I did something a bit silly...! - YouLookFab Forum

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I did something a bit silly...!

krishnidoux

Veteran

After much thought, I decided to try hairpieces.

My thin, blond hair has been thinning. I have been using Rogaine mousse (for men) on it for the past 2 years, with the rather less appealing result that now half of my remaining hair is a few centimeters long (new growth) next to below-the-chin older strands. I had it checked and all, but it really is just a combination of thyroid disease and perimenopause.I will turn fifty in a few weeks.

Today, I went for a fitting at a small boutique for postiches. The lady was very kind. I had come for hair additions, like clip-ons. She managed to have me walk out into a full wig!

She first had me try on a luxury hand sewn wig made out of humain hair. I won't even dare tell you the final price with Canadian taxes. But the wig...! First it was sooooo natural looking, and so light to wear. I want that wig. Eventually.

I ended up settling on this one, for a quarter of the price. It's synthetic, which means I don't have to style it every day (still have to spray it with a silicone product every time). It's hand sewn at the top. The cap is rather well ventilated. I wore it all afternoon, to work, home... I feel like everybody could tell! But actually no one seems to notice. They notice my "big hair", or maybe they are just very polite?

Can you tell me what you think? Does it look fake to you?
(I tried taking lots of pics. #8 is tonight, with the fatigue an all. #9 is my natural hair boosted to the max to compare).

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38 replies

Latest reply was from Laurie

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

From the photos, it looks like a good fit and colour, and the part is convincing. My one consideration would be to compare synthetic vs natural hair wigs, in terms of cost, durability, and longevity where you live. Most of the women I know who wear wigs daily use natural hair and I’m wondering whether, despite the upkeep, they may last longer. In any event, you lucked out in what you found.

ETA: I like your natural hair photo in #9 and can’t tell that you’ve been struggling with thinning or loss.

ETA take two: I skimmed the part where you mention trying on natural wigs, so ignore most of what I wrote.

rachylou

Veteran

I once watched a show on wigs ... and wow, the top of the line is like a new set of teeth! (I mean they’re phenomenally expensive.)

I think it looks good. I couldn’t tell in the pics which was your natural hair and which wasn’t... had to go back and read for the giveaway

krishnidoux

Veteran

Thank you Rach and Gradfashionista for your honest feedback! Gradfashionista, I am completely with you, human hair is much better in the long run. But this is a starter wig for me. I want to see if I can feel comfortable wearing something on my head everyday. While it looks extraordinary, one can still "feel" the cap. So I didn't want to shed the money for the humain hair quality wig that was in the thousands in terms of price. The look doesn't differ all that much (although I can tell the hair doesn't reflect light as convincingly as the human hair one). I'll see if I get used to this one first.
About the price, I am now having real remorse, because I wonder if I haven't overpaid for a synthetic wig. The girl who sold it to me seemed genuine and I had been warned that it would be expensive. But now I look online and see that luxury human hair wigs are sold for roughy the price I paid for this synthetic one. So I must investigate further. When I saw my head in this I got completely excited and lost touch with a bit of my reasoning.
In pic 5 you can see the head band underneath has shifted slightly backwards, revealing a darker line which is my natural hairline. So I'll have to be careful with that.

Style Fan

Veteran

From the pictures, the wig looks very natural. It is a very pretty colour and the cut is lovely. I would not have thought it was a wig but I do not think that much about things like that. In pic #9 your hair looks very nice.
Even if someone thought you were wearing a wig so what. People enhance their appearance in all kinds of ways.

cindysmith

Veteran

Your natural hair doesn't look overly thin, and you've styled it nicely. I do like the wig on you, and think it looks like hair with a good volumizing product added to it. Well done!

My mom has always had thin hair. Like, very thin. She wore hairpieces as a young woman, and the pics from that time all look natural. Over the last few years, her hair has gotten even thinner (RA meds), and she has started wearing wigs. She has one that is human hair; and several that are synthetic, in different styles & varying shades of blonde. She has a bit of fun with it, changing it up based on her mood. She gets catalogs, and whenever I go to visit, she shows me a few she's considing and asks my opinion on which one she should try next. All that, to say this: you and my mom are both beautiful regardless of your hair, and if you want to have fun with different hairpieces then that's ok too.

