Real hair or wig?

[Pippa]

I'm lucky as I got my Mum's gene's for hair. If I had my Dad's. I'd be as bald as a coot!.  I hate wigs.  I know that for some they are essential but in my day's of living part time, I found them hot, itchy and irritating.

[Stephe]

It's interesting from many comments I read on trans forums over the years: unless you have real hair or no one could ever tell you are wearing a wig = you look like a man. So that being the case, any female who wears a wig are now men or don't pass? I see lots of women who clearly are wearing a wig but no one "clocks" them. But yes on a trans forum they would be told "You will never pass with that wig"..

Who do you think wigs are manufactured for? Here is a hint, they are not made for trans-women. Clearly they should look as much like real hair as possible but saying real hair or a $$$$ wig is required "to pass" is simply nonsense.

[Ave]

I honestly wish I wore wigs in the beginning or got hair extensions/weave..

Sadly I painfully grew out my hair from very short to mid-back length, there were about 2 whole years where my hair looked like a mop-headed boy.. I suppose a hair awkward state? hehehe
Either way, If I could do it all over again I would go with a human hair wig or at the very least human hair clip-in extensions...

I perform at many bars through out my state, and I can say that synthetic hair is very hard to take care of.. I'm always replacing my wigs and pieces almost monthly or using them only for hair stacking ex. buns.

Get that remy hair guurrrl <3

WOAH remy hair, now that's a blast from the past 

[EmmaMcAllister]

I'm going through this debate myself. I started growing my hair in June (after shaving my head for over a decade). Much to my dismay, MBP is starting to creep in. I'm thinning out on top and my hairline is a frightened animal. I know that I could try Propecia, but I don't really want to do extra damage to myself (in terms of side effects) on top of HRT. Wigs may just be easier and safer.

[Lyric]

...saying real hair or a $$$$ wig is required "to pass" is simply nonsense.

Most wigs are sold to genetic women and most of those women look like women wearing wigs. Life isn't fair, unfortunately, though, and that's usually not the case with TG folks. Gender identification is a matter of subconsciously adding up various signals. About the first signal you look for if you suspect someone isn't the gender they first seemed is their hair. Thus if a person appears a bit mannish in other ways, an obvious wig will finish the assessment. Alas, we have to try harder to achieve the same result-- looking like a woman.

I've worn wigs and known wig wearers for decades now and one thing I've noticed is that the wig wearer is always the last realize they're wearing an obvious wig.

It's certainly possible to wear a convincing inexpensive wig, although it's trickier. Any wig needs to be well matched to the wearer for coloration, shape and fit. Most wigs need at least a bit of custom fitting and trimming to look good on the wearer. Even an expensive wig can be unconvincing, though. They usually need to be styled and cared for often to maintain a convincing look.

~ Lyric ~

[Stephe]

About the first signal you look for if you suspect someone isn't the gender they first seemed is their hair.

Maybe if you are trans that is the first thing you "study" on someone you suspect as trans, to see if they have a wig? And if it's common for women wearing a wig to look like women wearing a wig, why would that clock anyone?

The first signals people look at is the face, then the voice. People generally do not gender people by their hair as the first clue.

And on the "natural hair is best".. I casually know several trans people that are trying to use their thinning natural hair and they really look horrible. They would be much more attractive in any sort of a wig.

Obviously what is important is to have a style/color that suits you if you want to look nice. That IMHO is much more important than if it's your real hair, a synthetic or human hair wig.

[Christine]

I like to be able to show the hair line because it makes it look better in my opinion and gives more styling options. That said the hair style needs to complement the face. That's where a good wig salon comes in. Kerrianne, your style seems to complement your face nicely.

[Lyric]

I don't think many people would say natural hair is always best. The reason most people wear wigs is because their natural hair doesn't look good enough to them.

Many TG people do underestimate the importance of the way a wig looks, though. It's not easy to wear a wig without it looking like one. And anyone who appears to be wearing a wig tends to be unusual, since hardly anyone under 70 wears a wig these days. It's not like the 1960s when wig wearing was a substantial fashion trend.

~ Lyric ~

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Many celebrities wear wigs.  If selected properly and fit correctly, it is hard to tell.  The problem comes in the way it is worn.  Hair line is not correctly placed.   Wig is not properly cared for.  The wig slips.

[Janae]

Well my real hair is pretty long I've been growing it out since I was 15. But it's easier for me to wear a wig than to spend money getting it done. I love wigs for all the options they provide. They give me the freedom to try different styles, lengths, and colors. Not to mention there are so many good ones out there. Especially if your willing to spend good for them. I caught the wig bug from my mom she has tons!!!

[patstar]

Great topic!  I want to go with my own hair (which has grown back more than a little, due to minoxidil, HRT, etc, and is still growing back after some degree of MPB), for various reasons, some of which I shall get to momentarily.   However, what's wrong with this desire is that my own hair might not ever be thick enough on top to be suitable in any case—and long hair just has so much appeal.

The problem with wigs (for me anyway), aside from the obvious egocentric reasons, is the desire/need to wear one most of the time.  I would need something comfortable and well-fitting enough to exercise in, and so forth: something nearly as practical and adaptable as one's real hair; and at least presently I can NOT afford expensive wigs.

So for me it is currently much an open question.  I too am quite interested in everyone else's replies.

