Alopecia World
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Wig for sports, surfing and swimming
Hey there, this is only my first proper post, so sorry, but its gonna be long :) I started wearing wigs about 2.5 years ago. Starting off first with a synthetic Jon Reneau & quickly moving on to full lace human hair wigs. I have androgenic alopecia or diifuse alopecia areata (they couldn't decide!) Had been loosing my hair since I was 16, so after years of lamenting, I bit the bullet, shaved the head and got into wigs :) Having lost a lot of my confidence over those years, I'm only now starting to sort of gain it back. I've always wanted to learn how to swim & surf, so have been trying but am struggling to find the right set-up of wig (or wigs) to get me through easily. Since I bond my full wig with tape,I don't really have issues with how secure it is, my question moreso is: Is it possible to continue an active lifestyle, including waterpsorts, whilst maintaining a decent looking wig (ones thats attached to your head I mean :))? I can't afford a Follea etc type wig, plus I think most people would scream if I suggested swimming or surfing in them! I buy cheaper FL wigs from China online, thats all I can afford,theres not a lot available n my area plus I like the lengths & realistic part lines of them. However, I could see them easily being ruined by all this water activity + extra washing; my current wig is already drying out and matting a bit.Also, I don't think freedom type wigs would suit due to price and the presence of head stubble :) Does anyone else do this kind of stuff? And how do they maintain the wig or wigs? It's possible I asking for too much, but I'm still not ready to go au naturel :( any suggestions welcome xx
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by xoxokat on
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I am also looking for hair to swim in but I have dark hair and they don't seem to have a lot of options. Is there any other options? I still have hair but very thin. I will eventually need to get a wig.
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Permalink Reply by Joanne S on
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I wear full lace wigs and swimming in them is not a problem, but it is very damaging to the hair so good conditioning is a must. I started wearing a swim cap this summer and that was fine, just have to be careful not to get one that is super tight as it can be a battle getting the swim cap over the lace wig without a lot of pulling and tugging. If the wig is long enough a tight braid might be the best. I have never had a problem with the bond or the wig stretching with swimming.
If you are considering full lace I recommend doing a lot of research. Hair direct has good information, the wig prices are high but the info is free and all of the supplies are available at good prices.
Joanne
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Excellent advice from Chris for Hair; I do realise that there will not be a perfect solution, short of all my hair growing back all super awesome :) I do like to throw it out there every now and then to see what other people do to work around, people get very creative, which is super! I've recently seen various youtube videos of people making their own wigs at home using wefts and different types of hair pieces and cap materials to achieve the look or functionality that they want. I had used a recent wig that I loved while surfing, and it held up okay, but now it is looking so dry and tangled. I think I still haven't got the washing and conditioning process down, as I feel I'm not getting long enough out of these wigs - they are the processed type Human hair ones from China though, so quality is most likely not great to begin with. On another thread I had commented on, someone suggested the use of a silicon spray from a hardware shop that could bring new life to a wig - I think this mimics what is done in a factory, so am going to try that. xoxokat - I also have very dark hair, but this is easier to get online than blonde, fair or red hair, from what I can see. I did lots of online research on how to wear lace wigs, youtube and the lace wig section of Black Hair Media forum, and also Hair direct is very good too, as Joanne S says. It is pricey for the wigs, but things like adhesives and removers can be good value and theres plenty of variety. I think for anyone that is new to hairloss, start researching now, as informing myself and being prepared made me feel calmer about everything. Word of warning, some hair systems can be extremely expensive, and they are not just a once off buy, so you need to be sure of what you are getting and if it's a sustainable option for you. And some people may decide that in fact they don't need or want one, it's a very personal choice. I want to have my cake and eat it, lol!
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Permalink Reply by chris for hair on
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Thanks for the compliment, I know that everyone that experiences hair loss wants the replacement to be just like the bio hair or better, unfortunately there is always a compromise.
If it were me, and I wanted to surf, first I would use a synthetic wig with a wefted inside, not a lace. Synthetics are less expensive and even though they don't hold up for long periods of time, they are impervious to water damage. The color will not fade, they might get a bit tangled but this can be handled easily with an oil conditioner, there is no reason they can't be used for swimming. In fact, the leading manufacturer of wigs made for swimming uses synthetic fibers...
I like the wefted cap because of two things, first, you can pull your own hair through the wefts and secure the cap to your head easily. For swimming I would use the small elastic bands used for African hair or horse many braiding ( I have a horse so this is my favorite) and take small sections of the wig hair with your own mixed in and band that tightly to secure the wig to the head.
It may be possible that the cap may show once wet, but if you fluff the fibers up ( they dry very fast) it should hide the cap easily. Just leave the hair messy and no one should be able to detect the wig.
To me, all adhesives get mushy when wet so I would refrain from using them. Just be sure to secure the front of the wig with the elastic bands and you should be OK.
