No, they don’t have pixie dust but dammit they might as well!
I know what you’re thinking ” a WIG?! ew! the thing my granny leaves lying on her dresser at night? YES! Wigs have evolved sooo much over the past 10 years. Nowadays, you can’t tell if someone has a wig or not (if it’s done right). To be specific, the kind of wig I’m referring to in particular is called a lace wigs! Lace wigs used to only be available to celebrities and for theater/broadway productions for a realistic way to change someone’s hair. There two main types of lace wigs; You have the lace-front wig that has flesh colored lace on the front edge of it that can sometimes have a pre-made parting space and wefts of hair completing the back of the unit. Full lace wigs are made with lace all over and individual hairs threaded through the lace instead of a weft, so that you can part the wig anywhere you’d like. Now, these two are just the most basic types of wig caps that are available.
Aside from the cap construction, you can also choose between wigs made with synthetic fibers, human and synthetic hair mix, or 100% human hair. They all have their pros and cons .
Synthetic wigs tend to be pretty cheap ($20-$40) and you can buy lots of different colors and curl patterns. The only issue is that they tend to tangle, mat up, and shed quite a bit which limit their use and they also tend to look a little wiggy. The good part is that you can just buy the same wig again after you throw it out after wearing it about 10 times. Now, SOME synthetic wigs have an advanced type of heat resistant hair called “Futura hair” that allows you to use heat on the wigs up to 350ºF. Any other synthetic wig will just melt instantly, so be careful! With most synthetic wigs, you can straighten or curl the hair by putting rollers in the hair and dipping it in hot water.
Human/synthetic mix wigs are a bit pricier because of the human hair that is mixed in ($40-$80). They don’t look as shiny and perfect as the synthetic wigs and most automatically have the ability to be heat styled.
100% Human hair Whoa nelly, these wigs are the best of the best because they are made from 100% human hair and can look as if the hair is growing from your scalp.They are normally made with virgin human hair, which is hair that has never been chemically processed or colored. These can cost between ($120-$1,000 and sometimes even upwards of $10,000). Now, this all depends on what you want and this is where the cap construction knowledge comes in! Human hair wigs are usually custom ordered and the price depends on the customization of the wig as far as the length of hair that you want,hair density, and the cap construction. Now, I’m sure you’re looking at the $10,000 part of the price range like “WHAT!?!” but YES, the wigs can cost $10,000 based on the quality and origin of hair that you buy. Most of the time, hair from Europe is what costs thousands of dollars, while the hair from China and India cost way less. 100% Human hair can be styled and colored as you would with real hair. Human hair wigs are a great investment because they last way longer than synthetic wigs. With proper care, you can have your full lace wig for YEARS!
How do you wear them?
This is the fun part! Once you actually have your wig then you can start your prep work! Whether you have a synthetic or human hair wig, you will definitely have to customize your wig to fit your head. This is done by tightening the wig with the adjustable straps that your wig may come with, cutting the excess lace on the front of your wig , and even sewing an elastic band from ear to ear to help your wig lay FLAT and to make it more secure on your head.You can buy the elastic bands from Walmart or any fabric store and just measure it to the appropriate size for your head. Lately, wig companies have been adding an elastic band to wigs as an option for customization.
Another important part of prepping your wig is having a nice foundation underneath the wig. You can either cornrow your hair straight back or do a low ponytail where the ends of your hair are tucked under itself and secured with a bobby pin. Most people opt for cornrows if they plan on wearing their wigs daily. If you choose to, a stocking cap can go on your head next to protect your hair from rubbing against the underside of the wig and to help your hair lay flat.
Once your wig is actually on your head it still doesn’t end there! If you want your wig to look as realistic as possible, you can pull the wig slightly behind your hairline and align the wig’s part with the part of your real hair. Add some concealer or powder that matches your scalp color and blend the two parts together. You can also just lay the front of the wig directly on your scalp.
**If you have a synthetic wig, a lot of times the parting space can be super thin and unrealistic looking! You can simply take some tweezers and pluck out a few of the hairs to widen the parting space a bit so that it will look more natural.
