Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Male to female transsexual talk (MTF) => Topic started by: AliceF on January 27, 2018, 11:26:03 PM

Title: Wearing wigs
Post by: AliceF on January 27, 2018, 11:26:03 PM
Hello!Im pre hrt trans,and im concerned about my hair a lot(thats what ruined my life,haha) since ive  been balding since 19.Balding was pretty depressing for me,because i had long-long hair since i was 13(longer than most girls in my school at times,in fact)I think that my natural hair wouldnt look very good for a female.Does a lot of trans people wear wigs?What was your expirience with them?Are they cost-y?
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: KathyLauren on January 28, 2018, 06:45:15 AM
Since a lot of trans women started their transitions well into adulthood, male pattern baldness is a curse that many, if not most, of us have to address.  Some catch it early enough that it's not a problem, some resort to transplants, and the rest of us wear wigs.

Wigs can range from el-cheapo Halloween wigs all the way up to the sky's the limit.  You may eventually want to have several wigs, including inexpensive ones for daily use and better quality ones for dressing up.  If you are full-time, you will want at least two, so you have one to wear while the other is being washed and dried.

For $150, you can get a decent-quality wig that is presentable in public.  You might be able to find cheaper ones that are acceptable, and you can certainly find wigs that are much more expensive.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Harley Quinn on January 28, 2018, 08:04:25 AM
I used to wear wigs a lot.  I started balding in my early 20s and by the time I started transition I was pretty bald, both on my crown and temples.  Wigs are fun and useful, but they are also hot and annoying if/when they shift.  They can get quite expensive if you look at human hair wigs.  The heat resistant synthetic wigs are nice and work well.  You're looking at anything from $100 to 200 for a decent synthetic.  Human hair wigs $200 to 600 for nice ones.  Always take a new wig to a hair dresser and have it trimmed/fitted.  They'll look 1000 times better.

I got lucky when I started transition and a lot of the hair on my crown grew back when I got on hormone therapy.  I underwent hair replacement on my temples to fill that back in, because it was gone too long and it wasn't going to come back.  You may get lucky as well.  You can also try Finasteride/Dutraside to slow what you're losing and some may come back on its own.  Both Finasteride and Dutraside are prescribed to men for hairloss and are pretty effective.

With all that being said, you may not be as bad off as you think.  I was boarderline Norwood Class IV.  Finasteride, Sprionolactone, and Estradiol turned back the clock on my hairloss a good 5 years.  My surgeon gave me 3166 grafts on my temples and its nearly impossible to tell that I was ever balding.  I didn't even notice a difference in the donor area for the grafts.  My crown is covered from hormones alone, but not as thick as I would like it.  So I'll be getting that touched up after I make my decision on Facial Feminization Surgery.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Devlyn on January 28, 2018, 08:11:07 AM
Look for a local wig shop and give them a call. Their main clientele are crossdressers and chemo patients.

They're used to seeing us and taking our money. It's an enjoyable experience for everyone involved!  :laugh:

Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Megan. on January 28, 2018, 08:49:33 AM
I visited a wig store in London twice. On both occasions they were very courteous, and helpful in choosing a good style. [emoji5]

Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: davina61 on January 28, 2018, 10:55:05 AM
Went to a wig shop that does cancer patients (they also do breast forms) and got a short wig for work (vehicle tech) have 2 longer ones for best that I got on line but would recommend a shop to get fitted and see the colour   
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: JoanneB on January 28, 2018, 12:09:20 PM
Quote from: Devlyn Marie on January 28, 2018, 08:11:07 AM
Look for a local wig shop and give them a call. Their main clientele are crossdressers and chemo patients.

They're used to seeing us and taking our money. It's an enjoyable experience for everyone involved!  :laugh:

Hugs, Devlyn
+1

Growing up my hair went from baby fine to receding.  I purchased my first wig when I was like 16 or 17. Like Devlyn said, our money is as green as anyone else's and most shops are eager to separate us from it.

As a very general rule of thumb, you get what you pay for. Decent wigs these days are $150 or more. Brand also matters. Seems no one really wants to get into details as to what is the real difference in the hair/fibers used in their lower cost to stratosphere priced wigs beyond a few adjectives.

