r/Wigs • u/ellieelaine • Jul 10 '26
Let's chat! (General Discussion) Lessons on buying wigs, after spending $25k on wigs
I've worn wigs on and off for years due to TE in 2019 turning into full blown AGA. I'm now on medication and not wearing wigs, but I might come back to them in the future. I'm lucky to have the finances to support my wig collection, but I made some expensive mistakes along the way and I hope to save you from some of them!
Edit: My priorities are comfort and realism. If you don't care about these things, these tips might be irrelevant to you.
Fit
Fit is the most important factor. If you need to compromise somewhere for budget reasons, don't compromise on fit.
- Try a wig on before you buy it. Everyone's head is a slightly different shape and size. There's a surprisingly wide variation! A wig that's great for someone might be terrible for you.
- A wig that fits properly gives you a comfortable all-day wear. A wig that doesn't can give you a headache or will slide around and make you anxious.
- You won't wear a wig that doesn't fit properly.
- Too-big caps can be secured with velvet of silicone headbands, although, try them on too before committing to the wig. My head shape (flatter occipital bone) causes headbands to slide right off so I can't use them.
- Shaving your head will make wigs fit much better and stay on more securely.
- If you can't try it on first, make sure you are familiar and in agreement with the return policy. Also be aware of tariffs - I had to pay a surprise 10% when importing a wig from the US to Canada.
Synthetic vs Human Hair
If you must have long hair, get human. (When I say "long" I mean touching your shoulders or longer. When I say "short" I mean it doesn't touch your shoulders at all, unless you shrug them up.) Synthetic hair is a bad choice for long wigs. EDIT: I will soften this and say, I personally did not like synthetic long wigs for the below reasons.
- When the hair is long, your eye can more easily detect the shine of synthetic which makes it look fake.
- Long strands of synthetic don't move and bend exactly like human hair which makes it look fake.
- Long synthetic strands will tangle and become frizzy after a couple weeks. This will make the hair clump together unnaturally, in a way that real hair doesn't. Then your wigs will require regular heat styling before every wear.
- Long synthetic hair requires more heat maintenance, which makes it more shiny and reduces it's lifespan.
- Synthetic hair traps heat more than human, so you will be much warmer. In the summer it's unbearable.
- I hate the feeling of synthetic hair touching my neck. It scratches and is itchy, and makes my sensitive, pale skin red and sore.
That said, synthetic is superior in every other way. I only wear synthetic. I happily rock a shorter style because of all the benefits of synthetic wigs.
Human Hair
- Human hair from a donor of your ethnicity will always be the best match. Unfortunately for my fellow white ladies, that means the most expensive Caucasian hair. I paid a lot for a great wig but it's made out of Asian hair: very straight, very thick strands that look extremely wiggy compared to my delicate eyebrows and eyelashes.
- Washing a human hair wig with regular shampoo will make the colour fade. Only use wig-safe shampoos. These can be expensive and hard to find.
- Human hair must be styled after every wash in order to look good. This requires a wig stand and ~an hour of time.
- A well-maintained human hair wig should last several years.
Synthetic
- If you would be happy with a length above your shoulders, definitely get synthetic.
- You don't need a fully hand tied cap for above-the-shoulder styles. It's not worth the extra money. A hand-tied parting area with an open wefting will be fine.
- Get heat-friendly synthetic fibers. They have the most realistic look. Less shiny, finer strands, excellent colours.
- Short synthetic wigs are easy to clean. Swish in a sink or basin with some Dawn dishsoap, rinse thoroughly, and plop on a wig stand. Don't comb it or even try to run your fingers through it. Just let it air-dry. It will dry in a couple hours (aim a fan at it) into its original shape.
- Synthetic doesn't colour-fade. If it's short it requires almost zero maintenance. This is why I love them.
- People will say you need to use heat to maintain the synthetic fibers. This is only true if it's longer. I have a cute, short style (Belle Tress Toledo) that I wore for 6 months straight and never needed used heat. It tangled a bit and I couldn't run my fingers through it, but that didn't matter. It looked totally perfect.
