Wigs: Varieties and Tips for Choosing

Hair plays a significant role in shaping a person’s appearance, reflecting his character and characteristics. And for those who do not have such a thick head of hair, a wig properly matched in color and structure will be a good solution to any problems with hair.

The first artificial hair was obtained in the middle of the last century from synthetics. A new fiber - nylon has just been invented and immediately became firmly in use by fashionistas. The synthesized polymer was actively used for the manufacture of various wigs, linings and chignons. Translated from the French "wig" means "lining for the hair." Attitude to wig varied depending on the era. Thus, in the Middle Ages, the wearing of this device was considered criminal and was prosecuted according to the law. In the story there is evidence that people were excommunicated for wearing wigs.

At the beginning of the XVIII century without a wig was a shame to appear in a decent society. At the same time, the first "comprehend" - lining, imitating hair. And their manufacture was done by the masters - the sweepers. Pads were worn in fashion, slightly powdered and treated with lipstick to keep the shape. In the Renaissance, people wore these powdered accessories as fashion accessories. Especially they were common among aristocrats and nobles.

But the best wigs were made by barbers for royals. These were complex compositions with flowers, lace, beads, feathers and other decorations. Some inserted fruit compositions and ship mockups into them. Practical such facilities just can not be called.

Historically, the fashion for wigs originated in ancient Egypt. There, long curls were especially valuable. They were sacrificed to a particular temple in order to appease a deity. Women wove gems and pearls, lotuses and other flowers into long braids, decorated their heads with gold chains, diadems and pendants. Hairstyles were designed in the form of clear geometric shapes: trapezium, semicircle or oval. Then hair began to cut in a stepped or cascade way.

Often, both male and female heads were decorated with patch braids in horizontal or vertical form. The children were also provided with such a device, having attached one or two braids to their heads, which meant: this child had not yet matured. Wigs were made from their own hair, but sometimes they used the hair of slaves. There were wigs made of wool, grass and chips, which were carefully laid and dyed in various colors. For example, the favorite shades of the Egyptians were red, black, orange and blue.

By the skillful inventions of hairdressers of the time are cones with oil, located on top of hair. They were used for aroma and irrigation of hair, protecting them in a similar way from drying out. The family members of Pharaoh and his entourage wore strict, intricate wigs, which are complex geometric structures in the form of cones, pyramids, and ellipses. The aesthetics were connected with practicality: the devices performed a protective function, protecting the head from being hit by the scorching sun.

Wigs came to Greece much later. They were used in theater productions.Then this item from the stage was transferred to the domestic sphere. Wigs began to wear in everyday life. Their diversity was great: from light Gallic to dark Indian. White hair was very expensive and was used to make the most elite aristocratic wigs.

The ancient Romans invented sophisticated ways of styling false hair. They invented all sorts of curling methods using chemical reagents and oils. To give the hair the desired shape, the Greeks began to use the first hot curlers - the prototype of modern curling. For this purpose, special metal rods were made that were heated on coals.

Roman beauties were regular customers of beauty salons, in which they performed many hours of hair wrapping and styling. It was easier to get some ready-made wigs to save time and money. Rich matrons decorated their hair with devices with pendants and precious stones, women of simple classes wove bright satin ribbons and fresh flowers into curls.

Each type of wig has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. There is a conditional gradation on "live" and "dead" wigs. Some are made from natural hair, others - from artificial strands. Artificial products include kanekalon - extracts of algae, synthetic ones made from nylon, modacryl, canton and vinyl. The natural product is purchased in Europe and Asia.

The most popular product is from India. There it is considered an honorable and profitable business to donate their hair for processing. In this country, there is a custom to completely cut off hair after significant events in life: healing from severe ailments, a long-awaited recovery, and other "gifts" of fate. Hair as a sign of sacrifice is given to the temple, where second-hand dealers buy it and after processing it is sold to distributors. Temples earn a few million a year on the "sacrificial" temple hair. Indian hair grows well, so this business is booming.

Raw materials are sorted, processed, discolored and re-painted, and then allowed into production. For the manufacture of a single wig, hair of different structure and quality can be used. This is due to the imitation of "their" hair, heterogeneous in structure, color and appearance. Strands can be pre-painted in the desired colors.

Inexpensive models will be relevant in the case when a person wears them occasionally or constantly changes, buying new ones.

Quality wigs are made of thermofibre. They look like real, resistant to heat, hot drying and styling. Laundry products include not only wigs, but also semi-wigs, as well as patch hairpieces, “tails”, braids and other aesthetic devices and accessories.

