.jpeg "Emma Jeffery")
Supporting a child or teenager through a hair loss experience can be daunting. If you’ve decided a wig is the way forward, you’ll want to give them the best support possible and help them find the best wig for them. But where do you start? If you’re not sure what to look for in a wig, then how can you best help your child?
This article discusses how to find the best wig for a child or teenager. Here at Daniel Alain we make and sell the most natural-looking human hair wigs in the industry. And while we put time, care, and attention into each hand-made piece, we recognize that there are many other options on the market, and our pieces may not be the right choice for everyone.
We want to provide you with the best information so you can help guide your child towards the right decision for them, whatever brand you ultimately choose.
When looking for the best wig for a child or teenager, there are five important questions to ask yourself. They are:
Does the wig have good reviews from other customers?
Let’s dive in.
Is the wig secure?
Whether your child or teenager suffers from erratic, patchy hair loss caused by alopecia areata or trichotillomania, or from total hair loss caused by alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, or chemotherapy treatments, a top priority in a wig is security.
A child wearing a wig needs to know it will be secure on their head whether they're playing on the monkey bars, running across the football field, or dancing on stage. A wig should not hold anyone back from being able to live their best life.
Wigs for total hair loss have medical-grade silicone caps to secure the wig to the head. This type of wig is unsuitable for anyone with bio hair because the silicone will pull on any hairs and will quickly become uncomfortable. Ashley Demshki started losing her hair at 14 months old and has been wearing wigs since kindergarten. Now an adult, she recalls memories of her childhood wigs.
“Wigs have come a long way in 20 years. When I was wearing a wig back in elementary and high school, they had to be glued to my head with wig tape, messy adhesives. They also had adjustable straps that tightened the cap around your head. It was an ordeal,” she explains.
In contrast to the medical-grade silicone caps for total hair loss, wigs for patchy hair loss, or hair loss that comes and goes, have caps made from lace. In both cases, the key to a wig’s security comes down to a perfect fit.
“When looking for a wig for a child or teenager, you have to remember that head size is going to be really important. Not all children have an average stock size head where you can purchase a wig anywhere. You're going to want to look for a company that has a wide range of sizes,” advises Ashley.
When finding the best-fitting wig, it's important to take accurate measurements, and we can’t stress that enough. At Daniel Alain, we offer free, private consultations both online and in person. We can assist with taking measurements and guide you to which of our cap sizes would fit your child or teenager the best.
Something uniquely different about our caps is that we offer a wide range of sizes. And while many companies cannot accommodate smaller head sizes, our sizes start at XXXS. We don’t believe in giving children adult-sized caps and expecting them to ‘make it work’.
Experiencing hair loss at any age can be traumatic, but for a child or teenager, it can be especially so. Finding the perfect fit can give a child maximum confidence that the wig will stay in place all day long and allow them the freedom to be the child they are.
Is the wig comfortable?
After security, a huge consideration is a wig’s comfort. If it’s going to be worn all day, put through its paces on playground equipment, or a day’s shopping at the mall with friends, it’s imperative that a wig for a child or teenager feels comfortable to wear. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on an expensive wig only for it to be tossed aside in favor of hoodies, scarves, or beanies.
Ashley’s childhood wigs weren’t as comfortable as the Gripper wig from Follea by Daniel Alain, she wears today. Doing away with the need for glues, tapes, and adhesives that irritated her skin was no less than life-changing.
“When I used wig tape to keep my wigs in place, it would irritate my skin. It would be red and raw around my hairline and the back of my head where the tape was applied. Not having to apply adhesives means my skin is much clearer and I can relax that I don’t have to put up with discomfort,” explains Ashley.
At Daniel Alain, we can send out Fit Kits. A Fit Kit consists of a couple of different cap sizes we think it’s worth trying based on your child’s measurements, as well as some hair samples, and color swatches. This kit is sent to your home and allows your child or teenager to see how it feels on their head, to see if any tight areas may cause discomfort, and to wear it for an entire day if they really want to test out its comfort level.