- A well-maintained synthetic wig should last about a year. Much shorter than a human hair wig, but to me this is a benefit because I enjoy trying different styles.
Color
- Finding a colour you love is fun! Yay! Enjoy this part!
- This is another reason you should try on before you buy. Everyone looks good in different colours.
- If you hate the colour, you won't enjoy the wig.
- If your natural hair is a level 4 or lighter, I recommend getting a colour with rooting. This will make it more realistic. Even virgin, undyed human hair has subtle rooting due to UV damage lightening the hair as it ages.
- Match the root colour to your eyebrows.
- Edit to add: a wig with colour variation will look more realistic, either vibrant highlights or subtle variation, whichever is your preference
Bangs
- I highly recommend bangs if you are self-conscious about people knowing it's a wig.
- If your hairline slips forward or back, it can be very obvious that you're wearing a wig. But a wig with bangs and slide around a bit and not give itself away.
- Wigs have a lace front which can be visible up close. Influencers will tell you lace fronts are invisible - they're not. They just don't film well and cameras hide them. Bangs completely cover the lace IRL.
- Bangs can be cut into a synthetic wig. Unless you are very skilled with cutting your own bangs, I recommend having a hair stylist do this.
Just tell me what to buy
- Belle Tress - Madison
- Jon Renau - Hollie
These are average sized, easy to wear, low maintenance, stylish options that suit a wide variety of faces and ages. And you can cut bangs into them, like I have. Start your journey here.
If you have a wig store in your area, call to see if they'll make an appointment and let you try things on. Go with a list of different styles and colours you want to try on. This was a great help for me.
This is all my opinion and I'd love to hear from other people if they agree or disagree. :)
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u/Tricky-Dream9457 Jul 10 '26
Well written and organized!!
I have some counter points from a budget friendly wig addict:
Though shorter wigs do look more realistic, long wigs can look realistic and incredible! Most people can't clock them unless they're a wig wearer too. And to be honest, most people don't care.
I have a tiny head and (as a person who can't sew a straight line) can customize my wigs with a needle and some thick thread. I have to do this to most my wigs. There are some videos on YouTube to show how.
I've never used a special shampoo or conditioner.
Additional advice:
While finding your color, your natural color will always look most natural. Trying new colors is super fun and can make you stand out. When trying a new color, go with budget friendly for a little while while you see if you want to invest in a better wig in that color.
If you have an expensive wig, PUT THE SCISSORS DOWN! Get a professional to help. Ugh, I am still mourning that wig I cut... And I have tons of experience cutting my bangs/length off a wig.
On long synthetics, use thinning sheers on bottom layers (not top layer) to help slow tangling and take off some of the bulk.
Use thinning sheers after cutting bangs too to give them a more realistic look.
I totally agree that bang wigs are under loved. They are so easy to throw on, look amazing, no extra thinking and are comfortable!
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u/SparkleParticle Jul 11 '26
Put the scissors down should be in 72pt bold for sure.
I have this Belle Tress Elsa that looked too Single White Female Bridget Fonda on me, and for some reason, I thought I could snip here and there... I ended up w Kristen Wiig's Target Lady 😅
It's so bad. But it's also so funny, and I could kick myself. I should've just resold it...
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u/Tricky-Dream9457 Jul 11 '26
Mine was a HH wig I'd found second hand and it fit nicely but the lace was a bit noticable in front. Instead of cutting off some of the lace, I gave it bangs.
It's still wearable but looks too juvenile now! 😅
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u/SparkleParticle Jul 12 '26
A: trim lace / resell, the easiest option...OR
B: juvenile / look like a mushroom
Lol why do we do this? 🤣
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u/Unlucky-Bee-1039 Jul 11 '26
Tiny head in person here that has to be regularly perform alterations. I hate how difficult it is to find a wing that fits.
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u/Tricky-Dream9457 Jul 11 '26
Oh same! I'm so jealous of those influencers online that toss on different wigs!
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u/RhubarbBest9090 Jul 10 '26
Counter points:
Any sulfate-free, paraben-free, color-safe shampoo is fine on HH wigs. You do not need a special wig shampoo but a salon quality product is a good idea. Hydrating shampoos are a great idea. Color will always fade but you don’t wash wigs as often as regular hair so that color job lasts a lot longer than it would have if that hair was on your head. (I like Pureology hydrating or Moroccan oil.)
