You've decided you want to have great hair and you're going to buy a wig! Or, maybe, somewhat reluctantly, you've realized the inevitable and you have to buy a wig. Your perspective (in either case) is OK - own the feelings associated with buying a wig. Now what?
Your options for buying a wig in the Lansing area include wig stores, consultants, wig stylist at a wig salon or online. If this is your first wig, you'll want to consult with a wig stylist for your wigs. Having a consultation with a wig stylist (rather than buying a wig online or at a wig store) is more akin to having a personal shopper. The personal shopper asks you questions about your lifestyle, finds things that suit your personal style and your life, and you have a private try-on session to explore your new look. A wig stylist at a wig salon mimics this experience.
Your wig stylist at a wig salon will sit down with you and explore your hair - if you still have your hair (a good time to think about buying your first wig is when you still have hair), you can share what you like about your current hair with your stylist. If you've already lost a lot of your hair, you can bring photos of yourself or pin styles to your Pinterest board to share with your wig stylist.
Your wig stylist will work with you to explore the types of hair that fit your life. If you're experiencing thinning across the top of your head, for instance, you might just need a topette or extensions to add to the fullness that you've lost. If you're losing large patches of hair, you might need a full wig. How long you intend to wear your wig is also a consideration. If you're undergoing chemo, your hairless time might be six months or a year, but if you have alopecia areata or androgenic alopecia, you might need wigs for the rest of your life.
Where you buy your wigs also has an impact on how you care for your hair. Caring for 'alternative hair' (an industry term), is different from caring for your own hair, and having your wig stylist at a wig salon style, color and wash your hair every two weeks might be a better option than having to wash and style your own wigs.
If you've purchased your wig from a wig stylist, you have someone who knows how to customize the hair. Very often, wigs are not perfect for you the moment you put them on. The bangs might be too long, the fullness might be too much; traditional stylists do not know how to and often are afraid of cutting into wigs (particularly synthetic wigs) for fear that they will ruin your expensive investment. A wig stylist at a wig salon knows precisely how to cut wigs and cuts a lot of wigs - so she has a lot of experience.
Where do you find a wig stylist and salon? You can google wig salon in your area, such as "Wig salon Lansing, Michigan", or you can ask your hospital or doctor, or even your own stylist for recommendations. Most stylists are the ones that refer to a wig salon and wig stylist, because they are the ones that sit with you to cut and style your hair on a much more regular basis than your hospital or physician's office. They're among the first to tell you your hair loss is getting to the point where you might need a wig.
If you have a more rare condition (i.e. alopecia areata, totalis or univeralis, or androgenic) you will find a salon stylist owner can help you connect with a community of like-minded women that she knows. Buying online won't give you the support network you need a this challenging time.
Your stylist and salon is a relationship built of trust and caring. Your wig stylist wants you to leave feeling like you are a fabulous version of yourself. Perhaps with even better hair than you originally had!