Wig Studio 1 News
Does Wig Wearing Damage Bio Hair?
(Wig shown above: Anemone Half Wig by WigPro )
These are the considered opinions mostly agreed upon and what my own dermatologist told me.
1. Will constant wig wearing inhibit or permanently damage your bio hair?
Wearing a wig will not inhibit hair growth. The cells that allow hair to grow will still be able to function underneath your skin while wearing a wig. If you are worried about damaging hair that is growing back out underneath your wig, wearing a wig cap can help to protect the hair that is growing in.
2. Will the continued use of adhesives cause my bio hair to break or cause permanent loss? Maybe.
Some people use heavy duty adhesives when applying lace front wigs, and it is not uncommon for hair loss to occur with the repeated use around the hairline. The combination of irritating adhesives and tension on the hairline can cause damage, with receding hairlines occurring as an undesirable—but not uncommon outcome.
3. What can we do to help prevent damage to our bio hair and scalp?
- Massage your scalp. Having a wig sit too tightly on your head can cause the blood flow to your scalp to be reduced.
- Take your wig off before bed. Most doctors and wig experts recommend that you do not sleep in your wig – it can cause tension on your hair and cause breakages, tangling, clumping and other undesirable outcomes.
- Shampoo your hair--regularly. The key to healthy hair (and scalp) is keeping it clean. You don’t want your wig sitting on a dirty, oily scalp. Bad for your wig and your scalp and bio hair.
- Don’t forget your bio hair (see above). It might be that you choose to wear a wig all day, every day. However, we can’t assume that we don’t need to trim our own hair or care for it as well as before the wig wearing days.
- Avoid putting damp hair under a wig. Having damp natural hair under a wig is not only extremely uncomfortable, but can also promote the growth of nasty bacteria.
- Be careful when braiding your bio hair. Braiding can be an easy way to keep your natural hair out of the way under a wig. But be mindful of your technique. (Constant tension/pulling can damage fibers).
- Your bio hair can continue to lose moisture just like before. So, moisturize and condition your bio hair if you notice your hair feeling dry after wearing your wig. To combat bio hair or scalp dryness, try using hair oils, which can penetrate well, or other treatments you might prefer to restore its moisture and good health.
- Give your hair and scalp a break. If you have natural hair under a wig for a long period of time, it can be good to give your natural hair and your scalp a break for a few days from time to time.
In summary:
- Wearing wigs brings its own challenges. While it is tempting to put our bio hair “on hold” and forget it longer than we would have before, that is a mistake.
- Anything we repeatedly do that causes friction will have a result: Including a poor fitting wig, too tight of a wig, bands, and twisting and braiding (if done poorly).
- The constant friction combined with adhesives can take a toll on the hairline. Try different ways of securing your wig so the hairline is not constantly irritated by the adhesive and tension.
In conclusion,
Take care of your bio hair, scalp, and wig…and you will continue to look fabulous!
Until next time,
Vickie Lynn
It’s Summer and is the Wig Cap the Thing or is it the Length?
Well, the cap is one big thing, for sure. Comfort, coolness, all of these things seem to be magnified during the summer. Unless we plan to wear a baseball cap or shave our heads and go natural, we will continue to wear our wigs. So by choice or necessity, we search to find ways to stay cool and comfortable. I have included some things here that might help us understand the cap and the cap construction so that we’ll be better able to make good decisions for our particular situation.
But summer comfort also includes the wig itself, the fibers, the length. Wearing a wig in the summer can pose challenges for many wig wearers. Certain wigs can leave you feeling hot, sweaty, and weighed down. However, there’s no need to sacrifice your wig altogether in the summertime. No!
A shorter wig for hot days would work well, especially if you change your style around daily. There are so many beautiful short wig styles for summer to choose from. I’m sure you have some already in your collection, but I’ll put links to a few of the newer ones at the end of the blog. But don’t think you must wear short wigs all the time, you can do some lovely up-do styles with the longer ones as well. Keeping your wig off your neck is key when it comes to preventing your head from overheating. In addition to opting for an up-do, if you have a longer length wig and your aim is to keep from sweating as much as possible, plaits and braids are the most effective styles to go for.
There are so many helpful YouTube videos from our wonderful ladies who do the reviews and offer helpful advice here and on our Facebook page. Check them out and get inspired! I know that I did.
