Hair Loss and Capless wigs

To get inspiration for today’s post I had to dig deep into my closet. What for? Well, I call it a budget wig, but its more commonly known as a capless wig. Capless wigs were the most commonly used and the most accessible wigs in the 1960’s. And in my opinion, many haven’t changed since then. 

Capless wigs stand out due to a few common characteristics;

1. they are usually ‘big’ hairdos,
2. there typically is no part because the base construction would be visible,
3. they usually have bangs (a fringe) or side-swept hair to hide the front edge of the wig,
4. they are usually extra shiny, and
5. they are usually the cheaper wigs on the market- if they are not this should raise doubts about the seller. 

The first few wigs that I ever started wearing for everyday purposes were capless wigs. I did not know any better. I was about 11 years old when I received my first wig, courteous of a New Zealand government scheme. I was brought up strongly against wearing wigs. My nana had worn wigs most of her life because of Alopecia, which made her extremely reliant on them, and extremely self-conscious. Because of this, nana missed out on many activities, including those as simple as swimming, because she was too afraid to be seen without her wig, even by her family. My dad did not want my brother or I to have such limitations, and as such was adamant that we did not need wigs. At the time however I had recently received my first set of hair braids which I absolutely loved and we were hoping the scheme would financially support. Unfortunately, we had to drive a few hours only to be told the scheme only supported wigs….so I went home with a synthetic braided wig which sat in a box, and still sits in a box today, only being taken out for dress ups.

 

My second capless wig was gifted to me by my boss when I was 17 years old. She had spotted it in a store coming back from Bali and thought of me, knowing I would soon be heading to University and could not afford the time and cost of hair extensions (being the solution of choice at that time). This capless wig also sat in a box for four years, before desperation kicked in and I had no other viable choice but to use it! At 21, I had just returned to New Zealand from McCombs School of Business in Austin Texas and traveling around the USA and Mexico, with two days spare before I started my first professional job! Within those two days I had to move to a new city and unpack. Getting a full head of hair extensions could take up to 14 hours and cost a mini fortune, both of which I definitely did not have after that trip.  

So just like that, I had ‘big’ hair and became a wig wearer. This wig did eventually make it to my University-at the time of graduation, it was still the only ‘hair’ I had. I did not plan on becoming a wig wearer and as such I did not research wigs…at all. This was a mistake, which I learned from in many ways within that first year. It’s also hard to know what you don’t know. And even though it is so easy to find out anything these days online- I did not question it. When I eventually managed to get an appointment with the local wig specialist she also recommended and subsequently sold me a very overpriced capless wig.

The first year of wearing wigs is the hardest. There is a lot of trial and error, figuring out what activities wigs can handle and those which it can’t. For example, my friend and I decided to go on a slingshot– which flings its passengers 100metres into the air at up to 160 kilometers an hour before ripping them back down. It was a spur of the moment decision and it was all caught on camera. The ride flung us up into the sky, and as it ripped us back down again, gravity kicked in removing my wig ever so slightly off my head. Acting quickly and while screaming loudly at the idea of loss of life (from embarrassment/ riding a death trap, not totally sure) I quickly wrapped my arms around the bars to first secure my body before grabbing my wig, holding it on my head…for the rest of the ride. Not an easy maneuver. I now think very cautiously about which rides I take or whether I wear a wig on them.

My biggest issue with capless wigs is that they rarely look natural. They do not have a hairline or part. Capless wigs worked perfectly well in the 1960’s as ‘big’ hairdos were fashionable and the desired look for that era. Now, however, not so much. But when you try and calm down the ‘bigness’ of the wig or creating a part to look natural, you end up exposing the underlying stitch. I remember one time catching a public bus, and having a bunch of young kids sniggering and glaring at me. I overheard some of their comments, all pertaining to the fact that I was obviously wearing a wig.  As an adult, I should have told them off and took the opportunity to spread the awareness. Instead, I ended up retracting into myself and putting my head down. I just wanted to look ‘normal’.

Capless wigs are perfect if you want ‘big’ hair or a costume. Otherwise, personally I would not recommend them for you. There are so many other wigs with similar ventilation, fit, and affordability that appear more natural.

What do you think of capless wigs?

XOX

why wear capless wigs? what are capless wigs? Are capless wigs worth the money? how can i tell if i am buying a good wig? are capless wigs recommended? How can i make a capless wig look realistic? My wig looks fake- help? Capless wigs explained. Pro’s and con’s of capless wigs? real life review of capless wigs.