Some people are forced to wear wigs when necessary, for example, to hide traces of biochemistry. Others believe that such accessories are very convenient, do not require a constant investment of time and money. Still others buy wigs to drastically change the image, image. Depending on the motivation wigs perform various functions, and also have their own characteristics.

The structure of this device is folded in such a way that it is a cap with impaled tufts of hair. The fit of the product depends on its quality.For example, the base of wigs - monture, is a separate strip with fixed hair, sewn together. They are arranged in a stepwise way: tier on tier. On the spot of the parting and crown there are always special pads covering the monture. As a result, the hair is arranged in steps, but in such a way that the base is never visible - one tier will always overlap the base of the other.

To hide the hairline, all wigs are supplied with different bangs. In her absence, reversible semi-pairs are used, partially covering the head. A good quality wig is almost indistinguishable from “native” hair. The ability to transform is one of the advantages of a wig. To increase the volume, create melirovannyh or colored strands, as well as hiding unwanted areas of the head and face created special lightweight models. They are heterogeneous, equipped with special cells into which their own hair is embedded. In the net structure of such products there are no parts of the occipital or parietal region.

Historical wigs are used as attributes to create one stage image or another. Stage wigs designed for performances, masquerades and shows are not so demanding by the criteria of naturalness. They are much lower in price and quality, but they create a mood and help to enter this or that image.

Types of frames may be.

• Some of the best wigs are handmade models. Their frame has a dense mesh base, to which each hair is attached manually. Therefore, they are as close as possible to the natural head of hair.
• Usually hair in a wig is attached to a frame base, which is a strip with curls, fastened from the inside with lace nylon ribbons. When lifting hair tressy can be detected. In a fixed state, the mounts are not visible. These wigs are inexpensive, highly demanded and easy to wear. They are available with or without parting.
• Wigs with a monogrid covering gaps on the crown are also very popular. Such products can be combed and laid in any direction. Grid gives convenience and comfort.

Additional differences.

• Natural hair wigs are well colored, curled or, on the contrary, straightened, they can be cut and stacked in any way. The artificial ones are deprived of this possibility, therefore it is better to decide in advance on the shape and color of the wig.
• Natural products are subject to the effects of precipitation, while artificially neither snow nor rain is terrible. They are afraid of hot tongs and heat treatment.
• Natural hair always weighs about 50 grams heavier than artificial hair. The weight of one wig of natural hair starts from 130, and artificial - from 100 grams.
• Products made from real and mixed hair do not allow air well and are much hotter than their synthetic counterparts.

• Natural wigs last for an average of 5 years, while artificial wigs can be worn for up to 2 years with proper care.
• Wigs of real hair are often made to order, and the production of synthetic put on stream.
• Organic products are much more expensive than their synthetic "brothers." The average price varies depending on the length of the hair, the manufacturer, quality and is about 800 euros. Artificial models will cost much cheaper - only 200 euros.

All wigs are divided by appearance.There are ordinary, with short or long hair, with bangs, curls or flowing curls, as well as African or Asian. Afroparikas and pigtails are African.

• Afro are considered to be semi-ethnic and are not for everyone, but only for those who have the appropriate appearance. Often these products are a thick dark-haired head of hair with curly hair of medium length. Hair can also be light (but not red), natural or artificial, and also have varying degrees of twist. Such wigs are very popular among young people, they look very impressive and natural.
• African braids or wigs gaining popularity these days. These exotic products look unusual and fashionable, they can be natural or synthetic, short or long, multi-colored, monotonous, with interwoven elements: beads, ribbons, multi-colored strings, hairpins and other accessories.

• Neat wigs they are short-haired and thick, long or short, natural, mixed or synthetic. Their appearance and shape depends on the quality of the material from which they are made. Kare is an elegant, clear cut of a strict form, with or without a bang, with a device or an arbitrary combing of hair of natural shades. The most popular are natural black, chestnut and light brown, as well as blond and melirovannye.
• Wigs with cascading haircuts are always at the height of fashion. They are comfortable, look natural thanks to the falling strands. There are various shapes and colors. Synthetic models made of algae and thermofibre are very popular.
• Curly wigs Often they are made from natural hair, as they hold the perm well and are amenable to heat treatment better than synthetic ones. Their variety is great: from slightly curled ends to tight “chips”, from flowing overhead chignons on hairpins to lightweight products with the effect of “wet” hair.