Low cost wigs, like those often seen on Ebay or elsewhere are great for experimenting with different styles. The alternative of the high pressure and high anxiety of a first trip into a wig shop can lead to a bad decision
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: DawnOday on January 28, 2018, 12:19:14 PM
On line they are fairly affordable. There are some that run in the thousands and others not so expensive. Some look really nice and some look really cheap. Wigsbuy is one place I bought from. A human hair wig that was manufactured a wee bit larger than most wigs. Still only cost about $250, made in China and takes about two weeks. I have heard wig shops are mostly cooperative to the point of scheduling you off hours. It's really all about the Benjamins. It's amazing how accepting people can be when there is money involved.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: KarynMcD on January 28, 2018, 01:39:50 PM
I switched to wigs last June. The one in my avatar photo is made by Sepia and costs about $45.
It didn't really matter how much they cost. If you wearing it daily, they won't really last more than 2 to 3 months.
Which works out fine because I like being able to switch styles and colors often.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: ChrissyRyan on January 28, 2018, 02:57:02 PM
What amazes me are the higher quality hand stitched wigs being just that, hand stitched, one human hair at a time, with a hair knotting tool.  That would take a lot of time, patience, and dexterity.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: AliceF on January 28, 2018, 05:28:58 PM
Quote from: Harley Quinn on January 28, 2018, 08:04:25 AM
I used to wear wigs a lot.  I started balding in my early 20s and by the time I started transition I was pretty bald, both on my crown and temples.  Wigs are fun and useful, but they are also hot and annoying if/when they shift.  They can get quite expensive if you look at human hair wigs.  The heat resistant synthetic wigs are nice and work well.  You're looking at anything from $100 to 200 for a decent synthetic.  Human hair wigs $200 to 600 for nice ones.  Always take a new wig to a hair dresser and have it trimmed/fitted.  They'll look 1000 times better.

I got lucky when I started transition and a lot of the hair on my crown grew back when I got on hormone therapy.  I underwent hair replacement on my temples to fill that back in, because it was gone too long and it wasn't going to come back.  You may get lucky as well.  You can also try Finasteride/Dutraside to slow what you're losing and some may come back on its own.  Both Finasteride and Dutraside are prescribed to men for hairloss and are pretty effective.

With all that being said, you may not be as bad off as you think.  I was boarderline Norwood Class IV.  Finasteride, Sprionolactone, and Estradiol turned back the clock on my hairloss a good 5 years.  My surgeon gave me 3166 grafts on my temples and its nearly impossible to tell that I was ever balding.  I didn't even notice a difference in the donor area for the grafts.  My crown is covered from hormones alone, but not as thick as I would like it.  So I'll be getting that touched up after I make my decision on Facial Feminization Surgery.

Yes,about finasteride...Wasnt a very good result for me,to put it mildly.Made me completely impotent overnight after 2 weeks of stopping.Its been a month now and im basically 100% asexual as a result.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Harley Quinn on January 28, 2018, 06:22:20 PM
Yikes. I'm sorry to hear that.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Cassi on January 28, 2018, 06:28:28 PM
Quote from: Harley Quinn on January 28, 2018, 06:22:20 PM
Yikes. I'm sorry to hear that.

My Endo advised me that the Finasteride would impact picolo pete and then said, oh, you don't care.  So,between the HRT and Finasteride we'll see.

Not really looking forward to wearing wigs but we'll see.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Roll on January 28, 2018, 07:06:20 PM
You can get cheapwigs off amazon to start with if you want, that's what I've been doing. The seller Mapofbeauty has my favorites so far, they are soft and not itchy unlike a few other brands I bought. A lot of costume stuff, but also a lot of normal styles for around 10 bucks.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Cassi on January 28, 2018, 07:52:37 PM
Quote from: Roll on January 28, 2018, 07:06:20 PM
You can get cheapwigs off amazon to start with if you want, that's what I've been doing. The seller Mapofbeauty has my favorites so far, they are soft and not itchy unlike a few other brands I bought. A lot of costume stuff, but also a lot of normal styles for around 10 bucks.

ten dollars for wigs?

Wow, just checked out the site and did not see one wig costing more than $10.00. 
Quite a selection.  Have you ordered from them?  I am assuming everything is shipped from China.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: ChrissyRyan on January 29, 2018, 06:35:03 PM
I am hoping my hair will always be healthy and a wig would not be needed.
But it is good that there is lots of variety in a wide price range.

It seems to make good sense, if practical, to visit a professional that could help you pick the better ones for your appearance. I would not want to go to a local shop unless I was willing to make a purchase.  What I mean is, I would not go to just browse unless it was basically self serve shopping.

