Wigs can add fashion to life

Wig, is an arrangement of artificial or human hair worn to conceal baldness, as a disguise, or as part of a costume. Shorthaired and in many tiers or long and thickly plaited, the wig was an ingenious structure and rather formalized in appearance. The natural wig eventually gave way to the formal periwig. Later (c.1690) scented pomade and white powder of starch and plaster of Paris were used on the wigs; pink, gray, and blue powders were fashionable as the fad grew. The wig became a part of women's fashions. Today the use of the wig is dictated by fashion. Ready-made wigs are available in stores and by mail order. They are one-size-fits-all models that adjust to individual heads by means of either a stretchy foundation or adjustable sections around the edge of the foundation. Customers who are willing to pay more for a better-fit can purchase semi-custom wigs that are hand-knotted on different sizes and shapes of stock foundations. Made to the customer's exact head measurements, these wigs are held in place by tension springs or adhesive strips, or can be clasped to existing growth hair. Silicone foundations can be molded to the exact head shape, so that they are held in place by a suction fit. Machine-made wigs are fabricated by weaving hair into wefts. These can be sewn in rows to a net foundation. When the hair is disturbed, by blowing wind for example, the foundation shows through the hair. Thus, such wigs are less desirable for people who have no growth hair under the wig. Hand-tied wigs, on the other hand, give a more natural look, particularly if slightly different shades of hair are blended before being applied to the foundation. Hand-tied wigs shed hair and must be repaired from time to time. With proper care, human-hair wigs generally last for two to six years.