Experts Explain What You Should Know When Buying A Wig For The First Time

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Even for the most devoted wig enthusiasts, picking the right wig can be a challenging undertaking. Think of it like buying a car: they all have a unique catalog of characteristics, and you can either purchase the one that fulfills your basic needs or the other one with all the bells and whistles. But thinking of what suits your demands, what complements your style, and what fits your budget can ultimately help you choose the best option wig for you.

Meet the experts: Justi Embree is a celebrity hairstylist and owner of Embree Theory Hair. Melissa Mallam is a hairstylist and owner of Pampered Tresses. Priscilla Davis is a wig specialist and owner of Hair By Caprise.

There are tons of online retailers who sell wigs, but if you want a quality product at an affordable price with a minimal amount of wait time, Amazon might be your best bet. The site has a plethora of wigs to choose from, perfect for both first-time wig wearers and pros.

We polled the pros to their top picks.

Short Silky Short Bob Wig

This is an ideal closure wig if you're seeking something that's easy to install. This wig is made entirely of virgin Remy Brazilian human hair.

Rave review: "I colored, cut, and styled this wig and everyone thought it was my own hair!!!! This has been a go to wig to the point where I’m about to purchase another one!"

Full 13x6 Body Wave Lace Frontal Wig

Try Lemoda hair if you want a wig with a lot of density at a moderate cost. Available between lengths of 18-34 inches, this wig has a 180% density and is made of 100% virgin Remy Brazilian hair.

Rave review: "This is hair is awesome! Don’t even think about it, ORDER IT! It came with the quickness and the customer service is so nice!"

Highlight Ombré 13x4 HD Transparent Lace Front Wig

Quickly change your look with this fun blonde highlighted bob wig that's both spring and summer-ready! It's pre-plucked with baby hair and is made of 100% virgin human hair.

Rave review: "I love this wig. It laid effortlessly, hardly tangles or sheds, it's soft, shiny, and is just amazing for the price."

13x6 HD Transparent Deep Wave Lace Front Wig

With a natural hairline, bleached knots, and pre-plucked baby hair, it's a great choice for those looking for a ready-to-wear wig.

Rave review: "I like the fact that is wig has good density, the hair is really good quality for the price! I would recommend and purchase from this company again."

Synthetic Black Wig with Bangs

This synthetic wig features bangs and is created from heat-friendly, high-quality synthetic fiber that can be straightened and curled (at temperatures under 365 °F). You can arrange the black bangs on the wig to fit your face.

Rave review: "The wig looks just like the picture. It’s thick just like I like it."

Short Hair Wig with Bangs

This short blonde, mixed brown wig uses top-notch heat-resistant synthetic fiber that is ideal for long-term wear.

Rave review: "I bought this for a friend who has thinning hair. She loves it and gets so many compliments, her friends almost did not recognize her and said she looks like a young girl. She is so happy and said its comfortable."

Ultra-thin Real HD Lace Wig

This wig's HD lace line seamlessly blends into the skin and is suitable for all skin tones.

Rave review: "Well worth the $200. By far the best wig I’ve bought and I’ve spent well over $400 for other wigs. The HD lace is superb!!!! Easy to blend the lace with my skin and the best glueless wig I’ve ever had!"

Afro Kinky Curly Wig With Bangs

This kinky curly wig is composed of virgin Brazilian curly human hair and is machine-made with a 200% density.

Rave review: "I absolutely love this wig and I had no shedding at all and I broke it up into sections and brushed every coil. This is just like my natural hair."

Full Lace Human Hair Wig

This is a pre-plucked unit with 180% density.

Ombre Highlight U Part Wig

This u-part wig is flexible and can be parted anywhere, curled, and styled into a ponytail.

Rave review: "One of my favorite wigs! Perfect thickness! Nice and soft."

Lace Front Ombre Blonde Wig

This is an excellent starter wig with numerous colors to choose from. To make the wig's style more adjustable, shape it again using a hair dryer or curler (just make sure the temperature is less than 150° C or 302° F).