I would not want to take up someone's time who is personally helping me a lot unless I would be willing to buy, providing there was a good one for me at an affordable price.

What I think though would happen is that there would be several appealing ones!  So I will stay out until the time is right.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Roll on January 29, 2018, 06:48:44 PM
Quote from: Cassi on January 28, 2018, 07:52:37 PM
ten dollars for wigs?

Wow, just checked out the site and did not see one wig costing more than $10.00. 
Quite a selection.  Have you ordered from them?  I am assuming everything is shipped from China.

For Mapofbeauty? I only order their stuff through amazon, and most is fulfilled by Amazon.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Cassi on January 29, 2018, 07:33:06 PM
Quote from: Roll on January 29, 2018, 06:48:44 PM
For Mapofbeauty? I only order their stuff through amazon, and most is fulfilled by Amazon.

That would make sense and cents.  Is the price the same on Amazon and shipping still free?
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Lyric on February 03, 2018, 11:34:31 AM
It always amazes me how transgender people willingly pay thousands of dollars on hormones and medical treatments, but satisfy themselves with a cheap plastic wig. Your hair is probably the single most significant factor when it comes to gender identification in public. There really is a considerable difference between those cheap wigs and the high quality kind that cost in the $800-$3K range. Well fitted, well styled and well cared for, they can last for years rather than months. Better still, they'll be more likely to look like your real hair.

At least look into quality wigs. My current favorites available online are the Milano line. But, if possible, you are always much better off having a wig professionally fitted and styled for you.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: ChrissyRyan on February 03, 2018, 11:50:14 AM
Quote from: Lyric on February 03, 2018, 11:34:31 AM
...Your hair is probably the single most significant factor when it comes to gender identification in public....

I so much agree.

Your hair needs to look good and it should be appropriate looking for you.

Whether it is your natural hair or not, your hair should look great and otherwise be attractive.
It should smell good and feel good to someone touching it or playing with it, and of course, when nuzzling!

But this just makes sense, this is nothing new.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Roll on February 03, 2018, 01:00:02 PM
Quote from: Lyric on February 03, 2018, 11:34:31 AM
It always amazes me how transgender people willingly pay thousands of dollars on hormones and medical treatments, but satisfy themselves with a cheap plastic wig. Your hair is probably the single most significant factor when it comes to gender identification in public. There really is a considerable difference between those cheap wigs and the high quality kind that cost in the $800-$3K range. Well fitted, well styled and well cared for, they can last for years rather than months. Better still, they'll be more likely to look like your real hair.

At least look into quality wigs. My current favorites available online are the Milano line. But, if possible, you are always much better off having a wig professionally fitted and styled for you.

I can barely afford groceries, a handful of $10 wigs are my limit for the moment. ;/ When I go full time I'll get one that's a few hundred though that's still far off.
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Cassi on February 03, 2018, 01:04:26 PM
Quote from: Roll on February 03, 2018, 01:00:02 PM
I can barely afford groceries, a handful of $10 wigs are my limit for the moment. ;/ When I go full time I'll get one that's a few hundred though that's still far off.

I right there with you Ellie! 
Hell, a pink baseball cap might cost me more :)
Title: Re: Wearing wigs
Post by: Mariah on February 03, 2018, 01:38:05 PM
A good number of trans people have used wigs at one point or another having said that so have CIS people too. I had to use one for a good while, however now I don't because it got to the point where the wig was hurting and limiting hair growth that I needed to let my own hair show all the time to finally finish getting fuller and thicker hair everywhere on my scalp. As far as the cost, they can very from very cheap to extremely expensive. It is best to think of one as an investment and get the right one for you in the first place if you can. I had to work with one until I really could afford the one that was a better fit for my face. Now my spouse uses one while they wait for their hair to grow out to a point that it can be styled in a way that is feminine but allows them to work as male still until they are ready to switch at work provided they want to make the switch at work which I anticipate they will. Hugs
Mariah
Quote from: AliceF on January 27, 2018, 11:26:03 PM
Hello!Im pre hrt trans,and im concerned about my hair a lot(thats what ruined my life,haha) since ive  been balding since 19.Balding was pretty depressing for me,because i had long-long hair since i was 13(longer than most girls in my school at times,in fact)I think that my natural hair wouldnt look very good for a female.Does a lot of trans people wear wigs?What was your expirience with them?Are they cost-y?