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I haven’t bought a “real” wig yet as I haven’t settled on my look. I have a bunch of fun wigs I bought in line and never paid more than $20 for. They are a lot of fun. I have long hair in pink, blonde and brunette, and shorter wigs in bright orange, gray, white, and brunette. I have a lot of fun wearing them indoors but they are synthetic and don’t pass muster when going outside.
What are your thoughts on buying a good wig? They range in price from $500 to $2000 or more. I want to make sure I get the right style for my face and age.
How did you decide what style and cut of wig to buy? Where did you go? How much did you pay? How happy are you with your purchase? How many wigs do you have? 😉
I feel my hair is all that’s standing between me and being “out there” with confidence. Showing up in a cheap wig is not my style!
Lea
Real hair wig is out of my price point, but artificial looks alright to me. They are always washed before my hairdresser puts them on and styles them. However, The biggest downside I have discovered is that they have a finite life. After a certain number of washes they get ratty and tangled.
@smartina I don't get to dress often so I have not experienced that concern. In the year I have had my synthetic wigs they have only been used a few times and they still look like new. I appreciate your sharing your experience which is something to consider for someone who dresses frequently.
@michellemybell That's one reason I have so many! Most synthetic wigs aren't styled, but a styled wig makes it look like you've been to the salon. X
@leainvancouver I have 3. 2 are low priced and were gifts. The one I wear most of the time is a good quality hand me down from wife. She has very little hair left and wears a wig all the time. She buys a new one every 18 months and I get the old. They are Raquel Welch brand and cost her around $150-175. We both look good in it and I see no reason either of us would pay more than $500 for a wig.
@leainvancouver I have two wigs and I like them both. They are synthetic and look and feel natural. The advantage of the synthetics, besides being inexpensive is that I can keep them in a suitcase and they hold their shape. I just take one out and shake it and it is ready to wear with just a light brushing. My two wigs retailed at $150 but I only paid $90 each for them on sale.
I think the most important advice that has been shared with you is to purchase your wig in person with the help of a hair stylist. Wig shops will be more than happy to help you. My wife purchased two Rachel Welsh wigs for $150 that look great on her. She bought them at a mastectomy shop and must have tried on 30 wigs before deciding what she like best. Thes shops are very discrete with private appointments and are thrilled to get cash paying customers since most of their sales are paid through insurance.
In person you can try on different styles and lengths to see what flatters your face type the most. You can then find the perfect color for your complexion. Once that is done and you have a wig that fits well the stylist can cut and shape it to suite you. The neat part is all this help is free as part of the purchase. By buying in person you will get a wig you love (probably more than one) and possibly save a lot of money over the online trial and error alternative. In my case my MUA cut the wigs to create bangs to cover all the forehead wrinkles on my aging face. She said bangs are the new botox. You can see what the wigs look like in my posted photos. The wig shown in my profile pic is not mine but was the first wig I ever put on at my first makeover so there is an emotional connection since that was the day Michelle truly came to life.
Hi Lea.
Always one. I am waiting for the replacement of the one that broke in June. It will be here next week and I can't wait.
I may consider buying another one later, but I have limited space to store my things.
Gisela
I own 0 wigs for a couple of reasons. Reason 1 being that my head is larger than the size for which large wigs are design. More importantly, however, is reason 2 - wearing a wig makes my feeling like I am hiding, and I don't like hiding who I am.
MacKenzie Alexandra
I would recommend wigsis.com or unitedbeautysupply.com for higher quality wigs, and Emmor brand wigs on Amazon for less expensive wigs.
It is possible to find human hair wigs on wigsis for under $200. And their web site has a good amount of information about buying a wig. Plus they have wigs for larger head sizes.
Shop around, know what you are buying. Personally, I prefer a long style of about 14" length, layered, with long bangs. I like a part to reach the front so I get a lace front wig.
If you can afford it, go with human hair. The look and feel are night and day over synthetic.
I have many cheap wigs that I don't use. I have three that get regular use; one from each of the three companies mentioned.
Good luck.
@2bmadeline Thanks for the tips sister. Hair is the crowning feature so it should be awesome. When I was younger I grew my hair down to my shoulders but it didn't look like much. When I see someone with a beautiful head of hair that fits their face, I'm bowled over. When I imagine myself as a woman I see long golden locks!
Lea
I was looking at wigs.com and found a lot of cute wigs and was tempted to buy a wig with human remy hair, Then I wanted to read about remy hair and the google search mentioned that sometimes the human hair could come from corpses, found it kind of creepy so for the moment I really don't feel ready for human hair.
I would love to find a nice wig that replicated the look that my current el cheapo wigs provide - if nothing more than to look look more real and last longer. However, I really feel that the cut of the wigs that I wear is very good for my look. I've had a number of people tell me the same. So that look is just my look. I've tried a couple different cuts and they don't stay on for long.
And so for $20, I just keep going for the same cut, though in different colors. (shrug) If it ain't broke... 😉
I have 5 cheap ones and none of them give me confidence in my look. Contemplating the setup of a consult at a wig shop, but you know the drill, are they "friendly", professional etc. I have settled on the fact that a grey/sliver wig makes me look oooolllddd. I don't mind looking in my sixties but not my eighties!
Toodles!
