How to Wear a Wig and Why
With endless, ready-to-wear black hair styles, you’ll never have another bad hair day!
African American wigs are a big deal right now. Not only are celebrities and fashionable women wearing them more and more, but wigs themselves just keep on getting better. Whether you’re completely new to wigs…or have a gorgeous collection in the double digits, we invite you to read along and get inspired.
To start with, we sat down with our fabulous Ashro hair and wig stylist, Kerre Berry, to get her seasoned perspective on how to wear a wig—and tips on how to feel absolutely fantastic in them.
Kerre Berry is a Chicago-based makeup artist and hairstylist. She’s worked for L’Oreal, Lancome, Vidal Sassoon, Nike, Nordstrom, Jockey and Ashro. Still, Kerre always keeps it real, and we think that’s a truly beautiful thing.
Meet Kerre
Kerre is pronounced like the word “care,” which suits her perfectly because she is indeed a very caring person. She cares deeply about hair, her community AND our Ashro customers.
Now Kerre has been styling hair and wigs since she was just a girl. She knows her stuff—and she’s a bonafide style DIVA, so get ready for something good! When we asked her to share her best bit of beauty wisdom, what she gave us was an inspiring challenge…
“Your hair is your crown and your glory. It’s a part of you, an extension of you, so you need to treat it as such…you need to take care of it.”
Doesn’t that hit home?
Part of celebrating ourselves is caring about what we look like, respecting the person we are becoming—and treating ourselves right. Let’s think on this a minute because that can mean a lot of things…
Let’s DARE to be ourselves
When our hair doesn’t match what we feel like on the inside or when it gets in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish in the world, Ladies, it’s time to TRANSFORM! The fabulous YOU you’ve been becoming all this time might just be ready to be revealed, and that’s not the time to hold back. Why not open your mind and imagine something new? Sometimes this means tweaking our go-to style just a bit…and sometimes it means trying a completely new look altogether.
Try a short hair wig.
Try a long curly wig.
Try burgundy streaks.
Go blonde!
The possibilities are endless and pretty magical because wigs are TEMPORARY. They let us experiment and reinvent ourselves—without having to drastically cut or color our own hair. And that is what is called OPPORTUNITY.
Truth be told, wigs can save us from more than style ruts. They can turn around bad hair days, lazy hair days, and even, for some strong beautiful souls fighting hair loss or thinning, a wig can be our beautiful crown and our glory when we need it most.
Each of us should feel like we’re living our best, most beautiful version of ourselves.
Let’s take care of the hair God gave us (and the wig we just spent money on).
The Natural Look
Many women of color are going to more natural black hair styles.
If you want to truly rock this look, you need to avoid excessive chemicals, blow drying and hot tools.
The Styled Look
Still, as fantastic as this look is, sometimes we might want something different, something that calls for styling that’s not so damaging. Why not protect your own hair…and save the extravagant styles for wig days?
This girl looks fierce. She’s wearing a wig which means she didn’t have to straighten her own hair. Smart!
Proper Wig Care
If the lovely lady above kept on wearing that wig without keeping it up, she would not look fierce anymore.
Just like our own hair, a wig needs washing. It accumulates sweat, dirt and hair products. After a while, any wig can start to get stiff and tangled and, well, nasty.
What to do?
Wash your wig as needed in warm water with wig shampoo.
Once the wig is perfectly dry, use a wide-tooth comb or wig brush to detangle.
Know why you want to get a wig, what you want from it and how much you want to spend. Then educate yourself. It’s really important to use a wig stand, even for the everyday storing of a wig. Don’t just throw it in a drawer. Using a wig stand protects the style and shape of your wig and helps to keep it looking beautiful.
Tip from Kerre
Let’s choose the right wig type for us
1. Synthetic Wigs
This type of wig is made from manmade materials. It tends to be more affordable, so it’s a great option if you want to experiment with a new style that you aren’t sure about.
WARNING: Hot styling will ruin most synthetic wigs. Do not use curling irons, flat irons or hot blow dryers on them unless the manufacturer clearly states otherwise. Thankfully, some retailers are now making heat-tolerant synthetic wigs, but always follow the manufacturer’s temperature recommendations.
GOOD NEWS: you can cut a synthetic wig and even use hair products—sparingly. For the most part, synthetic wigs come pre-styled and hold that style as long as they receive basic care. They even stand up to wind, rain and humidity.
”Synthetic wigs can sometimes have more shine than is natural. If you want to minimize that just a bit, try using a small amount of dry shampoo. Not too much! Work it through the hair evenly, and you’ll have a beautiful, more natural-looking shine.“
Tip from Kerre
2. Human Hair Wigs
This type of wig is made from real human hair. It tends to look “real” because it is real. A human hair wig is ideal for ladies who want a very natural look and for the true wig wearer—the woman who knows the style she wants and is confident that she’ll get her use out of it.
