Seriously considering shaving my head...

[ThinThatch]

and wearing a wig. Would that be daft?

I have very thin hair. Lost lots after each pregnancy and then didn't help myself by almost starving myself to lose the baby weight.

It's now just below my shoulders but is varying lengths due to regrowth starting at different times. I'd love for it to all be the same length but that will take ages as in some areas it's just a couple of inches long and in others it's about 8 or 9 inches in length.

My hairdresser is great and uses lots of different blondes and caramel colours to give an impression of depth and trims it regularly for me but we both know it would be better to go for the chop but I can't face having shorter hair as I have quite a masculine face.

In this article you really can't tell that she's wearing a wig can you? I had no idea that they could look so natural and not obviously a wig.

Does anyone have any experience of wearing one and could anyone tell that it wasn't your own hair? Also, what would the cost of a really good wig be?

[crystalglasses]

Before you start going down this route, have you had any medical investigations? Gps can do referrals a hospital skin specialist. I was going very thin on top, specialist did a biopsy and found I had a form of alopecia which can respond to treatment. I was prescribed a pill which has not only helped with the hairloss but has encouraged regrowth. The probloem can come back so I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I just want toemphasis that there is NHS help out there

[wifeofdoom]

Why not get a wig before shaving your head - then if you don't like it or don't like wearing it you have options?

[ThinThatch]

CrystalGlasses thanks for replying. I'm pleased to hear that medication has helped in your case.

I know I don't have alopecia so I feel a bit silly going to see my GP about my hair. It just feels a bit vain, especially as I've caused a lot of it myself, or at least haven't helped myself due to poor diet. Although, if a friend was telling me that they were worried about their hair thinning I'd be the first one to suggest a visit to the Dr to check iron level etc.

Actually, the next time I'm at the Drs I'll mention it. I'd be happier doing that rather than making a an appointment just to ask about my hair. I just thought the best way to tackle the differing lengths was to shave it off, a la Britney sans the breakdown and paps, and start again. I hadn't really seriously considered going down that route though because I had no idea how I would cope during the bald to bob phase but seeing the realistic wig in the article brought on an 'aha!' moment.

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

I know where you are coming from when you say serious;y considering shaving it off.

My hair is considerably thinner since having kids and was very fine to begin with anyway. I also dye it blonde as otherwise it is two-tone on it's own and looks like a bad dye job.
At one point it was ruined and was stretchy - hairdresser told me it's called 'chewing gummy' among hairdressers.

:(

[ThinThatch]

Oh, WifeOfDoom, there's no way I'd shave my head without finding a convicing wig first! Honestly, I'm having palpations just thinking about going out without any hair to find a wig.

I just wondered if anyone had worn a wig that wasn't obviously a wig and roughly how much it cost. Oh, and do they hold up in strong winds or do you have to stick them on?

[crystalglasses]

Please don't give up on yourself. Most GPs are really sympathetic and would be pleased you want to do something about it. I was reaaly diffident about seeing my GP but a friend who's a medic told me not to be so silly as there are lots of reasons for hairloss and are treatable. Just say you've develped an itchy scalp as well as hair loss and then go onto say that you'd like to see an NHS dermatologist for it. I promise you they've seen and heard everything there is about hair loss and know how difficult it is for women to cope with.

[Havingkittens]

A good quality wig like the one in the link could cost anything from a couple of hundred to over a thousand pounds depending on whether you get one made to measure or off the shelf. I suspect that girl, being a beauty queen would have invested in a good quality one, made from real human hair and with a lace front so the wig blends in with the forehead and looks natural.

If you're looking for a cheaper wig and don't mind if it looks a bit artificial then try www.annabelleswigs.co.uk they seem to have a wide variety of quite fashionable styles. Of if you are in London you could try Pak's in Finsbury Park.

A friend of mine shaved her hair off after having extensions for years as her hair was all broken at the roots. She wore a wig whilst she was growing it out, but she was quite and 'alternative' type so didn't mind the wig looking synthetic.

If you suit a fringe that would be the best way to go to avoid the wig looking too fake as partings don't look too good unless they are on good quality lace front wigs.

Oh, and if you do go for a lace front wig it's best to go somewhere you can try them on so they can show you how to put them on properly.

[Havingkittens]

I used to wear wigs in the 80s when I was a goth type. They do keep your head nice and cosy in the winter

[Rexy]

I have Alopecia and have been waiting months for an appt with a Dermatologist.

