I’ve worn wigs for about 22 years now and human hair wigs for about 16 of those. I like wearing human hair wigs because it feels like it is my own hair. I love the versatility of curly one moment then slick straight the next. The most important thing to me and something I’m a little obsessed over is the cap construction. I have yet to design myself or wear the perfect cap in a wig. At Hair to Ware our human hair collections start from £500. This is all to do with the cap construction and the hair quality.
Human Hair Wig Quality
Ensure the hair is cuticle correct and good hair. I made this mistake in the early days when I purchased a wig costing a lot of money to find it wasn’t made cuticle correct. So, when I washed it, it was like back combing my biological hair and caused me more heartache than happiness. It was awful and when I look back at photographs of how awful it was, it still brings a tear or two. The most important thing is to have fun and try lots of different things. I was so scared to at first. I love going on Pinterest for inspiration and often research my next wig ideas there. Currently, I am loving the new perm wave and have a phone full of screenshots ready to create my next one.
Choose the Right Human Hair Wig
Not all wigs are designed and made for hair loss. Fun fashion wigs are not suitable for bald scalps or Alopecia. They can come with large thick elastic on the inside which can rub. The construction must be comfortable and the wig worn for medical reasons. I spend about £1,500 on each of my own wigs and have about two to three a year. This may sound excessive to some but the way I see it it’s my investment. I wear my wig for up to 16 hours a day seven days a week and it is an important part of me. I often design my own wigs which is my passion but I also enjoy wearing off the peg ready to wear human hair wigs also.
My Recent Wigs
The Onyx is a 10-12”. I purchased this wig in the Hydra blonde but added a dark root and some low lights and cut it up a’ Caroline Flack’ look! I love the feel of the European hair. It has been one of the lowest maintenance wigs I have ever had. But, I found the cap stretched quite quickly though and the nape was far too long for me. I like the cap to sit fairly high around the nape so I can wear turtlenecks and scarfs. This wig is very low around the nape and something I’m not used too. It was very comfortable to wear otherwise.
I love the lace front it is so thin and sits amazingly flat. The hair is 21” long and it has the wow factor, but I found that being that long and in blonde, it needed a lot of TLC. I used a mist spray at least twice a day before and after wearing and a deep salon conditioning treatment once a week. I currently use Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me shampoo and conditioner. I then use an Easi locks hair mask. I wrap it in clingfilm and then a towel and leave it over night only covering the hair not the cap. We offer a refurbishment service in the salon and something I recommend at least once a month if you are wearing super long human hair wigs. The 21” length didn’t last long for me I layered it more. I use a purple shampoo at least once a month to bring out the yellow tones and added a 4-inch dark root.
This is the real human hair wig that I am currently wearing. This is the second time I have worn Blake. The colour I ordered was 24b22rn. I added a purple shampoo and a warm brown root. I normally go for a ‘dirty dark root’. This one is rather soft. I added layers but it did come pre-cut and was already a lovely style needing very little work. I find the elastics at the back of both Kim and Blake annoy me. I feel I am forever tugging at them to pull the wig down. My head is rather flat so I do prefer made to measures to off the peg for this reason.
Made to measure – Trendco Ultra Secure Dermalite
This is a wig we design in the salon at Hair to Ware by taking a moulded template of the head and designing the bespoke cap and then the hair. The negative side of made to measure wigs is that we have them made in China via Trendco, so they do take up to 4 months to have a bespoke wig like this made. But I find it well worth the wait.
When designing wigs there are personal factors and lifestyle to consider. I love designing the construction – this is my baby. I leave the hair colour, texture style, length to Ryan and Frankie as this is what they are brilliant at.
For me, I hate the sides around the temples sitting too low. I like them to sit high, allowing me to put my sunglasses on and tuck my hair behind my ear naturally. To make this look really natural we add lots of layers and baby hairs to the side.
I do the same underneath for when I wear the wig up. I have found some off the peg wigs do currently do this, such as the Lotus range by Trendco and the Dimples Adele and I am a huge fan of their caps.
For me less cap the better I also wear the cap quite high into my neck sitting in the natural crease this works well for me. I like to add as much lace as possible ¼ around the edge which looks so natural when worn up.
Which Wig is best for me?
Looking at all the wigs I have worn and talked about here, they may all look very similar. This is because they are all cut and coloured very similar. Although I have accepted my own Alopecia I’m not a huge fan of drastic change and all the questions and opinions that follow. They do all feel so different on and it such a personal journey for us all. I personally will continue to design my own as well as wear these fabulous off the peg wig designs until I find the perfect one for me – watch this space!!!
