My Journey to Finding The Best Wig For Alopecia
My Journey to Finding The Best Wig For Alopecia
Most days I do not think about the time when all my hair fell out,
or what it was like to watch each strand fall out.
Maybe because it was so long ago, maybe I do not want to be reminded, or maybe because I have come so far.
Or maybe a combination of all those.
I was 22 when I lost all my hair, I am almost 30 now. It was one month from finding the first bald spot, to having not a hair on my head.
It happened SO fast.
Every morning I would wake up with more clumps of hair on my pillow. Everyday I would dread taking a shower, and cry as I watched all the wet hair slide down my body to the shower floor. My hat collection went from 1 to 20 in 3 days and I panicked. What was causing all this sudden hair loss?
It was absolutely and completely emotionally draining.
And I did not know why it was happening
Many doctor appointments later, I learned it was Alopecia.
I remember looking at my reflection in the mirror feeling completely unrecognizable and just not understanding.
"All my hair is just ... gone???"
Looking in the mirror that day I no longer saw a carefree me, I saw a stranger. She had no hair and she looked... lost.
Honestly, it is a lot to take in and I simply just...
Did not know what to do??
New Years Eve was in a few days and I would be returning back to college for my last semester.
All these thoughts raced through my mind....
I need hair
I am bald, I NEED hair, it’s New Year’s Eve, I CAN NOT be bald
I have to get a wig
How do I get a wig?
Where do I get a wig?
How expensive are they?
What kind do I get?.. Are there different kinds?
And here begins my 4 year-long…
Journey to Finding the best wig for alopecia
DAMN...
I wish I had someone knowledgeable about Alopecia to guide me back then!!
Even though this was only 8 years ago, the world was not connected like it is now, I had very little places to go for information. The alopecia communities that exist on instagram or facebook now did not really exist. And honestly people were just not as open about it. It was not a conversation.
My mother found a local wig shop in town and off we went.
Trying on all these different wigs… overwhelming does not even begin to explain it.
It is so strange to feel so... unfamiliar
I remember looking at myself in those different wigs and just feeling... not myself
This hair did not look like ‘my real’ hair.
Who was the person staring back at me?
I remember wanting to run out of that shop. I remember fighting back tears. I remember trying to be strong.
To be honest it all just takes time. Alopecia takes time.
Time to adjust, time to accept and time to heal.
I just wish it did not take me over 4 years to find a wig that actually fit, that actually made me feel GOOD.
wigs wigs wigs
What is the best wig for Alopecia ?
Synthetic hair, human hair, lace front, monofilament, wafted cap, winged ear flaps, machine-made, hand tied, tape, glue, itch free, online, in store, OMG... the list goes on and on
Synthetic Hair
I started with synthetic hair, because it was the cheapest and the quickest thing I found. And you know what, maybe that is the place to start. Your first wig, to get used to wearing one, to see if you like the color/length before you spend the bigger bucks on your perfect wig.
However, I soon learned synthetic wigs do not last. They get stiff after only a few months and the hair starts to break off. They do not look realistic and they are NOT a good option for a serious wig, one that you will wear time and time again.
I went through so many of these, mostly because they were inexpensive, until I switched to human hair.
Human Hair
Human hair lasts so much longer (12-15 months vs 3 months) and looks much more natural.
This was a MUCH BETTER option but I still had a lot of the issues I had with my previous wigs.
They were itchy. They did not stay on my head well. They would stretch out. Any lace front wigs I got always frayed. The part never realistic. Etc etc
I just never felt GREAT in one of my wigs.
Until I was introduced to freedom wigs.
Freedom Wigs
One day my friend Miguel mentioned a friend of his had alopecia and wore wigs. Now, I had met this friend before and I thought no way...I had no idea she had alopecia or wore wigs. Her hair always looked AMAZING.
I reach out to her and this is how I learned about Freedom wigs
Freedom wigs are a game changer.
If I would have known about this from day one, or even day 500 I would have saved myself so much time and agony. I truly did not understand how I had not found these sooner!
customization
Each wig is custom made to fit your head exactly. The cap is made of soft silicone and molded to the shape of my head.
...Like Jody literally paper mached my head for this mold haha!
(Now they do a really cool 3D color laser scan of your head to fit.. but the paper mache sure was fun!)
Who is Jody?
Jody Gorski is the freedom wig representative that I worked with. She has Alopecia as well and traveled to me to fit me for the wig. She made me feel so comfortable and at ease through the whole entire process! Jody was not just some sales person at a shop, she has Alopecia and knew what an intimate experience getting a wig can be.
Fit
Since the cap is an exact fit it suctions to the top of my head and NEVER falls off. It is called a vacuum wig. When my hair first fell out I remember dancing so hard with my friends on spring break that my hair literally fell right off haha!! With the freedom wig I could hang upside down on the jungle gym and it would not fall off!! Dancing, working out, swimming.. all more than possible in the freedom wig!
Jody swimming in her Freedom Wig!
Quality
The hair is top quality and all virgin human hair. Meaning it has never been bleached, dyed, or processed before.
The part looks very real, probably due to the fact that the silicone cap was tinted to my skin color!
And the hair moves and acts like real hair. Each hair is implanted into the cap by hand, making everything even.
It is comfortable...
does not itch, and I can even french braid it and style it into a high pony.
The coolest part..
I got to pick out the color, texture, length, and thickness of the wig! I mixed a few colors together, chose wavy, 14 inches and medium thickness. Getting to pick all of this.. was AWESOME.
It looked beautiful and I finally was able to feel 100% while wearing a wig. It was not gonna fall off, the hair wouldn’t fray, and most importantly..
IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE A WIG.
But you are BALD girl big world... do you even wear wigs?
Those of you that know me, or follow my instagram know I do not wear wigs all the time. Especially as of late.
When I set off to travel the world I made the decision to not bring a wig. It was another thing to carry and I did not want to damage or lose it.
I love being bald, I love my alopecia, It has taught me so much. I have found confidence in wigs and confidence without wigs.
For that I feel very grateful.
Since having the freedom wig...
I have gone on first dates with hair and without
I have gone to weddings with hair and without
I have done everything either with hair or without
It honestly depends on my mood or my situation. I do not believe you have to choose between always wearing a wig or always being bald. I have so much more to say on this topic and I plan to write about this in a separate post.
Why I wanted to share
I am not wearing wigs right now, but I really wanted to write about my experiences and share the Freedom Wig with you. There is a lot of bad information out there about wigs. I wish I would have read a post like this all those years ago! To anyone who is struggling with what wig to buy or where... I hope this helps! I highly recommend choosing a freedom wig. It is an investment I absolutely do not regret and I truly love mine. They last 3-5 years or more for me since I do not wear mine all the time!
The quality is unbeatable and the purchasing process was such a lovely experience!
You can find more information about Freedom Wigs HERE on my representative Jody's website.
Jody, as well as representatives all over the world are able to help you get your freedom wig!
Follow Jody on Instagram or Facebook to see more fabulous pictures of her and her clients in their Freedom Wigs!
And please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!
Trust me.. once you get the best, you will never go back!
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