topic Re: Wigs in Beauty

Wigs

ElvisShops — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 03:47:53 GMT

My hair is very dark, essentially black. However, I have been fighting white for years. It started early due to unlucky genes. I just can't keep up with white roots. I'd have to dye every 2 weeks. Those temp powers like Joan Rivers are messy, at least in black, and take a lot of time to deal with in the mornings. Recently, a new report came out suggesting, though not proving, a possible link between permanent dye and an increased breast cancer risk.

I wish I could just let it go white, but I'm in my early 50s. I'm not ready to go white. Besides it would take forever. I also don't have the time or money to deal with going to a salon frequently for a better grow-out solution.

Thus, I'm looking at wigs. Not necessarily QVC wigs. Have any of you had any success with wigs? I want something that will fool people and not look fake. Help. TIA

Re: Wigs

tansy — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 04:28:24 GMT

If @Oznell sees this, she will have some suggestions for you. Look for wig reviewers on YouTube.

Re: Wigs

Lindsays Grandma — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:10:59 GMT

@ElvisShops

My suggestion would be for you to find a good wig shop in your area and start from there. You may have to visit several wig shops and when you find the perfect one they will custom it for you. Too long? They will shorten it. Too thick? They will thin it, etc.,etc..

Looking on line is also a good way to go because it will give you a good idea of what is out there. Don't even consider ordering one from a website, not a good idea for a beginner.

Many years ago a stylist damaged my hair and I went to a well known wig shop in North Hollywood since I lived in the San Fernando Vally, and found one that suited me. I wore it for nine months and no one, and I mean no one, had a clue. I liked it so much I gave thoughts to continue fooling the public but then faced reality and "wore" my own hair again.

As Tansy mentioned, watching wig presentations on You Tube will give you lots of ideas and information. Good luck to you, hope it won't be too long before you prance around in your new hair do while looking like a million bucks.

Re: Wigs

patbz — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:18:58 GMT

@ElvisShops : Have you ever worn a wig for any period of time? They are not and don't fool many (if you even care about that). You might want to rethink going natural; can be very striking at your age! When I went gray it was easy and cheap: had my stylist cut my hair very short (took 2 haircuts). Now I wear it past my shoulders and get 4 haircuts a year. When I went natural I developed a natural wave so no more curling irons, etc.

Re: Wigs

Flika13 — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:32:47 GMT

If you have a FB account, check out “Wig Wisdom” for lots of info about wigs.

Re: Wigs

fancy pantsy — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 07:06:06 GMT

i recently started wearing wigs because of hair loss following several surgeries and also general aging hair loss. i found everything i needed to learn online ... both on facebook groups and on youtube. everyone's head is different and what fits me and feels good will not necessarily be the same for you. the wig companies that i have ordered from online are VERY GOOD about accepting returns and i have had several hits and misses.

my advice is to spend lots of time (like a few weeks) reading reviews and looking at photos.

Re: Wigs

violann — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 12:13:51 GMT

I love to wear wigs.

I have very poor hair, and from my beloved dad and maniacally tight pony tails in my youth, I have a cavern of baldness from my forehead almost to my cowlick, sprinkled haphazardly with a hair here and a hair there, about 17 in total.

I began wearing wigs in a stage show I was in 5 or 6 years ago, and fact is, I look younger and fresher with a wig than my own hair could ever look. The only reason I DON'T wear them 24/7 is because I have relatively poor temperature regulation, and whipping off your hair in the middle of Mass or an aisle at the Weis is frowned upon in my community.

Re: Wigs

Oznell — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 12:43:16 GMT

Great ideas and advice from experienced wig wearers on here!

@ElvisShops, I would point you also in the direction of a few key wig bloggers. "Taz" of Taz's Wig Closet is one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBDuBe-c_ZEChbANsmDNbw

She's fabulous, a sweet, very astute wig wearer with a wealth of reviews and how-to tips on line.

Other great ones are Patti of Patti's Pearls, Heather of Cyster Wigs, and really too many to list. But those three are a perfect place to start.

