Wig Studio 1 News

Fear, uncertainty, anxiety? Yes, I had those feelings when I got my first wig. I asked all the questions that most people ask: Will it look real; what do I tell people; do I tell people; what if someone asks; how do I keep it on my head; what if it’s a very windy day—and on and on until we work a nice case of “nerves” and doubt.

Fortunately, there is help waiting in the wings. We just have to learn how to access it. This blog is meant to be one of those things that can help. This entire site is meant to do that as well. There are some remarkably knowledgeable women here to help you. There is not much about wigs that they don’t know. From caps to fibers, styling, and color, they have you covered. You have only to ask and take advantage of their helpful videos.

With help in mind, I recently did another quick poll on our Facebook page and asked a few questions there.

The first question that I asked was: How long did it take you to feel comfortable in a wig. In summary, they had some of the same experiences, but some took longer to acclimate to wig-wearing than others. Some had more fear about the process than others. Most took months to a year or more to feel truly comfortable in a wig. And by that, I don’t just mean physical comfort, which is important, but I mean psychological comfort. When you arrive at the point that you go all day without thinking much about your wig. When you can look in the mirror and just see yourself and don’t automatically zero in on your insecurities: does it look wiggy, is it straight, is it still too shiny…and you know the ones. The big take-away = BE PATIENT.

The second question: If you had to give a new wig wearer one piece of advice, what would that be. A summary/combo answer was: All women (and men for that matter) of all colors and ages can be empowered to wear wigs. The advice I heard repeated was to start with something close to your own bio hair, style, and color. Don’t expect it to look like your bio hair because you will think there is too much wig hair. That’s because you slowly (in most cases) got used to your thinning bio hair over time. So, anything much thicker will look “too thick” but it is likely not. You’re going to wonder if people are staring at you—they’re not. People are way more interested in their own hair, lives, thoughts (my comment).

The third question: Do you change styles and colors often, and if so, why? As you might expect, this question had the most variety. Some like seasonal changes, some go with their mood or event, and some like to stick with the same general style and color family that they feel suits them best. (These are women who know the difference in what they like versus what looks best on them, and that comes with experience.) For example, I “like” the long flowing lovely blonde wigs, but they look ridiculous on me for my face shape, age, and coloring. After several years of trying different looks, I have settled on my length range and the two colors that suit me best. I am now a happy and confident wig buyer!

The fourth and last question was just a fun one: Do you have a style and/or color that you like above all else. And most do, and again, that’s from experience. I hope this gives you something to think about along your journey. There is a lot to learn. From cap construction, fiber, care, styles, colors, and how to secure your wig. The beginning can be overwhelming and Wig Studio 1 is here to help. Our Facebook group is beyond offers advice, pictures, detailed instructions, and all kinds of different information from people who have gone on this journey before—join us there!

Advice from the pros: check out the wonderful videos offered by the Wig Studio 1 team who do such an unbelievable job, not only showcasing the wigs but educating us about how to make them work better for you.

To paraphrase Eileen and Marlene: Get in there with your hands and massage those roots, loose those fibers, and give that wig a good shake every time before you put it on! They have a bounty of good information to share with you, and I hope you take advantage of it. I only wish I had the benefit of their knowledge and a site like this one to help me when I started on my adventure.

Until next time,
Vickie Lynn

Think fall weather and fall wigs—and the holidays are coming!
(can you tell I am doing my part to try to push October in faster?)

Before I got into wigs, literally and figuratively, I never gave much thought to the size of my head. After all, a head is a head, I thought. How wrong I was. No two heads are exactly the same. That would be a rare find. Though specific measurements might match, back, across, around, etc., you do not measure crown to chin, across the cheekbones, or pay much attention to the forehead. You might think, what does a face have to do with wigs? I thought this was going to be about wig caps.

It is not only about wig caps, but about your entire head—and of course, that includes your face. So, when you get a wig home, and it does not resemble the look you saw online or in a magazine, and you wonder why—I can tell you. It might be because your head and face structure/shape is nothing like the model’s face. No, I don’t mean looks—is she younger, prettier, not as pretty as you, etc.? I mean the actual face.

