Wigging Out

I had my follow up appointment with my dermatologist on Monday. I really thought she would agree with me that it is not worth continuing, but she actually said my progress was really good for someone with full Alopecia Universalis, and wants me to keep going six more months before we make a decision. So, I am continuing treatment! I am really tired of going, to be honest, but I just hate to quit. I am hoping the commute to the hospital will be more enjoyable in the summer (who doesn't want to leave work early on a nice, sunny day?).

Anyway, I wanted to give that update, but I also wanted to share my collection of wigs! HEY-O! Fun Friday!! I started having to wear wigs when I was 15, and I think I have gone through at least 13 since then. Buying a wig is really stressful the first time- you have two options: buy one like your current hair, or go completely different. It is really a personal choice, but in my opinion if you try to match your natural hair you are more likely to be disappointed.

First off, I would like to share what my natural hair looked like:

Please ignore my monster eyebrows (and the random baby) and check out those gorgeous locks! I am fairly confident this is my natural colour too. This picture was in grade 9, I think.

By grade 10, I had to start wearing wigs. I tried matching my current hair and I ended up with this monstrosity. I think it was processed human hair. DO NOT get processed hair! It is dark hair that is stripped of it's colour and dyed, and it basically is poor quality. I hated this wig. I also went through a couple of painful years of drawing on my own eyebrows. please excuse them.

By the time I entered grade 11, I had gotten me a new wig! It was this red synthetic wig with blonde highlights. At some point I got a very similar wig that was a bob cut, but I can't find photos of it. Synthetic wigs are great because they require no maintenance, but I find that they don't look that great for long and need replacing more.

In grade 12, I moved onto a short brown bob. I actually really liked this wig- it was the first time I had bought from a fancy wig salon (the same one I still go to!).

Off I went at this point in my life to University! Yay! Half way through first year I decided to move to longer hair and I got a long synthetic brown wig. I really don't know why I couldn't find a better photo. This was around the time that I got my first digital camera, though, so these photos should get better!

At some point in second/third year, I changed it up and went darker and got bangs! This I think was the same style of wig as the previous brown one, but I went back a few months later to add in the bangs. I loved them, but they were a lot of upkeep!

I also bought my first "fun" wig that year in Buffalo! I found a cheap wig store in the Walden Galleria Mall, and picked up a curly blonde wig, just for funsies. It was a lower quality, so certainly not for daily wear, but I would wear it for nights out.

In fourth year, I went blonde(ish)!

Then I graduated and I had to start working and stuff (yuck). So to spice things up in my life, I got a custom red haired wig made (It was synthetic as well).

However, the red wig turned out to be defective (it kept frizzing up), so I went in crying to the salon and they exchanged it for my first virgin European wig (that means the hair is all natural). It was also red, but I went much shorter.

Also during this time, I got my second "fun" wig, a longer dark brown wig! I love the style of this one, but it is already showing it's age (synthetics frizz and look less real over time) so I rarely bust it out.

Finally I saved up my pennies and I bought my first real wig with my own money (my mom had previously financed all wigs except the fun ones). I spent a long time in the salon and ended up going with a long brown, virgin European wig! Long hair is very expensive because someone had to cut off that length so it is rarer. I have been wearing this one for two years.

I have been thinking about maybe going for something new, but then I remember the price tag and I decide to ride this one out a bit longer.

And in case you were wondering where all these wigs are now, I donated all except the long, dark "fun" wig and the short real-hair red wig to the Princess Margaret Hospital. They fix them up and then provide them free of charge to cancer patients. However, they don't take human hair wigs, which is why I still have the red wig.

I hope you enjoyed this history of my hair!! Please feel free to send me money for a new wig :)