As for fibers, synthetic versus human—overall, synthetic wigs are the winner during the summer months. Synthetic fibers are lighter than human hair so should keep you cooler. Also, human hair wigs will react to the hot weather in the same way natural hair would; it can lose shape and style or go frizzy with the humidity. Synthetic wigs, however, have ‘style memory’ and will hold their shape even when exposed to the elements.
Now, back to the cap—and cap liners: When it comes to wig construction, I’ve always been a fan of hand-tied wigs. I’ve got several that’s wefted at the back and hand-tied on the crown. I’m certainly finding that the wefted construction helps keep things a bit cooler as it lets the air circulate more. Watch out for fitting even more during the summer. Too tight wigs can restrict the airflow and make you very uncomfortable fast.
Wig caps are one effective method to help reduce sweating when wig wearing. For the summer, in particular, I recommend trying the bamboo caps and/or liners. The material moves sweat to the outer surface of the fabric and dries quicker, helping to avoid excess sweating.
Cap Construction types: Monofilament – more natural-looking and more versatile (top, part, crown options). Lace Front – natural-looking, more style options. Hand-tied – More realistic movement and styling versatility, softer on the scalp (lack of wefts), lighter, cooler. Wefted-open cap – most basic, not as expensive, open construction allows it to be lightweight, breathable. Permatease is a factor for some with these.
Until next time, take a peek at the links…
Vickie Lynn
Below is lace front, mono part and mono cap, both mine, both comfortable.
Please see the links below to help you learn more about caps, and what new short wigs are available right now. I have my eye on two. So many wigs, so little time!
The Scary Questions and Some Good Answers
Though you might find varying versions of these answers, these are the ones mostly agreed upon and what my own dermatologist told me.
- Will constant wig-wearing inhibit or permanently damage your bio hair?
Wearing a wig will not inhibit hair growth. The cells that allow hair to grow will still be able to function underneath your skin while wearing a wig. If you're worried about damaging hair that is growing back out underneath your wig, wearing a wig cap can help to protect the hair that is growing in.
- Will the continued use of adhesives cause my bio hair to break or cause permanent loss?
Some people do use heavy-duty adhesives when applying lace front wigs, and it is not uncommon for hair loss to occur with the repeated use around the hairline. The combination of irritating adhesives and tension on the hairline can cause damage, with receding hairlines occurring as an undesirable—but not an uncommon outcome.
What can we do to help prevent damage to our bio hair, and scalp?:
- Massage your scalp. Having a wig sit too tightly on your head can cause the blood flow to your scalp to be reduced.
- Take your wig off before bed. Most doctors and wig experts recommend that you do not sleep in your wig – it can cause tension on your hair and cause breakages, tangling, clumping, and other undesirable outcomes.
- Shampoo your hair--regularly. The key to healthy hair (and scalp) is keeping it clean. You don’t want your wig sitting on a dirty, oily scalp. Bad for your wig and your scalp and bio hair.
- Keep on top of trimming bio hair. It might be that you choose to wear a wig all day every day. That’s fine but don’t assume that you don’t need to trim your own hair or care for it as well as you did before your wig-wearing days. Don’t forget about your bio hair.
- Avoid putting damp hair under a wig. Having damp natural hair under a wig is not only extremely uncomfortable but can also promote the growth of nasty bacteria.
- Be careful when braiding your bio hair. Braiding can be seen as an easy way to keep your natural hair out of the way under a wig. But be mindful of your technique.
- Your bio hair can continue to lose moisture just like before. So moisturize and condition your bio hair if you notice your hair feeling dry after wearing your wig. To combat any bio hair and/or scalp dryness, try using hair oils, which can penetrate well, or other treatments you might prefer to restore its moisture and good health.
- Give your hair and scalp a break. If you have natural hair under a wig for a long period of time, it can be good to give your natural hair and your scalp a break for a few days from time to time.
In summary:
- Wearing wigs brings its own particular challenges. While it is tempting to put our bio hair “on hold” and forget it longer than we would have before, that is a mistake.
- Anything we do over and over again that causes friction will have a result. This includes a poor-fitting wig, too tight wigs, and bands, and twisting and braiding (if done poorly).
- The constant friction combined with adhesives can take a toll on the hairline. Try different ways of securing your wig so that the hairline is not constantly irritated by the adhesive and tension.
In conclusion, my view is that while there are challenges in wig wearing like there are in a lot of things we have to tackle, once we get past the learning curve, it’s more fun than fear.
Take care of your bio hair, scalp, and your wig…
Until next time,
Vickie Lynn
