Mary Cate Smith: "if you bought it, it's yours". Pic: Larry Cummins.

Wearing a wig is erroneously perceived as a low-maintenance option compared to bio hair. 

You wouldn’t believe the amount of times someone excitedly tells me, “that’s so handy – you can literally change your look whenever you like.” 

There are so many other factors at play. Firstly, the cost, which can venture into the thousands (and good ones usually do). 

The many ways we, in the wig community have of keeping them on our heads is another factor. The glue, the tape, the wig caps, the hair grips, the bobby pins are all ways of keeping your hair on your actual head.

Back in the 80s, our school football coach wasn’t as lucky when his unconvincing jet black toupée took flight and landed approximately ten metres short of the goal posts, much to his abject horror. 

Wearing a toupée around large groups of teenage girls came with a rather high risk of ridicule but our coach, a lovely, lovely man still preferred to wear his, rather than expose his bald patch.

Wigs are wonderful, they can really boost your confidence – in fact, my personal trainer has remarked that I seem to have more energy when I’m wearing mine in the gym and she’s not wrong.

Cost is a major factor so it’s good to be aware of the supports out there. The HSE offers a grant for medical card holders, which varies depending on the area you live in. 

In Cork, medical card holders are entitled to €450, whereas in the Naas catchment area, it’s €767. 

Some wig providers will apply for this discount for you (Bernie in Wigs Medical in Waterford did all the paperwork for mine) but some require you to do it yourself. 

You will need to provide a note from your doctor, stating the medical reason you need the wig (alopecia and hair loss as a result of chemotherapy are all covered). 

Previously, this grant was only available to people on the medical card, but it now available for PRSI contributors as well as self-employed people. 

After receiving a hard and soft copy of the letter from your doctor, you download the Med1 form on the Revenue website, fill that in, and send it away.

Irish Life Health (formerly AVIVA) covers 50% of the cost of a wig (up to €1,000) with no excess for people going through chemotherapy but not alopecia. 

LAYA healthcare has plans which offer one hairpiece per year following cancer treatment or to support members diagnosed with alopecia. VHI offers the full cost of one wig or hairpiece with no excess applied.

Check with your insurer if they only provide relief for specific wig providers. 

Some policies also cover or partially cover the cost of eyebrow tattooing or microblading. 

I got mine done in The Brow Artist in Dublin – a soft powdery look – but there are some great options available in Munster too. Drew Aultman creates realistic-looking brows at Love Hate Social Club tattoo studio in Cork, you can see her work on Instagram @hellbentbrows.

Human hair, lace front wigs are the gold standard when it comes to hairpieces. I chose a medical-grade wig, which comes pre-plucked and the lace is pre-trimmed.

Pre-cut wigs come with an elastic band that adjusts to the size of your head. I usually go for the xs size. Most fashion wigs are made by machine, don’t have a realistic hairline, and are coarser to wear. Medical grade wigs are made by hand, and hand-tied. They tend to be softer, lined with higher quality material and a lot less scratchy, particularly if your head or scalp is tender after chemotherapy or steroid injections.

The hairline is the thing that will really differentiate your wig. Lace frontal wigs are hands down the most realistic and the lace bit that comes down onto your forehead creates the illusion of a natural hairline. Gluing or taping it down will ensure it doesn’t budge for the day, and you can go to the gym, sea swimming or any activities with movement if you get a really good glue/tape.

Ghost Bond is one of the best glues – it’s latex-free – and keeps the wig intact through sweat and rain. I love Walker No Shine Bonding double-sided tape which you can get online or in most wig shops.

The density of the hair is the amount of hair present on the wig cap, as opposed to the thickness of the individual follicle. 

The lower the density of the wig you buy, the less rich products you should use to maintain the lightness of the hair. Higher density wigs are more expensive – I chose 150% for mine, but I had very thick natural hair so it’s the density that looks as close to my own hair as possible.

Some wigs require cutting of the lace front which can be difficult especially if you’re new to wig wearing. I made the mistake of cutting my first ever wig far too close to the hairline – something you’re not going to want to do – especially since I’d paid €1400 for it.

Use a wig head/stand

Some people prefer to cut on their own head but I find the visual is clearer when it’s on a foam or plastic head. 

