There are so many different types of wigs out there that sometimes it can be tricky for a beginner to decide what is the best option to consider buying as a starting point.

That is why we decided to build this “ultimate beginner’s guide” and help you to understand and navigate the different options of wigs available on the market so you can make a better decision when shopping for wigs. Below you will see that we wrote this blog as a step-by-step approach so you can think about each one of them before starting your search for your first wig.

A step-by-step guide on how to buy your first wig

Step 1: Find the best hair to start your journey.

The main decision that you will face here is to choose between synthetic hair and human hair. Human Hair Wigs will still give you a very realist look and last longer than the synthetic ones, but only if you are willing to spend the necessary time to continuously care for it.

Synthetic hair has evolved so much over the years that if you are looking at the best quality synthetic wigsavailable in the market, there is not a big difference in terms of “realistic look” anymore when you compare them with human hair wigs. The best quality synthetic wigs have a much longer durability than the older versions, are fuller, more accessible and the differences in terms of look and feel are getting smaller and smaller.

One of the main advantages of Synthetic wigs for beginners is that it is not so expensive as good quality human hair wigs, so you can experiment with different styles before making a bigger investment. The main downside of the synthetic wig is that it will tangle more than a human hair wig.

Step 2: Understand the different types of caps that you can pick.

There are many different types of caps that are used in a wig construction. Let’s give you all the details below:

• No lace or machine-made wigs – this type of wig is the easiest to produce and therefore have the most attractive prices. If not built properly, “no lace” wigs can look too fake. The best “no lace” wigs to purchase are the fringes and pixies where you normally don’t care about seeing a clear part line.  It is recommended that you take your fringe or pixie wigs to a hairstylist for your first installation just so the style can be adjusted to the shape of your face. This will create a very realistic look and you will be able to install the wig in less than a minute afterwards.

• Lace wigs - The lace part of a wig is what mimics a human scalp. It is attached to the cap of the wig and it can be just a part line, the front portion of the wig (ear-to-ear) or even the entire cap can be made out of lace. This part of the wig needs to be hand-made, which means that strands of hair are attached manually to the lace, one by one. This is a very time-consuming type of activity and that is why the cost is also much higher than a machine-made wig. The lace part of a wig is what gives us the realistic hairline that we all love to see.

There are different types of Lace available on the market: normal brown lace, swiss lace, HD lace, transparent lace. The price of lace can directly influence the price of the wig, but don’t worry too much about this at the beginning because you can achieve your desired look with any type of lace, as long as they have a good quality and are not hard to work with.

Also, the more lace a wig has, the more options of styles you would be able to make but the more difficult it will be to install the wig and the more skilled you will have to be in order to make it look natural. If you are new to the wig installation process, it would be better to avoid frontals, 360 or full lace wigs, as they are the ones that will require a little bit of practice.

 Step 3: Look around for the different styles

Your face shape may have an impact on the type of wig you select, but it's not always a major consideration, only when you buy a synthetic wig that is not heat-resistant and therefore you won’t be able to adapt the style to your preference. Try to avoid this type of wig because they are also the lowest quality and normally, they don’t look so natural. Here at LolaSilk we only sell premium quality synthetic hair, which means you can style our wigs using heat (blow dryer and flat iron).

If you want to read more about which style looks great for each face shape, read our blog on how to find the best wig for your face shape. 

You will also notice that the price of a wig, if you are buying a human hair one, growths almost exponential the longer the strands get. That is why long human hair wigs tend to be quite expensive. 

There is no right or wrong when choosing your first wig, but there are a lot of choices to be made as you could see from our guide above. Apart from colour and style, you will also need to take into consideration the type of hair and cap, which can be quite tricky if you don’t know what you are buying

The best way to build your confidence is by shopping around and experimenting with different types of wigs. Contact us on WhatsApp (+27 83 795 3366) or email (info@lolasilk.co.za) if you need some extra support in your journey to finding the perfect wig.