Does Wig Wearing Damage Bio Hair?

Does Wig Wearing Damage Bio Hair?

(Wig shown above: Anemone Half Wig by WigPro )

These are the considered opinions mostly agreed upon and what my own dermatologist told me. 

 1. Will constant wig wearing inhibit or permanently damage your bio hair? 

 Wearing a wig will not inhibit hair growth. The cells that allow hair to grow will still be able to function underneath your skin while wearing a wig. If you are worried about damaging hair that is growing back out underneath your wig, wearing a wig cap can help to protect the hair that is growing in. 

 2. Will the continued use of adhesives cause my bio hair to break or cause permanent loss? Maybe. 

 Some people use heavy duty adhesives when applying lace front wigs, and it is not uncommon for hair loss to occur with the repeated use around the hairline. The combination of irritating adhesives and tension on the hairline can cause damage, with receding hairlines occurring as an undesirable—but not uncommon outcome. 

 3. What can we do to help prevent damage to our bio hair and scalp? 

  • Massage your scalp. Having a wig sit too tightly on your head can cause the blood flow to your scalp to be reduced.  
  • Take your wig off before bed. Most doctors and wig experts recommend that you do not sleep in your wig – it can cause tension on your hair and cause breakages, tangling, clumping and other undesirable outcomes. 
  • Shampoo your hair--regularly. The key to healthy hair (and scalp) is keeping it clean. You don’t want your wig sitting on a dirty, oily scalp. Bad for your wig and your scalp and bio hair. 
  • Don’t forget your bio hair (see above). It might be that you choose to wear a wig all day, every day. However, we can’t assume that we don’t need to trim our own hair or care for it as well as before the wig wearing days.  
  • Avoid putting damp hair under a wig. Having damp natural hair under a wig is not only extremely uncomfortable, but can also promote the growth of nasty bacteria. 
  • Be careful when braiding your bio hair. Braiding can be an easy way to keep your natural hair out of the way under a wig. But be mindful of your technique. (Constant tension/pulling can damage fibers). 
  • Your bio hair can continue to lose moisture just like before. So, moisturize and condition your bio hair if you notice your hair feeling dry after wearing your wig. To combat bio hair or scalp dryness, try using hair oils, which can penetrate well, or other treatments you might prefer to restore its moisture and good health. 
  • Give your hair and scalp a break. If you have natural hair under a wig for a long period of time, it can be good to give your natural hair and your scalp a break for a few days from time to time. 

In summary: 

  • Wearing wigs brings its own challenges. While it is tempting to put our bio hair “on hold” and forget it longer than we would have before, that is a mistake.  

 

  • Anything we repeatedly do that causes friction will have a result: Including a poor fitting wig, too tight of a wig, bands, and twisting and braiding (if done poorly). 

 

  • The constant friction combined with adhesives can take a toll on the hairline. Try different ways of securing your wig so the hairline is not constantly irritated by the adhesive and tension.  

 

In conclusion, 

 

Take care of your bio hair, scalp, and wig…and you will continue to look fabulous!  

 

Until next time, 

Vickie Lynn 

Wig Wearers Ten Biggest Mistakes

Wig Wearers Ten Biggest Mistakes

 

(Shown above: EASIPART T HD TOPPER 18" BY JON RENAU)

1. Wearing wrong size caps – This is a common problem because wigs are made to a pattern and our heads are not. But trying to make your head fit into a wig too small or too large can mean all kinds of trouble. Not only will the wig not look right, or flattering, it can cause headaches, slip into wrong positions, and in general, make you want to forget about wigs.


2. Not securing the wig correctly – This is also a common mistake, especially for new wig wearers. There are so many different ways to do it that a lot of people get overwhelmed. There is a learning curve in this area, but it is worth learning. There is no best way or right way in that every wig wearer will have their preference. Do your research and find the best security measure for your comfort.


3. Having unrealistic expectations – Most of us look at pictures of highly styled wigs on models, or on experienced wig reviewers who know how to train and style a wig to its best advantage. We can learn from them. But it is not realistic for us to pull a wig out of a box, put it on her head, and expect it to look like those highly, professionally styled wigs you might see on television or a website. 


4. Not being willing to work with your wig to make it your own. It’s easy to get frustrated when you pull a wig from the box and it’s just a bundle of fibers that won’t stay where you put it as you are working to figure out your styling techniques. At this point, some new wearers just give up. Know that there is an army of experts out there to help you with this. Some videos show us in detail, how to tame your hair, get rid of “box hair” and make a wig your own.


5. Trying to alter your wig when you don’t have the skills. I have seen more than one wig ruined by a new wig wearer who thought they could avoid the cost of a stylist by “doing it themselves” and some people can. But if you know that your skills are limited to a bang trimming, don’t attend any more than that on your wig. Yes, there are many YouTube videos out there showing you how to thin a wig, pluck, trim the lace, and make an artificial root—is this something that you feel comfortable doing? Are you saving $50 to lose a $300 wig?


