The Beginner's Guide for Buying & Wearing Hair Wigs
Buying hair wigs comes down to three numbers: your head measurement, your budget and the length you'll actually wear. Wearing hair wigs comes down to one thing: a flat base underneath. This hair wig guide covers both.
Key Takeaways
- Measure your head before you shop. Cap size causes more returns of hair wigs than any style problem.
- Synthetic hair wigs hold their style. Human hair wigs take heat and colour. Pick by how much you restyle.
- Braid or cap your own hair flat. Every fitting problem with hair wigs starts underneath the cap.
- Buy within two shades of your natural colour on a first purchase.
- Wash every 8 to 12 wears and air dry on a stand, or the cap loses the tension that holds it on.
Part One: Buying Hair Wigs
Step 1: Measure your head
Run a soft tape from your front hairline, above the ears, around the occipital bone at the back and return to the start. Measure with your own hair braided flat or wrapped, because that's how it will sit when you wear it.
| Cap size | Circumference | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Petite | Under 21.5 inches | Smaller head or fine hair underneath |
| Average | 21.5 to 22.5 inches | Most buyers of hair wigs |
| Large | Over 22.5 inches | Larger head or thick braided hair |
Between two sizes, take the smaller one. Straps let out easily; caps do not shrink. Outside the average band, see petite wigs or large cap wigs.
Step 2: Choose the fibre
This is the decision that sets the price and the maintenance of your hair wigs for as long as you own them.
Synthetic holds its set through washes and humidity, costs a fraction of human hair and needs no styling. It cannot be dyed, and standard fibre cannot take heat. High-temperature fibre can, within its rated limit.
Human hair takes heat, colour and restyling, and moves more convincingly. It costs considerably more and drops its style after every wash.
Step 3: Choose the cap construction
- Machine-made full cap: cheapest, most durable, fixed parting.
- Lace front: sheer lace at the hairline, machine cap behind, explained in our guide to what a lace front wig is. The middle ground most hair wigs use.
- Closure (4x4 or 5x5): small lace patch where you want the part.
- Hand-tied: most natural movement, highest price.
- Headband or drawstring: no lace at all, fastest to wear.
Step 4: Choose length and colour
Shorter is easier. Weight pulls the cap backwards, so a 14-inch unit sits more securely than a 30-inch one. On colour, stay within two shades of your natural hair for a first purchase. A large jump reads as costume rather than hair.
Five Hair Wigs and Pieces from the Global Swanky Wigs Collection
These five sit in the Global Swanky wigs collection and cover the main categories a beginner will meet.
1. Long Straight Lace Front Synthetic Wig
The Long Straight Lace Front Synthetic Wig starts at $31.73 and runs 18 to 40 inches with a 13x4 cm lace front in high-temperature fibre. Six colours. This is the standard shape most long hair wigs take.
2. Lace Front Curly Human Hair Blend Wig
The Lace Front Curly Human Hair Blend Wig is $26.98 with a 13x4 lace frontal, pre-plucked hairline and adjustable straps, heat resistant to 180°C, in 12 to 26 inch. It ships with a storage bag and care instructions.
3. Elastic Band Ponytail Wig
Not every problem needs full coverage. The Elastic Band Ponytail Wig is $24.79 in lengths from 45 cm to 80 cm and weights from 90g to 160g, attached with a rubber tendon band.
4. Mens Invisible Hairpiece, Hand Tied
The Mens Invisible Hairpiece Hand Tied at $92.25 is fully hand-woven with an ultra-thin base, available in nine base sizes from 13x18 cm to 18x20 cm. Hand-tied construction is what you're paying for at this price point.
5. Synthetic Hair Extension Clip, 4-Piece Set
The Synthetic Hair Extension Clip is $25.55 for four clip-in pieces totalling 200g, in 20 inch or 24 inch, across more than twenty shades.
Part Two: Wearing Hair Wigs
Prepare the base
Almost every complaint about hair wigs slipping, sitting high or looking bulky traces back to what's underneath. Braid your hair flat against the scalp, or wrap it and pin it. Then put on a mesh or nylon cap.
Place it correctly
- Loosen the adjustable straps before you start so the unit slides on easily.
- Hold it by the ear tabs, tilt your head forward and set the front edge about one finger-width behind your natural hairline.
- Slide it back over your head, keeping the front in place.
- Pull the back down until it sits at the nape.
- Tighten the straps until one finger fits underneath, then seat the combs.
Check the hold before you leave
Bend forward, shake your head side to side five times and stand up. Nothing should have shifted. Lifting always starts at the temples, so check those in a mirror first. For lace units specifically, follow our step-by-step install guide.
Caring for Hair Wigs
- Wash every 8 to 12 wears, or sooner with heavy product use.
- Detangle from the ends upward, never from the roots down.
- Air dry on a stand. Heat drying shrinks the elastic that holds hair wigs in place.
- Store on a stand or flat in a bag. Never fold at the lace.
- Keep styling product off the roots, where it migrates into the cap.
- Rotate between two units if you wear one daily. It roughly doubles the life of both.
What shortens the life of hair wigs fastest
Heat above the fibre's rated limit, sleeping in the unit, and drying it flat. Any one of those will age hair wigs faster than months of ordinary daily wear.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do beginners choose between synthetic and human hair wigs?
Decide how often you'll restyle. If the answer is rarely, synthetic is better: it holds its shape, survives humidity and costs far less. If you want to change the part, curl it or colour it, human hair is the only option. Most first-time buyers of hair wigs are better served by synthetic.
Do hair wigs damage your natural hair?
Not when worn correctly. Damage comes from adhesive at the hairline, tension from an undersized cap and friction against unprotected hair. Braid flat, wear a cap underneath, keep the strap comfortably snug rather than tight, and give your scalp an hour off each evening.
How long do hair wigs last?
Synthetic units typically last four to six months with daily wear; human hair lasts considerably longer with conditioning. The cap usually fails before the hair does, because the elastic loses tension from repeated stretching and washing. Rotating between two hair wigs extends both noticeably.
What size wig should I buy if I'm between two cap sizes?
Take the smaller size. Adjustable straps let a cap out by up to an inch, but nothing tightens an oversized cap enough to stop it sliding. This is the most common sizing error with hair wigs and the easiest one to avoid.
Can you wear hair wigs every day?
Yes, and daily wear is fine provided you protect the hair underneath and remove the unit at night. Braid flat, use a breathable cap and clean your scalp normally. Sleeping in hair wigs is what causes trouble, because friction at the nape mats the fibre and the strap presses on the same spot for hours.