As a blogger, I strive to be transparent and honest. I also like to write about why I do what I do.
If you are a regular reader, then you know about my struggle with hair loss. The root (pun intended!) of it began many, many years ago to curb my anxiety by twirling my bio hair, picking out hairs with split ends and further splitting the ends, picking at my hair and finally pulling it.
You have NO idea of the amount of time I have spent pulling out strands with split ends. And then splitting those ends further. Hours. HOURS I tell you! No wonder my crossed eyes never straightened out!
This is called Trichotillomania. And it caused damage that is not reversible. The hair I’ve lost is gone for good and it is due to just me and only me.
My hair was always being pulled, tugged, torn, you name it. I did it!
But moving on from that, and moving on from the products that disguised the loss and hairpieces, I want to talk about wigs. Again.
I also want to talk about why I don’t wear what I call “White Lady Wigs”. These are wigs that are overly shiny. The texture is way too thin, many have a “perma-tease” bump. And they just do not look realistic on my head.
This is supposed to be a joke wig of a “granny” wig. I find this insulting and offensive. First of all, the stereotype of the older woman pisses me off. The great majority of us CARE about how our hair looks…get it together and stop stereotyping.
In photos, on wig sites, these white lady wigs will always look fabulous. And the wig companies charge a lot of money for these wigs that cannot compare with the types of wigs that I wear on a daily basis.
This is the beautiful Raquel Welch. She has a line of wigs. The price runs the gamut of about $100 up towards $1,000. We all know Ms. Welch is gorgeous. No doubt about it. She would be even more gorgeous if she wasn’t photoshopped. No 76-year old woman is that wrinkle-free. Anyway, I purchased this wig about two years ago and it sits in the box.
Believe me. It isn’t that I’m knocking or being disrespectful to these companies or the women who wear them. It’s just that white lady wigs do not work for me. I’m a believer in wearing what makes you comfortable and what gives you confidence and what makes you feel good.
Here’s the Raquel Welch wig. Enigma. I trashed it after I took this pic. It’s thin and shoddy. And definitely was not worth the money I spent on it. A true disappointment.
And that is why I wear wigs by brands that make wigs for African-American women. And there is a reason for this.
My biological hair is very coarse and wiry. It is dull. And by “dull” I mean not shiny. So why then would I wear hair that looks like it came off a Barbie or any other doll?
This photo was taken in February of 2016 and I was still able to wear my bio hair with a bit of Toppik to cover the “bald spots”. See how coarse it is? It doesn’t shine and it is dense. I miss it–but–it is the hair I was born with and why would I want to wear a wig that doesn’t resemble this head of hair?
I want my fake hair to look as natural as possible. Makes sense—doesn’t it?
My hair is closer to Yaki texture—which resembles my coarse, wiry, kinky in spots hair that has been blown out.
My winter beauty. Outre’s “Perm Yaki 18” I have three of these!
But—what I also absolutely love about the wigs I wear are the fact that they are affordable and that is very kind to many of us women who just don’t have the funds to spend hundreds or thousands on wigs. Wait—let me also add, the more affordable the wig, the more looks you can achieve.
Now THIS is what I mean when I want a dense wig. This is Freetress’s Soft Volume wig. I cut bangs into it. Now. Look at this wig vs. the white lady wig a few pics above. Tell me which looks more natural!
Honestly, women need to stop fussing with their hair and stop allowing the weather to dictate how to style their coifs to protect from humidity and the elements and just plop a wig on. It’s always a great hair day!
One of my favorites is Justine by “It’s a Wig”. I love the brand’s name. It’s like “Who’s On First”. i.e. “Cathe, your hair looks great” “It’s A Wig”. ” Oh, what kind” “It’s A Wig” “Oh, what’s brand” “It’s a WIG”….and it goes on and on.
If you are a woman suffering from thinning or hair loss due to several reasons, may I suggest pouring a glass of wine or an iced coffee, sit at your computer, turn on YouTube and start watching reviews.
Yes. Reviews are paramount. On any site, you will see the model wearing a wig that has been styled, manipulated and possibly photoshopped. If you want to see the real deal you absolutely need to watch thorough reviews by real women. And I literally binge on wig reviews.
I got lots of faves but at the top of my list are:
NaturalJoy. Her reviews are hands down, spot on when it comes to describing everything about any wig you are interested in. She’s a “Bob” expert. I’m not kidding. I literally almost didn’t buy a certain bobbed wig because I couldn’t find a review of hers on it. I ended up making the purchase—which was a good one, but boy, it took courage. With reviews from NaturalJoy, I always feel more comfortable with a purchase. She is very detail-oriented and knows her stuff! She gets into the construction and all the nuances of each wig. You can’t not want every wig she reviews!
