When I lost my hair from treatment, I wanted a wig to wear. My knowledge of wigs was limited, I did not google or research what to look for. I made an appointment at a local wig store and brought a few friends with me whom I knew I could trust to give me honest opinions. The wig I purchased was a great wig, it was a mono-top synthetic wig. Did I know what that meant? Nope.
I feel that my own experiences trying to figure out what I needed to get through a breast cancer diagnosis is what motivated me to open the Unexpected Gift. Some of my experiences were not so bad because I did not know anything about what I was looking for. A couple of experiences were tragic. This is why I feel the need to educate people about what they are purchasing. Specifically, here, I will speak about purchasing a wig.
Do you really need a wig? I cannot answer that question, but if you want one here is what you need to know.
There are synthetic wigs and human hair wigs and yes, there is a difference. In my opinion, if you have lost your hair from treatment and most likely it will grow back, a synthetic wig is the way to go. Why do I feel this way?
- More economic
- Easier to care for
- Eventually, you will be comfortable wearing a hat and you won’t wear the wig that often.
A synthetic wig is probably a quarter of the cost of human hair. For example, a shoulder-length bob in synthetic fibres, depending on the cap (I will talk about that too) will cost around $750.00. A human hair wig at that length starts at $2200.00.
Caring for a synthetic wig is easy, you simply wash and condition it with synthetic hair products and then place it on a stand to dry. In the morning, it is ready to go, same style and ready to wear. With a human hair wig, once you wash it, you must style it. Do you really want to be blow-drying your human hair wig while you are going through treatment? Some days I was just trying to shower, never mind styling my wig, just saying.
A wig is like your bra, you cannot wait to take it off. As time goes by and you process what is happening, comfort will become key. Wearing a lovely, comfortable head covering will be the go-to and your expensive wig will sit on a stand and only be worn on occasion. Why am I telling you this as a business that depends on sales, because it is true, and it is important when you are deciding to spend a significant amount of money.
The drawback of a synthetic wig is that you must like the style because you cannot change it. The synthetic fibres cannot be heated – no blow dryer, no curling iron, no straightening iron. Heat will melt the fibre and ruin your wig.
Human hair can be styled, so if this is important for you then it is a consideration. You can go from straight hair to beach waves whenever you choose. This has been the deciding factor for people who purchase a human hair wig, they want this option.
Earlier I mentioned the cap style, this is what the fibre is tied to. The options range from machine-tied wigs, mono part wigs, front lace, mono top and full lace caps. These are all done differently and affect pricing.
Wig cap construction
Machine tied – wefts are sewn together on a cap by a machine, less labour, and less cost. A weft is the material that has the strands attached and then they are put together to form a wig cap. The cost runs between $400 – 500.
Front lace – the front portion of your wig is lace; this provides a natural progression to the hairline and is hand-tied making it look more natural. The cost runs between $450 – $550.
Mono part – the part of the wig is tied onto lace, when you look at the part it looks like the scalp and therefore looks more natural. You cannot change the part on this wig as it is tied this way. The cost runs between $500 – $600.
Mono top – the top cap portion is tied to the lace, normally hand-tied. This allows you to change the part and the top portion of your scalp is all lace and the look of the scalp is more prominent making it very natural looking. The cost runs between $550 – $750.
Lace cap – the entire wig is tied onto the lace, wherever you part the fibres it looks like a scalp underneath. The movement is more natural, again you can change the part because it is tied to lace. This is the costliest of synthetic wigs running between $750 – $850.
**These prices are estimates to show you the difference in pricing, it also depends on length and brand name, don’t hold me to these prices, please.
What happens when you come to the Unexpected Gift to consider a wig? I will go through each wig that you try on and tell you how the cap is made. All the wigs in the store are for sale, so if you find a style and a colour that you like you can purchase it. Most often, people find a style and then decide on colour. In this situation, I will order the wig for you in the colour you choose. This can take anywhere from 5 days to weeks depending on the supplier, in most cases it takes about 10 days. I will ask for a 50% deposit on the order. Please bring your prescription, this saves the charge of PST. If you have private insurance, check with your provider to see the coverage you have and then you can claim the cost.
Let me know if you have any questions, I always answer honestly, because that is what I expect from others. Happy wig shopping.
Hope this helps guide you to make the best wig choice for you!
