Wig Tips by Isaac Davidson

Hair loss during cancer treatments stinks, plain and simple, and a wig may be the last thing you want to deal with. Maybe you want to go bald and beautiful instead…but your lifestyle dictates you can’t. However, with a few tips a well-fitting, natural looking wig can really help keep your spirits up. We talked to celebrity wig designer Isaac Davidson to help ease some of fears about wig wearing and give us practical style tips.

I’ve been avoiding getting a wig because I’m afraid it’ll fall off at the worst possible time! What can I do?

Wigs have come a long way! There are now wigs that have a rubber lining around the hairline. To prevent or from sliding back, look for a wig with a rubber front. These offer a nice tight and secure fit.

You can also use wig tape to hold a wig on securely, and it is actually surprisingly easy to use. The best holding one I have found is Topstick®.

Synthetic wigs are SO much less expensive than human hair. But can they look natural?

In the last few years the technology used in making synthetic hair has changed remarkably. The hair now does not have the fake shine of synthetic hair of the past. You can also style the new synthetics with heat, just like natural hair! You can curl, blow dry, and so on. Just be sure to keep temp at 300 degrees or less.

Another benefit of synthetic hair is that the style stays intact when it’s humid.

But…human hair is still going to be the most natural looking.

I don’t want to have to go to a wig salon every time I need to style my wig. Can I do this at home?
Yes you can. I recommend investing in a canvas wig head, wig pins and a table clamp (available at www.hisandher.com). The Styrofoam wig heads are a disaster for styling. For storage they are fine.

Wash human or synthetic wigs before bed so that they have all night to dry. Wash, towel dry then place on the canvas head. Use a wig pin in each temple and two at the nape, and comb out straight following the desired part. Let the wig dry overnight. This avoids more wear and tear from a blow dryer. In the morning, you can use your styling tools or just a light blow dry to create volume.

Finally, what should I use to care for my wig?

For washing and conditioning human hair wigs, I recommend using a sulfate-free shampoo and Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner for All Hair Types®. Something in this conditioner works incredibly on human hair wigs because the hair is processed a little differently for use on wigs. I find this keeps the hair silky. Recommendation: only use on the ends to avoid weighing hair down.
You may want to use natural products on a human hair wig: but I do NOT recommend the use of all-natural hair products on human hair wigs or hair extensions. The hair does not have your natural oils, making natural products react differently. In fact, they can actually dry the hair out.
For washing synthetic hair, use a clarifying shampoo like Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo®. Synthetic hair build up different than human and this gets it nice and clean. Use the same conditioner as above.

[SB tip: always check with your insurance company to see if they will cover a “head prosthesis,” i.e., a wig. Many will.]