Female Pattern Baldness

Join today to meet, support and share information with others who are living with female pattern baldness.

Best wig for FPB?

I am strongly considering buying my first wig but I have no idea where to start. I have lost 3/4 of the hair on top of my head and 1/2 on the sides but still have a pretty good amount in the back. Is a half wig a better way to go than a full one? Is there one I dont have to take off everynight? I also dont have very much money for one so I'm looking for one cheaper than $500.
  • up

    Marie

    I have a combination of Alopecia Areata (four completely bald patches) and Androgenic Alopecia (overall thining of my hair -- about 40% I'd guess). I am an enthusiastic wig wearer. This is the process I went through to get to the point I'm at now: First I got a very expensive, custom made, human hair partial top piece. That was great exept for the fact that I had to straighten and color my natural hair to match it (the hair I have left is getting fairly grey). After a while, I found it a pain because I spent almost as much time messing with the top piece in the morning as I used to trying to find a way to cover up my bald and thin spots. I know some women, however, who do not spend much time at all with their top pieces. Also, after paying a lot for it, I had to maintain it by having hair occasionally added to the piece to replace hair that had naturally broken off or fallen out; that cost a couple hundred dollars. After a while, I got sick of it because I couldn't change my hair style and it took a lot of my time and money. One day I decided to try a fully wig. I was reluctant but really wanted something that was easier and allowed some flexibility. I bought one and started wear it. It was a lot more hair than I was used to (obviously), but eventually I got used to it. Now, I'm totally hooked on wigs. I am surprised at how many people wear wigs, not just chemo patients. As far as wearing them to bed goes, I take mine off at night because I live alone. However, I do occasionally wear it in bed all night when I have my guy over. That has never been a problem: I wake up with a mild case of bed head as anyone else would. Incidentally, I use two little wig clips that I sew on the inside front and back of the wig to make me feel that it is a little more secure. None of my wigs has NEVER fallen off, been shifted, or gotten tugged off in public or during vigorous intimate activites :-) I am very confident wearing them. If you wanted to wear a wig in bed on a regular basis, I think you could, but it would wear out much faster. There are lace wigs that attach with adhesive or tape along the front hairline that apparently look very natural and remain attached for longer than a week. At that time, they would need to be removed, the skin would be clean, and the wig would be reattached with more adhesive. I've never tried one of those. There are also top pieces that can be attached to the top of your head after a section of it has been shaved. They work the same as a lace wig in terms of extended attachment and cleaning. For me, wigs work great and have given me the freedom, fashion, and piece of mind I desire. Incidentally, I wear relatively inexpensive ($120 - $220) synthetic wigs. There are beautiful custom or read-to-wear hand tied human hair wigs that are quite beautiful, but those can run into the thousands. There are also premium wigs that can be worn swimming. I've worn my less expensive wigs sailing, snorkeling, skiing, exercising, etc. and have not had a problem. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me directly about my experiences or for additional support/information I might be able to provide.
    • up

      Scaredandhopeful

      Hmmmm, I'm thinking of going the whole hog and shaving it all off. I think you can get toppers but I'm not sure how I'd personally go with glues and stuff :)
      1