I know I have quite a few new followers who are unfamiliar with my hair story so please bear with me a moment while I catch everyone up to speed. My “official” HHJ began in 2009 when a stylist burned my scalp by not neutralizing completely then using an anti-dandruff shampoo – a definite relaxer no no!
Photos of my scalp burns
My scalp was so sore that simply turning my head from left to right caused pain so combing and styling my hair was absolutely out. My choice? Wear a wig. The first one I tried looked extremely “wiggy” and I knew if I was going to feel comfortable out and about, I’d have to learn a little about wigs and how to make them look a bit more natural.
I decided that, as a newbie to wigs, I felt most comfortable in half wigs where I could curl, set and style the front of my hair to make it blend with the style and texture of the wig. So my first tip for those who are new to wigs is to try a half wig (or the new 3/4 wigs by Model Model) first. Also, synthetic wigs are cheap – who wants to invest a lot of money in something you may not even want to wear?
My favorite easy, go-to, ride or die wig is Model Model Cocktail Bay “Breeze” in color 1b or 2. I can easily set your bang area on blue flexirods for perfect blending into the wig, but it also looks great with none of your hair left out and a headband placed over the edge. I’ve even used this wig for various styles like braiding the front of my hair and placing the wig over the rear half. This wig gets better with time and has lasted me literally months plus it isn’t too short nor too long. In fact, I need to place an order for a new one for this winter! Because you don’t have to leave any hair out, its perfect for days your hair is undone, running to the store with conditioner or your prepoo on (simply cover with a plastic cap, slap the wig on and go!), or protective styling of course!
My second favorite wig is Outre Sabina. I will warn you, the wig does appear a bit shiny at first, but a good brushing and a few wears and it looks very natural. The curls are more like loose waves with the front pieces flipped gently backwards – a very natural looking style.
For those who are just dying to try a full wig, or if your hair is natural so blending to the above would require heat, I recommend Freetress San Francisco Girl. Just be sure to apply a bit of concealer to the parted area to give a more natural “scalp” look. This is an easy style that mimics flat ironed hair very well.
There are many, many wig options – I know a very popular choice for naturals in particular is the Beshe Drew wig. Honestly, while I do like the look of that wig, I think its a bit too much hair for me to feel comfortable rocking, but I do recommended it for those looking for the big hair look.
Overall I can tell you that wigs are an awesome protective style and great item to have on hand for hair emergencies. I know it can seem daunting to try to personalize a wig at first but at least you have YouTube as a reference where there are literally hundreds of ladies showing you exactly how to style and personalize your wig.
