WIGS
A wig is a hair unit that has been put together from another individual’s real hair or synthetic fibers to ensure that someone can cover up their own hair if they want to change their look rapidly or if you want to cover your head if suffering from alopecia or a cancer patient.
WHAT DO I THINK
Wigs are amazing especially nowadays. I think they have come a long way from the horse hair days and also from the way they used to be difficult to source. When I was a lot younger, I remember not many people used to wear wigs and the ones that did,had a lot of money to have them or were a lot older than I was.
When I moved to Australia, my hair was relaxed, therefore I still found ways to maintain it, however I would never put a wig on. I really loved having my hair in braids and since I had a few friends that helped me with it at that time, I was never quite stressed about my hair.
Wearing a wig took a lot of time and I think for me, I actually gained one after I had my son. It was just a convenient way to keep my hair and at that time right after the pregnancy, let’s just say it started getting really dry and brittle and did not look healthy at all. This could have been due to various reasons, such as stress, my diet and many other factors to do with breast feeding, and I just ended up cutting it multiple times. I was also not diligent in making sure that I treat it so that probably explains why it was in such a state.
The wig itself was synthetic and I loved it because it had a natural part that no-one knew it was fake. It was also short. It’s only a few weeks later after it had been through a lot of combing, it lost it’s lusture. I was still not convinced that I should use it often and started looking after my hair seriously.
Nowadays with the newer technology, wigs have become so realistic and I think they will only get better from here. I like them and I think everyone has a right to their style.
DEEPER ISSUES
The main aim of forming this blog was to help women with afro’s maintain it and I am sure someone would wonder why I am writing about wigs and the connection to afro hair. However it’s not uncommon for many women nowadays to rock a wig once in a while, but let’s take a thought to the way things used to be and potentially are for some individuals as well. Through colonization and the interaction of Europeans with Africans, many things were impacted, language, culture and looks as well. I am sure when they first came in contact, most people on the continent had only seen afro hair and therefore there was knowledge on how to look after it and maintain it.
After the first encounter though, things happened and since that time Afro hair has never been viewed the same for an extremely long time. It’s just in recent years when people started appreciating and loving themselves for who they are, but it will take a long time and change of mindset for people to appreciate themselves. Additionally with lost knowledge there’s really not much information that can be given to help with the change.
HUMAN HAIR
The other issue I have seen come up a few times is the sourcing of human hair. Is it sourced ethically? these are just some things that people think about sometimes. Therefore getting a wig is not as simple as it sounds, there are lots of things to consider. I won’t get into this because I think everyone is impacted in various ways.
SELF LOVE
There is an argument as well that individuals that wear wigs, do they really love themselves or their hair as well? I just think this is so personal because before individuals are judged for what they are doing, communicate with them. You never know if someone is unwell and therefore need the wig to help them feel better. There are those that just want one and by all means they have a right to have it. Therefore the wig debate brings up so many emotions and feelings.
Wigs will always be a part of the 21st century and it has transformed the lives of many people especially those that are going through illness. It has also become a part of entertainment and many people will continue to use it continuously. I really think that if you can manage a wig, make sure if you have your own hair underneath to take care of it as well.
It can definitely be used as a protective style and it promotes hair growth a lot. The benefit with having a wig is the fact that you can keep your hair moisturized and you don’t have to worry about your hair breathing. It is a great way to change a style without risking hair breakage and I think that the future of hair may be wigs.
CONCLUSION
Every individual has a right to the type of styling they like and if someone wants to rock a wig everyday it is their choice.
10 replies on “Wigs as a protective style; Do you like the look?”
Hi Keri! I enjoyed your article and the truth that you never know what other people are going through in their lives. And you’re right…we are in a new era of self-love and freedom. People can take their judginess and shove it! Even though I don’t have very course hair, I have been interested in wigs recently just to change it up. I’ve been looking at the lace front wigs and boy they are not cheap! I look forward to what you will be offering through this article in the future 🙂
Thanks!
I didn’t know much about the wigs. This post is detailed and well-written. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think wearing wigs is good for cancer patients and for fashion trend. I seldom put on wigs as I live in tropical countries. It’s too humid. I think some wigs look really realistic and it’s good to change styles at times.
Hi Ty, thank you for your response, yes wigs are absolutely great for cancer patients and also for fashion trend. I think that wigs nowadays have been made absolutely well that they tend to look realistic.
Many family members have worn wigs for their time in cancer recovery. I have a couple of friends that wear them to cover their bald heads. They do look just like their regular hair.
My cousin’s hair did not come back after here treatments and she wears one when she goes out, she states it is too warm for around the house doing housework.
Do they make any that have better ventilation to keep from getting too hot?
John
Hi John, Thank you for your question. The technology of wigs has changed and nowadays there are front-lace wigs, that provide plenty of ventilation. They do cost quite a bit of money, however there are cheaper versions that do the same thing. If your family members were to look for these types of wigs it would probably make a difference for them.
I would never have thought about a wig other than if I was bald, so very enlightening. My friend has a couple of wigs, propped on head mannequins and it is something we have never discussed, but now when I visit it will our next topic of conversation…
I may need to go wig shopping 🙂
Cheers
Jo
Hi Jo, Sometimes an individual can use a wig to change up their hairstyle, say for example if you wanted a hair-cut but were not brave enough to go ahead with it, this could be an option, otherwise I hope you have a great conversation with your friend, she may give you some tips as well.
Michelle
Thanks so much for sharing this! I don’t have afro hair but have often thought about trying different hairstyles that might look healthier than mine natural hail.
I’ve never had healthy hair. It’s always been frizzy no matter what I do to it.
I recently had surgery and my body was trying so hard to heal that I believe in drained every last nutrient I had from my hair making it much worse.
I will have to do some research on human hair wigs. I know they have come a long way.
I really appreciate this information and the history of wigs and how they’ve improved over the years.
I’m always in a hurry and if throwing on a wig would save time then it’s worth trying. But if it takes more time than just dealing with my own hair, I may not do it.
Have the newer wigs gotten easier to put on? I like the sounds of it helping to promote hair growth…
Best wishes,
Devara
Hi Devara, the newer wigs, are not easier to put on however they are a lot more realistic. In order to put them on, you actually need to make sure that your hair is tied back well, then you can either get a band or glue to place the wig. If you go for the synthetic ones, I would recommend the ones with a fringe as you would just place them on top of your hair. Just from what you mentioned, sometimes the shampoo you use can have an impact on the frizz, have you tried a frizz free one? See how that works as well.