The Wig
I’ve been contemplating buying a wig for a few years but I just never made the commitment because of a number of reasons. Firstly, I’ve been dealing with my natural hair for 9 years and I just got so comfortable with seeing my face and hair in my natural up-dos that a wig seemed like a change I’d struggle to adjust to. Secondly, I don’t like admin. Wigs look like admin. I prefer hair extensions because they’re generally cheaper and easier to manoeuvre. Thirdly, I’m not a fan of confusing my audience (me). Because I’m quite an active girl, I can’t imagine how I would have a wig during the day when I go to work and then take it off in the evening when I work out and then put it back on at night for date night. Where on earth would I get the time or the opportunity to adjust to how my look changes? Despite all these reasons, I decided to buy a wig because I was feeling creative. I bought the wig in January 2020 and I only wore it at the end of October 2020. It took me 9 months to gain the energy and desire to wear it.
The wig definitely surpassed my expectations. It’s a 20-inch kinky-curly lace-front wig. It came with two wig caps, has clip-in combs on the inside and has adjustable straps at the back. The ordering and delivery process was very smooth. Considering that China was already knee-deep in Covid-19 lockdowns, I’m impressed with the vendor for the quick turnaround time. I ordered this wig from AliExpress, through a vendor called “Sunlight Human Hair Official Store”. I placed the order on the 23rd of January and received the wig on the 22nd of February. A four week wait for a parcel from China in the middle of a global pandemic isn’t bad. The vendor is an active communicator, they updated me every step of the way and I was comfortable with the process. When the wig landed in South Africa, they delivered it to my exact address so I didn’t have to pay a fee at the Post Office. The wig was $95.00 with free shipping, at the time I paid for the wig, the exchange rate was approximately R14/$ so I paid around R1400.00, I’d say it was worth it.
The Maintenance
Since I’m a wig newbie, I made some grave mistakes when I first started working with the wig. I dry-brushed it, I barely conditioned it, I washed it in hot water and I barely glanced at the instructions in the wig box. Lesson learned. Now, I’m a lot more careful. I wash it with the Organics Shea Butter Shampoo, I condition it with the Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Conditioner, I moisturise it with Aunt Jackie’s Curl la la curl custard (only use this for wigs, it does nothing for your natural hair) and I define the curls with Aloe Vera gel. I use a detangling brush while the hair is wet to get rid of any knots and I let the hair dry on a mannequin before wearing it.
The Styling
As I’ve mentioned, I am still getting used to how I look with a wig on because I’ve had 9 years of just staring at my natural hair in protective up-dos. I decided to ease myself in by turning this 20-inch lace front wig into a half-head wig, or a headband wig if you will. This is to allow my natural hair to be visible so it’s not as big a shock. It also protects my edges because I don’t have to use glue or anything else to lay the wig down. I put my hair in twists underneath the wig and I make sure they’re properly hydrated as the wig cap is stocking material which tends to suck up a lot of moisture.
I only wore the wig for a day so I can’t really give advice on how to style it on a daily basis. However, I’m going to be a lot more adventurous in 2021 so I’ll do more blog posts on how to wear, maintain and style wigs for daily wear. I’m excited to be able to try more wig-aided protective styles and I’ll definitely be sharing the journey. Let me know if there are any good natural hair wig vendors you’ve used in the comment section below!
