Synthetic wigs have been rising in popularity in the last few years because they give you all the human hair goodness for a fraction of the price. This is a big deal because synthetic hair was not hot back in the day.
The hair strands were shiny and plastic-like. Not to mention that most of them melted as soon as heat was applied and let’s not even talk about that super stick lace that couldn’t mimic a real scalp if it tried.
Yes, these wigs have come a very long way and for that, we are grateful! However, this doesn’t many you should just slap any and everything on your head just because it looks decent. No, ma’am!
There are still thinks you need to know and do before you even think about purchasing a wig. So before you run to the beauty supply and make a purchase you may regret, here’s what you need to know about synthetic wigs.
What are the benefits of synthetic hair wigs?
The benefits of synthetic wigs are the obvious:
- They can be bought in a variety of custom colors and ombres.
- They come pre-styled and ready-to-wear, for the most part.
- They’re budget-friendly, so you can buy more than one at a time.
- They can easily be maintained with heat and styling products.
However, one hidden benefit of synthetic wigs is that they actually have a longer life than expected. If you properly care for them by not sleeping in them or over-styling, you can make a synthetic unit last up to a year!
This is big deal because, as you know, they’re so inexpensive, so being able to keep synthetic hair for that long changes the game a whole lot. Not to mention that you can simply buy another wig in the same exact style if the first wig becomes unwearable—something you can’t do with human hair wigs without breaking the bank.
What are the disadvantages of synthetic hair wigs?
The disadvantages of synthetic wigs are the obvious:
- You can’t dye or bleach the wigs at all
- You can use heat too often on synthetic fibers
- They don’t last as long as human hair wigs might
- They take more work to make the hairline realistic
However, one of the hidden disadvantages of synthetic wigs is that they don’t have too many options that mimic natural kinky-curly hair yet. So finding a synthetic unit that actually matches your hair instead of simply looking like it could be your hair, isn’t likely in the stars for you.
Another disadvantage is that they cycle wig styles out pretty often. Which means you may fall in love with a particular wig make and style, only to find out that it’s no longer available a few months or years from now.
And unlike human hair, you can’t just find another vendor with a similar curl pattern, lace, or whatever it was—you have to wait for it to come back, find a dupe, or move on to a new favorite wig. Ouch.
What are the different types of synthetic wigs?
Like human-hair wigs, synthetic wigs come as lacefronts, lace closure, half wigs, headband wigs, and even converticap wigs that are drawstring ponytails and half wigs all in one! They also have the same versatility in lace, so don’t be surprised if you see HD or Swiss lace on a $30 kinky-straight wig from the beauty supply.
The key difference in synthetic wigs vs human hair wigs, however, is that synthetic hair isn’t categorized by hair type and texture, as much as it is by pattern and style.
This means that you won’t find a Mongolian Curly or Brazilian straight anywhere, but if you search a generic term like “body wave synthetic wig”, you’ll find a plethora of wigs in that same style—give or take a few differences.
Which synthetic wigs look the most natural?
How much should a good synthetic wig cost?
Unlike human hair, the cost of a synthetic wig doesn’t really matter when it comes to quality. “You get what you pay for” almost goes out the window in this case because you can get the best wig of your life for just $30.
I will say that when it comes to wigs with better parting space and heat-friendly fibers that will last longer than your typical synthetic unit, expect to pay at least $40 for it. On the higher end? $60 or even $70.
Again, wig price varies by the brand but doesn’t necessarily determine quality, so don’t think you have to be on the prowl for the highest-costing synthetic wig—that’s not a good wig-buying strategy in this case.
What kind of wig is best for beginners?
In my opinion, headband or half wigs are the best for beginners because they don’t require you to customize any lace. All you have to do is secure the headband or style your leave-out, and be on your way!
After you’ve mastered that and want to try working with lace a little bit, don’t go straight into ear-to-ear lace frontals. That can be intimidating and overwhelming to try when you’ve never worked with lace before.
Instead opt for a closure with some manageable parting space, 3 to 5 inches or so, and work on customizing that. This will give you the opportunity to learn how to work with lace on small spaces first, making it hard to mess up.
But when you’re ready, girl, jump right into those lace frontals! Here is where all the fun baby hairs and real “melting” come into play. It’s fun to do and is a relatively low investment when practicing on a synthetic wig.
