Wigs after Fifty, or Sixty-Plus – should I, could I?
Fortunately for us in today’s world, there are no rules about when or if one should wear a wig. It’s a matter of personal choice. Today, in addition to those wanting to wear a wig due to hair loss, are those who wear wigs like any other accessory, whether it be male or female.
Just recently I read an article about “wigs are trending” and how much the over 50 crowd is paying attention. Gone is the shame, and hello options! Celebrity endorsement of wigs, and other “helper hair” has also played a huge role in spiking this trend. Even though a celebrity may not “advertise” for any particular brand, they don’t try to hide the fact that they enjoy wearing their “helper hair” on many occasions. These high-profile women of varying ages show up in every style, length, and color available, and then the social media influencers and millennials across the nation imitate their looks.
Though a lot of women over 50 or 60 and beyond might not care about social media influencers, the fact that they are making wig-wearing more accepted as the “norm” does help. This brings us to those who don’t want to say, “Hey, look at me!” Rather, they want to be looked at and have nothing noticed but how nice they look, and how like themselves they look.
After interviewing a group of seniors, I found their big complaint was that the wig industry, due to the societal push toward pleasing younger women, left them out in the cold when it came to choices, styles, and colors. I think that I convinced them that though it could have been that way in the past, it was no longer true.
Wearing wigs can bring a kind of freedom because one can look fantastic in minutes rather than spending hours in a salon putting your biological hair through all kinds of abuse. Another issue for this age group was that some had not tried today’s wigs. I showed them two of mine and they were amazed. “These are not our mother's wigs,” one lady told me. After spending a bit of time with them talking about how great today’s wigs were in general, I pointed out the many improvements: new color blending techniques, rooting, shading, different kinds of cap construction, and those great lace fronts. They were all eager to get more information.
The most obvious benefit of wig-wearing is that in almost all cases, an older woman (and man too) will look younger immediately with the right wig, style, and color combination. Unless blessed with the same head of hair one had at 30, anyone in their 60s and beyond will look younger in the right wig. And by “right” wig I mean the right length, as well as style and color specifically for you today, not what looks good on some actress, or the younger you. The hairstyle one had at 30 may not work with a 65-year-old face that has lost some roundness or collagen, and whose complexion might now be different as well. We can’t go back in years, but we certainly can make our years today look amazing.
No matter the reason for wig wearing, and whether young or old, we all want to look our best. A tip from a stylist made a good point: the days of having to go shorter because you are maturing are gone. Their advice was to pick out a favorite facial feature and find a style to highlight it. Do you have great eyes, great cheekbones, long neck? Work with those features. You don’t have to do the “old lady length” or color for that matter, just because you might be over 60.
In conclusion, I want to remind everyone as I reminded my senior ladies during our wig interview-education session—you won’t see a “senior wig” section on a wig site because there is no such thing. You can wear any wig you want. But with that said, I find I automatically went for the shorter styles but those that had some flair, not the old “bubblehead” of yesterday. There are so many chic short styles that it was really hard for me to narrow down two that I wanted. But going shorter was a personal preference for me. I don’t like to fuss with my hair or my wigs. I went with the heat-friendly fibers and they just hold up better with the shorter styles (no constant friction of rubbing the ends against your body or clothing). But you might be more talented than I when it comes to styling and might love working with the longer styles. One of my friends loves the longer ones because they give her more styling options, and she doesn’t mind the little extra care involved. That’s the beauty of today’s wigs. There is something for everyone!
I challenge you to visit this site and find one or two that you would like to try and go for it. Know what you want though—do your homework and you’ll avoid disappointment. Do you want a mono top, lace front, etc., and know your size, so measure your head. There is so much information on this site, and on the Facebook, group site to help you every single step along the way in your wig journey. Take a look around and find the one to make you look 10 years younger!
Until next time, embrace your age, whatever that may be.
Vickie Lynn (wearing Muse)