Wigs with monotops and "lace front" hairlines (you'll quickly learn the lingo!) can look EXACTLY like real hair, rooted and growing from the scalp. Even some "basic cap" wigs, especially if they are high quality and have bangs to obscure the front hairline, are strikingly plausible looking and have fooled many.

The technology has improved markedly over time-- you'll be amazed at some of the youtube reviews you see!

Re: Wigs

Shanus — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:23:03 GMT

@patbz wrote:
@ElvisShops : Have you ever worn a wig for any period of time? They are not and don't fool many (if you even care about that). You might want to rethink going natural; can be very striking at your age! When I went gray it was easy and cheap: had my stylist cut my hair very short (took 2 haircuts). Now I wear it past my shoulders and get 4 haircuts a year. When I went natural I developed a natural wave so no more curling irons, etc.

@patbz @ElvisShops I tried on silver/white wigs (matched to the color of my natural roots) before making the big decision. It's a good idea to see how you'll look. I went a faster route to natural since my hair was already short. My stylist bleached my hair to get all the built up dark color off my hair. When it reached a pale yellow shade, she applied the silver color toner mixed w/ the purple toner to combat the yellow. It doesn't wash out. I kept my hair short, so in 4-6 months, the bleached hair had grown out with frequent haircuts and my hair was my own silver/white.

Re: Wigs

Shanus — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:30:41 GMT

To be quite honest, for the several hours I was trying on wigs, between the wig cap to hold my own hair underneath, the clips that hold the wig in place, they were hot and uncomfortable. Maybe some could wear them all day, but I'd find it quite difficult. If medically necessary, chemo related hair loss, etc., I might have to consider it, but just for other vanity reasons, no way.

Re: Wigs

knittykitty — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 18:44:40 GMT

whatever you do, PLEASE stop dying your hair! those heavy dyes not only linked to breast cancer, but other lymphomas.

my best friend had dyed her hair since being a teenager; she is now 71 and has an untreatable brain tumor. the doctors believe her tumor most likely due to the hair dye.

gray is 'in'. the wig suggestions are all good. keeping your hair short to 'cut' out the dark will speed up going natural.

good luck!

Re: Wigs

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 18:50:17 GMT

I wear wigs and I have learned so much from the ladies on YOU TUBE.

I wish you good luck, it is a process. What I learned is most wigs require some tweaking and I have learned how to tweak on You Tube.

Also a lot of wigs are not super expensive, it just depends how much WORK you want to do. GOOD LUCK!!!

Re: Wigs

Still Raining — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 23:41:38 GMT

Most everyone in my chemo group gave up on the wig route. They are not comfortable and do take a fair bit of maintenance. If you are willing to spent the money, there are some nice real hair ones out there, but again, upkeep.

Re: Wigs

chrystaltree — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:51:57 GMT

Why don't you get your color done by a hairdresser? They are experts and a hairdresser can color just the white roots. You won't need it done every two weeks. I honestly don't see the point of wearing a wig for 10 years or however long it will take you to be comfortable with gray hair. Accept that you want to color your hair and see a hairdresser. If you decide to go the wig route, buy an inexpensive wig first and wear it around your house for 10 hours a day for day or two. If you can tolerate the wig, then you can invest in a more expensive one. I tried wearing a wig once, years ago when I'd home colored my hair auburn and I hated it. I wore the wig for 3 hours tops and it gave me a migraine, I was conscious of something on my head every second I had it on, between the headache and being unable to concentrate on anything except my head, it was pure torture. A former co-worker had a similar experience. She had hair loss due to her thyroid but a wig just didn't work for her. She ended up getting a short whiffle cut and accepting it until her thyroid meds kicked in and her hair grew back.

Re: Wigs

ElvisShops — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 16:07:49 GMT

Thank you so much for all of the excellent information. Whether home dyed or salon dyed, my roots grow in fast and my head then looks like a runway. I love short hair, but not on me. I had a terrible Dorothy Hamill haircut experience many, many years ago. Spent second grade looking like a boy because my mother hated dealing with my hair. Thus, the short cut that would help the white grow in better is out.

