Do you just put the wig on an go out?

[julieanniam]

Okay, I have been reading some of the many stories on here and have decided that I am tired of checking mirrors every time I walk by to see if my scalp is showing. I have no idea what my hair loss is called, I had thyroid cancer at age 29 and have been on Synthyroid, Levoxyl and Armour through the years. My hair loss hasn't been too dramatic but slowly it is getting worse. I am 45 now and stumbled upon a Merle Norman store in the mall and met the most wonderful woman who showed me how pretty I was with HAIR!!! I had bought a few wigs on the internet and had not the courage to wear them outside as I thought I looked pretty rediculous in them. This woman showed me how to actually put the wig on and to "style" it. I left her store with a below shoulder length wig that my daughter says makes me look like Jennifer Aniston (the hair looks like JA!) We went to eat at Chili's and I noticed people kept looking at me and it made me uncomfortable, daughter insists that they are just wondering who does my hair, I resist the urge to "play" with it as I fidget with my utensils. I wore the wig most of that day and when hubby comes home he gives me that "God, not another fad/impulse" look but doesn't say anything.
Holy cow, I did have a question, sorry for ranting. :)
My question is, since I still have a lot of my own hair and it is still stylable and no one has ever stopped me on the street and suggest I get a wig, do I just start wearing them and forget about trying to get the hair underneath to grow? I have a close personal friend who said I should not put a wig over my hair as it will make the hairloss worse and then I will have to wear it all the time, but honestly this wig makes me look 10 years younger, can that be a bad thing?
Have any of you just had a turning point where you said "this is it, I am going to wear it every day now"? I am going to buy locking clips (sounds militaristic, huh?) as I live in a windy area and the fear of it doing a Dorothy on me will diminish.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Julie

[Angela]

Hi Julie,

For sure people were looking at you because you had beautiful hair. I used to think people looked at me and knew right away it was a wig, but that never happened. What did happen was, if someone had the balls to actually approach me to ask about my hair, it was because they wanted to know who did the color and cut. I never told anyone it was a wig and just gave the name and address of the salon I went to. If they actually ever did go to that salon, they would find out really fast that it was a wig salon! LOL

Wearing a wig on top of your bio hair shouldn't make the hair stop growing, nor should it damage the hair you have. I think that is a misconception. My healthy hair that I shaved off would grow back under the wig without missing a beat.
When should you start wearing a wig? As soon as you feel it's necessary. It doesn't matter if anyone else thinks you don't need it. You raise a good question because so many women feel that they still have "enough hair" to get away with it, but they also feel miserable inside about what they are looking at. When is it time to wear a wig? Do we wait until everyone and their brother knows you are losing your hair, or do we decide to take the bull by the horns and move forward? If your hair loss slows down and your hair begins to start looking good again, then you can always take the wig off. But why not look fabulous while you are waiting? :D

[julieanniam]

I brought it today to show a friend of mine and he says "oh my God! you look 20 years younger!" wow, was that a surprise! and a boost to my confidence. I plan on wearing it all day tomorrow just to see how it feels after several hours. My poor daughter got stuck between a wig and a hard place Saturday night. We went to a bar to play pool and she loves the long blonde wig I have (but never wore!) so she wore it.....and of course she meets a fine young man who asks her for her phone number. He calls the next day to invite her to lunch and she has to wear the wig as she doesn't know if it was the hair he liked or her..........LOL!!!!:D
Turns out he likes to hike and took her on a hike near Pike's Peak...and it was 79 degrees!!! She said he was yawning on the way up and she was panting from the heat.........she came home looking like a drowned rat. Apparently he likes more than the hair though because he asked her out again tonight and she says "I can't go through with that again, I am just going to go natural, she has nice thick BROWN hair..........LMAO!!! Will keep you updated!

[kawawa]

Yes I glued the darn thing on and went for it. I haven't been sorry and I look 10 years younger. I never tell anyone about my topper and I get only nice comments about great hair.

I say do what makes you happy.

[julieanniam]

You glued the wig on? :eek: can you do that? :eek:I just scrunch my face just right and pull real hard, I also put toupe clips in the front so if it gets windy hopefully it won't end up in Kansas! Glue???? I am so new to this, I now have 6 wigs and one on the way (wonder if I can claim them on my taxes?) Is a topper the same as a wig?

