Should I Tell People I'm Wearing a Wig?

Do you wear a wig?

Are you toying with the idea of wearing one? 

If so, chances are you’ve been wondering whether to divulge to others that you’re wearing hair. Disclosing your wig-wearing is a deeply personal decision. There’s no right or wrong answer to the question - should I tell other people I’m wearing a wig? Whether or not you decide to share such personal information is a choice only you can make. 

Wigs are all we talk about here at Daniel Alain. We’ve been creating the most beautiful, realistic human hair wigs for over 20 years, and they’ve become our passion. We are determined to dispel the myths and do away with the stigmas surrounding wig-wearing. Fake, unnatural synthetic wigs of the past have made way for beautiful, natural-looking human hair wigs that women can feel proud to wear. 

You may struggle with the decision to tell others you wear a wig. Here, one of our real-life customers, Barb, reflects on the bold choice to tell others she wears a wig, how they’ve reacted and what impact it’s had on her personally. 

Barb turned to wigs after suffering from genetic hair loss and lifting the veil on wearing wigs opened up a world of opportunity. The world of wigs has changed and it’s important to share these experiences. Addressing the taboo subjects head-on helps create a new narrative around wearing wigs. By reading Barb’s story, we hope you’ll feel empowered to make the best decision for you. 

Should I tell people I wear wigs?

Short answer, why not?! When you’ve found the right wig for you, you might want everyone to know!

Barb has suffered from female hair loss her entire adult life. Like many women with thinning hair, she devoted time and energy to concealing it. From parting her hair differently, cutting bangs, and attempting styles that would make her hair appear fuller. 

Barb tried it all. 

Eventually, she resorted to root powder to cover the most problematic areas, and that worked for a few years until the hair loss became too extreme. After taking more extreme and ultimately unsuccessful measures with PRP treatments (an expensive and painful procedure that involves injecting the patient with their own platelets to stimulate hair growth), Barb realized that her hair loss was winning the fight. 

She knew if she didn’t take control, it would win the battle altogether. 

Barb turned to Daniel Alain and booked a free consultation with an expert stylist who took accurate measurements and discussed hair type, color, and length. Barb finally found her dream hair and hasn’t looked back since. Discovering human hair wigs gave her a beautiful head of hair and an unfaltering pursuit for authenticity.

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“I had spent so long hiding behind my hair loss, I knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life hiding behind a wig,” explains Barb. “I knew right away I wanted to be open and authentic about my wig-wearing.”

For the first time in a long time, Barb was proud of the way her hair looked. The renewed self-confidence she experienced from wearing her new Follea wig by Daniel Alain made her feel comfortable sharing her story with those around her. 

In her public-facing role as a busy real estate broker, she wanted to avoid awkward questions or furtive glances and put others at ease by talking about her wigs. Talking about her wig meant it didn’t become the elephant in the room.

“I didn’t want people to be uncomfortable around me. I didn’t want people to wonder if I was sick. I didn’t want people to feel like they couldn’t compliment me on my hair,” recalls Barb.

How others react when I tell them I wear wigs

Barb quickly realized that being open about her hair loss and wig-wearing put others at ease in her presence. In a professional setting, Barb found that people were genuinely interested in hearing about her hair loss and wigs, and it enabled her to build trust among her clients.

“I think that being honest and transparent about my faults and letting people know what was really going on behind the scenes has allowed my clients to realize that if I'm going to be authentic and transparent about my personal hair loss, then I'm definitely going to be honest with them about the situation they're going through, in whatever aspect of my business I'm serving them in.”

Barb also discovered one of the many benefits of wearing wigs was that she could quickly and easily change her look from one day to the next. Not content with one Follea wig, she soon invested in several more, in different lengths and colors. When everyone knows about her wig, it’s easier to explain how she’s able to be a blonde at the breakfast meeting and a brunette for dinner.

Being around Barb, you can’t help but be swept up in her world. With an infectious enthusiasm for her new hair, Barb carries everyone else along with her for the wig ride. Friends, family, coworkers, and clients enjoy her wigs as much as Barb herself. People know her wigs by name (all of Barb’s wigs have first names - there’s Brooklyn, Jersey, Charlotte, and Rachel) and on special occasions, Barb will fulfill special requests for certain wig guest appearances.

Carving out a second career as a motivational keynote speaker, Barb is often called upon to talk about truth and authenticity, and uses her hair loss journey as her example of truth-telling. For Barb, being real and sharing her truth about wearing wigs allows her to be her authentic self.

“I’ve had opportunities to speak on stages and talk to people about my journey through authenticity and how it’s affected my business in ways I could never have imagined,” says Barb. “People don’t care about WHAT you do, they care about WHO you are.”

How it feels to tell people I wear wigs

Barb has always been a confident person, but through her struggles with hair loss, she lost some of her tenacity and optimism. Finding human hair wigs that feel like a part of her helped her regain what she had lost. Barb has the contentment of someone living a true, authentic life. For Barb, knowing her wigs look completely natural, feel comfortable, and allow her to express herself in ways her bio hair could not, brings a peace she didn’t know was possible. 

“Something everyone says to me now is, you're so much more confident, and I always say that you don't just become confident overnight by putting on a wig. I think I always was a confident person inside, but I was living behind walls that I had held up around me because I was ashamed of my hair loss.”

Barb feels like an enormous weight has lifted from her shoulders. Living with the hair loss she so ardently tried to hide for years weighed heavy on her spirit and took its toll on her self-confidence. Freeing herself from the embarrassment gave Barb the ability to accept herself for everything she is. 

When asked if she had to do it all again if she would do anything differently, Barb laments the timeworn regret of wishing she hadn’t waited so long. If she hadn’t been so concerned with the myths and stigmas surrounding wearing wigs, she would have acted sooner. And it turns out the myths are just that, myths. And the stigmas? Women like Barb are crushing them one at a time.

“I think if I were to do it all over again, I obviously wouldn't wait as long. I think I would have listened to that inner voice inside of me that was letting me know this hair loss is not going to stop. I think I would have learned that wearing wigs is not a stigma. It can be your own journey. It can be your own experience,” says Barb.

Are you ready to begin your own wig journey?

Before Barb found human hair wigs to be a permanent, long-term solution for the all-consuming hair loss she was experiencing, she was embarrassed, lacking self-confidence and frustrated. Hair loss was affecting all aspects of her life.

Finding human hair wigs helped Barb regain the confidence that had been taken from her. In the pursuit of an authentic life, she chose to share her hair loss and wig-wearing experience with the people around her. She was surprised to find that being honest and open about her insecurities helped gain the trust of her clients and business associates. She has been reaping the business and personal rewards ever since.

If you’d like to learn more about how to find the best wig for you, we recommend downloading our wig-buying guide. It’s brimming with useful information to get you started on your own journey to beautiful hair.