One summer day, while vacationing on the beach, I had my hair pulled back tight due to the windy weather and the strands whipping me in the face. My husband looked at me and said, “You look just like Sarah* with your hair like that”.
Though he probably meant it innocently enough, my first thought was that Sarah appears to have a receding hairline. This happens to some women and there’s absolutely no shame in it, but I was devastated nonetheless. That one phrase sent me down a rabbit-hole from which I’ve not yet emerged. Even though I had never before given it a thought, I started to obsess over my hairline. Was it really creeping back? Did I have a problem? Was that his way of calling me unattractive?
All these thoughts transpired in the span of a second, but it was enough for me to start researching potential solutions and led to what I now consider a strong obsession (addiction?) to wigs. I remember the first YouTube video I watched about helper hair. It featured a lovely southern lady by the name of Jill doing a review of a Raquel Welch piece and it blew my mind. This wig completely transformed her into a goddess. She was fabulous before, but now? Wow. I also had this whole new vocabulary to learn. What the heck was permatease? What’s the difference between a lace front and a basic cap? What is hand-tied and how is it better than a mono part? What the heck is my head circumference?
This became a world full of possibilities. With wigs, I could have perfect hair every single day. Not only that, but I could be a blonde or a redhead! My perpetually frizzy short hair could be sleek, shiny, and long mermaid hair. Perhaps I wanted an edgier look and decided to rock a pixie! I could have all this and hide a receding hairline. Perfect.
Umm…they cost how much?
Who are some fake hair wearing celebs? Dolly Parton, Katy Perry, Keira Knightley, Lady Gaga, and Zendaya to name a few. Gwen Stefani even joked that she hasn’t seen her real hair since 9th grade!
It’s been about a year and I now have a closet full of ‘personalities’ that I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of money on all because of one comment that got under my skin. My hairline hasn’t budged, but I have discovered a wonderful and supportive community of women who are going through various stages of hair loss for different reasons and some ladies who just like to play! We all just want to feel beautiful and confident. Wigs help with that.
And, in a twist of irony, my husband hates the wigs.
Go figure.
*name has been changed