Quality wigs always imitate natural hair color. The color palette is diverse: from pure natural colors to creative options, like colored strands. Light ones are divided into light brown and blond, dark ones have a wider range: from red to natural black. Shop colors can be complemented with your own painting if the quality of the wig's hair allows

The market for this type of product is filled with different brands offering different types of wigs, designed for every consumer. From here and the wide range of the prices for postigerny production. Chinese products are significantly lower in quality compared to European brands from Germany, America, Italy and Poland. The best among the leaders is the German brand Ellen Wille. She produces postizhernuyu products traditionally high quality.

The company was created by Helen Ville, literally making a breakthrough on the market for this type of product. It was based on the best age-old traditions of making wigs and false hair. Each wig is a high-quality product, comfortable to wear and unpretentious in the care. Among the advantages of the models, in addition to high quality, it can be noted: comfort, hidden frontal lines, natural coloring and hair styling.

The Ellen Wille collection contains models of natural and artificial hair. Natural are made exclusively from Slavic hair, softer in structure. Synthetic wigs are as close as possible to natural, with a matte sheen, do not lose their quality with long-wearing, resistant to heat, water and light, precipitation, drying and styling.

NJ Creation wigs are specifically designed for everyday wear. Products of this brand are manufactured using innovative Modulcap and Novicap Liberty technologies, which allow you to adjust the cap in size, as well as are equipped with polyurethane fasteners, providing the maximum level of fixation of the product on the head.

The choice of wig depends on some features of appearance. There are a number of rules for the selection of products of this type.

• To make the wig look natural, you need to purchase models of natural shades as close as possible to the color of your hair.
• When choosing, consider not only the quality of the wig, but also the haircut model that is right for you. Beautiful wigs in the window can look very different on different people. Each wig will sit in its own way.
• To make the face seem smaller, you should choose wigs with short or cascading hairstyles with volumetric top.
• Wigs are not suitable for everyone, but only for those who have a neat face shape. This haircut visually aggravates the chin, due to which the oval blurs. If you still choose a square, it is better from the number of models without a bang, with long hair.

• All wigs take on the shape of the wearer's head over time. This should be considered when buying. Usually after a week the product sits well on the head and does not cause discomfort.
• The highest quality products are made by hand on the basis of monofilament - tulle, imitating the surface of the head. Grid - invisible hairline makes this accessory invisible, so it is impossible to say if you have natural hair or a wig.
• Quality real wig should properly relate to the head of the owner. To do this, you need to choose the size of the cap. In size wigs are: small (mini) - up to 54 centimeters, medium (standard) - up to 57 centimeters and large (maxi) - up to 60 centimeters in volume.
• The length of hair wigs are divided into short - up to 25 centimeters, medium - up to 35 centimeters and long - from 35 centimeters or more.

• The structure of products can also be different: straight, wavy or curly.
• Equally important when choosing a manufacturer plays. Quality brands can not make cheap wigs. The exception is made for models for holidays, for example, for the "Jewish". Such products are always cheap due to low quality. But no one would ever think of wearing costume wigs every day.

Getting used to the wig, the man wears it like clothes, without psychological discomfort. It is important to choose your model and adhere to the basic rules of care and wear of this type of product.

Wearing a wig does not require shaving your hair. It is enough to remove them under a special mesh hat. Then, if necessary, fix and stack, giving a natural look. You can somehow comb, lay and curl curls.

Products of mass production are equipped with special devices: hooks, rubber bands, retainers and velcro to create maximum “grip” with the surface of the head of the owner. It is possible to plant a product practically on any head, the blessing that there is a set of options and adaptations for this.

Care of laundry products ensures their durability. The service life of a wig depends on proper care. You can wear and wear an artificial wig for many years, and you can “kill” it in a couple of months. To care for wigs should be the same as for their own hair, regardless of the degree of their naturalness.

• Among the features of natural wigs - the need for styling after each wash. In the rain and damp, they also need special care. There are special sprays that protect these products from the effects of precipitation.
• Natural products with the addition of thermofibre are more resistant to various kinds of effects. They do not need additional styling even after washing. They are combed as you like. Natural products are best given to experts. They know how to properly wash a wig without spoiling it. If you decide to do it yourself, you should consider some features.For example, natural wigs are washed, on average, once every two months with a good shampoo, in a special mesh, and after that they always use conditioner.

• Artificial hair wigs are washed much less often - once every four months and also use mild detergent with rinse.
• Dry wigs on a special basis so that they do not lose shape. Sometimes, when you need to quickly bring the product in order, you can use a hair dryer, but it is better to dry naturally. Comb artificial and natural hair only when dry, gently, avoiding contact of the comb with the base of the wig cap.

Using the advice of experts, you can expect that your wig will serve you well for many years.

For information on how to choose and wear a wig, see the video.