And now the hard questions. The ones you need to think through to be happy with your wigs. And that is the name of the game. You want your wig to be part of you, to reflect you, work with your look, not alter your look poorly. As you think of the wigs you own, what didn’t work, what did, you will likely have figured some things out already. If you are consistently unhappy with your wig choices, I have come up with some questions that might help you.

• Are you wearing a wig that flatters your face shape? 
• Do you have a longer or shorter than average neck? If so, the wig will fall differently on you and will be longer or shorter on you than maybe you expected if you based your choice entirely on the model. 
• Are you picking a wig strictly for the color and style without reflecting on how it will enhance your looks? 
• Will a lot of hair on the sides make your wider face look winder than you like? 
• If you have a longer, thinner face, will that long straight style pull your face down more? 
• Do you work at an office all day, and will those curls on that longer style end up a bunched-up mess from rubbing against your collar for 8-9 hours? 
• Does that short style that looked so cute on the model make you look “all face” because your face is bigger and your features are not as petite as the model? 
• Will too much hair on top overwhelm your petite stature and face and make you look like Barbie? 

One thing that also helped me was to try on different styles, lengths, and colors in a wig boutique to get a better idea of what worked. Then armed with that knowledge, I knew I could order wigs from good companies like Wig Studio 1 and feel confident that I was getting the right ones for me and at a better price! I know that not everyone lives near a wig boutique and, there will be more trial and error and maybe a few returns before you work it out. 

The other error we often make is trying to go back in time to the style and color you had when “I had good hair” and while that may work now, it may not. We age, lose collagen in our faces, our complexion changes, and what looked good on us ten years ago, may not work so well now. Also, hairstyles change. I saw a picture of myself from my college days and gasped. Geez, did I ever have big hair! I would look ridiculous in that style today. So, don’t go back in time, create the “you” for today. 

With all that said, head measurements do, of course, play an important role. There are some great videos about how to measure your head, and that should be your first base—know if you are truly average, and if you are in-between, learn how to alter the cap to suit you better, and there are videos on that as well. 

Don’t settle for just okay in style or comfort. You deserve better. You deserve to love your wig and love your look. It can be done!

Until next time, Happy September, and I’ll soon be looking at the fall styles, how about you?

Vickie Lynn 

*with thanks to In Touch Salon Spa who published the information on face shapes that helped confirm my research.

Hello Everyone!

September is a beautiful month! And we want to celebrate you with a Free 2.0 oz Smooth Detangler by BeautiMark!

Purchase any of the select Heat Friendly Wigs below by Ellen Wille and receive a complimentary 2.0 oz Smooth Detangler with your purchase during the month of September.

Tabu   Drive   Link   Cher   Cloud   Cri   Eclat

 Wig Studio 1 offers Free Virtual Consultations! Email us at support@wigstudio1.com to schedule your consultation today!

Enjoy a beautiful month ahead! Stay cool in this hot weather and remember to celebrate your accomplishments, big and small. You are enough. :) 

Hugs,

Andrea

Hello All,

I'm so excited to announce the newest 10" and 16" Hat Magic by Jon Renau! And I'm SUPER excited to announce this awesome Give-A-Way! 

Since release, through September 15th, 2021 for those of you that place an order at www.WigStudio1.com for Hat Magic in either length, you will be entered to win the following:

• 1 Hat Magic by Jon Renau (length and color of your choice)
• 1 Softie by Jon Renau (color of your choice)
• 1 Travel Size Synthetic Hair Care Kit by Jon Renau 

The Hat Magic by Jon Renau brings convenience and flexibility to any look, and is the ultimate solution to wearing alternative hair on the go.

Hat Magic is synthetic hair worn over the head with adjustable elasticated straps to fit multiple head sizes. With its light and soft materials, it keeps the head cool and comfortable especially in warmer months. Hat Magic features silicone at the temples for anti-slip grip and polyurethane tabs at the back of the crown and nape area for added security.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@wigstudio1.com. We are happy to help! 

Good luck to all of you! I hope you love the Hat Magic as much as I do! 

 All the best, 

Andrea 

Take a look at Marlene's review of Hat Magic below to get a closer look! 

Hello Everyone! It's that time again! Can you believe another month has gone by so quickly!?!

I'm so excited to announce that our Employee of the Month for August 2021 is Abbigail Lopez! This is her 2nd time being awarded Employee of the Month in the same year! She is doing such a fabulous job! 