NaturalJoy is my Number One Go-to Reviewer!! I can’t wait for the rest of the Bob Series!!! Here’s her review of Rita!
My most recent wig, Rita, was purchased solely on her review and let me tell you, Rita is fabulous. Did I mention that NaturalJoy is doing a “Bob Wig” Series? This is more important to me than the episodes I watched of “Gossip Girl”.
Next of my faves—TheHeartsandcake90. I also rely on her reviews as well. Again, very detail-oriented and reviews on quite the variety of wigs. She is very descriptive and explains everything like—well, like a teacher. That’s because she is a teacher! My next wig purchase will be the Bobbi Boss Claudia that she reviewed. As soon as I get back from France, I’ll be rockin’ Claudia! Thank you Heartsandcake90! She’s also very very good in addressing any issues that a wig may have. She’s also a fan of NaturalJoy!
Thank you TheHeartsandcake90! I am now the proud owner of THREE Storm units. Thanks to your review and Storm is an absolute favorite.
One of my Storms. Outta the box and lace just cut. She’s packed for the trip to France!
Storm is a great, great everyday wig!!!
DeeDee Woods comes in on my “Top Three” as well. OMG. She is the big sister that you always wanted. You know, like when you were in high school and you were the oldest and you had nobody to look up to. Yeah. That’s DeeDee Woods. Her reviews are also great. She loves a natural look and she will keep you well-informed and well-educated on the wigs you may be interested in.
Here’s the very pretty DeeDee with the Shasha wig. And yes. I ended up making the purchase!
“Hair” I am in my Shasha! Bonaparte likes this one a lot. It is very natural!
A few others whose reviews I enjoy are:
BodiedbyKeira. I love her because she makes me smile and her sense of humor gives me the giggles. She’s fun to watch and very informative.
If you want fun and a good time while watching a wig review, by all means watch BodiedBykeira. You can’t stop smiling. And her reviews are GREAT!!
SamoreLoveTV. There’s a special place in my heart for SamoreLove. Her accent reminds me of my old homestead of New Yawk City. When she says certain words like “off” and pronounces it “ouwf”. I get homesick and my accent thickens. Yeah. It duz! But her reviews are good. Her newest is one I can resonate with because she focuses on a bob wig for those of us with “showt” necks! And she’s got a sense of humor!
Hey! SamoreLove!! WHY did you just post this today? It’s too late for me to order this bob for my trip! I need this bob. Oh..boy do I need this bob. My neck is also short!!! Isn’t she adorable?
I don’t know if these young women are aware, but their reviews erase the boundaries of age and race. Women empowering women is what it is all about.
My Bobbi Boss Copper. Pay no attention to the fact that I didn’t put the edges down. I literally plopped this on my head for the blog photo.
Model Model “Sage” wig. Another wig I purchased from a review.
Freetress DP “Smoky” wig. I was hesitant to make the purchase because I didn’t see reviews but I’m glad that I did gain the confidence to do so. I love this short bob. I think it is a great head of beach hair. And yes. I will go in the water with this on. It cost only $17.95!
I think Caucasian women can learn a lot about confidence from African American women. Where we are self-conscience about things like wearing wigs, Black women own that confidence. These are empowering women who know what works and what does not. We all need to be more like them!
And that is why I wear wigs marketed and created for African American women. A wig that is more in tune with my natural hair gives me the confidence to go out and be confident and empowering. I don’t care if the hair I wear is fake. I don’t care if there is a line of demarcation on my Swiss lace—it’s better than walking around like Friar Tuck!
Um..you think I look weird in a wig? What would you think if I walked around like Friar Tuck. Because that’s what my head looks like now. Only the hair part is way longer!
My wigs are packed. And Bonaparte has also gained confidence in his knowledge of wigs. He believes he is now my “wig” consultant. He likes my wigs wavy. I still prefer a straight bob or a longer look!
Where do I get the wigs? From HairsoFly, Divatress, SistaWigs, Glamourtress. These are just a few of the many sites that sell wonderfully affordable and more natural looking wigs! Take a look at the sites. If you have thinning hair or any hair loss, take a chance and have fun knowing you will have a great hair day! NOTE: You know me. I am not sponsored. I am adding the links to these sites because I purchase from them!
Some wiggy fun for you. The B-52’s. “WIG”. PS I love the bouffant wig in the video!