Anonymous

I'm impressed ! I think that the people you see everyday would know that this is a wig, because it's markedly different from your natural hair, but in general, you can't tell. My hair is thinning quickly too now, and I'm not happy about it.

Runcarla

Veteran

Not silly at all KD!

The SA who helped you choose your hairpiece did a very good job, as did you, in choosing a very natural looking 'do. The colour and texture looks like a perfect match and the style looks like you. I can't even tell from the pics - it looks like you had a professional blow-out! (and is longer, of course). Don't beat yourself up about the cost of the one you bought vs online - you had a valuable learning experience as well as taking away a remarkable product.

I think your natural hair looks good in the pic attached and in recent pics where you had some beachy natural waves. However, I understand that you are putting a lot of work into getting it that way and still experiencing some unhappiness. I'm endorsing your experiment with a hairpiece and think you are off to a great start with the one you got.

RobinF

Veteran

I think this looks very natural. Great color and style for you and I really couldn't tell at all that it was a wig, at least from the pics. I do think your natural hair looks very nice too but I say if you want to try a wig why not!

Sara L.

Veteran

You look great! I wouldn't have known you were wearing a wig if I hadn't known. I wouldn't think twice if I saw you on the street, but honestly it would never occur to me to even wonder if someone is wearing a wig. It's just not something that's on my radar. I just assume everyone's hair is natural. A coworker went through chemotherapy a few years ago and wore wigs and I always thought they looked completely normal.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

It looks great but I do wonder about what impact it will have on your real hair if you wear it regularly. All that rubbing from the cap of the wig. I'm not a health professional but I still would wonder have you had your Ferritin levels checked (and done so without eating red meat or beets or taking anything with added iron in it at least 3-5 days before the test?)
Low ferritin (iron stores) is SO common with hypothyroidism (which I have). The only time my hair starts coming out more seems to be when I let my iron stores get low, or way back maybe when I first wasn't yet taking a thyroid supplement. Routine anemia blood tests don't check for ferritin.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

This is not off Topic, actually.

Why NOT wear hair pieces. My Mama did it in the '60s with panache. You look great, and have fun with the look.

nancylee

Veteran

I know nothing about wigs but it looks really fab on you! I would never have guessed it wasn't your natural hair.

Anonymous

I think it looks fantastic on you! My mom wore wigs and/or hairpieces most of her adult life (from around 40 yrs old thru her early 90s). She had a lot of autoimmune issues (particularly thyroid problems) and weeped as she shed her very abundant head of hair. No one ever knew she wore them, except for me and my dad. I should note that she only wore synthetic pieces and always bought through catalogs.

I must admit that I have perused Raquel Welch's range of wigs and have given thought of purchasing a few to wear for the fun of it. My mom always bought the Eva Gabor wigs.

I think people who see you will think, "Boy, her hairs looks great!" and will not assume anything else.

Anonymous

KRISH- I agree with others that your natural hair in 9 looks fine . I never thought it looked thin in your posting since I have been on site. But you have to be the one who feels good in it.
That said- I do like the hair piece you chose. It looks natural and “you” and not the least bit silly.
I use to have a small hair piece that I used to facilitate a bun when my hair was longer.
Danubian- I have long admired RW wigs. Hairstyles alone have me envious enough to have taken several of her wig pics to my hairdresser- lol.

krishnidoux

Veteran

This forum is so full of wisdom, and members are so caring and thoughtful. I can see in your answer that this topic is not as silly and as innocuous as it could seem. As I am getting used to the feel of permanent head coverage, I realize this wig could become a valuable ally.

So far today NO ONE noticed, including my best friend! Colleagues complemented me on the volume. I just take it in with a confident (break-or-make) smile.

Style Fan, your words stick in my head and give me confidence : so what if people can tell? That’s a good thought.

Cindysmith, thanks for sharing this about your mom. She sounds like a lovely and fun person. If wigs sit well with me and my head, I envision getting more than one and having fun too. That’s encouraging.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Lisa, that’s where I am too. I am surprised at how much the volume changes my face as it modifies or replaces proportions. For instance in the recent years I would get compliments about my mouth more. I would also notice it more in selfies. But the big hair has shifted this and in find my eyes are more noticeable. Go figure. But it’s interesting.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Not at all silly! You look fabulous in 9 with your natural hair and equally fabulous in the new wig! I think you chose really well, and I would not know it was not your real hair. And how fun to be able to switch things up when you feel like it!

