Retro Rerun: Choosing Your Hair

Your Hair Piece — A Woman’s Crown

Roberta Angela Dee

A woman’s hair is her crowning glory. In a very real sense, her hair is the crown that adorns her as she presents herself to the world. If you are a crossdresser, you cannot devote too much importance to your selection of a hair piece.

The better salons will not even call it a wig. A wig is a cover up. The better salons sell hair pieces — the implication being that they sell hair that enhances your existing crown. If the salon calls it a wig, there is every possibility that it is little more than a cover up, and that it will look like a cover up.

A woman can be legally blind and still be able to detect if a girl friend is wearing a wig. This provides an indication of how important the look of hair is to a woman. A crossdresser needs to be equally as concerned.

A better quality hair piece — one for total coverage, will cost between $100 and $180 dollars. They are synthetic, usually modacrylic, and are the easiest to style. They are also available in a wide assortment of colors. Some styles even include a modest amount of gray hairs for a more mature presentation.

Hair pieces composed of real-hair can range from $200 dollars to well over a thousand dollars — depending on how it is constructed and the quality of the hair being used. At these prices, the salon should be able to cut and style the hair piece to suit the facial structure of the patron. The cut and style of a hair piece can be as important as the hair piece itself. An inappropriate cut or style can make even the most expensive hair piece no more chic than a $30 wig purchased at K-Mart or Sally’s Beauty Supply store.

When I first began going out crossdressed, it was not unusual to find crossdressers who had done their best to look like prostitutes. Skirts were worn with hems that were much too high, boobs were outrageous, and the shoes never matched the outfit. Today’s crossdresser, as a result of TG Forum and other information services, is much better informed. Today nearly every crossdresser understands that it is not chic to look cheap.

Shopping At Home

Not every crossdresser is in a position to go out shopping for a hair piece. Few crossdressers want their crossdressing to become the main topic of office gossip. Unfortunately, there is still the perception that crossdressing is a socially unacceptable activity. Consequently, many crossdressers feel guilty about their desire to crossdress. I assure you that the guilt is unfounded.

Crossdressers who choose to shop on-line will want to consider hair color, style, facial structure, and quality.

[Editor’s note: Here Roberta referenced the long gone TGForum Shopping Mall. In the 21st century The Breast Form Store has a good selection of hair.]

Color

Choose a hair color that is reasonably close to your own. Such genetic traits as skin tone, eye color and hair color, are closely related. Dramatic deviations from your natural color scheme are likely to create a contrast that will draw unwanted attention from the general public.

A waist-length blond wig worn by a crossdresser with dark brown eyes and brows, along with a ruddy complexion will look unnatural and out of place. It is acceptable, however, to get a curlier style even if your own hair is straight, or a straighter style if your hair is curly. However, pay close attention to your facial structure. Straight styles tend to exaggerate an angular face and make it appear even more masculine.

Style

The models employed to present hair pieces are professionals. They have made a career out of looking attractive. No hair piece can substitute for the variety of skills such women have mastered. Typically, males have much larger and more pronounced jaw and chin lines. Again, care should be taken not to choose a style that exaggerates masculine features.

Facial Structure

When looking at the models in the catalogue, look for women who have basic face shapes similar to your own, even if you don’t like the hair piece. This will give you an idea of what best suits your facial type — round, oval, rectangular or square.

Avoid styles that part down the middle or those that leave the forehead exposed. Heavy bangs can make a high forehead more pronounced. This, too, is undesirable. Light bangs are acceptable. They minimize the size of the forehead.

Long hair, extending down the sides of a face help to disguise the size and shape of more masculine facial features. Hair that reaches the shoulders also masks the broadness of the shoulders.

Quality

Cheap looks cheap. The quality of the hair piece is very important. The hair should move convincingly with movement of your head or from the wind. Revlon and Naomi Simms both makes excellent hair pieces that are popularly priced.

Love & Peace

Roberta Angela Dee

Like to make a comment or give a tip on where to find great hair? Login here and use the comment area below.

Tags: crossdressing, featured, hairstyles, wigs

Category: Transgender How To