A quality wig can help raise self-esteem.
Many celebrities wear wigs to make their hair appear lush and full when they are in front of the camera. Wearing as many as three at a time, Dolly Parton was probably the most prolific wig-wearer. Parton, Raquel Welch and other celebrities have developed their own line of wigs made in either human or synthetic hair with prices that fit into the average person's budget.
The Origin of Hair Used for Wigs
The most common hair used to construct wigs comes from Asia -- usually China, but can be from Korea or Japan -- India, and Indonesia. Some of the more expensive human hair used in wig making is Caucasian hair. Since most people want a wig that matches their natural hair color, bleaching chemicals are used to remove dark colors before dyeing. This process causes hair from Asia, India and Indonesia to lose much of its tensile strength, making the hair break easily during styling. With Caucasian hair, little or no processing is needed so the hair remains stronger. Its strength and the limited availability of Caucasian hair contributes to the higher price.
Lace-Front Wigs
Lace front wigs have become immensely popular among celebrities. According to beyonce-celebritylacefrontwigs.com, model Tyra Banks and Beyonce are long-time wearers of lace front wigs. Talk show host Wendy Williams constantly talks about hers and even outted John Travolta when he was photographed with his lace showing. The beauty of this type of wig is that it can be worn as long as three weeks without taking it off or shampooing it. The wigs can last for years with proper care. The lace contours to the shape of your head and is smooth and soft, eliminating irritation and scratchiness -- and it can be trimmed if needed and won't stretch or ravel after trimming. Lace-front, human hair wigs can be styled using hot curlers or blow dryers just like normal hair. Since each wig is handmade, the prices start at around $500 and go up from there depending on the time it takes to make the wig and the length of the hair used.
Raffaele Mollica Wigs
Raffaele Mollica's human hair wigs can cost from $2,700 to $3,500 and can take as long as a year to make. He started out making wigs for his mentor, Vidal Sassoon, in the 1960s and worked for a brief time as a wigmaker for Elizabeth Arden. Mollica has developed a loyal following, who say a year is worth the wait for one of his wigs. He launched is own line in the 1970s with a signature wig called the "Ralf." Based solely on his reputation as a wigmaker, Mollica has never advertised his products.
Claire Grunwald Wigs
Claire Grunwald wigs are made up of six to eight braids that are woven into a silk or lace cap. Making and styling the wigs can take up to 60 hours each at a cost of around $1,700. For custom-styled wigs the price can be as much as $4,000. In April, 1977 Elizabeth Hayt wrote an article for the "New York Times," in which one of Claire's clients said Claire wigs are the Rolls-Royce of wigs.
