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Hairpieces

(or... Filling in the Blank)

Jayne Nicole


Neglected by many wearers of wigs is the option of hairpieces.

Natural hair, while best, is not an option for many of us, but hairpieces can help to fill in the sparse places for most of us. I've several friends that wear pieces ranging from a small part of the crown to a piece that covers just about the whole top of the head. The advantages of a piece over a wig are comfort, security, price, and appearance. Disadvantages are mostly related to appearance and upkeep as they require more "fussing" and blending into your natural hair to make them look correct. You will also have to learn to style/set your own hair which can be a problem for those who dress "on the road at 70 mph" and not at home. You just can't "pop" one on and go -- it will take a few more minutes to well over an hour to properly put it on. Comfort is a big reason for using a piece as your scalp breathes more normally -- most of us can attest to how hot a wig gets while dancing at the local gathering spot. Appearance is the biggest reason, if it is styled properly, as your own hair is always more realistic than a wig *grin*.

While some pieces for large areas are secured with tape onto the scalp, most smaller ones are held in place with a couple snap clips to your own hair, built into the piece, and by pulling your own hair through the mesh in the piece. The pull-through type is quite secure -- won't blow off on a motorcycle, but don't try swimming (been there, done that) *smile* -- and looks great after blending your own hair with it. I've a pull-through type that enhances the front of my scalp and a thinning area in the crown at the same time. I have to wear some type of bang where the area is thinner at the sides, but can part my hair in the middle and have it look natural as my own hair is showing it's roots there.

I would recommend going to a salon and buying your piece there, rather than a wig boutique, if you can. Commercial pieces can be made of the same materials as wigs, synthetic and human hair, but I would recommend the human hair pieces. The human hair pieces can be treated just like your own. I regularly use a curling iron or rollers on it after putting it on, curling my own hair along with the piece. Human hair pieces can also be dyed to any color variation if your own hair changes. Prices range from about $20 at a beauty supply for a small one in a package to over $1000 for a custom made piece. The price difference in human vs synthetic is not much -- about $5 for mine. My piece is about 4 inches in diameter and cost $40 plus the expense of a styling, about $16, mostly to show me how to use it. It was special ordered for my color and took about a week to get. It is well worth the cost of having someone style your own hair with the piece so that you have an idea how to do it yourself -- think of it as a beauty lesson -- plus having it trimmed to fit your own particular style.

There are a couple of other items that make buying a hairpiece different than a wig. When buying a piece be careful of the color hue. I say hue since we all have different undertones that need to be understood. If possible take the swatches of hair outside in the sunlight to look at them with your salesperson. The undertones, violet, red, green and gold, will show up and what looks like a good match under store lighting may not be good outside. Do not buy a piece immediately after dyeing your hair either. Wait a week or so to let the color fade a little. If you want to learn more about undertones, just go to the hair color section of any beauty supply and look at the bottles and swatches. The salesgirls are usually very helpful.

Another consideration is the texture of the hair. Hair can be straight, curly, or what I call frizzed. Let's get real here and consider the frizz. In almost all hair, unless you are blessed, there will be a certain amount of frizz. A good salon can imitate the frizz that is natural to your own hair in the piece so that it doesn't look like someone forgot to iron the rest of your head. Like dyeing, frizz will vary. It may not matter too much in some situations, but other times it can look somewhat, ahem, strange.

Like wigs there is upkeep involved in pieces. You need to wash and condition (especially human hair) them on a regular basis. There is another factor to consider, too, with pieces, that being hair color changes. If your own hair lightens in the summer, then you'll probably need another piece to match the lighter hair. Nothing like contrasting colors! They do blend well if the color is slightly off, but there is a limit to that unless it is the effect you are looking for.

One more type of hairpiece is the add on, enhancing variety. We mostly know these as a clip or a fall. Clips are like a ponytail that is added after gathering the hair back and "clipping" it to the tail. A fall is similar to a wig, but only for the back half of the head, giving length to and hiding your existing hair. Both of these styles are subject to the "rules" of matching presented above and of styling. Nothing like getting an inexpensive (read cheap) clip and having it come off or not conform to your own hair's color and texture.

There are still others that are commercially available for spot fills. Small clips that add volume to the sides, back, or whatever are available from TV infomercials and beauty supply stores. I've a set that are human hair and these really work quite well for giving that little extra volume for a special do. You can experiment with these and color variations too. Instead of getting a streak permanently put into your hair, you could use one of these pieces to give it where you want it, and when you want it.

Finally, one of the best reasons to get a hairpiece rather than a wig is just plain fun. It's great fun to be out with a group of sisters dancing, push your hair up off your neck and shoulders to cool off, and see their reactions! (Ohhh........the jealousy finally comes out!)


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