@twilla I have always wanted to have long tresses of blonde hair but I have to appreciate that I'm not that young any more so I go for colour and styles that suit my face and appearance. It's like the carpet in the Big Lewbowski, the hair really brings the outfit together. There is an excellent article on the site about wigs with good advice about how to get them fitted to your face by a hairstylist.
Lea
I have two "good ones" and 3 "oldies", (30 years oldies). I only wear the good ones when in "full Caty mode". One is a good synthetic, the other human hair.
A perusal of my public photos will show my "Style". I aim for the "elegant mature lady" look.
Oh I forgot... I also have the red curly synthetic for "Scarlett O Caty":and blonde "curly piled high" for my 17th Century "Lady Catherine" gown
"Nana" Caty
(yes I'm THAT old!!)
@ryanpaul Thanks Scarlet O'Caty! It sounds like you have found your look. That's what I'm hoping to find in buying a wig. I would love to have a really nice mane of hair that would make me feel like an elegant lady.
Lea
@leainvancouver Old enough to qualify for "seniors discount" on almost anything and lets leave it at that.LOL
The best way to find the right wig is to try several styles and colors on and see how they look. This means going to a wig shop. I currently have two wigs but have had others in the past. The shoos I have used have been great, and have been very helpful in suggesting the right color, style, or length to suit me. They have treated me well and not the least bit of judgment. After the whole process when buying my first wig, the shop owner asked if I wanted to wear it out the door. I wasn't planning to, but after her suggestion decided, why not? She combed it up, got it perfect on my head and out the door I went...it was great.
My wigs were cheap, but fit en look surprisingly good. I did cut them a bit (while I was wearing them), because it was done sloppily. A few can be called be 'unnaturally black', but no less unnatural than real black dyed hair I have seen. I have a pageboy bob, a mushroom wig and long hair with bangs. It depends on my mood which one I choose.
I have at least 10 wigs, most of them are decent quality ones.
I started out by buying cheap halloween wigs. Cheap is not the price point but the quality.
I eventually saved up enough $$$ and bumped up my wig budget to around $200 - $400. All of my wigs are synthethic, real hair wigs are too expensive and out of my budget.
My first decent wig was of good quality, but the style and hair colour was all wrong for my face and skin tone.
So eventually I browsed various wig sites, found possible candidates, and then searched as hard as I could on that particular model like reviews, how it looked like on someone's head, ... before making my decision.
So far, that method has worked well for me.
If you can, going in person is probably your best option. If it isn't feasible, then doing extensive research is something you can try.
@wendyswift What colours and styles are your wigs Sister? When do you wear which? Do you pair them with certain outfits or styles?
@leainvancouver Most of mine are black. I have one blonde and a few brunnettes. Not sure what possessed me to buy the blonde as it really does not match my skin tone. The brunnette ones aren't too bad, but again it kinda clashes with my skin tone. Biggest giveaway is the colour of my eyebrows, because black eyebrow and blonde hair will have me made out as a CDer really quickly.
Most of my styles are modelled after Rachel's hairstyle (from friends). Most are shoulder length, with more body/volume (I believe the wig term is permatease). I bought one that was the right colour, but it is just straight, long, and lacking any volume. That one was a waste of money (as it doesn't go with the shape of my face). It makes me look like a banger of yesteryear and it also makes me look old.
The Rachel ones give me a more youthful look as it is shoulder length, and modelled after the bob cut (which I read works with most if not all face shapes).
I wear my wigs round robin, so each wig in my collection gets a turn. If I started pairing them with certain outfits half of my collection will never see the light of day 
I have grown my hair out. BUT I have a receeding line. I recently saw a utube where you can get a fringe extension wig for a receeding hairline, which looks very interesting.
I bought a set of cheap extensions from a cheap shop and after a few wears threw them out. ($8) they were nasty, lost threads, and tangled easy. But they gave me an idea of how a proper receeding hairline extension would look..
Simply fabulous. So my aim is to eventually get one of them in good quality
I own 5 wigs, 2 Toni Braxton, 3 Gabor. I'm about to add another Gabor to the mix.
My current wig, the one I'm wearing in my av, is a human/synth which I bought 17 years ago at a wig shop in Newcastle. Such a lovely shop, run by a really friendly woman who made me feel at ease very quickly. Sadly that shop is longer there.
The wig has lasted very well, bless her, but she's starting to feel a bit tired, so a new one is on the cards.
Looking at wigs on line I see a huge price range from $50 to over $2000. Some of them say they are “lace”. What does that mean? Maybe someone with more experience with wigs can give the rest of us girls some pointers on what to look for in buying a wig? 🙏❤️
Lea
@leainvancouver I have been wearing wigs for many years and cannot count how many I have owned. I would suggest trying an online wig seller first, primarily because they are less expensive. This way if you decide you don’t like the wig, it’s no big loss. I always felt pressure to buy at a wig salon- and often that was $$$. You can find decent wigs for good prices- they just require more time working with them.
i have spent many hours practicing styles with wigs as cheap as $30. They’re fun to wear around the house…but they wear out more quickly than expensive ones.
Try Paula Young, Vogue Wigs or The Wig Company. You will need a round brush and styling pick to help achieve your look- and don’t get discouraged. I play with a with a wig a lot before finding the right look.
Also, sign up for email alerts and they will send special offers etc. to save even more.
@leainvancouver Lace is part of a wig that needs to be adjusted. You have to cut it with scissors first. You must 'glue' them on or use a lotion to attach. It is for a more realistic hairline.
