I have been looking online for wigs because in the area that I live I just can't seem to find any place that has wigs and I want to buy one so I can dress in public as a woman and I have been looking online but I do not want to buy something and then it doesn't fit my head and then I will be sort of upset because I will get my hopes up and then they will be crushed, how do I measure for a wig? I would grow out my hair but I get so weird when it comes to my own hair and I have not had long hair since I was a kid. I think it was my experience in the military and not being able to grow my hair that long. Any insight would be amazing. Thanks

Hi Sandy

Ok, here's my advice...Annabelle's wigs.
They are an online store and have loads and loads of choices. They are all synthetic kaneklon hair and therefore will not be for ever. The best bit though, they are all under £25. Postage is very reliable and reasonable. What I would suggest, buy one or two that you think will look nice and then try them. At that price you can try colours and styles before investing more thoroughly. I've bought about 4 so far. Some mistakes, some look better with accessories. All are still used though.
The sizing is adjustable btw. From my own research, buying a high end wig and, more importantly, having it cut and styled to your face is the best way forward for the future. That is costly though so my option 1 is a good stop gap and test.  There are loads if ebay wig shops with cheap wigs btw. You will probably have varying qualities but if you are spending cheap enough, you can have fun experimenting and things can't go that wrong!

Have fun.
X

In my experience there are two factors that cause the most difficulty for passable MTF crossdressing-- beard cover and hair/wigs. Many go to great lengths to get the clothes right, then slap on a cheap looking wig and defeat blow the whole look. Hair is often the first thing people look at when they see you.

I own several wigs and in my experience it's difficult to make a synthetic wig look like real hair. If you go with a synthetic, pick a darker shade, since the blondes tend to look the most plastic-like. I prefer human hair, but good quality HH can be expensive.

Hairline is the next issue. If you can look good with bangs, you can avoid having to buy a lace front, which is tricky to apply. Most women's wigs are sized for smaller heads than most men's. They are somewhat adjustable, but sizes vary (even when stated), which is why buying a wig by mail is kind of a crapshoot. If it doesn't contour to your head well, it can look oddly lumpy.

The type of foundation the wig has is important, too. If it doesn't have a mono or skin top, the mesh will show in a part.

Price isn't always an indicator of how a wig will look on you either. A wig has to be right for your head and your coloration.

There are many, many good wig dealers online. Some I've dealt with are TWC, Best Wig Outlet and Wigs.com. I've also found good deals on good wigs from eBay sellers, but be careful there. I've discovered a good way to decide what hairstyles and colors look good on you without trying wigs on. Go to one of the free virtual makeover sites, upload a good head shot and check your looks with the many various hairstyles they have there. I do screen caps and save the pics for comparison. I like the Taaz makeover site, Instyle magazine's VM and the one at Mary Kay cosmetics.

Perhaps I should just grow out my hair and just get over my issues with having long hair because if this is important to me then I just need to do it. Seems like getting a wig is just going to be like a waste of money if I get something that doesn't fit and is to small, thanks for all the advice so far and I will figure all this out.

I second what Cassieohpia said - If you aren't brave enough to go into a wig store try some cheap wigs on ebay to figure out what style looks best on you, and expect to make some purchasing mistakes until you learn. You may discover that a wig style or color you really like looks horrible on you (which was my experience doing this). I eventually found a wig style and a color that looks good on me and constantly gets me compliments so the process works.

You can usually return a wig if it doesn't fit or if you don't like the style or color and all you lose is the shipping.

Wigs are usually adjustable so the fit shouldn't be an issue - if it doesn't fit just return it.

Wigs don't last forever. The synthetic Kanekalon hair is pretty realistic and durable and affordable. When you get into human hair wigs you are starting to talk about spending some real money - they are nice but I can't afford them. Just follow the directions for washing and conditioning and taking care of your wig and wear a wig cap to keep your hair oils off of it and it will last for quite a while. Also get some styrofoam heads to put the wig on when you aren't wearing it; those are available and cheap on ebay.

I also use wig tape to make sure it stays put.

All good advice.  Also, I would add that if purchasing live and direct locally is not an option for you, take a look at Paula Young online.  Great selection and affordable prices.  I have bought three wigs from them over the years and all of them have been very well made.

This is something that depresses me because my head size is XXL and none of the nice, human hair or lace front wigs fit me. Where can us bigheads find one that fits? 

I've used Paula Young too, and I second the Styrofoam head idea. I had a really fun time exchanging emails with Paula, and also with the girl at Sally Beauty that sold me the heads, and later nail polish.

Do the wig sizes come in cm? I saw on one site where it had cm but I wasn't sure if that is normal. I mean I could go into a wig shop and make some crazy story that I am doing a prank and I am going to dress as a woman and shock my friends and what not, I mean since I am nowhere close in having the confidence to just walk into a store and say its for me because i am transgender and I want to dress in public, even though I really shouldn't care since its not likely I will go into that store again unless they do have my wig size, lol

I guess the same can be said about going in for a bra fitting somewhere as well, not like I will be going back again or perhaps that is just a good way to practice my confidence as a woman and just say that they are from me because I want to dress FT as a female. Its crazy how this is all in my head about how people who are total strangers will react to me, I mean as a guy I rarely care what people think of me, why do I care when dressed as a woman or why would I care, lol

Sandy, most wig shops see plenty of crossdressers. Us and cancer patients make up the bulk of their business. You can expect them to be professionals and gladly take your money! 

Hugs, Devlyn