Anyway I was recommended hair vits which contain Kelp and I have some re-growth and use clips when necessary to cover my bald patches.

Did go to a wig party and got quite hot !!

Good luck Thin T :)

[ThinThatch]

Thanks HavingKittens and Rexy. Both your replies have been helpful. I'm pleased to hear that the Kelp has helped Rexy. I do take a liquid iron supplement daily and I think it speeds up my hair growth as my hairdresser always says it's growing fast. I do wonder if she's being kind though as she's aware that I find my hair situation upsetting. I read that eating pumpkin seeds helps thicken hair so I snack on them too.

I had a fringe years ago and it did suit me but my hair is too thin now to carry one off so a wig with a fringe sounds brilliant. I'm happy to pay about £1000 for a realistic looking wig as I'd probably be wearing it daily for over a year. Cost per wear it'd work out cheaper annually than highlights and trims. My concern now though is how hot it would get in Summer. Sod's law suggests that if I bought a wig we'd have a heatwave! If I buy one I'll alert the Met Office.

[LetThemEatCake]

watching with interest having just developed small patch of alopecia -

might also be able to attribute this to limited post-dc diet, also to loss of life nutrients from 5 years of continual pg and bfing, sometimes at same time.

[HonestyBox]

CrystalGlasses, I hope you don't mind if I ask what form of alopecia you have? I didn't know any were treatable. I have heard very good things (online) about Gali wigs in London. I think a good quality wig will cost upwards of 1000 pounds so it is not a good short term option. If your hair is still growing why not keep having it trimmed every few weeks?

[ThinThatch]

LTEC, have you seen your GP? I know I'm not exactly rushing to see mine but I have all over thinning rather than a patch of hairloss. I would go asap as Rexy says the wait to see a dermatologist is long.

HonestyBox, my hair is growing but it's a big fuzzy mess as it's differing lengths. I have to use quite a bit of hairspray to 'stick down' the inch long strands that stick out all over the top of my head. It really is a mish-mash and could do with coming off and starting again.

I'm doing all the right things diet-wise now and including lots of eggs for protein and snacking on nuts and seeds and I take an iron supplement so I think that's helping with the regrowth which is fab but it just looks a mess.

I had a look at the Gali website and quite like the look of the one in the top left corner in this photo. It's not unlike my own hair before DS3 was born.

I'm really considering doing this now as I spend so much time worrying about my hair and even more time playing about with it to make it look less thin. A wig would be a huge time saver!

[crystalglasses]

HonestyBox - Had to look up my medical papers

I had/have early lichen planus pilaris, mainly on the top of my head, which has died down. My hair is thinner than it used to be but thick and no longer falling out since having treatment for about a year in 2009/10. There's no guarantee it won't reoccur but I'll go back on the medication if it does. I was prescribed hydroxychloroquine.

Hope that helps. i was in dispair when my hair started to fall out but much happier now as I realise there are treatment options before going down the wig road.

[Rexy]

Have now got my DDermatology appt so will keep you posted.

good luck to all of us with hair loss.

[BigBoldAndBeautiful]

expensive but looks very good


By all means exhaust the GP, tests etc, but sometimes, sometimes, this is how life is :(

I have had alopecia since the age of about 22 (on and off). I am now in my forties.

alopeciaonline


Take your time, explore your feelings, this could be temporary, and do what you feel is best for you and your situation.

Fee free to PM if you want.

[HighlandTea]

My MIL wears a wig which she gets on the NHS because of a medical condition.

She gets 2 every 6 months, normally 2 the same at each appointment so she can rotate when washing them. They are really good and people very frequently say how nice her hair looks and ask her where she got it done! They have a 'scalp' underneath which you can see through the hairs which makes it look very realistic.

When she goes to an appt she can try on lots of stles and colour and when she chooses the one she likes they order it and she goes back in to have it trimmed to perfectly suit her face, get the fringe length right etc. The people who do this are trained hairdressers but you can go t any hairdresser and ask them to do it for you.

She has a wig stand to put it on when she's not wearing it and also special shampoo. It's worth saying that they need washed and also that they do start to age, just like if you wore a piece of clothing every day it can get old looking. I'm not sure if this would be any different with a more expensive wig.

I've been out with her on many a windy day and it's never blown off though she, naturally, worries it might sometimes! It has a thin almost siliconey strip around the edge to hold it in place. She has been wearing hers for a long time and is used to it now but I think she is quite often relieved to get home and take it off on a hot day.

HTH, let me know if I can answer anything else