Rave review: "It’s lightweight, the hair does not feel synthetic at all, the dimension in the color is gorgeous and does not look cheap or plastic-like. I’ll be tossing out all of my other wigs!"

Pixie Cut Short Curly Bob Wig

For when you want to rock a short cut without having to shear your own locks, this one will come in handy. It's affordable and is made with curly human hair. The wig can be heat-styled too, just don't overdo it, as the product description explains that too much heat with shorten its lifespan.

Rave review: "This wig is nothing but adorable and I love it!!"

Body Wave Lace Front Wig

This wig is made of 100% unprocessed Brazilian virgin human hair and is super voluminous.

Rave review: "Love the hair. The quality is amazing. Feels like real authentic hair. Was very easy to install and came with a band to help me slay my edges."

What to know about buying your first wig

Before you go down the rabbit hole, the secret to successful wig shopping is research. For starters, don't anticipate being able to buy it ready-to-wear—in most cases, you'll have to do some customizing (i.e. plucking, curling, straightening, etc.) to get it to look the way you want.

"Measure the diameter of your head to ensure that your wig is the proper size for your head," Davis says. Embree adds that it's also important to check the specifications of the wig you want.

"Categories such as density, lace type, color, and more will be described in detail," she says. "Doing this is the only way to ensure that what you see is what you get."

Another important thing to consider is your capacity for maintaining a wig. According to Mallam, glueless or headband wigs are ideal for beginners and need less upkeep, while a lace front wig that needs to be glued down frequently can be worn by those who can manage it.

If all else fails, Embree suggests consulting a hairstylist or wig expert who can offer advice and arrange a fitting for you.

Types of wigs

According to Embree, there are various wig types available, including lace front wigs, full lace wigs, closure wigs, half wigs, U-part wigs, and V-part wigs.

• Lace fronts: These feature human or synthetic hair that's tied to lace, usually by hand, only at the front of the head. Lace fronts provide a completely ventilated hairline from ear to ear, enabling the widest possible range of partings. If you have one of these, you can typically part your hair wherever the lace is—the point is for the lace to blend into your scalp and give the wig a more natural look.

• Full lace: These feature hair that's attached to lace all over the head. With a full lace wig, you'll have a fully ventilated hairline, and unlimited parting options. You should purchase one of these if you want versatility and to wear your hair in other styles like ponytails, pigtail braids, and others that require scalp exposure.

• Closure wigs: A closure wig doesn't have a complete hairline. Instead, it features a smaller region created to resemble a natural hairline, usually 4" inches wide and deep. Closure wigs are the easiest to install at home and don't require expert wig installation skills, making them the perfect choice for beginners. Additionally, adhesive is typically unnecessary.

• Half, U-Part, & V-Part Wigs: Half wigs are just that: half. You typically attach these with clips in the middle of your scalp so that the wig is concealed by the front half of your natural hair. U-Parts and V-Parts are similar to half wigs, but instead of the half-moon form, they have a U or V shape to create a hole in the wig, leave out natural hair, and expose the actual scalp for a real part. U- and V-parts are excellent transitions into traditional wigs for those who do not enjoy the look of a parted wig.

Are human hair wigs better than synthetic wigs?

Depending on how you want to wear the wig, adding a synthetic option is OK, but if it's a lifestyle decision, most people prefer human hair.

Embree contends that wearing synthetic fibers frequently can irritate the skin because they are often prickly against it. When selecting synthetic wigs, Davis believes some factors to remember are that they're "made from fibers, can't be colored or bleached, and can't take extreme heat." On the flip side, they can withstand the weather, they typically cost less than human hair wigs, and they don't require as much maintenance.

When treated appropriately, human hair withstands daily use better over time, and unlike synthetic hair, it's unprocessed, can be bleached and colored, and can withstand the heat. Just be cautious if you choose to wear human hair in extreme weather, because it can react to that too.

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