[LadyRaven87]

Well being ex military i had to rely on wigs. But i did notice u sweat alot more with wigs than regular hair. Im growing mine out. If u have the type of hair that u have a certain style to then go for it.

[sandrauk]

I've been battling the wig demon for many years. I don't have MPB but my hair is wispy on top and I need to cover my forehead. Wigs make me feel false and rock my self confidence. I know I probably would look better in a wig but I just don't seem to be able to come to terms with it.

A few things I have learnt though;

Make sure the wig cap is big enough for your head. (the one attached to the wig)

Human hair doesn't need to cost the earth I bought a good one of ebay for £80

A human hair wig can last years and can be washed/straightened so can be good value

Positioning of the hairline is vital, one of the biggest tells is to wear it too far forward

The only style that seems to work with synthetic is a bob.

A fringe/bangs is essential to cover the hairline. A swept style is near impossible to pull off.

Get a stylist to cut the fringe, it's very difficult

A toupee can be undetectable. I worked with a guy for three years and didn't notice until I was working above him and saw his woven parting.

It may be true that FAAB girls wear wigs but a different set of rules apply to T-girls. If I see a wig I'm straight into questioning mode. The area I work in has a large African population and bad wigs are common but that doesn't change the rules for T-girls.

[Seyranna]

Notice how most people recommending wigs are over 40yrs old.

Hair is not factored in how people gender you BTW. Of course if you're balding real bad it'll come off as a manly feature but provided your hair is full it doesn't matter if you have long hair or not. It's a myth from the trans world. Back when I started transition I had around 1 inch of hair( had a buzz cut 2-3 months prior) I was sure I'd need a wig but then I was systematically mam'ed at work because of body language and facial expressions. So yes I was lucky to pass well pre-HRT but it also made me realize that hair is severely overrated in passability.

[suzifrommd]

Hair is not factored in how people gender you BTW.

Sorry sweetie, have to disagree with you here. Esp. from behind, I look at the hair first and only if something else is out of whack do I look anywhere else. Even from the front, I form my first impression from long hair. Short hair, I'll look elsewhere (chest, face,etc.) but it's always the hair first.

I do agree that people with short hair can look very feminine, but if you're trying to distract someone from features that are masculine for any reason, long hair really helps.

[Seyranna]

You look at the hair but your brain looks at posture/demeanor. Even from behind would you misgender a group of metalheads with long hair? No, their demeanor would quickly cue them as male. That's also why you can gender someone off your field of vision without directly looking at the person. If you see a trans woman with a big stature and a very manly demeanor from behind I can assure you that you will not be fooled by her long hair. Maybe I'm the one being weird because even I wear my hair up most of the time I tend to believe that I look much more feminine and loose hair makes me more guyish. Maybe it's because as a teen I had shoulder length hair so maybe I see my teen boy face more instead of a woman when I do so IDK..

[Stephe]

You look at the hair but your brain looks at posture/demeanor.

I have argued this before, some trans-people seem to believe posture/demeanor/mannerisms mean nothing. I know several TS women (two are post op) that would easily "pass" in photographs, but in person people see "a guy" from across the room just by how they carry themselves. As long as you have neat hair styled some what fem, you hair isn't going to be what clocks you.

And how -we- gender people is a horrible way to look at this. Of course trans people will look for the detail "clues", depending on which ones they themselves are obsessed with. The general public looks at genera face/voice/demeanor as the main clues. The comment "If I see a wig I'm straight into questioning mode." is typical. Of course you are, you are trans. Most people aren't trying to play "lets hunt out the >-bleeped-<" game.

And I am ONLY saying that wigs are better than when older women with some MPB or "wispy" are trying to pull off real hair. Obviously if you are younger and have nice real hair you should use that.

[Christine]

You look at the hair but your brain looks at posture/demeanor. Even from behind would you misgender a group of metalheads with long hair? No, their demeanor would quickly cue them as male. That's also why you can gender someone off your field of vision without directly looking at the person. If you see a trans woman with a big stature and a very manly demeanor from behind I can assure you that you will not be fooled by her long hair. Maybe I'm the one being weird because even I wear my hair up most of the time I tend to believe that I look much more feminine and loose hair makes me more guyish. Maybe it's because as a teen I had shoulder length hair so maybe I see my teen boy face more instead of a woman when I do so IDK..

Very true. Attitude and confidence level also plays a big role

[Lyric]

Maybe I'm the one being weird because even I wear my hair up most of the time I tend to believe that I look much more feminine and loose hair makes me more guyish. Maybe it's because as a teen I had shoulder length hair so maybe I see my teen boy face more instead of a woman when I do so IDK..

This is interesting. Since you wore your long hair down before transitioning, you wear an up style to feel feminine. That reminds me that a big part of this stuff is not about "passing" with others, but feeling more like your target gender yourself. I've seen posters on this forum who always wear skirts because they don't feel feminine enough wearing pants. For most TG persons wearing long hair feels more feminine just because they wore it short as a man.

While voice and mannerisms may be the strongest gender indicators (well, after boobs or facial hair, perhaps), I think people tend to behaive more feminine when they feel more feminine. Thus, wearing hair in a way that feels feminine to you probably plays more than just a visual part in that process.

~ Lyric ~

[Stephe]

While voice and mannerisms may be the strongest gender indicators (well, after boobs or facial hair, perhaps),

Boobs are way down the list. Most people don't go around looking at people's chest to gender them.