  30. I agree that Gisela Mayer wigs are excellent and long lasting. I have two that I alternate depending on my activities, as I discovered early on that no two wigs, even in the same brand and colour, are exactly the same. I wash them regularly and leave them to soak in conditioner for quite a while. Always using wig products for this. My current wig has the look and feel of real hair and it is in fabulous condition after each wash and condition. I don’t know how long they will last as these are my first Gisela Mayer ones but so far, aftera couple of months, they are as new. Other brands have become clogged at the scalp area and end up looking like hay bales no matter how much conditioner you use but they were basic ones. My current ones are monofilament wigs and I would definitely not wear anything else, they look very realistic with some scalp showing so are definitely worth paying more for.

  31. Hi, I bought a hand held steamer to reviver my hairpiece which has frizzed badly, but still kind of wearable around the house or garden.
    The steamer did nothing to improve the hairpiece at all, and am wondering why.
    I followed the instructions to a T by holding the steamer at the correct distance and using a comb to hold the hair as I went down each frond.
    I’ve not tried it again, but will have another go.
    Any tips welcome, thank you

  32. Thanks Lizzie. I usually turn to Amore by Rene of Paris, over the years I’ve found them very reliable, it’s good to get feedback on others. I have had Codi for a few years now and found it lasts well, but 2 years back I tried longer styles. I noticed a huge difference in lifetime of a longer style – needed much more maintenance, and didn’t not last half as long, went frizzy quicker and tangled at back despite de-tangler products. So I’m back to Codi for everyday. BTW love the Revlon wig on you. Which style is this please? Dawn


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