Choosing the Wig for You

Choosing the Wig can be a daunting experience. Wigs come in all lengths and colours imaginable, from cropped right into the nape of the neck, long enough to sit on, neon pink to sleek basic black. It can feel strange wearing a wig which is an entirely different length, style and colour from what your own hair is, especially if it’s your first time. Nevertheless, it’s part of all the fun, wearing something that wouldn’t normally be you. Being different can attract some looks from passers-by. Friends and family members may start giving you their opinions, on your new look. If that is a situation you would not like – then a wig which is as close to your own hairstyle is the best way to go. Please bear in mind when I say looks by passers-by, this falls under 2 visual facts.

When choosing the wig the whole trio combination is important – Experiment, Experiment, and Experiment, you need to try many different styles of wigs to know what you like from what you don’t like. You won’t know what suits you until you have the wig on your head and you are in front of a mirror. I remember having a customer who came into my shop and looked at my range of wigs and said “Those wigs won’t suit me”. The reason people say words along these lines is simply because you are only used to seeing yourself with your style, your colour and your length of hair. Therefore looking at a different style, colour or length wig will be very unfamiliar to you. It can also be an uncomfortable experience, for you are also out of your comfort zone.

When my customers used to start trying on the various wigs I offered, they were totally amazed at how their appearance completely changed as soon as they put on the wig. They would try on some styles that just did not work for them and then there were others that really complimented them, so much so that it seemed like the wig was made especially for them.

When you begin to try on wigs you may not want to be too adventurous straight away. Changing the way you look can be daunting, especially if you are looking at wigs due to hair loss or for medical reasons. There a few things to consider when looking for a wig that is similar to your own style.

Choosing the right wig

Deciding on a wig that’s close to your own hairstyle

Look at the amount of hair on the different wig styles, some wigs have a lot of hair which will make the style a fuller look. If your own hair is thick then this style of wig is a great start. You also need to look at the style the wig has, whatever your own style is then you should be able to find a style very close to it.

Try: Even though you want to stay close to your own style as much as possible, there are some small differences you can add that won’t draw to much attention. This can be the length of the hairstyle of the wig, if your natural hair is say shoulder length, you could try a wig with a neckline hair length. Or if your hair is neckline length, your wig could go a bit shorter, these are small changes you could try, others around you would only look at your hairstyle and think that you have had a hair cut, which is very natural.

Remember: Wigs can be cut and styled by hairdressers, so any hair-styled wig you purchase can be changed if it’s a human wig. Changing a synthetic wig is a harder task.

The next step is the colour of the wig. Again you can choose your own colour however if you have many streaks, highlights or maybe lowlights then you may find it a challenge to get an exact colour match. Even though wigs do come in many colours, that still does not guarantee you will get the colour you require. You can also try wigs that are a shade or two lighter in colour. Going a shade darker is an option if you want to experiment a little, however, those around will think you have dyed your hair, if you don’t want that attention stay away from darker shades for now.

Some wigs come in sizes that you need to measure your head for. However, the majority of wigs have adjustable straps at the back. This allows you to loosen or tighten the wig to fit your head comfortably.

Remember: If you are suffering from hair loss, or your hair is falling out over time, you will need to re-adjust your wig straps. The less hair you have the more susceptible your wig is to moving on your head, so you need to focus on the wig straps.

A wig that’s completely different to your own hairstyle

If you are ready to be adventurous or outrageous with a completely different look then you are in for a treat. Depending on where you shop you should be spoilt for choice. Apart from the different hairstyles, you also have to decide on which colour when you have chosen the style. The colours alone will blow your mind, for the colour wheel for some styles can easily be more that 10 colours and I am only referring to your standard basic one colour wigs. You can also get streaks with 2, 3, 4 or even 5 or more colour combinations, highlights, two tones etc… You are now beginning to understand the multitude of colour combinations available in wigs. Learn more about what wig colours are available here.