Hair Club has a head block with a table clamp for sale for €59 which may seem a bit expensive but the cheaper options can fall a lot when you are styling them. 

Cheaper options include polystyrene heads (hairweavon.com has one for €19.99) and foldable flat wig stands (roches.ie has one for €10 which is brilliant for placing your wig on to dry naturally).

To cut the wig, it’s recommended that you invest in a pinking shears. 

The serrated edge gives a zigzag effect when you’re cutting the lace and creates a more realistic effect, as natural hairlines are never perfectly straight. 

You can buy these cheaply in Home Focus (€17.95) or Vibes and Scribes (€26.99) but I learned the hard way that having a tear in the lace can lead to it running (like a loose thread on a garment) and the lace can separate and deteriorate over time, especially if it’s welded lace. 

Jon Renau does a heavily weighted one that’s specifically made for cutting lace front wigs, and I recommend watching a tutorial online on how to cut it - Michelle from Mimo Wigs does an excellent video tutorial on her website, mimowigs.co.uk.

Synthetic wigs are a much more affordable option. Many synthetic wigs come pre-styled and cannot be washed or heat treated. Some modern options may be heat resistant up to 180˚C. Some brands, like Ellen Wille do a high quality hybrid of human/synthetic hair.

Where to buy your wig

The Cork Hair Clinic on Oliver Plunkett Street is run by Kay who has a huge selection of over 500 wigs in store for you to try, and can order anything quite quickly. 

She has some top-quality brands like Ellen Wille and Raquel Welsh and has options in lots of different colours, lengths, and textures.

Origin hair salon’s wig service on Drawbridge Street in Cork is run by active hairdressers with years of experience in the field. 

Co-owner Vicky Galvin offers a comprehensive service for people with hair loss, from scalp exfoliation from and oxygen therapy (which is said to encourage the follicles to break through the skin) to choosing a wig that can be customised to your preference. 

The consultation is done in a discreet room upstairs, where one of the hairdressers, Dylan runs a magnifying handheld camera over your scalp that shows you the hair buds underneath the skin. I’ve been trying various medications as prescribed by my dermatologist, and was really surprised to see invisible growth underneath the skin.

Vicky shows you some wigs – I had fun trying the wigs I knew that would suit me in various shades of dirty blonde – and one red one to throw something totally different into the mix. She then orders in one based on your requirements and customises it for your head. She also offers upstyles for people with wigs and they are very popular with girls for their debs.

Another option is the Freedom wig which offers more security, as the cap is vacuumed to your scalp and does not budge. These wigs cost approximately €3000-€5000 but they are a great option for active people who don’t want the hassle of wearing wig glue or tape. Vicky cuts and customises these Freedom wigs – in Ireland, they are available from Wigs and Things.

The Wig Clinic on Barrack Street is another salon in Cork that offers wigs and accessories. I bought a beautiful, light silk cap for my holiday in Morocco earlier in the year – it was about €45 – and the ideal cover up for warmer weather. 

This salon is by appointment only and the owner has a selection of wigs to try but more can be ordered. If you buy your wig there, it offers a blowdry service which is a huge relief as washing my wig is the bane of my life – especially trying to get knots out which can be tricky – without damaging or pulling any of the hair out.

There is so much out there to learn about wigs – I’d highly recommend going to YouTube and watching some tutorials on things like washing, treating, and styling your hair piece. I was using Olaplex on mine which Vicky from Origin told me is a big no-no, as the protein can build up in your hair and actually snap the hair off.

If you’re new to hair loss and only have it in a certain area, there are partial wigs available called hair toppers – or hair halos – they’re available in most places and they’re not as heavy or hot as a full wig. When I wear a baseball cap in the sun, I like to wear one of the halos as it only covers the lower part of your hair and the crown of your head is free to breathe under the cap.

Hair loss is such a journey. Wearing a wig doesn’t mean that you don’t accept and love who you are. It’s a personal thing and if you feel empowered by that decision, it’s absolutely the right one for you. You do not need to discuss your wig with people just because they ask. Nor do you need to use the word ‘wig’ if it makes you uncomfortable. 

My DMS on Instagram are always open if you want to chat through things, I’m @thefashionhorn. If you bought it, it is your hair.

And yes, I am a natural blonde.

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