@FrenchFancie
I’ve mixed feelings about the OP - I have alopecia and wear wigs, I dearly wish for long thick hair!!
Firstly wigs aren’t always way to manage, I spend a good hour wrestling mine to make it look decent and live in fear of the rain or high humidity, or wind. Basically the weather full stop! If you have a human hair wig you have to use moisturising products as they get dry and break easily. And I had to spend some time getting over the ‘ick’ factor of wearing someone else’s hair (and this being Mumsnet I’m sure someone will be along to tell you that human hair wigs are explorative or something).
Synthetic wigs can’t be heat styled - or at least most of them aren’t heat safe and I buggered up my one and only synthetic wigs by getting something out of a hot oven - it crisped up the front and melted it. Yuk. Plus I found my synthetic went frizzy after a couple of months wear.
And they are expensive at like £400 a pop. I’ve heard tell of the NHS giving prescription wigs twice a year but my GP looked blank when I asked.
Then you have all the fun of getting the wig to stay in the right place on your head, not pulling it off to one side and scaring the kids! Or living in fear of the wind blowing it off. And if you are dating - horror! When do you tell a bloke that it’s a wig?!? I mean that’s not the kind of thing he wants to find out at the wrong moment,…
So yeah. I think I’d take the hair if it were up to me!!
I have hair issues (admittedly alopecia isn't one) and do not want to diminish your experience or anyone else's - but I have not had as many issues as you have, I am happy to say.
My wigs have often been complimented as though they were my own hair - I ride a bike a lot, and have been known to risk a ride with some particular wig/s; have also been rained on, and out in Storm Arwen today (although at the edge of it here I think) and no concerns at all.
The most I have spent - as it is such a nightmare buying online - is about £200 for a Raquel Welch shortish one (chin length wavy bob with nice side-swept fringe) - wich always gets compliments (and even second looks from men -rolls eyes - which I am long past even thinking about!).
I do complete whichever supplier's form for not paying VAT due to my reasons, and this would apply for an alopecia sufferer I am certain.
The one that cost the least I actually bought from someone in the US (via a facebook group) and I wear that several times a week, even though it is a different style and colour from the RW (who cares?) - longer, highlighted and more like what I actually had once upon a time. I was approached for directions (to one of the fancier restaurants) in a huge shopping centre the other day, and the woman who asked me said, "I thought you would know becuase you look classy and as if you would have good taste" - she would not have said that if I had not been wearing the one I call Pamela. This one actually cost me 35 dollars (!) including postage.
Yes, I would like a personally fitted Folea costing thousands, but it's not something I would spend that amount of money on, when I can get a satisfactory effect with the ones I have (I do have some mistakes, but give them to wig banks, or maybe sell them via fb groups/s).
I would say that, as in most things, everyone has a different experience, and a story to share. And mine has been - although blunderng - quite positive 