For those of you that don't know Abbigail, she is a Personal Hair Consultant here at Wig Studio 1. She began her journey with Wig Studio 1 in October 2020. She is a wonderful team player and an excellent PHC!

Our company is growing, and during the month of August, Abbigail took additional time to assist in training our new Personal Hair Consultants to ensure they were educated, comfortable and confident in assisting our valuable customers in their new position.

Abbigail is super friendly, and she always goes the extra mile for her customers. She is compassionate, helpful and very thorough when assisting customers.

Abbigail is married to Elijah (who also is part of our team here at WS1!), and they have two children.

Thank you Abbigail for your efforts and help! Congratulations!!!!

Keep up the awesome work!! We are lucky to have you on our team!

September, here you are already!! I look forward to a fun and exciting month with new releases, give-a-ways and LIVES in our closed Facebook Group!

Wishing you all a great month ahead!! 

Andrea

xoxo

Recently, I wrote about the challenges of learning about wigs when one is a senior and hasn't needed a wig before. A lot of women in their sixties and beyond are now looking at wigs as an option who may have not looked at them before. There is more than one reason for this. Women live longer in general and they have products at their disposal to help them look younger longer. We live in the time of Botox, fillers, microcurrent technology to firm up the muscles under the facial skin, and a host of skincare products that can help us look our best. But when it comes to hair—well, it is what it is, and some women are not so happy about that. Their thinning hair makes them look older and is no match for their face and body. What to do? 

It was these women that I talked with recently. Their concerns were much the same as a wig wearer of any age. Will the wig look “real” and how do in decided on a cap construction, color, style, and what about wig care? They did have one concern that was different from younger women—length, and the out-of-date thinking that senior women should never wear long hair. As we have all learned by now, it’s all about the wig style, color, one’s face shape, and really—one’s attitude. 

When I think about attitude and how that matters, I think of women I know who are always just comfortable in any situation, can talk to anyone about anything, and who have their style. They don’t second guess their choices, or at least they don’t’ seem to dwell on them. They just wear things, including hairstyles, colors, and wigs that just feel right for them. This has been the biggest hurdle in my discussions with senior women. They are of the generation, especially in certain parts of the country, where they do pay more attention to “what their peers might think” and I don’t see that changing. That may be their comfort zone, so that’s fine. When I talked with them about what was holding them back from hitting that “buy” button there were just a few things they were trying to resolve since our last meeting where I did an actual wig presentation using my wigs, answering questions. These questions may resonate with you too—they are not just senior concerns. The top ten questions that came up over and over:

1. Can I make a big color change from my bio hair—and if I do, how do I prepare my friends and family for it?
2. I don’t want to deal with long wigs because of the care involved, how do the mid-lengths hold up compared with the shorter wigs?
3. Should I buy two of the same wig and rotate or wait until one is wearing out before I get another?
4. If I don’t want to tell people I’m wearing a wig, how do I make it look more real?
5. How do I decide what securing method to use?
6. Do I have to wear a wig cap?
7. Do I have to shave my head?
8. Can I sleep in my wig?
9. If I want to go lighter should I do it gradually if I don’t want people to notice and think it’s a wig?
10. Should I have a backup wig, asleep wig, a swimming wig, etc.?

I did address all of these questions with the group. I have had some of these questions and I am sure you did (or do) too. Some senior women, depending on the age range, are very media savvy, and some are less so. There is a gap in resources and knowledge in the group that I was dealing with, and that was an eye-opener for me. Some knew how to search for answers and some had no idea. In the end, I decided to make it a personal mission to work with this group on my own to try to help them overcome their fears and hesitations about jumping into the wig world. There is no reason that they can’t wear wigs successfully and feel good about it. If you are a senior woman or if you know a senior woman who is thinking about wig-wearing but is put off by the lack of information or support please encourage them to go to the WigStudio-1 Facebook page or the help desk at WigStudio-1. No one should have to do the wig journey alone. 

Along with the shorter wigs that a lot of them like are many of the mid-length ones. These were the most popular in the group, and I hope some are ready to hit the buy button. 

https://www.wigstudio1.com/collections/gabor-wigs

Until next week, just get out there and be your version of a beautiful you!