JAileen

Veteran

I also couldn’t tell which was the wig and which was your hair. So, very very natural looking.

donnat

Veteran

It looks beautiful. You did choose well. I think it's a lovely convenience. Wear it with confidence.

Anonymous

Not silly at all. It looks very natural.
I've not tried a full wig, but back in the 60's, many wire hairpieces. I had a partial one on a comb. A quick fix on a bad hair day was to pin my back hair up on my head and attach the hairpiece ( matched my own hair) over it. I arranged my front hair over the front of the piece, so it looked like I had more hair and had put it up. Even my students could not tell, and they would certainly have said something. It looked very much like Angie's beautiful mother's in the photo where she is holding a baby Angie on the Mothers' Day tribute. I wore mine a little higher on the back of my head and no side curls as my hair is too straight.
Getting older means thinning hair...often hormone and menopause related.

Windchime

Veteran

Agreeing with others that the wig looks amazingly natural and beautiful. And so does your own hair. Thankfully, wigs have come a long way over the last few decades. Wear and enjoy!

krishnidoux

Veteran

Joy, thank you for sharing your experience. It's quite interesting, and goes to show that hair extensions/hairpieces/wigs are not something new. It's good to lknow others have done it. Apparently more people than we think wear wigs around us. Yes, geting older means losing small things like hair and cheek fullness, and also butt fullness unfortunately... but gaining big things like badassness, confidence, experience, depth, fun etc. (I like to remind myself this because I am at the brink of it, when I see the things that are going away but not seeing yet all the good things of what's ahead).

krishnidoux

Veteran

Texstyle, about the natural hair: good question. However, I am not too worried about this. The girl who sold me the wig told me that in her case, her hair actually gained in strength simply from the fct that it wasn't played in and styled as much on a daily basis. I guess there are plusses and minusses. I am looking forward to give my natural hair a break from the styling, products, coloring and heat. So far, my har has stayed put all day, held close to my head with cips. I must say the cap is very breathable, nothing to do with costume wigs that are so hot. However, I don't intend to wear the wig everyday.

Bijou

Veteran

Krish you look beautiful in your wig and getting a good fit is the key to having it look natural - which is something that you would not get by buying online.
I have always admired your natural hair - but why not change things up. Many of the girls in my office have hair extensions and getting these redone regularly costs in the thousands too.
Our hair is such an essential part of how we feel - so rather than a designer handbag - you bought a wig and I say well done, it looks beautiful.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Bijou thank you. Your thoughtful message gives me faith that it's fine. That is so true about the fit. I'll go even further and say that the whole experience needs to be shared. The owner of the little shop where I went is very good with this, very human, very caring and careful, which is really so fantastic for this experience. I imagine it could make all the difference between a good and a bad one. She showed me with a lot of patience how to put it on, stick little double sided tapes (only a tiny one is necessary, if at all), how to spray it with a silicone solution everytime I wear it, etc. Thank you for putting things in perspective too.

Today there was a big departemental meeting (50 members) and I was convinced eveybody could tell. Lots of stares, but of a new kind. I think they were wondering how I managed to infuse my hair with so much volume. But I really wondered if they could tell. The shop owner waned me that this is how I would feel.

Katerina

Veteran

Krish, you look beautiful in the wig. I could never tell it is a wig from these pictures. After reading your post, I looked closely, but still could not tell. I love the colour and the cut - it looks like a perfectly cut and styled hair and it really suits you. I think your natural hair looks also great in the pictures you post. I understand that you are tired of styling it all the time and this beautiful wig will be a nice change. You are such a fabulous, talented and stylish lady, no matter what you choose to wear. As for the price, I totally agree with Bijou. No regrets there!

krishnidoux

Veteran

Katerina, such kind and uplifting words! Thank you!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Krish: I have a friend who has a small selection of wigs -- she uses them to change her style with ease when she wishes. In your case, it adds another option on a day when you don't have much style time, or when the weather works again smooth hair with good volume.

The wig you've selected is an excellent choice!

elpgal

Veteran

Kudos for experimenting! Your observations about facial features are so interesting. Is it possible to style the wig in any other way if you want a change?

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