I’ve been working as a licensed cosmetologist and wig specialist for just over ten years now, most of that time spent in small studios rather than high-volume salons. My background is in hair cutting and color, but my real education started once I began fitting wigs for people who weren’t looking for fashion—they were looking for normalcy. That distinction changes how you approach every single decision.
I remember one of my earlier clients, a man in his early forties who had tried three wigs before walking into my studio. Each one was technically “good quality,” but none of them lasted more than a few hours on his head. He kept adjusting it, touching the hairline, pulling the cap down. After watching him for five minutes, I realized the issue wasn’t the wig itself—it was density. The hair was simply too thick for his face shape and age. Once we thinned it out and softened the front, his posture changed almost immediately. He stopped touching it. That’s usually how I know we’ve gotten it right.
In my experience, people tend to focus too much on hair type and not enough on construction. Human hair versus synthetic gets all the attention, but cap design is what determines whether a wig feels wearable or exhausting. I’ve seen beautifully made wigs sit unused because the cap trapped heat or rubbed behind the ears. A client last winter came in convinced she needed to “upgrade” because her wig felt unbearable by mid-day. The fix was adjusting the fit and redistributing the weight—not replacing the wig.
I’m also careful about setting expectations around maintenance. A wig doesn’t age like natural hair. It doesn’t benefit from scalp oils, and it doesn’t forgive daily heat styling. I once worked with someone who styled her wig every morning with a flat iron, the same way she used to do with her own hair. Within a few months, the ends were dry and brittle. She thought she’d bought poor-quality hair, but the wear pattern told a different story. Once she changed how often she applied heat and started rotating styles, the lifespan improved dramatically.
There are also moments where I actively advise against buying a wig. Not every situation requires one, and not every lifestyle suits one. I’ve had clients who travel constantly or work long shifts in high heat environments, and a traditional wig would have added stress rather than solved a problem. Those conversations aren’t always what people expect, but they’re necessary.
What I’ve learned over the years is that a good wig doesn’t announce itself. It blends into someone’s life quietly. The best feedback I get isn’t excitement—it’s silence. When someone forgets to mention their hair entirely during a follow-up appointment, I know the wig is doing its job. That’s always been my goal, and it’s why I approach each wig less like a product and more like a piece of daily equipment someone has to live in.