Vickie Lynn

We all know the usual things that can cause people to look twice and think someone is wearing a wig: too much shine, odd colors, cheap wigs that are more like a hat, too coarse fibers that don’t move. And the list goes on. 

In my years of dealing with wigs and wig wearers I have noticed that there are three groups of wig wearers (in general): 

1. Those who wear wigs for fun and fashion. They usually don’t care if someone knows they wear a wig. 
2. Those who are terrified of wigs and don’t want anyone to know they wear one (it takes them forever to wear one out of the house. And why—because they don’t pick the right one (mostly due to lack of information) and now they are not happy with how they look in the wig they bought. 
3. (and this is a unique one) A wig wearer who thinks more hair is better (that’s not necessarily so), and those who are so afraid of more hair/big hair that they won’t try anything that’s not low density. 

Whatever category you fall into, or somewhere in between, there are challenges to all of us in our wig journey and for different reasons. We are individuals with individual likes, needs, and there is no “one size fits all” answer on the wig journey.

It is often difficult to “see” ourselves as we are, or as others see us. We often have a picture of ourselves in our minds that may not have a lot to do with reality. Are we trying to look like we did ten or twenty years ago when we had all of our bio hair? Trying to mimic that is often the first and biggest mistake that wig wearers make. They forget that if they had kept their hair and it had aged with them, that it would look different today, and not as it did ten or twenty years ago.

When I asked NON-wig wearers if they could generally spot a wig, and if so, what was the giveaway, here are their top ten answers: 

1. Too much hair.
2. Too much shine.
3. Flat or unrealistic color.
4. Too much hair on top.
5. Hair that didn’t fit the person’s age (in days gone by, it was elderly women who were more likely to wear wigs, and they were mostly short). I think this contributed to the idea that older women should only wear short styles. As I have written about before, this is not always the case. There is NO rule about age. It’s about how one looks in a style and color—how one feels. 
6. Weird hairstyles (not sure what they had in mind).
7. No visible part in the hair or the part was wig-related.
8. The hairline was not real.
9. The hair was too perfect, like a sprayed-on helmet.
10. The weird hairs sticking up on top of the ends of the hair looking clumpy.

As a wig wearer, I fight against all these things, as I know so many of you do. Most of us have learned or will learn which brands and styles work best for us so that we can defeat all of these “it’s a wig” markers. I think I’ve found my styles, brands, and colors, and hope you have found yours. In the end, it’s about what makes us feel good about ourselves. If I can go all day and never think about my hair/wig, it’s a good day. If I am uncomfortable, worried about my wig, unsure how realistic it looks, then it takes away from my day and can alter my mood. Therefore, I do all that I can to make sure that doesn’t happen. 

It’s a process, and none of us will become or has become wig experts overnight. So, be kind to yourself on this journey, and know that we are more than our hair.

Until next time, I’m wishing for autumn, and loving my new wig, “Ready for Takeoff”

Vickie Lynn 

https://www.wigstudio1.com/search?q=ready+for+takeoff

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) 