**For full lace wigs, the hairline can be pretty dense and look really puffy and weird since everyone’s hairline tapers and fades a bit. You can pluck our the hairs at the hairline to thin that area out. This process takes a very very long time (usually about 30 mins to an hour depending on how you want your hairline to look) but it will definitely be worth the work that you put into it. Youtube Peakmill has a WONDERFUL video full of details on how to make your full lace wig look realistic : )
If you have a 100% human hair full lace wig, the possibilities are endless! You can heat style the hair with a flat iron or curling iron and you can even put it up in a bun or ponytail. What I’ve done before with my full lace wig was cornrow my hair the way you usually do for a foundation under the wig, THEN I use a curved needle and weaving thread and sew the edges of the wig onto the braid. It worked really well with keeping the wig laying down flat and that way I could wear my hair up in a ponytail and nobody,I mean NOBODY knew it was a wig! I really wish I’d taken a photo of my masterpiece! What I didn’t like about it was how I couldn’t scratch an itch on my scalp without using the end of my rattail comb or a pen. It drove me nuts!
You can also braid full lace wigs. Yes, BRAID! You can do full on cornrows or some flat twists in the front and it can look super realistic!
Innovations
There have been so many awesome new things going on in the wonderful world of wigs! It seems like every year a new method or type of wig comes out that makes them look more and more realistic.Recently more and more synthetic wig companies are coming out with units that have a 4X4 or 4X5 parting space for added versatility without having to buy an expensive full lace human hair wig. Just last week, Outre teased a synthetic video wig that could be parted completely down the middle for two ponytails or for half up/ half down styles. Silk lace wigs have been a recent innovation for lace wigs because it has a silky fabric sewn underneath the lace to hide the visible lace (unfortunately, no matter how much concealer and powder you use, you can STILL see the grids of lace if you look close enough) and it looks like a real scalp! The biggest problem with silk lace wigs is that there is a terrible looking line of demarcation since the wigs have about 1cm of lace at the very edge of the unit and then the silk scalp part starts. It can easily have disastrous results.
Here are some of the wigs that I have in my collection! These are all synthetic
Where do you get them?
I always purchase my wigs online! You can of course buy them in a beauty supply store or a wig shop and try them on in person, but I would rather just watch Youtube reviews about the wig that I want and then buy it on a website. I usually go to Wigtypes orSams Beauty for synthetic wigs and then AliExpress for human hair.
Now with Aliexpress, you have to be VERY careful when it comes to buying hair on there. Sometimes companies will steal photos from legit human hair wig sellers or a wig maker’s Instagram photos and then send you some plastic Party City halloween wig for $200! ALWAYS read the reviews to see what people who bought the hair previous have to say about it.It’s even better if you filter the reviews to only show the ones that have photos. Another thing that I do is use the filters at the top of the search page to sort the wig orders from highest to lowest about sold.
Lace wigs are a fun and convenient way to switch up your hair color and style and without the commitment! If you want to see how a certain color would look on you, why risk it possibly looking funky and damaging your hair with dye when you can pop on a wig? It’s also a great way to give your hair a break from manipulation and from the elements. Having a bad hair day or a lazy day? Wigs are perfect for when you really don’t feel like dealing with your hair that day! Your job doesn’t allow blue, pink, or green hair? Say no more! you can simply buy a wig of that color and put it on or take it off whenever you want! You can also do the reverse and dye your real hair, then buy a wig of a natural color to wear to work. Problem solved!
Unfortunately, a lot of non-black women tend to see websites or stores where the majority of the packaging has black women on them and then they’ll shy away and say ” oh, it’s only for black people.I can’t use it”. NAH! lace wigs are for EVERYONE! I see non-black women dying their hair a different color like every other week and then complaining about their hair being fried and I’m like” SIS! GET.A.WIG!”. Hell, the hair on the wigs tend to be more of a silkier texture anyway. Less work for it to blend in than with afro textured hair.lol
I have been seeing more and more non-black women coming to the light and rocking wigs lately though! Which is AWESOME! Wigs for everybody!!
Brainofacheaphungryactress 