Why did I want to wear a wig in the first place?
I am very lucky to have hair. However, it is not in good condition – it is very thin, frizzy and has been over-treated with heat, chemicals and dyes. I’ve had glue in hair extensions, removed glue in hair extensions myself (not recommended). I washed it every day, used products for thickening, for volume, for shine, then hot hair dryers and straighteners. I damaged it to the point it literally stopped growing.
My poor hair screamed ‘please, leave me alone’!
Ok, so what to do? I could cut it into a pixie crop? (not a good look with my ears), or give it a complete break? I always imagined a wig to feel like wearing a carpet on my head but how wrong could I be? With technological advances however, today’s pieces feel like real hair and look like real hair too. There are many different types but you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a really good looking wig. Only certain people know I am wearing a wig – I don’t mind people knowing but I don’t advertise the fact.
A lot of my friends think I spend a fortune at the salon!
In reality, wearing a wig saves me a fortune – no colouring for one. I don’t wash it so much either so I am not buying shampoos, conditioners and I was always looking for the latest hair thickening products. These days, I will choose a double mono top which gives a realistic parting and I also try to stay clear of permatease although I do understand why it’s there, to stop the style from going flat, giving body and volume throughout the day.
A huge part of our self-worth is directly linked to our hair
Thinning hair can be experienced by people of all ages and it really can affect our sense of well-being.
I am pleased to have found some great solutions from Simply Wigs.
Hi Susi
My own hair is short and is a one length bob. I go to a local hairdresser every six months to have it cut. If you look at my photo above, in the Codi wig, that is very similar to the length of my real hair. As soon as I get home though, my wig goes back on !
Hi Denise
How fantastic is it to spend an extra half hour in bed knowing that ‘doing your hair’ is literally going to take minutes! I used to spend 45 minutes blow drying, straightening and trying to thicken my hair every morning and the results were disappointing to say the least. I have more confidence now than ever before and an added bonus is that many people think I’ve just come of the salon!
Hi Sue
Trust me, I know your frustration! I used to dread getting ready for work in the morning knowing that even though my make-up and clothes looked good, everything was let down by my hair. I too wore them just around the house at first and I made some very expensive mistakes. My first wigs used to look ‘wiggy’ they were too bulky and of course for ultimate realistic looking wigs, you really need monofilament tops/parts. I found Simply Wigs and everything changed. My first wig was the Tori which is lovely but no mono-top so I quickly moved on and now mostly buy Codi by Rene of Paris.
I am pleased you’re feeling more confident about wearing your wig – you will soon feel like you’re wearing your wig rather than your wig wearing you which is how I felt at the start! Good luck x
Hi Janet
When I first started wearing wigs, I stayed very close to my own ‘hairstyle’ as I didn’t want to stand out. These days, I change them around, much to the confusion of my workmates! I’m not sure what they think but no-one says anything. I find it quite amusing. Some days I have a blunt fringe, another day I will have a long fringe parted to one side, then I will change lengths as well. Wearing a wig is no longer an issue for me and like you, I wear them as a fashion accessory.
Hi Carol
Thank you for your comment. You should be fine especially as you’re wearing such a short style. I went to Greece recently and wore a shoulder length wig all day everyday and wasn’t at all uncomfortable. They’re so lightweight these days. I forget I’m wearing one!
Thanks for such a good article, I have been wearing wigs for over a year now.
My hair had become much thinner, especially on top and the front. I wore my hair in a short pixie, which suited my face but it was becoming a real pain trying to find a colour that I liked and my hair just didn’t look as nice as it had some years ago
One Sunday afternoon I put thin hair solutions into the search engine and Simply Wigs came up. I’ve never looked back. I love wearing wigs in fact it has become part of my beauty routine. I have grown my hair so I can wear it up, but I still wear one of my wigs every single day. I love the way I look, I have my confidence back and I can’t tell you how great it is to feel fabulous again. Nobody has to suffer with bad hair and at the end of the day we all deserve to look and feel absolutely gorgeous!
Simply Wigs have a great staff, they are sympathetic and knowledgeable and are there to help you with any kind problem. I am proud to be One in that special group of We That Wear Wigs.
I have just started wearing a wig ( short pixie style ) mainly for thinning hair and frontal
alopaecia. It’s fine in chilly England in December but I am due to visit my son in Arkansas
next spring and worry about discomfort from the heat
Thanks so much for this amazing and honest article, it could have been written by me! I have trying for so long to make something from not very much also and almost every time am so frustrated by the useless results I have bought wigs and worn them in private but never had the courage to “come out” but thanks to your story I now feel it’s time to ditch the worry and face up to the fact that my wigs look far better than my spider web do at last I can have good hair too
I actually can’t believe another person has had all the problems with their hair through the years as me Lila!
For so long I struggled with the stress of hair loss happening ( in my 30’s ) using extensions and in my 40’s/mid 50’s using clip-in extensions/concealing fibres etc and then finally coming to the realisation that I was sooo stressed concealing my hair ( I was very good at it nobody realised why I wore my hair in a bun for 10 years) that something else had to be done to stop me worrying and when I got my 1st wig……everyone and I mean everyone loved my new haircut!
Now my mornings are so easy with my hair and life is good again! I have been wearing wigs now for a year and my confidence has never been so good. Xxx
It’s reassuring to read that other woman also have the same issues I have. One tends to forget that you’re not alone. Quick question Lila, if I may – did you cut your own hair short to make the wearing of the piece easier?
Thanks for the article and wigs are the solution to my thin hair also. Having only ever had a thin layer of very fine hair that just about covers the scalp but which never totally covers it. I have never been able to have any fashionale hairstyle and have wanted all my life to be able to have a normal head of hair which enables a choice of hairstyle. Taking the plunge with wigs a few years ago was a bit of life saver, or at least a self-esteem saver as it was not unkown before for me to look in the mirror, having tried to make the most of my hair, and just burst into tears, I felt so unattractive and unfeminine.
These modern wigs are gorgeous, I can finally have up to date hairstyles and even though I know it is not my hair when looking in the mirror I no longer want to burst into tears. The added bonus is I can just put the wig on in the morning before going out to work, no having to waste time trying to make something out of nothing much. I would recommend a wig to anyone with little or no hair, as like the writer of the article, apart from a few people ‘in the know’ most people just think it is my own hair and there are some lovely wigs at not unreasonable prices.
Dear Lila,
Your description of why you now wear a wig mirrors exactly the reasons I wear one. It has saved me a fortune over the last few years and looks good, feels good.
Since I discovered the Noriko Sky wig, my life and confidence are back to normal. It saves so much time. I used to faff about with my thinning hair just to make it look very ‘average’.
Now it looks great in moments – what a blessed relief.
Thank you for writing such a good article. The reasons for my poor hair are because, as a young nurse I was exposed to Agent Orange (in Vietnam ’68.) I also contracted fallcipirum malaria which drove up fevers of 40 degrees plus for several days. Both episodes damaged my hair. Over the years it varied from thin to just about passable – but eventually I just ran out of patience with the hair thickeners, shampoos promising body etc etc.
Anne
This is a great article, Lizzie x x thank you! Enjoyed reading this x x you would never know that is a wig, you look fab x x x x
Thanks for this lovely article Lila, it’s great to hear how wigs have made such a positive difference to you. Sometimes we alopecians forget that others are struggling with hair-related problems too, and it’s lovely to hear such an affirming story as yours
Lizzie xxx