Tackling Permatease and Maybe a Wig Summer Project
Wig Shown Above: Pixie Lite by TressAllure in color 14/26/R10
Actually, there is no all bad or all good when it comes to wigs. There is instead, a lot of options depending on what works for us. For example, permatease can help maintain wig styles and shapes, cover caps and wefting, and provide air flow to help keep us cooler in the summer months. For many, the lower cost of a more basic wig like the ones with the most permatease, is an attractive pro as well.
As always, there is a tradeoff, and wigs with more permatease are no exception. One of the biggest complaints most seem to find in dealing with wigs with more permatease is the many short fibers that refuse to be tamed. They can be, but if often takes a lot of work and a lot of product. In my early wig wearing days, I thought some basic wig styles looked too “wiggy” due to the permatease volume, and close up they looked matted. The lack of a define part only added to the wiggy look.
I believe manufacturers today do a better job, and some have made adjustments in the permatease volume they choose to include on their styles.
There is some good news buried among the challenges. If you are blessed with hair styling talent, enjoy working with wigs, and appreciate a challenge, you may find that with a bit of practice, you can work your magic, and end up with several basic wig cap styles for the price of one with all the “bells-and-whistles” –-a good thing!
The more wigs you experience, the more you get involved in styling, learn about fibers, and cap construction, the better decisions you will make about the wigs you choose.
Unless your wig is 100% hand-tied, you might be dealing with some level of permatease, however minor.
Something I would not try, but have seen it done with fabulous results, wig-thinning. Wigs with permatease are not the only wig with too much volume. For some reason, wig manufacturers seem to have a fondness for adding too much volume right on top at the crown, between hairline and center of crown. Skilled hands can fix this and improve the look of the wig dramatically. I don’t have skilled hands so I would rely on stylist for this level of skills.
This brings us to the final area that would need skilled hands—changing the entire wig’s style. Of course, I wouldn’t advise tacking this with a wig full of permatease, but if you can envision a wig with long hair becoming a mid-length or shorter and you are good at styling—this can be a fun project and you come away with a “new” wig.
Happy summer to all of you with those skilled hands out there!
