It's the desire to have both hairstyles that caused me to shave the sides of my hair and do a Chelsea Hawk (that way I could keep the hair up front so I don't look too masculine, or just generally bad). I absolutely miss my hawk since I shaved the middle off and started growing it out. I'd definitely love to get my hawk back, even though I never gelled it. I just always wore it back in a ponytail or just whooshed it off to one side (wow, whooshed is actually a word??? xD) However, with my new job as a pizza delivery driver, I feel that cutting my sides off again would drastically cut my tips down on days when I can't wear my wig for whatever reason.
And on that note, my wig only cost me $25 after tax. It looks real as anything (the hair straightener girl at the mall actually asked me what I use on my hair!), it's SOOOO soft, and it's a great way to be versatile with my hair while I wait for it to grow out (my hypothyroidism actually killed my hair, and that's ultimately why I had to cut it all off; my hair just looks too bad naturally short because it refuses to style, so I felt like I needed a wig). And it's a slightly longer wig, coming down to armpit length. So don't think you can't get a good wig for cheap. Just make sure that it's from a reputable wig shop, and not an actual costume wig. My friend says my wig is softer than the $60 one she has of the same length!