"Buying Your First Wigs"

decisions, decisions...

Contrary to what beginners think, there's a lot more to wig selection and care than first meets the eye. 

"No?" 

Why do you think there's over 10,000 hair salons in the United States alone?

Women know...if you get the hair right? Everything else usually falls into place. In fact, great hair can cover almost every other shortcoming. When you combine a great head of hair with well-conceived make up, you'll look hot no matter what issues you face.

It's that powerful.

section overview

Here I'm going to show you how to:

• Avoid common mistakes made by beginners
• Choose your first wigs

steering clear of rookie mistakes

Does this sound familiar...?

You browse the Internet and discover a stunning blonde wig - complete with feminine curls and style. 

You examine the model's facial shape and mutter - "Hmmmm - her face looks a bit like mine: "I'll take it".

You "click". 

You share credit card information. 

You "wait".

Eventually, your beloved package arrives.

Finally...you find some free time to apply make up and adorn your incredibly sexy new mane.

"Yuck".

This wig looks nothing like the one you saw in the picture.

What went wrong?

The Internet Wig Scam

First off, don't feel bad. What just happened to you also happened to yours truly...and pretty much happens to every new t-girl. 

See that stunning picture of a blonde situated above? The photograph to your right is that same exact wig on me back in the days when I didn't know better.

Pretty sad, huh?

Here's what really happens...

Those stunning images you see of wigs around the web are only a small part of what you actually get. Unfortunately - those wigs are expertly trimmed to match the model's face. They're styled, blown & touched up by skilled stylists only seconds before the promotional photograph is taken. 

Guess what? 

When you receive such a wig, that same styling is now totally flat and the bangs often drape beneath your nose - Yuck!

The bottom line? 

Unless you're a professional hairstylist? That wig? It's probably never going to look very good on you.

Beating that Retail Sensation 

Ever been in a wig shop and noticed a wig you're certain will look stunning on you? Remember that sensation...like you simply must buy it?

Don't feel alone. Every new t-girl feels that. I used to literally shake when I entered a wig shop. All that hair - and only one head to put it on...*Laugh* However, when you observe a perfect hairstyle in a wig shop - it will invariably be situated on a Styrofoam "head". 

Do me a favor...

Take notice of the size of that Styrofoam head. I'm betting the jaw width is about as narrow as most male hands - let alone our heads. Unless you're in a wig shop that knows the unique challenges of female-to-male wigs...be cautious. 

You're probably about to waste your hard earned money on a sensation - versus a great wig.

renee's rules for wig success

"Rules"

Don't you just hate rules? 

Me too. *Smile*

Unfortunately, I'm requesting you follow these rules to the letter. If you're a beginner or a gal who often feels wigs don't look just right, these methods will help you look better - I promise.

Why am I insistent?

Because these rules are based upon my mistakes. Sadly, I made lots of them. When a cute sales person was involved? I usually made the same mistake more than once. *Laugh*

Rules for Wig Success

It's a rare t-girl who didn't at some point acquire one of those cheap, nasty-looking platinum blonde wigs that make you like Dolly Parton on crack. *Laugh* I did it and so did many other girls. If you did it as well? Don't feel bad - you already learned the most important rule for success in wig-ology. *Smile*

What's that rule? 

You guessed it: accept the fact you're going to make mistakes along the way. 

That probably sounds silly to those more enlightened than 'moi. I couldn't seem to accept the fact that it takes time and investment to find perfect hair. I usually tried making silk purses from sow's ears with my early wigs.  What a waste of time.

If I were you, I'd commitment to memory the following little transgender success mantra: "Success - comes from good judgment. Good judgment - comes from experience. And experience - comes from bad judgment".  Works for me...

Okay, so we've embraced the fact we're going to make some mistakes and that that...is fine. What else is important to know? Here's a few additional recipes to insure success...

1. Do buy quality styling over hair quality - There's no way a beginner understands exactly what style and coloring will look best on her. Most beginners are a bit too focused on buying a very high quality wig to enhance their look for passing. The result? They wear a high quality wig that just lays there - as they know nothing of keeping it styled. Guess what else? An improperly styled wig - that's marginally suited to accentuate your best features - is one of the most blatantly obvious tell-tale signals of a man in a dress. We'll cover high quality wigs in the next section. However, in your beginning - I want you to steer clear of buying them. I want you to focus on investing your money in wigs that are already fully-styled. This will teach you to learn the impact of hair styles on your face - and allow you to more affordably test hair coloring as you search for your best signature look.
2. Do buy from knowledgeable vendors -  While most any wig vendor will be knowledgeable in wigs, few understand the particulars of selecting the ideal wig to transform a male into a lovely lass. 