[lazy]

You sound as if you are at the same stage as me with your wonderful wig. My hair is thin and straggly looking after lots of shedding with CTE, yet I have a full head of hair, as such. At this point I want to look fabulous and I have my topper yearning to go out and show off! LOL. I have been taking extra special care to cut it to blend with my bio hair in a style I feel comfortable and eventually I have finally got it to the point where I know it looks natural.

You have obviously got the confidence to go out and KNOW you look good. So do it!

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and we are going out for a meal to celebrate and I will definitely be wearing the topper. Talk about keeping things in the closet but tomorrow we are going to fly!

I think your friend could be right but only in as much that once you have got used to wearing supplementary hair it is going to be weird going back to thin hair. But hey, we only live once, right?

You Must fill us in with how your daughter went on with new boyfriend.

[julieanniam]

I got some clips to sew in and WOW what a difference! I can do the Hokey Pokey and the thing stays put! I sewed them in all the wigs and now I am ready to go!
Daughter came back 5 minutes ago and said "he likes my hair!" BIG WHEW!!! he asked her out again (he is being shipped out in 2 weeks, poor thing!) and it seems like things are going well in the 21 year old's world.:cool:
Yes, definitely wear the topper, I've been studying all evening about different types of hair and hair pieces and I think a topper might even be better than a complete wig as I still have long hair, but oh I LOVE the wigs I have so far!
I am travelling in 3 weeks and I am so going to wear the wigs and feel wonderful about myself, I've got a new dress coming to wear dancing and to celebrate HAIR! and freedom of choices and YOU GIRLS!!!

Thanks for all the support, this isn't so bad when you find you're not alone!:D

[lazy]

I think using the clips in wigs is a brilliant idea and gives you the security of knowing your hair isn't going to shift. Isn't it fun to be able to choose a hairstyle and color so quickly and easily!

I had a great day today and wore my topper out for the first time and have still got it on. It feels so light I don't know it's there and I feel great wearing it. It was a bit like finding the missing piece in a jigsaw as now I can feel good about myself at long last without that awful stomach churning feeling when I got dressed to go out and then looked in the mirror and felt deflated about the state of my hair. It is really empowering.

Good news about DD and the new boyfriend!

[julieanniam]

:eek:So the boyfriend comes over today to pick the daughter up to go to town, I had been wearing the wig all day and it does look wonderful, people at Kohl's were looking at me but I really believe it is because they LIKED it! The lady at the college said "I have to tell you, I love what you've done with your hair" I just said "oh, thank you!". The two kids go to town and I take the wig off and begin cooking dinner......then think "oh boy, I better text daughter and tell her to text me before they come home" Now I am the one who is trying to keep it a secret!!! Holy smokes!
The clips did a fantastic job as a cold front is coming through and we have 40 mph winds tonight:eek: I am still finding myself pulling the wig down (in the bathroom of course) so I need to adjust something back there. Tomorrow I am going to be a red head!:D:D

[julieanniam]

Congratulations on that first step to freedom! I really feel pretty good wearing this wig and I wonder how many people wait for the "right time"....when is the right time to begin feeling good about yourself? NOW!
I am glad you enjoyed the experience and feel empowered. The very first time I put one on (months ago!) I thought "someone ought to write a book about the experience because it was like time travel back 20 years":cool:

[kawawa]

My topper is actually glued to my hair, really. It is a small wiggy 6x7 inches. They can clip in too. There are lots of ways to keep them on.

Hair Direct is a great place to go and learn about the different type of glues tapes and types of netting. I haven't ordered from them but it helped me understand it all.

Have a look at my photo and you can see it really good.


You glued the wig on? :eek: can you do that? :eek:I just scrunch my face just right and pull real hard, I also put toupe clips in the front so if it gets windy hopefully it won't end up in Kansas! Glue???? I am so new to this, I now have 6 wigs and one on the way (wonder if I can claim them on my taxes?) Is a topper the same as a wig?

[julieanniam]

I had no idea there were so many options and am exploring everything now! I will look at that site. It is amazing the price differences between companies and products, I am perfectly happy with my $150.00 (50% off sale price) wigs and yet there are wigs for $1,200. and more..........imagine!

Thanks for sharing.

Julie

[sherrybalesteros]

Hi! Having a wig does not affect on how you look like to people, because it depends on how you carry it. It's only you who knows the truth that its a fake crown, but as long as you look good in it there is nothing wrong. Congrats on your new hair. :)

[dutchiev326]

I lost my hair for a very odd reason. I went to the medical clinic several months ago to find out why I lost it and it turns out my skull is covered with scar tissue from an accident I had as a small child. Hair will not grow through it. The more the scar tissue spread, the more hair I lost.

