About Your Hair: Part 1: Wig’d Out

By Dr. Linda Amerson
hairandscalpessentials.com

Most women love the versatility wigs provide. Wigs can bring out your alter ego. Seriously! Wigs are designed to look very natural. From short and sassy, long lengths to the floor, bright colors, blonde, brunette, high-lights, redheads, partials, lace frontal, and more. Women, teenagers, and some children wear wigs for various reasons — lazy hair day or to hide hair loss/hair thinning issues are the top two reasons. Social embarrassment is a true factor for wig wearers.

A Lil’ Wig History

History reveals that in the 16th century Europe practically everyone wore a wig. Wigs were equally popular with the Greeks and Romans. Did you know that in Rome there were statues with marble wigs, which were removable? This was possible so wigs could be changed with shifts in fashion. The laurel wreath crowning of great victors, king’s crowning on male wigs, and the queen’s tiara, were all symbolic of status on wigs. 

In addition, it represented the fertile powers of human hair and of the sun. Elaborate wigs made of silver and gold have been found in Egyptian tombs. In the 17th and 18th centuries, men wore wigs as often as women. In fact, the most powerful men in society wore large powdered wigs. Today’s wigs are made from a variety of fibers: human and synthetic hair, mixtures of synthetic and human hair, yarn, fabric, as well as animal hair imported from many countries is the most popular.

Because there is no regulation currently in place for imported hair, there is an enormous demand for (any) hair for image boosting. Many consumers are unaware of the fact, they may be purchasing flowing or curly hair, made from sheep, horsehair, or camels, just to name a few. Unfortunately, labels are not required to inform consumers about an animal or synthetic hair blends. The price of synthetic hair may range from $20-$300. Human hair wigs may range from $500-$2000, or more. Some of the top celebrity wig makers include Kim Kimble, Stacy Butterworth, Shon Hyungsun Ju, Isaac Davidson, Terrence Davidson, Larry Sims, Troy Mitchell, Nabil Harlow, Tokyo Stylez, and Akki Shirakawa.