I am going to view the YouTube wig specialists suggested and check the area for good wig stores. I may find that I can't wear them, but we will see.

Re: Wigs

Shanus — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 16:08:37 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
Why don't you get your color done by a hairdresser? They are experts and a hairdresser can color just the white roots. You won't need it done every two weeks. I honestly don't see the point of wearing a wig for 10 years or however long it will take you to be comfortable with gray hair. Accept that you want to color your hair and see a hairdresser. If you decide to go the wig route, buy an inexpensive wig first and wear it around your house for 10 hours a day for day or two. If you can tolerate the wig, then you can invest in a more expensive one. I tried wearing a wig once, years ago when I'd home colored my hair auburn and I hated it. I wore the wig for 3 hours tops and it gave me a migraine, I was conscious of something on my head every second I had it on, between the headache and being unable to concentrate on anything except my head, it was pure torture. A former co-worker had a similar experience. She had hair loss due to her thyroid but a wig just didn't work for her. She ended up getting a short whiffle cut and accepting it until her thyroid meds kicked in and her hair grew back.

@chrystaltree Obviously you don't have almost black hair like the OP. Letting the grey roots show takes about 1 1/2 wks. I know because I've been there. I'd get my color done at the salon every 3 wks. for $65 and in less than 2 wks., my grey roots were obvious around my face and at my part. It shows much sooner on dark hair and is more obvious. That's when I decided it was futile and just stopped coloring and went natural.

Re: Wigs

violann — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:49:10 GMT

@Shanus wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
Why don't you get your color done by a hairdresser? They are experts and a hairdresser can color just the white roots. You won't need it done every two weeks. I honestly don't see the point of wearing a wig for 10 years or however long it will take you to be comfortable with gray hair. Accept that you want to color your hair and see a hairdresser. If you decide to go the wig route, buy an inexpensive wig first and wear it around your house for 10 hours a day for day or two. If you can tolerate the wig, then you can invest in a more expensive one. I tried wearing a wig once, years ago when I'd home colored my hair auburn and I hated it. I wore the wig for 3 hours tops and it gave me a migraine, I was conscious of something on my head every second I had it on, between the headache and being unable to concentrate on anything except my head, it was pure torture. A former co-worker had a similar experience. She had hair loss due to her thyroid but a wig just didn't work for her. She ended up getting a short whiffle cut and accepting it until her thyroid meds kicked in and her hair grew back.

@chrystaltree Obviously you don't have almost black hair like the OP. Letting the grey roots show takes about 1 1/2 wks. I know because I've been there. I'd get my color done at the salon every 3 wks. for $65 and in less than 2 wks., my grey roots were obvious around my face and at my part. It shows much sooner on dark hair and is more obvious. That's when I decided it was futile and just stopped coloring and went natural.

My hairdresser REFUSES to color my hair, and her cuts are MAGIC, so it's a "no" for me to color.

Re: Wigs

TennisCaptain — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 19:39:29 GMT

I went silver because I was having a reaction to the dye. I have been light silver for about 3 years now. I'm currently 55. I actually really like the color. It was a freeing process. I went cold turkey. However, I have natural curly hair and I think that hid the demarctation line. It took about 18 months until it was totally natural. I did not cut it short. If you cut is short it will be much faster.

Re: Wigs

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 20:19:38 GMT

As others have said there are so many lovely wigs out there nowadays. You are going to have to shop around.

A friend of mine has very poor hair and wears wigs and you would NEVER know. The prices for the nice ones seem very expensive but not really when you think about the expensive and upkeep costs of natural hair. In the end, you will save money but the upfront costs are shocking.

Check out Jill Lynn Beauty Therapy on Youtube she is my friend's favorite resource.

Re: Wigs

blackhole99 — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 01:20:24 GMT

I wore a wig when I was very young and they were popular. I recently tried a wig from the Q and it looked ridiculous on me, just don't have the face for it anymore. If you can find one that looks great on you, go for it, I would love not to have to do my hair every day, I don't mind my gray hair.