It’s one of life’s ironies (and challenges) that we must keep re-inventing ourselves as things change in our life. Whether it be the many changes we go through to reach adulthood or now, as adults, the changes we must accept and deal with, whether it be by choice or circumstance.
We all have our milestones—graduation, dating, marriage, children, empty nest, and many others that are different or in-between all these. All along the way, we must put our best face forward as the saying goes. We play our part, and we must be the star in our current role no matter what it is. We may be a daughter, son, sibling, friend, employee, partner, wife, husband, but no matter what the title, there is a “real you” underneath that face we put on for every role that we play.
It’s not that we are phony, but we do wear a mask much of our life. We put on one for each of our roles. We’re not exactly the same when we are with our mother as when we are with our best friend or co-workers—you get the idea. But what does this have to do with wigs you may be asking? When one loses their hair, especially a woman, it can bring about a real identity crisis. Hair loss can come on sudden, or take years, or it can come as a result of medical treatment, but whatever way it comes, it is disruptive to our life and our identity. For years we may have been that person with long brown hair, short blonde hair, curly hair, and so on. But now what are we—the person with no hair, or almost no hair? And what does that mean? How do we re-invent ourselves when this happens? We need to remember: We are still the same person as always—just without our old hair.
There’s no getting around the fact that when we lose our hair we lose a part of ourselves—what has always been there may now be no more. It’s a shock, and our self-image is disrupted, and that can affect our lives in many ways. As strong as we may be, as efficient, capable, loved, loving, nice, kind—it doesn’t matter. A loss is a loss and must be dealt with, and often with very little help from others. It’s often the case that others don’t know how to help, or maybe we keep our situation a secret. Regardless, we must deal with sorrow, pain, fear, anger, shame, the best way that we can. For a woman, hair loss means that we are losing one of the things that help identify us as such. Our hair looks different from men’s hair, mostly. We need to remember: We are still the same person as always—just with different hair!
I’m glad I’m living in this time in history (when it comes to wigs anyway) because I know that I can walk down the street, go to any event, meet strangers and friends, and no one will know that I am wearing a wig unless I tell them. Wigs are just that good today. All kinds of people get all kinds of help every day to replace all kinds of losses. Whether it be hair, teeth, limbs, and even organs, we are living in a time where we have options so that we can still be who we thought we were with some help and adjustments. We need to remember: We are still the same person as always—just with lots of different hair to pick from now!
My hope for you is that you never forget who you are as you face your challenges, whether it be hair loss or other types of losses. We will all have them. No one gets out of this life without scars my grandmother used to say. She also said to wear them as a badge of honor because it shows how strong we are. That’s not to say we won’t have some dark moments and look in the mirror and get so angry that we don’t have the hair we had at twenty-five, and we wonder for the millionth time, “why me”?
When I am tempted to say, “why me,” I think of my grandmother who lost her husband before she was forty and was left with six children to raise during the depression. When I was growing up it was all just something in the history books to me. I didn’t connect it to her because I never once heard her complain about it, not even about losing their ranch in Texas. Nor did I hear her complain about the food and materials rationing during the war or hear about her fear when she watched two of her three sons, still teenagers, go off to that war. I never once heard my uncle complain about losing one of his legs. My grandmother never forgot who she was, nor did my uncle. They both got on with their lives. They are my inspiration when times get hard.
I don’t know if I could have endured what my grandmother did without complaining but knowing about it helps me keep things in perspective. In the end, no matter what we have to face, we find our way. We know that though we do play many roles in life if we remember who we are, that will keep us going.

Until next week,
Vickie Lynn saying,

Be proud of who you are, just like these English swans in a lake near London, this past winter. The bad weather doesn’t stop them from being what they are and from doing what they are meant to do. (Picture from my cousin who lives in London and never fails to walk no matter the weather).

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for taking a moment to read this announcement. I’d like to congratulate Terri Yeley (TAZ) for being selected as our Employee of the Month for July 2021.  

For those of you not familiar with Taz, she joined our team in the summer of 2019. She began working on our YouTube Channel, uploading content creation from our regular Wig Reviewers, along with her own content to the Wig Studio 1 YouTube Channel. She took on the role of determining what styles and colors needed exposure on our channel to help those in the hair loss community as much as possible, and she ensured those styles got into the hands of creative, inspiring and caring individuals that would provide the most extensive and educational review of each style and color.

Taz helped develop our Guest Reviewer Program here at Wig Studio 1, allowing our YouTube Channel to reflect something very special; showcasing many differing face shapes, skin tones and personalities. The Wig Studio 1 YouTube Channel has grown approximately 4000% since Taz accepted the challenge to oversee, monitor and promote the growth of the channel just 3 years ago. This allows us to reach so many men and women needing education, guidance  and support through their hair loss journey. 

This growth demonstrates Taz's incredible dedication, effort and talent. Taz has helped build a creative and educational team of ambassadors dedicated to the education, assistance and support of those struggling with hair loss.

Thank you Taz and thank you to ALL of our ambassadors / reviewers. I’m very lucky to know each of you and appreciate your dedication to WigStudio1.com and the hair loss community as a whole.

On a personal level, Taz is one of the kindest, sweetest, laser-focused, creative and peaceful people that I know. She is funny and so thoughtful. I’m so grateful to have her on our team and as a personal friend. Please join me in congratulating Taz!!

July was a hot one! May August bring you cooler weather, or at least a place to cool off, and some fun with your families!

Wishing you all a great month ahead!