No matter what brand you choose, before purchasing a wig, it’s important to allow your child or teenager the opportunity to wear the cap for a few hours to see how it fits and feels over some time. Trying a wig on for 5 minutes doesn’t give a good idea about how it will feel after 5 hours.
Does the wig look natural?
Let’s be frank: wigs haven’t always had the best reputation for looking natural. But fake, unnatural-looking wigs are a thing of the past. If you’ve ever seen someone obviously wearing a wig, chances are, you’ve walked past plenty of other people wearing wigs and you haven’t even noticed.
For a child or teenager suffering from hair loss, they likely want to avoid drawing further attention to their head. Wearing a wig does not have to mean being the subject of gossip and backhanded whispers.
If a natural look is a top priority, look for a wig made from 100% human hair, preferably European. Synthetic wigs may be cheaper and more tempting in the short term, but ultimately, they just won’t compare to human hair.
Wigs can be machine-wefted or hand-tied, or a combination of both. A machine-wefted piece is made by machine-sewing the hair into strips and sewing it onto the cap. Though this method is quick and easy to produce, the wig ultimately has hair that lays flat and in one direction. A 100% hand-tied wig is made by hand-tying the hairs 1-2 strands at a time to the wig cap. This mimics the movement of a real head of hair and gives a much more natural appearance.
A natural-looking hairline will also contribute to achieving the most realistic look. Look for a wig with a lace front that blends seamlessly with your child’s front hairline, giving the impression that the hair is growing naturally from the head.
“Another important consideration is how the top of the wig is made. Wigs can have a lace top or a silk top. A silk top gives you the most natural look - it truly resembles a real scalp. A lace top looks less natural because you can see the lace fabric along the part line. You can make it look more realistic by plucking out some hairs, or by covering it with makeup, but that can be too much work for some people.”
Is the wig easy to care for?
While Ashley admits that when she was very young, the task of washing and caring for her wigs fell upon her mom. As she grew up, she wanted to take responsibility for her hair in the same way as any teenage girl. “Once I reached middle school and high school, I wanted way more control over what my hair looked like, what I could do with it, and how I could style it. The responsibility fell on me and although there was a learning curve, it was important for me to take control,” explains Ashley.
If you are new to the world of wigs, you might feel daunted at the prospect of washing and caring for an expensive piece. You’ll be relieved to know that looking after a human hair wig isn’t any more complicated than looking after bio hair, and they can be washed, styled, and cared for in much the same way.
“Growing up, I wanted my wigs to look just like my friends' hair. If they were doing certain hairstyles, I wanted to try it too. Thankfully with human hair wigs, that’s something you can do,” says Ashley.
When looking for a wig for a child or a teenager, you will want to consider how they will want to wear their hair. Will they prefer it loose around their shoulders? If so, a machine-wefted piece could be ideal. If they want to experiment with high ponytails, and braids, or keep it up out of the face, then a hand-tied wig is likely to be a better option.
When supporting a child with hair loss, it’s always a good idea to follow their lead and encourage them to be part of the decisions. Ask them about their preferences. Give them choices. Listen to their thoughts and feelings as you both work to navigate this situation.
Does the wig have good reviews from other customers?
Sadly, the alternative hair industry is largely unregulated and brands can make false claims about the quality and origin of the hair they use to make their pieces. So how do you go about finding the truth behind the claims? Reading reviews from real-life customers and checking out what people are saying about a company’s piece online will give you the best idea about a wig’s longevity and how it performs in the long term.
Is a Follea wig by Daniel Alain the right choice for my child?
You’ve been wondering about how to find the best wig for your child or teenager. While it can be difficult to navigate unfamiliar territory, we hope we’ve cleared up some of the mystery and you feel better equipped to guide your child through the experience of finding the perfect wig for them.
If you’re curious about whether a Follea wig from Daniel Alain is the right fit for your child or teen, booking a consultation with one of our experienced consultants is the perfect way to get your questions answered. Not ready to book a consultation? Learning more about what drives the cost of a human hair wig up and down will help you understand more about the price you can expect to pay for the quality you seek.