Wig Recommendations

[Vapunzel91]

I know that I want to grow my hair out, but I'm also desperate to just wear knee-long hair through college. The only way I can do that though, is to wear a wig. My questions are:
1) Could wearing a wig when I'm out of the dorm, be hard and unhealthy for my hair?
2) Where could I get a really, really long wig?
3) Where could I get a brightly colored wig?

[Angelphie]

I don't know for sure about damage to your real hair, but I wouldn't expect it to be a problem. In order to wear a wig you would want a wig cap, and I imagine that would help protect your hair.

There was a thread on wigs recently which might help:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=58015 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=58015)
I mentioned some places to buy wigs there, but for super-long synthetic ones in particular, off the top of my head from personal experience I know Amphigory has great quality long wigs in their classic collection, Cosplay.com has a good selection of long ones, and some Japanese sites you can order from (possibly through a shopping service) like Cyperous or Maple Wigs are excellent. All of these will have bright, unnatural colours too.

There are plenty more wig sellers and brands out there, just research what makes a quality wig and you'll know what to look for. Generally buying online is cheaper than any local shops you may find, but bear in mind that long wigs are the most expensive wherever you buy them. If you're keen on a quality wig for everyday wear, it may need to be lace front and/or human hair, which is a huge investment.

I don't know what price/quality of wig you're prepared to consider, but I'd be reluctant to wear any of my long wigs on a daily basis because they don't take it well. I don't have any experience of human hair wigs, but as a general rule, even my highest quality synthetic long wigs tangle badly and do so worse than real hair. Again disclaimer - I only have experience of my own hair type and length, but all my wigs tangle infinitely more than my real hair and take a lot of time to detangle. They will mat terribly against your back, frizz and don't cope well at all with windy days. The tangles/frizz do not look like those in natural hair, and the wig fibres can become damaged/kinked from the tangling and require heat to reset themselves. Styling a wig is also a rather different matter from dealing with real hair and you can end up with an unnatural-looking hairline should you wish to tie a wig back or attempt updos. It also sounds as though you’re mainly keen to wear a wig down anyway, which leaves you with the tangle issues.

Perhaps pick up a more affordable long synthetic wig on ebay first and try that out so you can see how you like it? I’d certainly advise that before investing in anything really expensive. If you stick with decent synthetic wigs, you could easily have a selection of long wigs in a range of colours/styles without spending too much, I’m just not sure they’d be best suited to everyday wear.

[Purdy Bear]

The place to look for cheap wigs is Ebay, they have really long ones on there. Be aware though that most wigs itch, so I would get a cheap one first and trial it out before spending too much. They have every style and colour you can think of - even flourescent purples and greens.

Most who wear wigs with hair, get a net that covers the hair, one which the wig sits (this comes seperate from the wig itself so youd need to buy one of these as well). Have a look on You Tube as there are a lot of videso giving advice on wigs.

You also need special shampoo/conditioner for wigs.

The other tip Iv found on a shopping channel was not to open an oven door when wearing a wig as the heat singes the front, and another is to swing the wig back and forward to loosen the hair when fresh out of storage.

[ilovelonghair]

With human hair there is the problem that where it has been attached to the lace each hair had a little piece sticking out which has it's scales the other way round as the rest of the hair (does that make scene?) those rub and make tangles at the 'scalp' part of the wig.

[Vapunzel91]

With human hair there is the problem that where it has been attached to the lace each hair had a little piece sticking out which has it's scales the other way round as the rest of the hair (does that make scene?) those rub and make tangles at the 'scalp' part of the wig.Yes, that does make sense. Thank you ilovelonghair, Purdy Bear, and Angelphie. All of this does help me with my search.

What would be people's opinions towards sew-in or homemade wigs?

[Maverick494]

I don't really get what you're trying to accomplish.

Do you want to know what it's like having knee length hair in real life? Do you want to have knee length hair for college because that's the look you wish to have?

If the first is the case, you won't need to invest in a very expensive wig, because it's just to try out. You can get long wigs on Ebay and other websites often for little money.

If the second is the case, you'll have to think long and hard on the exact wig, because the only way to have it look real is to get a 100% human hair lace wig. These often are $1000 or more. It's hard work to get that wig to look natural on you. Youtube has tutorials, but those are often done by women with short hair, who don't need to tuck in their locks.

My mom wears a wig every day because she had severe hair loss caused by medicine. It looks real to most people (or atleast they've never voiced any suspicions), but I can always tell. Don't be surprised if other people also can.

[joiekimochi]

I am the opposite of you! I have a short bobbed wig for when I want a short-hair day. I make two french braids and pin the braids close and flat to my head and wear a wig cap over my head, before putting on my wig. Although it is only flip-length, the hairs tangle like crazy. I have a special comb and conditioner for my wig. It can also get very warm and sweaty under the wig. I can't imagine how a super-long wig is going to be a feasable everyday look. Why don't you get super-long extensions instead?

[Anje]

Poking around in the Wig thread, I found these (http://shop.cosplay.com/wigs/cosplay-com/xx-01.html). They're not going to look natural, though.

Obviously, it's unlikely that you'll find a knee-length human hair wig, and if you do, it's going to be seriously expensive.