Sincerely,

 Andrea

Though I blogged about this a while back, it has come up again in recent Facebook posts and elsewhere. So, I wanted to re-visit this topic. How much do you tell others about your decision to wear wigs? This is a decision everyone must make on their own. No one answer fits everyone’s situation.

My friend once said to me, “it’s a mind field of judgment out there” but that can’t be your concern. There is nothing we can do to stop someone from rendering judgment about anything we wear, eat, drive, or do. Humans will be humans. With this in mind, you must decide early on how you will incorporate wig-wearing into your life. Will you just tell your family and close friends? How will you handle telling (or not telling) work colleagues? Again, only you know the best way because only you know your level of confidence, and the dynamics of your relationships, both personal and professional.

Yes, but what about romance? That is a question that I see a lot. How and when or if—you should bring this up. This is tricky because trust places a big role here. I’d certainly not make it a conversation on a first or even second date. After all, if this is someone that you don’t know well, and may not see again, why put yourself through that stress? Now, the tricky part. If you do progress to a more serious relationship, an intimate relationship, then what—how do you prepare your partner ahead of time, or do you have to do that? Unfortunately, there are no rules about this and it comes back to you, your trust level with the other person, and the confidence that you are more than your hair.

If you do get to that point and are still not ready to have the wig discussion, there is one thing my friend recommended that worked for her and allowed her time to ease her way into having the conversation. When they got to the time when she knew their relationship had progressed to the next phase, intimacy, yet she was still not ready to have the wig talk, she told her partner that she had hair extensions in and to keep his hands out of her hair. Plain and simple, and that is what happened. She offered no other explanation until she was ready to, and that was months down the road when she was sure their relationship was one she wanted to cultivate. By then she knew what to expect from him in the way of a reaction, so she took the risk. It worked out for her, but I also know someone who took the risk and never heard from the guy again. But she realized that if she was dealing with someone that shallow, then him walking away was a good thing for her. Why waste your time on someone who judges others solely by their appearance.

If you are like friend number one and you want to take some time, then there are things that you can do to help. You can do as she did or you can just say up front that you are wearing a wig so please don’t mess with it and offer no further information. However, saying that will in all likelihood bring questions, so make sure you are ready to answer them. If you are in the early dating stages there are, of course, ways to secure your wig to keep it looking natural until you do get to a more serious point in your relationship.

What about your work colleagues? That can be handled any way you think best. Depending on the change in your look, you may have someone confront you about it. Only you know your work situation. If it’s just going to a lower density wig from your thinning hair, then you might not need to say anything. I worked with a woman who decided her thinning hair was becoming a confidence breaker so she got a log density wig that matched her bio hair color and length, and just wore it into work—and got compliments on her new haircut. And I take this opportunity to remind you of something that you already know—people are much too concerned about their looks and life to dwell too much on others. We are our own worse critics and this is a hard truth.

If you love wigs and want to wear different styles, and colors regularly to work, then you’ll just have to go for it and tell everyone what you’re doing. In a week or so, it will no longer be a topic. This is the jumping into the fire with both feet approach. Some people can handle it, some rather not make this attempt. Only you can decide.

I hate to end on a negative note but you will run into those, be they family, friends, or co-workers who will have something to say. There are people who seem to see their mission in life is to offer their opinion on everything, whether they know anything about the topic or not. In the case of wigs, I’ve found that it those who know nothing about them who feel they must their critique. Be ready for them. They will ask dumb questions, comment on the color and/or style, ask you the cost, and in general, make you uncomfortable if you let them. I have found a few well-chosen sentences can usually shut them down. Here are some retorts that I’ve heard used over the years by seasoned wig wearers.

“Why yes, it is a wig. Do you have wig or hair styling experience?”
“If you’re interested I can send you some information.”
“Costs vary. I can point you to a few good websites if need more information.”
“People wear wigs for all sorts of reasons. You must feel lucky that you don’t have to.”
“I like being a blonde, but hold on, I could show up as a redhead tomorrow.”

I could go on, but you get the idea. You really DO NOT owe anyone any explanation. How much you decide to “show and tell” is your decision. Don’t let someone force you into it before you’re ready.

Until next time,
Pull out that little bit of the magical witch in you and stand tall.

Vickie Lynn