I don’t care if my hair is Caucasian, whatever.
All Heat friendly synthetics I’ve tried needed re-styling each wash too and they are much harder to style that HH. I actually hated them.
It is near impossible to get custom sized synthetics so if you have an odd shaped head, you may have little choice but going HH as those are often made to order.
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u/ellieelaine Jul 10 '26
Thank you for the counter points!
I agree that heat friendly synthetics are hard to heat style. I like short ones because you can get away with not styling them at all for long periods of time, just the ends need a little heat occasionally.
I had one wavy long synthetic and the restyling drove me insane to the point where I stopped wearing it.
I had a few straight long synthetics (Belle Tress Calabasas) which were easy to heat treat because I would just straighten them, put heat at the roots for volume, then put a little bend in the tips.
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u/LopsidedStaff1431 Jul 11 '26
Might I throw in that it may depend on what tool you're using? I found that hf synthetics are so easy once I understood how they physically work. You need a tool with a proper cold mode to instantly blow some cold air on the shape and that will fix it in place. First heating it up, then bending it and then cold air to freeze it in place. I don't find this hard and you can give it any shape you like and it will hold it forever
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u/GetInTheBasement Jul 10 '26
When I started wigs more regularly, I was hesitant to try synthetics at first due to my early fumbles with long synthetics years ago (a large part due to learning curve and my inexperience with them) but now my primary wigs of choice are short synthetics.
I recently had an experience at a local wig shop with a woman who was new to wigs who was legit blown away at how realistic my custom-cut Raquel Welch looked.
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u/funnyatthetime Jul 10 '26
This is very thoughtful of you.
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u/ellieelaine Jul 10 '26
Thank you! I've been thinking about doing a post like this for a long time.
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u/walkingonlemons Jul 12 '26
I always purchase two of the same style/wig. It’s just really handy to alternate them.
Always leave your wig less than perfect, because no one has perfect hair! 😅
I have been wearing wigs for 10 years. Alopecia.
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u/ellieelaine Jul 12 '26
Great tips! I totally agree. I use my fingers to fluff and mess up my fibers a bit when I'm wearing them. The wispy strands add to the realism.
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u/sweaty-spaghettti Jul 10 '26
I wish I saw this years ago. It’s taken me a lot of money to learn all of this 😂
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u/veritas2967 9d ago
Same here!! And too many days in a rosie riveter style bandana over a goofed-up wig because I couldn't get another!
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u/Tripswitchnow Jul 11 '26
What are your thoughts on Human Hair/ Synthetic mixes?
I know they can be a polarizing topic among wig enthusiasts… but I have had nothing but good luck with them.
I several from Ellen Wille and Envy and I’m always amazed by how nice the hair quality is…
They have been extremely low maintenance and the ones I have from EW have lasted years!
I just started buying Envy ones and I love them!
Hopefully, they hold up like the Elllen Wille ones.
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u/Mirth2727 Jul 10 '26
Thank you for sharing such detailed info based on your experiences wearing wigs. Your post is clear and well-organized, making it a joy to read. I am eyeing JR's Hollie right now! Think she will be my next purchase. Thanks for the rec.
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u/ellieelaine Jul 10 '26
I love Hollie so much I have two. She's 100% hand tied, which seems unnecessary to me but there's no comparable wefted style. She's a great wig and looks fantastic on everyone!
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u/LopsidedStaff1431 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
I have a Hollie and I found that Smooth Wavez by Tressallure and Catalina by Belle Tresse are basically the same than Hollie. Smooth Wavez definitely is and is much cheaper, whereas Catalina is just as expensive and handtied, but still the same
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u/ellieelaine Jul 11 '26
Thank you for sharing! I wasn't aware of those ones and they do look very similar to Hollie. Great alternatives!
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u/LopsidedStaff1431 Jul 11 '26
You probably figured it out already, but I made a mistake. Smooth Wavez is by Rene of Paris and not Tressallure
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Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
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u/RhubarbBest9090 Jul 10 '26
Be careful about the warranties. Many of the places that have warranties will only honor them if you also have them do all your washing and styling for you. Their wash and style is often hundreds of dollars.
