First off, decide whether you want a wig or not. Some people, such as myself, investigate wigs and decide for whatever reason that they want to rock a bald head instead. My personal reason was because although I love beauty, it comes secondary to comfort. Many of the people I talked to complained that the wigs they wore were hot and itchy--especially since it was placed on their completely bare scalps! Having worked with and had my own extensions prior, I've had experience with that feeling before.
If you want one, great! Talk to your doctor first off and see if they are able to provide a prescription for a hair prosthesis. With this prescription, some insurances will help cover some, if not all, of the cost of the wig. If they won't, there are some free wigs available with companies such as The American Cancer Society, Cancer Care, and Crickett's Answer for Cancer. However, without a prescription or help from a free-wig company, you can expect to pay anywhere from $30-$1200 for a wig.
Once you've decided to purchase a wig, check out a local wig salon. You will need to find out your cap size, as well as any other sizing information that they can offer you. In addition, you can check out the variety of wigs they have immediately available. I would still recommend checking online, as there may be cheaper alternatives. There are many websites where you can find good quality wigs, such as Wigs.com, WigsOnline.com, Theheadshoponline.com, Rene of Paris, Jon Renau, and Vogue Wigs, just to name a few.
Now onto the juicy stuff. Pricing on wigs varies a majority based off three main things: hair type, cap type, and length.
Different Hair Types:
- Synthetic- Synthetic hair is essentially made of plastic so it will be the main component in some of the cheapest wigs you will find. It can look nice if styled appropriately, but will maintain a slippery feel and super-shiny appearance. Because it's plastic, you can't use heat (blowdryer, curling iron, straightener, etc...) on it because it will melt.
- Human- Human hair is quite a step up from synthetic hair because it is exactly what it's called--human hair! This means you can style it, wash it, do anything with it that you would do with your normal hair. It won't melt, but it will require you to be more gentle with it, as the strands can break from the stress of pulling and heat styling, just like your natural hair.
Different Cap Types:
- Standard/Wefted- This is one of the most common cap types and will be one of the cheapest because they are made by machine. There isn't actually a cap structure with this particular type, it's more that the wefts of hair create the structure. Typically, these caps will have a closed lace top, which makes your part line look pretty natural, but the following are a couple of variations on the basic:
- Capless- uses the wefts to close the top, resulting in a much less natural part line--however, it allows more air to the scalp to help prevent overheating.
- Thin wefted- similar to a standard cap. The biggest difference between these two will be the amount of hair, due to the wefts being spaced out more than the standard cap. However, because they're spaced out more, your scalp will be able to breathe the most in this cap.
- Monofilament- These caps are made up of a mesh, into which individual hairs are hand-tied. Due to the much more labor intensive method, they will tend to be more expensive, but they'll be more comfortable as well. They are highly recommended if you have absolutely no hair on your head because they are gentle on the scalp and will not be as likely to show skin through.
- Lace Front- One of the most natural looking wigs, these are often made with a monofilament cap with a lace lining around either just the front or the entire perimeter. The lace is often colored to blend with the skin and if put on appropriately, is usually undetectable.
Different Lengths:
- The rule of length is this: the longer the length, the more you pay.
The basics of buying a wig are this: the longer and more natural looking and/or feeling your wig is, the more expensive it is likely to be. Ask for a prescription and you might be surprised how much help you can get from your insurance. Also, make sure you get sized at a wig shop before purchasing, either locally or online. Finally, if you have any other questions about purchasing a wig or hair extensions, let me know and I'll do the best I can to help!
