The 30-Second Hair Makeover

Super Waves
Candace, a wife, mother and busy special events exec, loves looking stylish. Since time is at a premium for her, we turned to NewHair from Especially Yours (newhairwigs.com or especiallyyours.com), a line of snap-on wigs with a small opening in front that exposes a natural part, making for a more believable do. Consulting a professional stylist never hurts either, so we asked celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen to style the wigs in this story. In Candace’s case, she layered and thinned the synthetic wig, then roller-set the hair—yes, you can use hot rollers on some types of synthetic hair, as long as the temperature is set on low.
 
     
Candace’s response:“This really looks like my own hair. I now have a brand new perception about wigs.”
 Five Ways to Wear a Wig Well
1. Find a wig that reflects your personality. Try on a variety of looks. Have it cut and styled to suit your face.
2. Select a color no more than a shade lighter or darker than your own hair—unless you’re going to extremes.
3. Braid your own hair underneath so the wig will fit properly on your head.
4. Use a vent brush or comb to style your wig—it needs grooming, too!
5. Keep your wig on a Styrofoam base to help maintain its shape.
 Have you ever worn a wig? Have tips of your own? Share your thoughts below.

Short and Sassy
 Gwen, an executive assistant, has worn a razor-close natural for years. When we asked if she would be open to experimenting with a wig, the answer was “Definitely.”
 
    
Our pick: Katour Line Designer Collection (katourline wigs.com), which makes gorgeous human-hair, precision-cut wigs. Kym Williams, a stylist and the company’s owner, understands a great cut. We like the line because it takes head size into consideration and offers professional cleaning and care for its wigs.
Have you ever worn a wig? Have tips of your own? Share your thoughts below.

Curly Cues
 It has taken Ren a minute to grow out her natural hair, so the aspiring actress says she isn’t about to relax it again. But she still likes to switch up her distinctive look now and then. Stephen came to the rescue with a human-hair layered wig from the Fulton Hair Factory in Brooklyn. She cut the wig into a bob and curled it with a curling iron.

Spiky Bangs
 Tanisha, ESSENCE editor and mother of two, discovered the wonder of wigs just three years ago. Since she has a variety of them, Stephen decided to customize this human-hair wig by katourlinewigs.com with a few colorful tracks in the front. “It’s not unusual to find a wig that meets some needs and not others,” Stephen explains. In this case, the Katour wig had the perfect tapered sides and back, just without our desired lengthy bang.

     
Tanisha says:
 “I had no idea you could add tracks to a wig. This takes styling to a whole new level. Customizing is an option people should consider.”
 Have you ever worn a wig? Have tips of your own? Share your thoughts below.