For years I fought wearing a wig. I would move my thinning hair in all directions to cover the bald spots. I was ashamed of having to wear a wig and wondered what people would think of me. I made the mistake of buying my first wig at a dept store. That was a mistake because I did not look as good as I thought I did in it. I finally went a place that specialized in wigs and got a nice one that looked better then my real hair.

Only a few were rude and one man made me feel like crap when he got up in my face and said, 'that ain't your real hair.' I just considered the source and ignored him.

I have grown to just the put the wig on and go. I look better then many out their with their real hair.

Most people commented on how much

[deeMbee]

I just finished reading your posts and have been so inspired by your story. I am 58 years old and hairloss has been a problem for me since my early 20's. I have had every test, tried tons of lotions and potions, vitamins, you name it. I would lose tons of hair but I always seemed to have alot of new growth so the hairloss was more noticeable to me than anyone else. However, over 3 years ago I was diagnosed with thyroid disease and before the diagnosis the hairloss was extreme. I had to have the thyroid removed and take Synthroid and since that time the hairloss has been bad and the regrowth minimal. I have finally reached the point where I am considering wigs as the hairloss and being self conscious is taking over my life!!! I am not sure where to start. Do you go to wig shops or salons and websites? Do you have any great websites you could share with me? I loved what you were saying about how the wigs make you look and feel. I do believe my long standing hairloss is a result of genetics as well as the thyroid and the worst thinning is on top and sides. Right now I use a product called Great Hair Day by Joan Rivers which is a powder similar to eye shadow that you apply to the scalp with a small brush to help cover the shiny areas. The product is great and works wonders but honestly I am tired of having to paint my scalp before I will leave the house. Any info you can supply me about the wigs you buy would be so appreciated. Thanks so much.

[Evelyntrav]

I feel the urge to comment to some of the posters who prefer not to mention that it is a wig.

My scarring alopecia (lichen plano pilaris) started when I was 40 and by the time I was 50-something, I decided to wear a wig. When I get a compliment from someone about my hair, I often tell them it is a wig because of I have major hair loss. Since I want others, including strangers, to be sensitive to people with hair loss and perhaps set an example to them in case they should ever experience the problem, I am open about it. It often leads ot an interesting chat and I believe I have helped our hair-challenged community. Once at a work-related meeting with 10 colleagues, someone said they really like my hair color and I told the group the story. They were amazing, had lots of questions, and one asked for a referral for a friend. Over the yrs, people have used me as a resource for others who were in a panic.

So go out there and spread the word so they can accept hair loss for themselves and others.

[harmoni]

I'm so glad I found this thread. I will be a first time wearer soon...starting to look for wigs. Kudos to you guys for the courage to make this journey. I hope I will be able to too. I had my derm appointment 2 weeks ago and they acknowledge that my hair is significantly thinner than my baseline from last year.
Questions on wigs. Are you guys using bonded wigs, or just wearing them for the day and removing them afterwards? I want to start with the latter but am afraid that the wig will shift or blow off during windy days coming up. Appreciate any talk on this area.

[KrissyT]

Brand new to the board. Just trying to gather some info. Sounds like you and your daughter have been having some fun with all this! Where do you buy or find all these wigs? Do you go to a store to try them on? You mentioned something about a Merle Norman woman helping you,. Do they sell wigs there?

[Tan B]

Congrats on wigging it out! You rock lol doesn't it feel good. Keep it up beautiful!!

[godfreygirl143]

I got some clips to sew in and WOW what a difference! I can do the Hokey Pokey and the thing stays put! I sewed them in all the wigs and now I am ready to go! :D I'm new here and just ran across your post. I've been having to wear a wig all the time now and have been hating it and resenting my hair loss....this site helps SO much with that. But I have a few questions for you. :confused:I've been just using bobby pins all over my head to keep mine on. WHAT are those clips you're talking about that you sew in? How do you do it? Where do you get them? I also worry about when my bf spends the night. We've been together over 7 years and I had hair when we began. (I'm 68, but look much younger...with the wig that is) and I don't have the nerve to not wear a wig to bed. But I worry about it moving and get up off and on to fix it. I'd love knowing about those clips so I could feel more confident about it and put away all these stupid bobby pins. SO many questions for you....sorry for that. :eek: