My First Wig

[Petra]

Hi Paula , if you have time I would suggest you get hold of Tanya at The Breastform store in Swansea , not to far from you , I got my last wig from them they are very helpful and experenced and I’m sure you will leave very happy and looking fab , they have a great range as well .
They have serviced our community for a long time and are wonderful people.

[Deleted User]

Hi Paula
As Petra said, BFS is a good starting point for a basic wig to start out. A couple of tips from me, buy something that is no more than shoulder length first time for you will find you have to get used to all your lovely new hair. Also buy a wig brush as well as wig shampoo and wig conditioner, regular brushes, shampoos and conditioners will quickly deteriorate synthetic wigs. Another alternate to try whilst your working out what you want in wigs is, buy a cheap costume wig from somewhere like Big-W, Spotlight or Shindigs, they are relatively cheap and will provide you with something to wear straight away. The other thing to remember a good wig is an investment in yourself and needs looking after, including professional servicing by a wig fitter stylist.
Rosemary

[Martina]

Most Australians seem to prefer to go to a consultant to try on a range of wigs and get advice. I have never done that myself, but I know people who have with varying results. At the worst, they end up with something that disappoints and costs the earth. Just remember, you can always say NO.

As a first step, and this will cost nothing, have a look through a website called http://www.voguewigs.com which stocks a vast variety (at last count 2688) of both synthetic and human hair wigs from just about every manufacturer on the planet. Prices start at US$ 21.25 and go up to the stratosphere. It’s worth buying one or two cheap ones so you can learn what you do and, more importantly, don’t want from a wig.

In my early days, I spent a fortune on synthetic wigs but found they never worked for me, even the more expensive ones; they always looked, well, wiggy. So I moved to human hair wigs which require more maintenance and a user-friendly hairdresser (I have one on NSW Central Coast where I sometimes live) and believe they look and feel more natural. Of course, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa, so I encourage you to experiment and explore carefully. (Human hair wigs start at less that US$30 but don’t expect high quality.)

Now put your pith helmet on and go exploring. Good luck with that!

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone for your great advice along the way. It’s been a few months and I’ll share my adventure.

I was loaned a wig that wasn’t too bad. Fair quality and it looked alright. I went to the Individual Wig to get a better one. Great quality synthetic and, after living with it for a few months, decided it doesn’t really suit me. Shame about the sales advice and price.

A little more of a look around and I found some notes about best wigs for each face shape. This is a good example. https://www.headcovers.com/resources/wigs/hairstyle-guide/
Yep, the wig that I bought had most things wrong for my face shape. Another visit to the shop and finally found one that suits, great colour (some grey hints) and good shape.

I’m now a little wig-shy so I’ve ordered a cheapy from Wish and will live with it for a while. Then I can decide about making a quality investment.

Paula

[Martina]

Your story is fairly typical, Paula. Unfortunately, wigs involve a long and often expensive learning curve. I know it took me several years and a lot of money before I found what worked for me, but now I have three excellent wigs and unless one of them falls apart, I don’t anticipate buying any more. Be brave and be careful but never stop until you find what you want. There is a wig for you out there somewhere; you just have to find it.

By the way,my three wigs are human hair and they have all been cut and styled to suit my face. None of them were much good in their original form.

I wish you luck with your quest.