I have been wearing wigs for about five years, and while I feel like I still have a lot to learn about them, I have come a long way since starting this journey. As I look back on my wig-wearing experience, I remember how hard it was to find that first one. My instinct told me that I needed to see them, touch them, and try them on before making my purchase. I did not want to spend money purchasing a wig without knowing how it looked on me first. Over the years, I had tried on many wigs that looked awful on me, and I was not confident I could find a wig that I would be comfortable wearing in public. Given that, it took me many years to finally get started with wearing wigs, and it was not a pleasant experience. To help new wig wearers have a better experience, I thought I would pass along an important tip.
Before you purchase any wig, try on as many as you can to find a style you think suits you and that you love.
Having suffered from hair loss that started in my late teens, I understand the anguish that comes with having crappy hair. Over many years, I made several attempts to learn about, and start wearing wigs, only to give up after not finding a wig I felt suited me style-wise. It was not until 15 years after my first attempt to wear wigs that I finally found a wig I was comfortable enough to wear in public. There is so much to figure out for new wig wearers, and it is hard to know where to start.
My suggestion is you start with one goal in mind – finding a style you love. Don’t let the other details about wigs (and how to wear them) bog you down initially. You will learn about wigs over time as you start to wear them.
The very first goal for new wig wearers should be finding a style that suits you.
So how does one find that first wig – a wig with a style that they love? They do it by trying on as many wigs as they can. And there lies a dilemma. Where I live, there are no premium wig stores to visit locally, and I understand this is the case for many wig wearers. This means, to purchase a premium, high-quality wig, I must buy it online. But how does one go about trying on lots of wigs if there are no premium wig stores in their area? They visit any and all stores that sell wigs. Where I live, there are quite a few beauty stores that sell budget-friendly wigs. I should note, one difference between budget-friendly wigs and premium wigs is that premium wigs look more natural in most cases. Just like most things, you can pay a little for a “standard” wig, or you can spend a lot for a wig that has all the “bells and whistles” (like a monofilament top or heat-friendly fibers). But none of those bells and whistles are going to matter if you don’t like how the hairstyle looks on you. And that is why I suggest making your first goal finding a style that suits you.
I first attempted to learn about wigs when I was in my 20’s. It was a half-hearted attempt at that point. I tried again in my 30’s, after having my son and losing more hair. I went to one store and purchased a wig that I really didn’t like. I wore it in public one time, hated it, and decided I would never wear wigs again. By the time I reached 46, I was desperate to find a solution for my balding scalp. Still not knowing exactly where to start, I decided to visit every wig store in my area to try on as many different wig styles as possible.
A problem I ran into is that many beauty stores limited the number of wigs customers could try. In fact, most stores limited the number of wigs that customers could try on to three to five wigs. How does one find a wig if they can only try on a few styles, you may be wondering? What I did is make a list of every beauty store located within an hour’s drive from my house, and I started visiting them. Sometimes I would stop at one or two on my way home from work. Other times I would take an entire day and go from wig store to wig store.
After several weeks, I found a wig that I felt comfortable enough to wear in public. It was a standard, shoulder-length bob style piece that cost $55.00. The wig was H-Tulip by 21 Tress, and H-Tulip gave me the starting point I needed to start feeling comfortable wearing wigs finally.
I tried on close to thirty wigs before I found a style that looked good on me.
By trying many different wigs, I learned that I liked how straight, shoulder-length bobs looked on me best. And that is the exact opposite of what I expected. I have always wanted curly hair. I love beautiful, curly hairstyles. When I first started my search for a wig, I was drawn to curly wigs. If I had not taken that time to find a wig style that suited me, I would have purchased a curly wig online. And there is a good chance I would not have liked that curly wig on me, and I am sure I would have felt discouraged after paying for a wig that I didn’t feel comfortable wearing. I have found some curly wigs that suit me now, but it took a lot of trial and error to find them. I wore that style in public for about three years, but I tried and purchased several other budget-friendly styles over those three years. After that time, I had a pretty good idea about which styles I loved on me, and I was learning about premium wigs with all those bells and whistles.
When I decided to make my first premium wig purchase online, I looked for styles similar to H-Tulip and decided on On Point by Raquel Welch. I was happy with my purchase of On Point even though I didn’t have the opportunity to try On Point on before I purchased the piece. I felt confident buying On Point without trying her on because I knew a shoulder-length bob style suited me.
Check out my YouTube video of On Point.
If you are new to wearing wigs and you don’t know where to start, first look to see if there are any premium wig stores in your area. I suggest visiting a premium wig store first because premium wig stores usually have staff who have the knowledge needed to teach you about wigs, and most allow you to try on many different styles.
If you live near Rancho Cucamonga, California, you can make an appointment to visit Lori’s Lemonade Stand – A Wig Boutique.
Lori meets one-on-one with clients; she spends time teaching them about wigs, and she gives them time to try on several wigs. If you don’t have a premium wig store in your area, visit any stores that sell wigs and try on as many styles as you are able. After you find a style you think suits you, you have a starting point. From there, things get a little easier. And your next goal, in my opinion, should be finding a wig color you love. And finding the perfect color is not as easy as you may think! Tune in next week to learn tips on how to choose the perfect wig color for you!
Lori's Lemonade Stand also provides free Zoom consultations if you don't have any resources near you.
by @PennyJaneLove