Wigs, these days, seem to be mostly for people with hair loss and medical problems. I remember a time when it was commonplace for healthy people with a full head of hair to wear them. When I was in high school most girls had long, straight hair parted down the middle - cute little hippies, all of us. When that long hair got oily, some girls wore short, pixie style wigs. Those were the days before blow dryers, and washing hair in the shower every morning was forbidden by water saving mothers, so the wig was a life saver. I remember walking down the hall one day, during the change of classes, when a scoundrel of a boyfriend snatched the wig off his girlfriend's head.
A hairpiece called a "fall" was also popular in the 1960's. It was an add-on to make the wearer's hair longer. The hairpiece went on like a hair band. The front, exposed hair, usually including bangs, was natural. The voluminous, cascading tresses were fake. A fall-type hairpiece made a come back during the early 2000's when Megan Mullally popularized upswept hair on the "Will and Grace" show.
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| A gag during one episode involved pulling off the hairpiece - just like in high school! |
There is a whole body of wig knowledge out there, and I knew nothing. I decided to look into things and this is what I discovered:
Wigs are made from human hair or synthetic fibers. Human hair is not necessarily the best choice. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. Human hair is versatile. You can cut, color, and style it. It is soft and moves naturally. With proper care, a human hair wig can last for years. The downsides of human hair are high price and high maintenance. A human hair wig is not ready out of the box. It has to be customized for the wearer, and it has to be styled every day, just like real hair. Synthetic wigs are affordable. They are natural looking and they require no styling. Just swish a synthetic wig around in the sink, press the water out with a towel, and let the wig dry. A synthetic wig cannot be heat styled. The fibers will melt. They have to be washed with shampoo formulated for synthetic hair. Synthetic wigs last only 3-6 months.
There are five types of wig construction. A traditional cap is made of durable lace netting. It is the most durable and has lots of volume at the crown. A capless wig is less expensive because it consists of only breathable webbing - no lace netting. It is lightweight and cooler to wear. A monofilament cap has special sheer material on the crown into which individual hairs are hand tied. This type of wig allows the wearer to part the hair in any direction. The sides of the wig are webbed. A fully hand tied wig is made entirely of the sheer monofilament material and every hair - crown, sides, and back - are individually hand tied. This is the best choice for a sensitive scalp. A lace front wig is the best at mimicking the natural hairline and can be worn with the hair brushed away from the face. These wigs usually require tape or adhesive to stay in place, and they are more delicate than other types.
Wigs.com http://www.wigs.com/wig_buyers_guide.html has good advice on how to determine your wig size, how to select a style and color, and how to put on a wig.
If you feel confident after reading all the information offered at Wigs.com, you could order a wig online. If you would rather have the personal touch, there are wig shops in the area. The biggest network of stores is probably Wig-a-do. http://www.wigado.com/
If you know someone about to undergo chemotherapy, be a friend. Browse the internet with them or drive them to the closest Wig-a-do. Help them pick out the most flattering wig, so they look good while the treatments beat them up. It's a little easier if you don't have to worry about bad hair days or no hair days on top of all the other stuff.
Thanks for that post. I was reading about wigs recently, too, because my sister is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. She mentioned that when she was younger (she is 15 years older than me), one could find wigs in most department stores and now they are hard to find. Since she doesn't use a computer, I searched around trying to find wig companies that had mail order catalogs and could only find two.
ReplyDeleteI wish we could find wigs in department stores again. In a way I like the ever increasing silver streaks in my hair, but once in a while, I wouldn't mind being a blonde or a redhead! If wigs were more easily accessible, I think I would probably give in to the temptation to buy one for myself.
I'm glad you could get some use out of this. Please extend my wishes for a full and complete recovery to your sister. My mother had breast cancer - two different cancers occurred simultaneously, a different type in each breast. She had lumpecomy followed by radiation. She recovered fully and went on to lead a long, full life. A pooh-pooher of technology, she changed her attitude and became a staunch supporter of the mammogram - the tool she credited with saving her life.
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