Wigs and Wig Care

Wigs are a great way to achieve a certain look without making a permanent change to your hair. This is a great alternative for Lolitas with jobs that have dress codes. Another up-side is it cuts down on the time it takes to get ready and you don't have to worry about damaging your hair with product, teasing, or heat styling.

But with all the upsides to wigs comes the effort of maintaining them. You want to make sure you don't ruin your amazing coord with a ratty wig.

Buying Wigs

There are several places to buy wigs online. If you want fast shipping you can order from an American company like Gothic Lolita Wigs. Wigs tend to run about $35 to $70 each, but you get fast shipping and good service. Also, check out Arda Wigs. They're great for cosplay too.

If that's too expensive for you(I know it is for me) you can try to find the same wigs on taobao, the Chinese equivalent of an amazon.com mixed with ebay. If you're lucky, you can find the *exact* wig you saw on GLW for less than half the price. Here is a lost of taobao links that one of my locals pieced together. There are a lot of other links to clothes and shoes too.

The downside to taobao is it can take a month to receive what you have ordered, if something goes wrong you have very little power as a buyer which is something that I've found Americans have a hard time coping with, it can easily turn into a labyrinth of links, you have to go through a shopping service, and it is very easy to accidentally make an order that is way more than you ever intended to spend.

I know you're probably wondering why people bother at all if there are so many downsides, but I've bought wigs, that on GLW would go for $45, for $12. The prices more than make up for the downsides and you are able to find things there that you won't be able to in your country.

Now that I've given you a couple good places to start when buying wigs, let me tell you where you don't want to buy wigs.

• Party City
• Halloween stores
• Your local beauty supply
• While I go to the local beauty supply for loose hair to build hair pieces, and to buy accessories and make up, I don't buy wigs there. This is just from my personal experience, but beauty supplies in my area tend to market to black women. If you aren't black, your hair type is going to be different. The hair styles that are popular in the black community are going to be different and might not look so good on you. The wigs there are meant to look natural on people that have completely different physical characteristics than you might have.
• If you're black then this is probably good news(or not, chances are you have already been to your local beauty supply) in which case I would say you're half way there. You're going to find a wig that's going to look much better on you than it would me, BUT you probably won't find a wig that will fit with the Lolita aesthetic. Not to say you won't find a rocking cute wig there for general wear.

How to Wear a Wig

 No, you can't just plop it on your head and go. Here is a list of steps from when you first pull your wig out of it's bag.

• First thing. Pull your hair up and pin it close to your head. A lot of people can get away with pulling their hair into one ponytail, but I have long hair. I take my hair in sections and twist it, then pin it as close to my head as possible. I try to make it as flat against my head as possible. I don't want my wig to look lumpy. I also clip back my bangs.
• Next put on your wig cap. Stretch it around your head and make sure it settles on your hairline on the back of your head and the hairline above your forehead. Tuck all your loose hair into the cap. You might even need to use bobby pins to keep your cap in place.
• When trying a new cap, I like to wear it while I do my make up and get dressed. It has a couple benefits. I can apply heavy make up without worrying about getting it in my hair and I can gauge how I'm going to feel for the rest of the day. Sometimes, you get a cap that is too tight on your head. The right thing to do is to test it out before you're stuck at an event feeling really uncomfortable.
•  A wig cap is cheap. While I don't buy wigs from the beauty supply, I do buy wig caps there. I can find a package of two for $1.99. A wig cap is important because it just looks really sloppy if your natural hair is sticking out the back of your wig. You can't see yourself from behind, so you might not even know it's happening. Another good reason to wear your cap is to protect your wig from the oils in your hair. That helps keep your wig in good condition and extend it's life.
• Can you ever wear a wig without a wig cap? NO. There is no excuse not to have one. They are essential to your look and the quality of your wig. And they're cheap. Don't half-ass your head wear. 
• When you put on a wig 
• Brush it out with a wig brush Here are some examples on a google shopping page. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Just like how you should brush your regular hair.
• flip it up-side-down 
• bend over and fit it onto your head
• take this time to adjust the strap on the inside of the wig(which should always be in the back of the wig) 
• as you stand up straight, flip the wig up-right, think of the scene in The Little Mermaid when Ariel fist becomes human. She hurries to the surface of the water, and when she makes it, she flips her hair. Do that, but less dramatic...and not completely wet.
• I have a couple wigs that I put on the hard way, which is fitting it onto my head without flipping it. That's really only because those particular wigs tangle easier than the others.
• Brush it again and adjust. You want to make sure it's centered and the part of the wig is where it's supposed to be.
• If this is your first time wearing the wig you might have to trim the bangs. Here's a list of videos on youtube for tutorials on cutting bangs.
• And you might have to pin the wig to your head so it doesn't slide back. Just tuck your bobby pins(wavy side to your head) into the wefts of your wig, be careful not to damage them.
• It might be necessary to brush it while you wear it. I keep a small wig brush in my purse. I also like to keep a dryer sheet with me. If you use a dryer sheet on your wig it cuts down on static that can cause frizz and fly-aways. Just slide it from the top of the wig, down. Don't rub it like you're drying your hair out of the shower.

Cleaning the Wig

Wigs have a shelf life. You can extend their life with maintenance and cleaning.

• Wig cleaning tutorial from wig salon
•  Tumblr post about cleaning wigs

Storing Your Wig

If you have the space and the money, I suggest you keep them on a wig head on a shelf. Unfortunately, I can't do that because I have a cat that loves to play in wigs and a small apartment. What I do is I have a special drawer in my dresser where I keep my wigs. I like to keep them separated with tissue paper. I always brush my wigs before storing them and if I have a long wig I braid it before putting it away. Braiding will keep it from getting tangled or matted.

Wig Don'ts

• No hairspray
• No styling with heated tools
• Don't use regular shampoo on it
• Don't use any weave products on it(I learned that the hard way years ago after some bad advice)
• Don't rip through your wig with a brush or comb, be gentle
• Don't part your bangs in the center if they're too long, get help if you have to, but trim your bangs
• Don't trim with fabric scissors
• After washing, always lay flat to dry or supported on a wig stand. Never let dry in a heap.
• Only under dire circumstances should you take your wig off at an event. And do it in the bathroom. People don't look so good with just wig caps on.

Thanks for reading! I hope this post helps. 

-Lunette <3