What it's really like to need to wear a wig PART 2

At the end of last week I shared a story from America about one girl's experience of wigs; I also posted my first in a series of blog posts about the story and this is my second...

In the first post, I delved into the video, and ultimately my disappointment at the unsatisfactory wig consultations people face everyday! In this, I shall focus on her story, which I found a much more interesting and realistic read than the video...

"That night, instead of a blowout, my wig got destroyed. The hairdresser washed my hair wrong — you can't scrunch up hair on a wig the way you can natural hair — and it ended up in a gigantic knot. All the leave-in conditioner in the world and hours with a comb couldn't help him detangle it."

This sentence made me feel more than a little sick! Not only is a wig ruined and the poor girl has to venture out in the cold with no hair, but there was a $4,000 price tag AND to make it worse the guy apparently knew about wigs! True, accidents happen, but this story does highlight the need for you to a) understand your own wig care so that you can stop others being stupid and b) select someone that is actually qualified, not a well-wisher. Unfortunately, a lot of (not all) hairdressers start selling wigs to help out clients with cancer or alopecia or similar, without a real understanding of their individual needs. The best way to blow dry a wig is first to wet it with a spray bottle as it allows so much more control! At home, at least you are in charge and can be more assertive, but in a hairdresser, sometimes fully wetting is best avoided!

"The new wig was good enough, but it wasn't great. It still didn't fit right. It looked like a wig, which didn't make up for the $4,000 price tag or the emotional cost."

Don't accept second best! It's clear from this story that the poor girl had no choice, what with a holiday the next day, but it's your money so YOU have to be happy! A couple of times in my life when I had my own hair, I left a salon thinking the haircut wasn't quite 'me', but also knowing that with a wash and natural bounce it would probably look better, and if all else failed it would grow. A wig won't, so make sure you are happy with it, before you leave the shop or take out the label!

"Not everyone has been scared that a strong gust of wind could unseat her hair."

This makes me so sad and isn't something anyone should feel! I can categorically say that the one and only time I have lost a wig is chasing my dog under a tree and hooking it on a branch. Occasionally, sections of a wig can lift in extreme wind, but even when we've had gale force winds it has coped! This is simply because of the fit - whether synthetic with an adjustable cap or human hair with silicone sections, if it fits, it's pretty difficult for the wig to come off! If it's really that windy, then it's probably cold too, so a beanie hat is great for added security if you are that worried!

"Not thinking about my hair all the time has given me back the confidence I didn't realize I was missing — when I look in the mirror, I feel good about the person looking back at me. I've been worrying constantly about my appearance since I first watched my hair slide down the drain in clumps every time I took a shower all those years ago. For the first time in a long time, I feel like me."

Just because you wear a wig, you shouldn't have to think about your hair all the time and certainly I don't! If you are, then either you haven't found the right wig yet, or honestly and truly wigs are not for you! A wig should be like a fab pair of shoes - something that makes you feel great, not something that you wish everyday was different!

Victoria x

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