AN ODE TO WIGS
Long a staple in Black women’s hair routines, a wave of innovation has increased the popularity of wigs and led to a narrative shift, says Giselle La Pompemoore
Giselle La Pompe-moore takes a look at the wig industry
here are endless reasons to be grateful for the internet, but I’m mainly indebted to the World Wide Web for introducing me to wigs. Seven years ago, hands deep in a packet of tortilla chips, I stalked a Black hair forum late into the night and witnessed a group of women making their own wigs and creating makeshift salons in their bathrooms. I was mesmerised. Until then, I’d mostly associated wigs with older women furiously shifting them around their scalps in the market, and cascades of plastic ones in fancy-dress shop windows.
I had a good head of hair, so wig-wearing didn’t feel as though it belonged in my present or future, yet I couldn’t escape the follicular fatigue I was experiencing. My hair journey had consisted of finding new styles to experiment with and new ways to inflict more damage on to my kinky strands: the weaves tightly sewn into my cornrows, the glued-on extensions that ripped out my hair, sulphuric smelling relaxers that burned my edges and thousands of pounds spent on too-heavy-for-my-head hair extensions. So, buoyed with the almost PHD knowledge I had learned online, I decided to put a wig on and give my hair a rest.
While wigs existed way before the internet did, they’ve had a rapid increase in popularity in recent years, with some estimates saying the market will be worth $10bn by 2023. As well as elevating the styles (they look more natural than ever), smart brands are also changing the narrative. One of these shift-creators is fashion and beauty influencer Freddie Harrel, whose Radswan brand is an unapologetic love letter to Blackness, told through the medium of a collection of wigs that pay homage to Black women’s real hair texture. The wigs mimic hair types ranging from 3B to 4C, as well as blow-dried type 4 hair; textures that are usually left out in a sea of straight wigs. Bypassing the complexities of the unregulated human hair trade, Radswan uses high-quality synthetic hair instead. Then there’s Bleach London, which is bringing the worlds of wigs and tech together by teaming up with beauty treatment app Beautystack. Together they are creating a digital customised service and collection of vibrant wigs. From a bold, blonde rear-grazer to a petrol-blue blunt bob, the range champions the transformative power that wigs can possess.
It’s taken a long time to get to the point where we can happily buy wigs via an app, though, and contrary to Kylie Jenner’s remarks in a magazine where she boldly claimed, ‘I started wigs, and now everyone is wearing wigs…’, she did not invent them. The history of wig-wearing includes them being used as a solution for syphilis-induced hair loss to becoming a visual symbol of the judicial system and more. Jenner’s comments prompted much outrage, as it served to discredit the cultural and historical significance of wigs. The Black women who hold court on Youtube and connect in online forums and in our communities by sharing their wig-making tips are part of a significant lineage of wig-wearers. In Ancient Egypt, wigs were worn by Black women as a marker of societal rank and to protect their scalp and hair from the sweltering heat of the sun. Fast-forward a few millenia to the 1960s, and wigs were synonymous with the glamour of music icons such as The Supremes and Etta James. Notably, this was at the same time as the Black Power and Black Is Beautiful movements, when the afro became a political symbol that powerfully communicated the messages of equality and freedom. The call to reject the prevailing notion of Eurocentric beauty standards being the norm stemmed from the hitherto reliance on hair-straightening products and wigs as methods of assimilation.
In more recent times, the natural hair movement has brought wigs to the forefront in a different way, this time reframing their use as a protective style. Charlotte Mensah, award-winning hairstylist and author, explains, ‘Protective styles protect your natural hair from heat, weather and chemical damage, or are simply used as a temporary measure while growing your hair out.’ And, as Sheena Adae, international
‘ELEVATED STYLES LOOK MORE NATURAL THAN EVER’
wig specialist and founder of Haus Of Shee adds, ‘Wigs offer so much versatility; you can try a million colours and cuts without having to colour and damage your own hair.’
Practical benefits aside, wigs do, of course, offer mental and emotional benefits for those experiencing hair loss, the causes of which are many and varied but include cancer treatment, stress, hereditary conditions, side-effects from medications and hair styling. As Gary Price, wig director at Daniel Galvin Selfridges, says, ‘For clients with any form of hair loss, a good wig can be life-changing. Losing hair is an incredibly distressing process because hair is a huge part of a person’s identity. I assist my clients on a journey to some form of acceptance and to help them feel like what they see is “normal”.’
Custom designs, such as the ones that Price creates, are matched to the individual client’s needs and take into consideration their hair type, density, texture, base colour, tones and highlights. The importance of finding a wig that works for your own texture is key and is why Gina Atinuke Knight created Gina Knight Wig Designs, which specialises in textured wigs for hair replacement. Knight says, ‘I started to lose my hair in 2012 and it had a huge impact on my life. I had a big sense of loss and wanted to replace my hair with something that looked like my own. There weren’t many options in the UK, so I began to experiment with clip-in extensions and wigs and received many comments on how realistic they looked compared to my own 4C hair, so I started to create bespoke wigs from there.’
Just like a leather handbag, you get what you pay for. The NHS offers help with the cost of wigs in certain circumstances, with bespoke wigs nudging £300 for those not eligible for financial assistance. The starting price for Instagramworthy synthetic versions, such as Radswan’s, is £110, but can reach into the thousands for a custom-made, dyed and styled head of human hair. And they need care; a wash every two weeks with regular shampoo and conditioner for human hair wigs, or specialised products for synthetic ones, plus styling.
Rewind seven years, inspired by what I had seen online, my first attempt at wig-wearing was with one I made myself, aided by the sewing skills of my ever-so-patient mother
(I now outsource to actual professionals). After so many years of damaging my natural hair, I decided to shave it off and have the Big Chop, the process of cutting away hair that’s been chemically straightened with relaxer to allow natural regrowth. Wearing wigs has given me the freedom to re-educate myself on how to look after and tend to my natural hair and, most crucially, to protect and maintain it going forwards. New innovations mean my wigs look pretty incredible, too. Today, I just can’t imagine them not being an integral part of my hair routine.
‘WIGS OFFER MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS’