Who knew upon starting my internship this summer that wigs would become such a key element of my life? For the last 2 months while researching my Intern Edition piece on wigs and why people wear them on a daily basis, wigs have consumed and intrigued me. I interviewed avid wig wearers, from drag queens to working professionals with little time to fix their natural hair. I learned two very important things: both of these very different groups of people use wigs to form and enhance their identities. And, unfortunately, they are both judged by non-wig wearers. I must admit that I was one of the skeptics who questioned: if it’s not Halloween, and you don’t have a medical condition that results in hair loss, what’s the point?
It wasn’t till I took the plunge and tried on a professionally-made wig at Kay’s Wig Shop in downtown D.C. that I fully understood how empowering wearing a wig can be. Picking one out can be a bit daunting—multiple pairs of eyes from mannequin heads stare you down while you browse the aisles. And how do you pick the right one? For me, it was easy; I wanted something completely different from my own dark brown bobbed hair. I picked out a long blonde wig with lengthy layers and waited for giggles to erupt out of my friends mouths as I tried it on.
The owner of the shop, Kay Kim, first put this skull cap-looking hair net on my head—which is not at all flattering but creates a smooth surface for the wig to rest upon. She slowly pulled the wig over my now temporarily bald head, taking care to curl any excess hair under the cap. Having ditched long hair about a year ago, I’d forgotten what it was like to be able to pull your hair back in a ponytail or flip it to attract attention. I hadn’t dyed my hair since high school, when experimenting with pinks and purples seemed like a good idea. The biggest difference between the wig and my natural hair? The wig looked perfect–and my natural thick wavy hair rarely does unless I spend some time on it.
The heat didn’t cause the wig to frizz. It remained perfectly in place. Kay smiled at me and said: “You look so good!” I stared back in astonishment because , I must admit—I looked great. And I felt good, too. The way the wig made me look boosted my confidence and made me feel…different–just like when I get a hair cut and feel new again. But with a wig, you never have to worry about your hairstyle growing out.
As I admired my new hair and flirted with the idea of buying the wig, Kay said, “And you look so much younger too!” That’s when I knew I’d had enough. At the age of 21 looking like a teen again was my not my intention—I’m finally at the point when people don’t stare for several minutes at my ID questioning whether I’m of legal drinking age or not. Thinking back, I probably gave Kay a bit of a look when she said this—exactly how old did I look to her?
For drag queens, a wig completes their feminine transformation, making them look like a woman. For working professionals with no time to fix their hair, it gives them confidence to know they can easily slip on a wig and be ready a day at the office or a night on the town. But for me, there was something a little unnerving about the smiling blonde in the mirror, who looked a little too comfortable in my clothes.
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