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A Short Treatise on Wigs

by JoAnn Roberts, Creative Design Services


I am still amazed at the transformation that takes place when I put on a wig. Even after all this time, it almost takes my breath away. No matter how much makeup I'm wearing, or even the clothing I'm wearing, JoAnn doesn't appear until the hair goes on. I suppose that sense of awe will be with me a long time to come. There is simply nothing that will do more for your feminine image than the right hair.

One of the biggest criticisms of novice, and even some experienced crossdressers, is they do not choose the right hair style for their face. This has a lot to do with that fantasy woman in the mind's eye and simply not knowing the correct style/face relationship. The idea is to balance the size and shape of the face with the right style and color.

The hair color should coordinate with your skin type, but don't think that means you must wear your natural color. My real hair (what little I have left) is dark brown with red highlights (and lotsa grey these days). I used to wear a copper-red wig. Now, I wear a "dirty" blonde that makes me look about 10 years younger than I really am (or so I'm told.)

The only way to know for sure what's right for you is to try on the wig. In general, the male face is larger than the female face and consequently needs more hair to appear balanced. Some crossdressers tend to wear too little hair. Unless you are fine boned and the size of your face is smaller than average, stay away from really short wigs.

Oval Face, Long Hair: You can wear any style.

On the other hand, you can wear too much hair. It's what I call "drag-queen" hair and I don't mean that in any derogatory way. Usually, female impersonators wear a lot of hair because it heightens the illusion of ultra-femininity. But what works on stage doesn't work on the street. So, please keep the volume of hair appropriate to your style.

A recent innovation allows you to "try on" a wig in virtual reality. A video camera hooked to a computer captures your face to the screen. The software then allows you to pick different styles, lengths and colors and the choise is displayed on the screen as if you were wearing the wig. (Ain't science grand!) The system is called Styles On Video. It's being brought to many of the CD events around the country, so you might get a chance to try it yourself. You might also call around to local beauty salons to see who has the system.

Oval Face, Short Hair:  You can still wear any style.

Wigs vary widely in price and quality. You don't always get what you pay for, but generally the higher the price the better the quality. A $40 wig isn't going to last very long or look very good. (Although, you can sometimes get a very good wig in a discontinued style for this amount of money.) Expect to pay between $60 to $85 for a decent wig from Rene of Paris or Henry Margu. Longer styles with lots of hair will cost over $100. The Cadillac of wigs is Jaquelyn and these can easily cost over $200, more for human hair. However, I have fallen in love with Jaquelyn wigs and own four of them, all about the same color but in different styles. Not only do they look and feel great, they really hold up well. I am often asked if my "hair" is my real hair, that's how good they are. But even the very best wigs won't last forever. If you take really good care of a wig, it should last between one to two years, depending on how often you wear it.

Long Face, Long Hair:  Cover forehead to balance chin. Shoulder length balances for length of face.

If you purchase a wig by mail, order from a store or vendor that deals with crossdressers, The wigs they sell will usually have slightly larger caps to fit the male head. (A really good salon can stretch almost any wig cap for you.) Synthetic hair wigs have come along quite nicely in recent years and there is a renewed fashion interest in them. They are easy to care for, take a moderate amount of abuse and travel quite well. Many styles can be shaken out and worn as is.

You may be tempted to buy a human hair wig because nothing looks or feels like real hair. Resist the temptation. I purchased a human hair wig and after I washed it once, I haven't been able to do a thing with it, and that's no joke. Human hair wigs are expensive and must have professional salon care regularly. They must be kept on a form and carried in a case, an additional expense. If the weather turns damp, the set will fall, just as your own hair would. If you are willing to put up with the constant attention, however, you will be very pleased with the results.

Long Face, Short Hair:  Short at back, full on sides. Use height to balance a long face.

On the downside of mail ordering a wig, forget about how it looks in the catalog. It's been styled and maybe even trimmed to look especially attractive. You'll never know what it will look like on you until you try it on. Any wig must be styled and many times it will need a trim to work better with your face shape. If you buy through the mail, first find out what the return policy is for wigs.

How To Clean A Wig

Round Face, Long Hair:  Use a soft style to frame the face.

There are two schools of thought on cleaning a wig. I've tried both ways and both seem to work fairly well. One method says to fill a sink with lukewarm water and a capful of Woolite cleaner. Soak the wig for 20 minutesin the sink to loosen any dirt or grime. Rinse in cool, clean water and roll it up in a dry towel to absorb the excess water. Never wring out a wig. Put the wig over a shower head or hook it on a hanger and let it air dry. Don't put it back on a wig head; you'll stretch the cap.

The second method says to treat the wig as if it were your own hair. Wash the wig in the sink with shampoo, followed by a creme rinse, and a final rinse in cool, clean water. Dry as in the previous method. This works especially well for wigs that have a lot of the new "mega-hold" hairspray on them.

Round Face, Short Hair:   Create a casual style, brushed forward.

You can keep a wig looking new, or restore an old wig to like new condition by using a new product called a "laminator." This is a mix of specially formulated silicones for treating split ends. Well, it works on synthetic hair too. I bought a small bottle at my local drugstore and just followed the directions as if it were my own hair.


Traveling With A Wig

I've worked out a method for travelling with a wig that doesn't require a wig case (much too obvious) and doesn't take up a lot of space in your luggage. First, get yourself a travelling wig stand. These are usually two pieces that lock together in an X-form to support the wig. They pack flat. I've seen them in both metal and plastic. The plastic type are very inexpensive, about $2-$4.

Square Face, Long Hair:   Leave curls loose at neck and add height at back.

Style your wig either on a wig stand or have it styled on your head and then spray it with a fairly strong hair spray. Allow the spray to set and dry. Find a plastic bag large enough to completely cover the wig. Carefully remove the wig from your head, or the stand, and place it inside the plastic bag. Now, trust me on this next step. Get an empty shoebox. Gently and carefully fold the bag into the shoebox. Put the lid on the box and pack the box near the top of your suitcase.

Round Face, Short Hair:  Keep tight to head, full on top.

When you arrive at your destination, immediately remove the wig from the box, give it a light shake and set it out on the portable wig stand. This works very well. I've taken a wig from the East Coast to the West Coast, and from here to London and back again without losing the style.



Credits: The text and illustrations for this page come from Art & Illusion: A Guide To Crossdressing, Vol. 1, Face & Hair by JoAnn Roberts and published by CDS. Text and graphics are © 1994 by CDS. The illustrations were created specifically for CDS by LeVaughn Illustrations.

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