If wearing wigs is part of your everyday life, it may be hard to imagine life without one but for some, wearing a wig is a new venture that can come with some uncertainty.
Wearing a wig for the first time can bring on so many emotions regardless of the reasons for choosing one. But, of course, any alteration of your physical appearance comes with a change in feelings.
I have received many messages from wig-wearers who feel that wearing a wig makes them feel like a fraud! This is simply not true! Wearing wigs is okay. It’s okay, and we will address such concerns in this blog post.
Benefits of Wearing Wigs
There are many benefits to wearing wigs, especially regarding your self-esteem. Here are just some of the benefits of wearing wigs, and then it’s up to you to decide whether it’s ok to wear a wig.
1. It Improves Your Relationship with Your Natural Hair
Black women have been advocating for natural hair for some time now, and many natural hair movements have gained momentum. I know this can be sensitive territory, but I’ve had women say they felt like wearing wigs would lead to judgment from their community.
Spiritual guru Giselle La Pompe-Moore openly discussed her journey on wearing wigs and her fears associated with it in BYRDIE. I think she speaks for many women who have similar feelings. She said she felt the pressure to join the natural hair movement because she didn’t want her blackness and authenticity to be judged.
However, she got past the stereotyping and began to see her wig like her earrings or eyelashes – as an extension of who she was.
Through wearing wigs, she cared for her relaxed hair better than usual. Eventually, she did the big chop and decided to grow her hair naturally. She says that her obsession with wigs has improved her relationship with her afro hair.
The bottom line is a wig is an accessory; it’s not a sign of hiding who you are, and it’s okay to wear one.
2. Wearing Wigs Allows You to Regrow Thinning Hair
According to the American Hair Loss Association, 40% of women struggle with hair loss before age 50. Mature women aren’t the only ones who lose hair; young women also lose hair due to stress, postpartum, and illness.
Luckily, the cosmetic industry has developed multiple solutions like therapies, treatments, and serums to regrow hair. But no one helps with the emotional distress as you wait for your hair to grow back.
Thanks to options like lace-front wigs, women can now keep their hair loss private if it’s important to them. No one will ever know that you’re wearing one with high-quality wigs. And you can allow your hair to regrow without using hot styling objects or tight braiding, which could damage your hair and hinder regrowth.
Carrie by Jon Renau
3. Wearing Wigs Saves Money
So, we know quality human natural hair wigs are costly but hear me out. Maintaining natural hair or a weave can be even more costly when it comes to maintenance.
For example, you’ll need a cut every 4-8 weeks depending on hair length and structure. We all know salon visits can be very costly. You’ll also need to pay to update your current style and hair color.. That can add up to thousands of dollars each year!
However, you only need to make one solid investment when it comes to wigs. Most of them come styled and stay put for 6-12 months or more, depending on the quality.
The only thing you need for a wig is a wig stand, the right conditioner, and shampoo. Therefore, if you’re in a fix financially, consider wigs– they’re cost-saving in the long run.
4. Wigs Allow You to Change Styles Easily
I’m sure you’ve seen celebrities change up hairstyles by the day. They could be rocking a bob when performing a song and a curly hairstyle for their next song five minutes later.
How else would they do this if wigs didn’t exist?
If staying with one hairstyle for so long bores you, consider shifting to wigs. Then, you’ll be able to change your style as often as you’d like without damaging your hair. Changing hairstyles with your natural hair would mean blowouts, dye jobs, braiding, etc., which can damage your hair if done too often.
Lavish Waves by Rene of Paris
5. Wigs Save You Time
Some YouTubers will tell you that you can have a blowout perfectly done in less than 10 minutes. But, unfortunately, some of us aren’t as talented with styling our hair.
Maintaining hairstyles or styling natural hair every morning can take time. According to LookFantastic, the average American woman spends at least six years of their lifetime on their hair! Imagine what else you could do with those six years!
With wigs, you can sleep in and not worry about styling your hair because all you need to do is put them on and go on with your business.
This is especially helpful to busy moms and women on the go who don’t necessarily have the time to visit the salon every couple of weeks.
But I’m Still Not Okay Wearing Wigs
After reading this, if you’re not quite comfortable wearing wigs, that’s okay. However, here are two more things you can do that might help.
Get to the Root of It
If you’re not okay with wearing wigs, ask yourself what the real reason is.
- Do you think it will interfere with your natural hair growth?
- Are you afraid you won’t look good in one?
- Are you afraid of judgment?
You’ll probably realize that everything stopping you is a myth or misconception by answering these questions. Or you can always look at it like this; you are protecting your hair when wearing a wig.
Go for a Wig Fitting.
If one of your worries is that you won’t rock that wig as the IG models do – don’t stress it. Many retailers allow wig fittings. Book an appointment and the specialist will help you pick wigs that’ll go well with your style, needs, and lifestyle. You will love a few wigs and probably go home with more than one. This is also a great chance to learn your wig size and learn how to fit a wig correctly.
Night by Ellen Wille
Final Thoughts
Wearing a wig for the first time can be very hard – there are questions of how you’ll look in them, how others will react to your new look and whether they’ll affect your hair.
If you’re struggling with the thought of wearing wigs, know that you’re not alone. Many women go through this the first time they wear one. Give yourself time to adjust and take it one day at a time.
What do you think? Is it okay to wear a wig?