   For instance, generally speaking - most t-girls do best with hair that includes bangs in order to soften our masculine brows. However, it takes the right style of bangs - to accomplish this feat. Likewise, larger heads are a common problem. There's nothing worse than a small wig that gives you a migraine with each wearing.

   Selecting the proper size, style and cut - is essential to us special gals. Our faces are often shaped considerably different from our female counterparts. We need a wig ideally shaped to illuminate our most feminine features while hiding those manly traits. That requires some experience. 

   I'm including two such vendors available on-line that ship anywhere. They're the best I've discovered on the Net, period.

   If you are new to wigs, remember this...the first few times you put one on - you'll likely just see yourself in a wig - not the woman in the mirror. This is very natural - it's kind of like when someone first loses a limb. Soon afterwards, you'll begin to no longer see the guy in the wig - but the beautiful woman wearing it!

3. Do buy natural looking colors - Most women's hair isn't a single color. Rather, it's a mixture of coloring. This sort of look is what we call natural. Today's wigs are available with streaks of varied colors to enhance this accepted appearance. For your first wig...try these mixed tones with an auburn or brown - as a base color. Try to steer clear of stark solid colors until you become more skilled with make-up. It's much easier...and you'll look lots better. ((hugs)) 
4. Do buy synthetic hair - The differences...appearance wise - between human hair wigs and a decent synthetic piece are minimal in the short term. Only a trained hair care professional can spot the difference. 

   Human hair lasts much longer. Properly styled - it can look as realistic as any mane of real hair. Unfortunately, it also requires far greater skill with styling & care to look right. Synthetic hair is much easier to style. The artificial polymers hold shape - like sculpting clay. 

   Did you know that modern hair-styling techniques were born from damaged hair? Before the advent of peroxide blondes, very few women owned a head of hair thick enough to retain modern styling. In fact, fine human hair is the worst challenge for any hair stylist. 

   Why would you pay big bucks for something that's a nightmare: to style? You wouldn't - unless you always wear your hair down and you wear it each and every day.

   Thus, I'd suggest any beginner lean exclusively towards synthetic hair.

   Best of all? It's cheapest! 

Recipes for Wig Failure

1. Don't begin by purchasing wigs from on-line auctions, general wig sites, etc. While you can mix & match old & new clothes until the cows come home, wigs stand alone. A lovely wig...is just that. Beginners stay away from these sources. You'll probably end up with a bunch of wigs: none of which looks great on you. Cheap? Is cheap. Value? That's the point where low price and high quality intersect. Quality - when in comes to t-wigs...is a lot more than just hair. Get the idea? They'll be a time you'll find better deals. That time, is after you've developed your skills in being able to differentiate treasure...from trash. Got it?
2. Don't buy stark colors. Steer clear of platinum blonde, jet black, etc. in your first wig purchases. Why? The transformation skills required to make these colors look good is far beyond most beginners. They're designed to bring total attention to the face. Alas, this is often the last goal we have in mind. *Laugh* For example, I've been doing make-up for years and still get challenged if I adorn jet-black hair. Opt for softer colors and/or blends of colors. They're more natural looking - and easier to make you look great.
3. Don't buy hair with more attitude than your ability to do make-up. Most beginners have an exotic vision of some female image they hope to one day make a reality. It's called a dream - and dreams are healthy. However, when it come to spending money, I'd steer clear of attempting to lasso this mental mage early-on. Take a look at the golden-girl photo to your above right. It's easy to laugh at that picture today, but it almost broke my little heart when my early dreams of "Cleopatra" - crashed and burned like Rome. My mistake? I wasn't yet skilled enough to pass myself off as a princess - let alone...the f***ing Queen of Egypt. *Laugh* Dream your dreams, GF - but face our reality. Buy and study the videos I recommend in the makeover tips section - and you'll get there in a hurry. ((hugs))
4. Don't be afraid to be wrong - Ever met a woman that didn't have a horror story about a bad hair cut or re-coloring? Making mistakes is a key to finding the perfect hair for you. Test a few boundaries. You never know how far you can really go until you risk going too far. *Smile* 

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