Step 1. Measure your head

Measure your head circumference with some measuring tape.

This will ensure a good fit! Some companies put petite size as 20.5 Inches, medium as 21- 22 inches and large as 23 inches.

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Step 2. Choose your Color

If you are suffering from alopecia, maybe you want to stick with your natural hair color. Or maybe you are looking for something bold like purple or a fashion color! The possibilities are limitless.

​A word of advice , if you are looking for something very realistic, I suggest finding a wig with some subtle highlights, because our human hair naturally contains some highlights.

​Also, sometimes it is good to consider your skin’s undertone. For example, those with warm undertone skin color do well with reds, golden blondes, golden browns, etc. If your undertone is cool, dark brown, purples, blues, ash colors and platnium cool blondes can work. Or just having highlights and rooted color near your face of the right color can also work for you!

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Step 3. Choose your style, length and fiber.

Short hair? You can choose a synthetic or human hair wig.

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Medium Length? (up to 14 inches) – Synthetic or human hair.

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Long wig? (more then 15 inches) – Best to stick with human hair or low-heat synthetic wigs. These wigs do tend to cost a lot more, however. So if you choose a heat-friendly long hair synthetic, do realize it is going to take more time to heat maintain it and comb it out. The reason being is heat-friendly wigs tend to tangle and frizz more often.

​Curly hair wigs also require a lot more effort as well, If they are super curly I suggest sticking with human hair or low-heat synthetics.

​Human hair wigs look the most natural but are the most expensive.

Synthetic wigs can retain their style even after washing, and they are usually much cheaper than human hair wigs.

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Step 4. Pick a wig cap 

There are so many different types of wig cap constructions.

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Hard fronts are usually the cheapest, but they are hard to look natural unless they have bangs. Wigs with bangs are a great option for a beginner because they are cheaper, they require little effort to hide the lace line or match the lace color to your skin.

​Lace closures allow you to show your wig’s hairline.

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Lace frontals allow you to show your wig hairline and can even create some realistic side-burns, if you are suffering from hair loss and have none! The lace goes ear to ear.

​Full Lace Caps are more expensive because they are usually completely made by hand. Some of them are also made to custom fit by wig makers. They are the most realistic as they allow the hair to move naturally. They are also pretty comfortable, too!

​Silk top and mono top wigs are wigs that can be full lace or partial lace with wefts. Silk tops have three layers, tend to hide return hair, and have an added bonus of hiding wig hair knots completely at the crown, for a very natural appearance. Mono tops tend to be more durable than lace tops, but they don’t look quite as natural at the crown as lace wigs. However, they still have some lace at the front of the hairline. These two wig types will be more expensive than just lace wigs. They are definatly not needed for a beginner, but if you have money to burn, you decide!

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Step 5. Buying the wig 

Buy the wig online or in a wig store. Keep your measurements, color, length, fiber type and lace color (skin color match) in mind.

​Pros of buying online:

• cheaper
• more selection
• some shops have a return policy

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Cons of buying online:

• It might not fit
• It might not suit you
• You might be buying from an unknown supplier, they may try to scam you. Always look up reviews and do your research!

​Pros of buying in a wig store:

• Someone to help guide you to a wig that suits you.
• Trying it on first before buying.

Cons of buying in a wig store:

• More expensive
• Less selection
• Return policy might not be good.

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I suggest buying your first wig from a vendor that allows for free or cheap returns if it doesn’t fit or if it doesn’t suit you, especially if you are on a budget. Then you can learn more about wigs through experience before buying an expensive one.

​Some examples of cheap wig vendor sites are shein, aliexpress, samsbeauty, divatress, amazon. Shein and amazon usually have free returns.

​Some cheaper realistic synthetic wig brands are Zury Sis, Sensationelle, Outre, Bobbi Boss. Some examples of higher-grade synthetic wig brands are Jon Reneu, Belle Tress, Ellen Wille, Raquel Welsh.

​I am not too familiar with human hair wig vendors, the cheap ones have very mixed reviews. If you are on a budget, you can try buying a second hand lightly used human hair wig from a facebook group.

​If you can afford it, having a wig custom-made is also a great option. Also, there are some very expensive human hair wig brands out there.​

Step 6. Alterations and Expectations

So you got your wig in the mail and it doesn’t fit. Well, you have a couple of options. You can hopefully send it back and try again.​

​If you want to keep it, you can try to alter it. Do realize that altering a wig will make it non-returnable.​ Check out my website page which lists ways to alter and resize a wig! Hopefully, it can help you if all else fails.

​Usually, you will have to restyle a wig, and sometimes thin out a wig if it is on the cheaper and dense side. This is normal. ​Also, you will have to cut the bangs to your face length if you buy a wig with bangs.