Wearing wigs represents a trustworthy alternative for people dealing with baldness or temporary hair loss caused by different medical conditions or severe side effects of medications. Wigs are made of synthetic fibers, manufactured with high advanced technology, and human hair, collected from donors originated from India, China, Europe, and Indonesia.
A lot of customers prefer human hair wigs because they have a longer lifespan, look and feel more natural, and allow various styling options. When you are a first time buyer, keep in mind several factors that are helpful to make the right decision.
1. Style
The first thing you need to think about is the style, in terms of length, hairstyle, and texture. For the beginning, you should stick to something you are familiar with, and fits your personality, face shape, and lifestyle.
When it comes to choosing the length of your wig, you can go for short human hair wigs, mid-length, and long. The texture varies from straight, to wavy, and curly, while the hairstyle offers multiple choices: bobs, layered, with or without bangs, pixies, and boy cuts.
2. Cap construction
Monofilament caps have a fine and breathable mesh that gives the impression of hair growing right from the scalp. The hair can be combed and parted in any direction.
Lace front wigs have a sheer mesh made of French or Swiss lace. The hair is hand-tied to certain parts of the lace to create a realistic hairline. This delicate material requires proper care and handling.
Wefted caps are also named standard or basic caps. The hair is sewn on narrow strips of material that go back and forth over the scalp area to simulate the natural hair growth process. The lightweight option of this construction is the so called capless design, with open spaces between the wefts of hair that are attached to strips of lace.
100% Hand-tied caps provide the most natural look. The hair is individually hand-tied on the entire cap (crown, sides, front, and back) to mimic the real hair movement.
3. Cap size
There is an average size (22”) that is said to work for most people although some wig patterns come in petite size (21”), or large size (23”) only. Many wigs have straps to adjust the size up to 1/2” in order to achieve a safe and comfortable fit.
4. Hair type
A great part of the human hair wigs marketed worldwide use Asian hair: Chinese hair is thick and straight, the hair from Indonesia is less costly and is usually used for ethnic wigs, and Indian hair has features similar to the European one, except that the texture is more resistant. European hair is finer and smoother than the others, but is also difficult to find and expensive.
5. Color
The color palette is so wide that you might feel a bit confused. When you are a wig newbie, choose a color close to the natural shade of your own hair. As time goes by, you will be able to better notice what colors flatter your complexion and what hues you need to leave aside.