Surviving the Summer – Part 2

Surviving the Summer – Part 2

Last week I covered some of the survival ideas about getting through the summer with wigs and toppers. This week we will look at some travel questions and delve a bit further into the ideas and ways of making it through summer easier and with less stress.

HOW TO PACK AND STORE WIGS WHEN TRAVELING:

When you’re new to wearing wigs, learning how to pack a wig and travel with your wigs can be tricky because there are so many things to consider.

  • What products should you bring? Just what you need, don’t overload on products. Take travel size shampoo, conditioner, sprays.
  • How many wigs should you bring? Always have a spare or two. Instead of washing and drying wigs on your vacation rotate them so that unless you get them in the pool or ocean, you won’t need to wash them until you get home. But just in case, default to the travel size products. 
  • Should you buy a wig-specific carrying case or are there easier options? No need for special wig carriers, boxes, or containers. 

Packing for a trip is all about one thing: suitcase efficiency.

With shoes, daytime outfits, nighttime outfits, makeup, reading materials, and all the chargers that you need, packing efficiency is a challenge. I’m a fan of the zip-lock plastic bags for storage. Cheap, easy to see what you have at a glance, and keeps the wig safe from tangling in the suitcase and keeps it from any debris. Also, it takes up much less space than a carrier, box, or structured container.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: 

As noted in my blog from last week – keep it easy and simple by bringing synthetic wigs that keep their style, the necessary care products, a collapsible stand, and some headgear – hats, scarves, etc., to give your wigs and your head a break. 

A RECURRING QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT GOING THROUGH SECURITY IN THE AIRPORT?

Will I have to take off my wig for airport security? No!

  • Know that TSA/security is not required to ask you to remove your wig. Just like with your clothing, their scanners should be able to see through the wig.
  • However—you should avoid wearing too many metal wig clips or bobby pins that could set off a sensor or raise suspicion.
  • If you are asked to remove your wig and don’t feel comfortable doing it in front of all the people at security, ask for a private room. TSA is required to grant that request.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Because I’m a big Plan B person, I’d never put my wigs inside my checked bags. If I am going somewhere for a week or more, I put a spare wig and travel-size products in my carry-on bag. I also include a hat and scarf. Wig care products should not take up any more room in your luggage than care products for bio hair.  

SOME HELPERS THAT ONLY YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT: 

Dealing with the heat as a wig wearer can be a challenge, even if you are not in some tropical climate on vacation. These are some of the things you might consider to help make things easier: Bamboo caps, Wig grips, Wig liners.

Until next week, be happy, and stop and smell the flowers, Vickie Lynn…

  

 

 

 

 

 

Which Wig Type/Style/Brand is Best Fit for You? Notes for the Newer Wig Wearers

Which Wig Type/Style/Brand is Best Fit for You? Notes for the Newer Wig Wearers

 

If you are like me, you have drooled over a human hair wig or two, and early on in my wig journey, I bought one. One was it for me though, at least for the near future. The care, time to style, the cost, all came to weigh heavier on the con scale because I was trying to wear it every day, all day. If I had one now, I might appreciate it more but just haven’t seen the need as of yet. After a lot of experimenting with several fiber types, and all cap types, I have finally settled on the ones that work best for me.

We all have different wig priorities. If you have no hair at all or little hair, or sensitive scalp, the wig cap construction will be very important. If you can’t stand wig bands, clips and pins, the kind of cap and the way it fits will play an even larger role in your choice. For me, it is the less on my head the better, so a good fitting cap is very important to me. The better the fit, the less security measures I feel the need to use. I can go out without any wig security measures in my Muse for example. It happens to be a perfect fit for me. If I am wearing it to the dentist, I might put a decorative bobbie pin in on each side. This keeps my hair out of the way while keeping it steady on my head while I am in the dreaded dentist chair. But if you have an in-between size head, and can’t get that perfect fit, you will need to make decisions about security. I do use more security when I know I will be outside for any length of time, or if I am going to a special event where I know it won’t be as easy to adjust my wig in public.

Wig Measurement Sizes

Now let’s move from cap security, since we have looked at that in a prior blog, and let’s go to caps in general. I won’t go into details here because this has also been covered in prior blogs on the site. We all know by now that we get what we pay for. Getting a hand-tied cap with a mono-top and lace front will cost you more because it costs the manufacturer more to make. That’s easy to understand. And ideally, you’d think everyone would want or need this. But that is not necessarily the case. Many wigs that just come with a basic cap can work well for many people. A lot depends on the wig style. Is the style one that doesn’t really have a part and may have bangs—then a mono top and lace front would not be a dealbreaker for a lot of people. Also, for the same price, you can often get two or three of the basic cap wigs compared to maybe just one of the wigs with all the bells and whistles. That is appealing to a lot of people, especially if you are hard on your wigs, or if you just like to change styles a lot.

 

Hand-Tied Wig Construction

 

All fibers are not created equal. This too, you may have already learned. Some look and feel better and seem to last longer. Every manufacturer seems to do them a bit differently. They have their own vendors, processes, and crafts people. Human hair wigs are just that, so we all know how to take care of human hair, and the pros and cons of this. It is when you get into fibers that it is more of a challenge. Over time, the coating of the fibers, the color, and strength of the fibers will change. Depending on how much you wear your wig and how you care for it, can shorten or lengthen the life of your wig, but eventually the fibers will show their age and wear, just like us. “More’s the pity”—as my grandmother used to say. 

The big tradeoff: So, we have to decide, do we want the best of the best, the middle of the road, or some less costly ones but do the job just fine? Fortunately, we can have one of each if budget allows. I doubt I will ever return to human hair wigs just as a personal preference that is combined with my definite lack of styling skills and patience. I seem to have landed in the middle of the pack with lace front, mono-top and hand-tied as my preference, but hand-tied is not a deal breaker if I can have the other two. I still have a couple of basic cap wigs that I bought early on and can still wear but I find them hot and scratchy now because I have lost more hair loss over time. My scalp is more sensitive now too, and I have to be picky about my caps more than ever it seems.

The little extras are important. I like to get a wig with those soft tabs on the side and at the neck, along with the ability to adjust the fit. I can live with a mono-part vs. mono-top, but I hate not having the ability to make fit adjustments or have that comfort of the felt tabs on the side and the one at the bottom of the neck. So, in the end we all find our sweet spot, what we can live with or hope we don’t have to live with, as the case may be. 

I hope to get some information direct from the wig companies for a future blog about their fibers: how they pick them, how they make them, and what new things might be ahead in the future. I can’t wait to ask them this question: Can’t you do something about the “fly-aways” and the shine? Inquiring minds really do want to know. 

So, until next time, send me any questions you might have, any topics that you would like to see addressed in future blogs: 

 

Below is a video about hand-tied caps that you might like to watch or re-watch, and a reminder of how to measure your head for the best fit, and a picture of a lovely hand-tied wig. 

 

Wishing everyone a good week, and a new week to brighten it! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH8XmOIp9Wo&feature=emb_rel_err