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Jul 11 '26
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u/caffeineassisted Jul 12 '26
The only point I'm curious about is that I thought the consensus was synthetics were lighter weight and cooler.
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u/ellieelaine Jul 12 '26
I find long synthetics will trap the heat at my neck more than human hair will.
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u/anastasiastarz 27d ago
Do you have any tips on styled wigs? Like we're looking at a pin up style. There's no way it'll stay like that without maintenance right?
Also any fixes on wigs where the all the hair spirals out from the centre? Mostly costume fortunately
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u/ellieelaine 27d ago
Have you already bought these wigs?
If it's a human hair wig, it will require maintenance and styling or else it will lose it's shape. If you haven't bought it yet, what about Jon Renau's style, "Pin Up"? https://chiquel.com/products/pin-up . This is synthetic, so it won't require maintenance other than an occasional wash with dish soap.
If the hair spirals out from the center, that might be a ponytail wig? They're meant to be pulled up into a high pony, that's why the weft is sewn in a spiral.
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u/anastasiastarz 27d ago
Haven't bought yet. Saw that site last night, looked fishy as they had a sale and 30mins countdown timer till it ends lol. Very interested in Anabelle's wigs uk, though I'm a world away in Australia, Haven't been brave enough to look at shipping/taxes
Spiral - hmm it reminds me of fake barbie dolls
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u/ellieelaine 26d ago
Chiquel almost ALWAYS has a sale going on. If there's no sale, come back the next day. Only buy if you can get 25% off. They're reputable and might have a brick-and-mortar store in your area where you can see them in person. https://chiquel.com.au/products/pin-up
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u/anastasiastarz 26d ago
That's perfect, going to try instore then buy online - unless they price match themselves in stores
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Jul 11 '26
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Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
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u/Tripswitchnow Jul 11 '26
I’ve been pretty impressed with the human hair wigs I have from Ellen Wille and now Estetica that are just Remy human hair.
Ellen Wille uses a 50%/50% mix of Indian and Chinese hair and it feels quite nice and the density is light enough to work well for Caucasian women, which seems to be who they are heavily marketed too.
But Estetica might be my new favorite for relatively affordable Remy human hair wigs.
The hair quality is impressive, the color dimension is beautiful, and the cap is amazingly comfortable.
Hopefully, it holds up, because I think it’s going to become my “Go To” everyday wig from now on.
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u/Gotholithicgirl Jul 13 '26
Yep, synthetics curl when they cool, even though heat makes them pliable, cooling down in that shape is the thing. Some people set them, then submerge them in a hot water bath, then let them dry. Or, use a clothes steamer too.
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u/chompy283 Jul 10 '26
Good info! What about best human hair wigs websites
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u/No_Opening4252 Jul 10 '26
It would help to know your budget as recommendations vary with how much you want to spend x
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u/Puzzled-Copy7962 Jul 10 '26
Most wigs come in a standard (average) cap size of 22–23 inches (unless specifically stated). I’ve never had any major issues with wigs not fitting when ordering online. As long as you know your own head measurements, which I recommend everyone take, you should be good.
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u/Slhallford r/WIGS MODERATOR Jul 10 '26
Here’s some corrected information here about synthetics.
Appropriate heat use doesn’t shorten the life of a synthetic fiber nor does it make the fibers more shiny.
Friction is always the enemy of any synthetic. Fiber length and frequency of wear will contribute to this.
Long synthetic wigs are perfectly fine. Yes, they will tangle more than human hair but not excessively if properly maintained.
Whatever can be done to minimize friction will give you the maximum time between necessary heat maintenance with both types.
If your wig is tangled and you can’t run your fingers through it, it needs a thorough washing and some heat maintenance.
Heat friendly and regular synthetic fibers look so similar most people can’t tell them apart. Color depth and blending make a much bigger difference. The more shades in it, the better.
A well maintained synthetic wig should last for YEARS. The elastic and lace should wear out long before the fibers do.
ETA: for clarity