I wear wigs daily and ride and train horses. The winds kick up fiercely and galloping through the wind is quite a test for a wig. The procedure I recommended will keep my hair in place in any weather and never show that I am wearing hair. Everyone at our boarding stable wonders why my hair always looks great and I do not need hats...it is because the synthetic fiber holds it's shape in any weather.
Anything in human hair will damage easily in salt water or chlorinated water. Once damaged, conditioners are only cosmetic, they can not repair the hair. All the oil and silicone you can buy can not restructure damaged human hair.
Be careful of HD, I have many ex-clients of theirs and the pieces seem to fall apart FAST. They have a lot of good information, but the product I have been disappointed in. Again, human hair is not all that...if it were, there would be no hair dressers. Time and again I show my clients synthetic vs. human ( and very good quality) and they pick the good synthetic over human hair. Cheap synthetic does look cheap, but the good ones look and hold up better than human.
All of the above is applicable if you still have some hair, if not, I would get a good swim cap, then glue or sew wefts to make a wig out of the cap. Start from the bottom, and build your style as you like it to look. The synthetics are much lighter in weight than human so there will be less "drag' on the swim cap. If you can stand wearing the swim cap, your "hair" should look great. ( I must admit that I would rather go hair-less than wear a swim cap.)
I do not sell online, but if you want me to look at your hair I may be able to recommend.
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Permalink Reply by Dominique Cleopatra on
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Hair Direct is great. Their systems are meant to be replaced often. "human hair is not all that...if it were, there would be no hair dressers." I'm sorry, but I'm not following your logic there, Chris.
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Permalink Reply by Fuzzless on
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Hi!
I usually wear a "halo" of hair with a bandana tied securely like a "do-rag" for sporting activities. I am looking for a new one, and came across this option online specifically for swimming:
http://hatswithhair.com/Swim-Wig-Tiara1.aspx
Looks interesting. Has anyone seen this in person and/or tried it?
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Oh great! Does yours have the "hybrid hair" combo of human hair and synthetic?
I am looking at the "underhair halo" to wear under my own bandana or hat.
I thought the Swim Tiara might be an option for MissFifi's surfing adventures.
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Do you realize how easy these are to make? And save$$$$$?
I may be wrong, but is "hybrid" human hair synthetic??
All you need do is buy wefted hair, and attach it to a headband. 1/2 of the hair is directed up toward the top, this creates the ponytail, then the rest would be sewn down to create the hair hanging. Wefted hair can be purchased for very little money depending on the quality. At Sally's you can get it as little as $7.00.
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Hi Chris,
When they say hybrid hair, in this case, they mean both heat resistant synthetic hair and human hair are in the piece.
Making one sounds like is it doable - for those of us that know their way around a sewing machine. If I did it I'm sure I would make a mess!
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Thanks for asking, I can make it but am overwhelmed with work for clients right now. If you know anyone that can use a sewing machine, they could easily do it. Don't know if there is a Sally's beauty supply near you, but they do sell online. They carry inexpensive hair both human and synthetic, and they also sell a headband that would work. Your want wefted hair which comes in 60" wide and whatever length you choose. Simply cut the weft to the size of the headband and sew it to the headband. This could be hand sewn also if no machine is available. I did make something similar for a client last summer, took about an hour. We did use excellent quality very long hair (not from Sally's) because she wanted a long braid to wear under a hat. To get the really thick braid the hair was $300.00. But for swimming I would never sacrifice good hair because it will get ruined anyway from the water.
I also just got in stock a piece from Jon Renau that is HD synthetic, already made into a "topless" piece, and could easily be attached to the band. I will try to get a photo of it to post.
Now you have me thinking...these could also be made from old wigs that may not longer serve as daytime wigs but still have enough good hair to "harvest" then it would cost almost nothing...
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Permalink Reply by Amy Gibson on
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In my 25 years of wearing wigs for every occasion and working with clients for 15, I've never liked wefted pieces to use for water sports for those without hair as the wefts separate and they are too see through. They are fine for those who have a little or some hair. I prefer hand-tied for the water.
Our CreatedHair.com Water Wig and CyberHair Wigs are made specifically for water sports/ active wear and well as for daily wear. They are lightweight and made for water and perspiration to flow through the cap, and yet they dry right back into their original shape. In my new book; Sex, Wigs and Whispers I cover a good amount on how to deal with headbands with hair, what to wear for activities etc. to help give some guidance to achieving he freedom we are all seeking in this wig process as it can such a confusing time. It's available on Amazon.com if you're interested. Depending on the amount of hair one has on the front and sides, the secret to any headband for those without hair is adding hair a small amount of hair to those areas which will add a more realistic look. Remove a small weft of hair from an old or inexpensive wig and sewing it on to the underside of the headband to make sideburns and baby hair is a brilliant way to achieve this.
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