6. Not learning how to style your wig – If you aren’t going to spend a little time getting to know how to work with your wig, style it, and care for it, then you will likely never be completely happy with it. We all love the shake-an-go wigs but if you are looking for something different, know that there is some work involved in learning how to style your wig. 


7. Not using the right products on your wig, or not using them correctly. Again, there is a wealth of information out there about wig care products. It’s up to us to do our homework, and my advice is to do it long before you get that first wig. The more you know, the easier the process will be, and the more confident you will be in wearing and caring for your wig. 


8.You are not perfect, your bio hair is or was not perfect, and your wig should not look perfect. Looking too perfect is a “this-is-fake” giveaway. Too much styling, and an over-sprayed, nothing moves style screams “wig” so don’t use a heavy hand with the spray or styling products. Less is best. 


9. Positioning your wig incorrectly – I still see this even on some seasoned wig wearers. The wig is set too far back from the natural hairline or pulled down too low. This is another big mistake that is an instant giveaway. If you don’t have any bio hair to guide you to what was your hairline, use the four-finger rule. Hold your hand up over your brows to see if you have four fingers worth of space between brows and hairline. It’s a rough guide but is pretty accurate. 


10. Not everyone should be a blonde – and I think we have all seen this mistake. Maybe you spent your life in your natural color, wanting to go blonde but it was too drastic. Now, it’s so easy to buy that pretty blonde wig that looks so beautiful on the model on the website. But STOP….and ask yourself if blonde makes you look BETTER or just different. 

Until next time,
Vickie Lynn

WIG GRIP CAP BY GODIVA'S SECRET WIGS

The Scary Questions and Some Good Answers

Though you might find varying versions of these answers, these are the ones mostly agreed upon and what my own dermatologist told me.

 

  1. Will constant wig-wearing inhibit or permanently damage your bio hair?

 

Wearing a wig will not inhibit hair growth. The cells that allow hair to grow will still be able to function underneath your skin while wearing a wig. If you're worried about damaging hair that is growing back out underneath your wig, wearing a wig cap can help to protect the hair that is growing in.

 

  1. Will the continued use of adhesives cause my bio hair to break or cause permanent loss?

 

Some people do use heavy-duty adhesives when applying lace front wigs, and it is not uncommon for hair loss to occur with the repeated use around the hairline. The combination of irritating adhesives and tension on the hairline can cause damage, with receding hairlines occurring as an undesirable—but not an uncommon outcome.

 

What can we do to help prevent damage to our bio hair, and scalp?:

 

  1. Massage your scalp. Having a wig sit too tightly on your head can cause the blood flow to your scalp to be reduced. 
  2. Take your wig off before bed. Most doctors and wig experts recommend that you do not sleep in your wig – it can cause tension on your hair and cause breakages, tangling, clumping, and other undesirable outcomes.
  3. Shampoo your hair--regularly. The key to healthy hair (and scalp) is keeping it clean. You don’t want your wig sitting on a dirty, oily scalp. Bad for your wig and your scalp and bio hair.
  4. Keep on top of trimming bio hair. It might be that you choose to wear a wig all day every day. That’s fine but don’t assume that you don’t need to trim your own hair or care for it as well as you did before your wig-wearing days. Don’t forget about your bio hair.
  5. Avoid putting damp hair under a wig. Having damp natural hair under a wig is not only extremely uncomfortable but can also promote the growth of nasty bacteria.
  6. Be careful when braiding your bio hair. Braiding can be seen as an easy way to keep your natural hair out of the way under a wig. But be mindful of your technique.
  7. Your bio hair can continue to lose moisture just like before. So moisturize and condition your bio hair if you notice your hair feeling dry after wearing your wig. To combat any bio hair and/or scalp dryness, try using hair oils, which can penetrate well, or other treatments you might prefer to restore its moisture and good health.
  8. Give your hair and scalp a break. If you have natural hair under a wig for a long period of time, it can be good to give your natural hair and your scalp a break for a few days from time to time.

In summary:

  • Wearing wigs brings its own particular challenges. While it is tempting to put our bio hair “on hold” and forget it longer than we would have before, that is a mistake. 

 

  • Anything we do over and over again that causes friction will have a result. This includes a poor-fitting wig, too tight wigs, and bands, and twisting and braiding (if done poorly).

 

  • The constant friction combined with adhesives can take a toll on the hairline. Try different ways of securing your wig so that the hairline is not constantly irritated by the adhesive and tension. 

 

In conclusion, my view is that while there are challenges in wig wearing like there are in a lot of things we have to tackle, once we get past the learning curve, it’s more fun than fear. 

 

Take care of your bio hair, scalp, and your wig…

Until next time,

Vickie Lynn