A human hair wig can handle just about everything you’d do to your own hair: you can cut, color, curl, straighten and blow it dry. For this reason, a human hair wig is perfect for the lady who wants to “play with” and customize her wig. Keep in mind that the gentler you are to your wig, the longer it will last. You’ll also need to condition it after washing because it can’t make its own oils anymore. And just like real hair, humidity and wind can affect it.
3. Human Hair Blend Wigs
This type of wig is a combination of human hair and synthetic fibers. It is typically mid-priced, giving you a more realistic look without having to spend as much as you would on a 100% human hair wig.
A blend tends to look fantastic and wear well. It’s a great middle-of-the-road option. See manufacturer details for heat and styling tolerances.
If your hair color matches the color of your wig, pulling out a little bit of your own hair at the hairline will make your wig look even more real. Once you’ve pulled them out, match the texture: curl those hairs if your wig is curly, straighten them if your wig is straight. Take it up a notch if you like by twirling and twisting your own hairs into the wig hair. This really does make a difference! Experiment and don’t be shy.
Tip from Kerre
What’s a Lace-Front Wig and Why Would I Want One?
A lace-front wig is constructed with a sheer, almost invisible section of lace mesh at the hairline and usually along the part. This material is lightweight for comfort and a bit stretchy for a better fit. Human or synthetic hair is painstakingly knotted onto its tiny holes.
Because this sheer material sits right against your skin, it gives you a very realistic-looking hairline in front. And if you have a part, the mesh lets your scalp show through, so it looks like the wig is truly growing right out of your scalp.
If you like, you can also apply wig glue or styling gel to the lace in front to keep it very securely in place. You will need to take care when using a lace-front wig. It is delicate, so if you’re not careful, it can tear or lose its stretch. See the video (right) for tips on how to apply a lace-front wig.
How to wear a wig—the basics
- Make your hair as flat as it can be. You want your wig to lie close to your scalp, so it looks natural. The easiest way to do this is to braid your hair into cornrows, and then put on a wig cap that’s as close to your scalp color as possible. Keep in mind that your scalp skin tone is usually lighter than the skin on your face. Wig caps can be bought inexpensively at your local drugstore.
- When you put your new wig on, place it as close to your natural hairline as possible. If it’s too far down your forehead, it’s going to look “wiggy.” If it’s too far back, your own hair will be showing too much.
- How do I make sure it stays on? First, get the right size. Measure your head as recommended by the manufacturer.
Many wigs also come with built-in combs—or a wig strap that can be tightened for a snug, comfortable fit. Add your own bobby pins for even more security. With a lace-front wig, you can use a few dots of wig glue along the hairline or for a gentler option, extra-sticky styling gel can do the trick.
Wig Sizing Chart
Before ordering your wig, please follow these tips to ensure a good fit.
Measure Your Head & Determine Your Wig Size: Measure your head using a flexible measuring tape. Flatten your hair back to get an accurate measurement. Starting in front at your natural hairline, follow along your hairline just above your ear. Continue around to the back at the bend in your neck and over your other ear, and around to the front where you started. (Fig. 1) Measure from the front of your natural hairline back over the crown to the bend where your head meets the top of your neck. (Fig. 2) Start in front of one ear, bringing your tape measure over the crown to the front of your other ear. (Fig. 3) Wigs come with an elastic adjustable strap for versatile sizing and comfort.
1. Measure Around Head
Starting in the front at your natural hairline, follow along your hairline just above your ear. Continue to bend of neck, over other ear, to starting point.
2. Measure Front to Back
Measure from the front of your natural hairline back over the crown, where your head bends and meets the back of your neck.
3. Measure Ear to Ear
Start in front of one ear, bringing your tape measure over the crown to the front of your other ear.
| Size | Around The Head | Front to Back | Ear to Ear |
| Average | 21½” | 14¼” | 13½” |
| Large | 23″ | 15¼” | 14″ |
Refund or Exchange Policy
If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied and must return your wig for an exchange or refund, you may do so within 30 days of the invoice date. Please include all the original packaging. Refunds will incur a restocking fee of 30% of the retail price which will be deducted from your refund amount. Lace-front wigs cannot be returned if they are cut, taped, glued or altered in any way. Thank you for shopping at ASHRO.
Want to make your wig your own? Take it to a trusted hairstylist to have it cut to suit YOU. It’ll take a little more money up front, but you’ll end up with a more custom wig that flatters your face AND your overall look. Now that’s a great investment!
Tip from Kerre
This is only the beginning, Ladies! Check out these videos and more like them for tips on how to cornrow your own hair, how to make your synthetic wig look more natural and how to revive wigs that have served you well.
Comments (5)
Barbara fruge
I like the read about our people. I like the style about our and I will be shopping I like some the clothes and I will try a wig for the first time in my life .
Diane Evans
I need short set or capri set summer also orange or yellow belt set size 3x belt 52 or larger send pictures
Michele Kent
Please save
Leslie Nichols
Do you have the lakefront ?
Ashro
Hi Leslie, take a look at our website for our most current styles!