Trichology Corner: How Wigs are slowly killing your Hair

It is the new trend for ladies in this day and age to wake up in the morning, go through their daily beauty routine, whip out the wig, cover their head, head out of the house, work for their daily bread, come back home at night, take the wig off, and go to bed… every single day… and the cycle continues!

Now, we are not here to talk about your routine or lifestyle choices. We are just going to take out one element from that cycle and elaborate on it… the wig!

Why the wig?

It is simple
It is convenient
It is versatile… you can basically change your looks every single day of the month
It covers secrets… if you know what I mean
It is affordable… in most cases

Anyone can use a wig, whether your hair is healthy or not, natural or not… as long as you are alive and breathing, and can basically walk around with your head intact, you can use a wig. All you need to have is a head!

So why on earth are we writing about the wig on the trichology corner?

Simple! Like many other things in life, we have begun to abuse this interesting invention, and it is beginning to set many women back on their journey to healthy hair. To make it worse, many people don’t even know their wigs are the source of their problems in life with their hair!

I handle these cases very regularly. There the lady is, sitting in right front of me, paying for her hour, complaining, and the major source of her problem is right on her head!

So why do we frown at the constant use of wigs, as hair and scalp specialists

Any source of constant friction around your edges is bad for your hair! Many women now put on and take off their wigs countless times during the day. They adjust, readjust, and set it well to look good. To top it up, this is done every single day. We forget that the inner parts of wigs don’t have smooth satin or silk surfaces. They are basically rough on our thin and fragile edges. The effect of this constant friction on each strand might not be seen by our physical eyes like when we swipe cutlass on wet grass, but the results is always evident months down the line.

Long and short of the story…

Constant wigging causes Traction Alopecia!

If you had Traction Alopecia, constant wigging will make it worse, and your hair will recede further. If you didn’t have Traction Alopecia, constant wigging will start you on the journey to Traction Alopecia, and that is something you don’t want to deal with

So am I saying wigs are bad? Definitely not. But wigs are supposed to be buffers for your hairstyling options, once-in-a-while look changers, etc. It is surely not to be used every single day, as a hairstyle alternative, nor something to cover up for our laziness.

So if we care about the health of our hair, let’s develop better attitudes towards wigs. They are to be used, and not abused!

Is there any scalp disorders, hair shaft disorders, or any hair science topic you would like us to trash out on Trichology corner? Please, let us know in the comment section.

N.B: Remember that when it comes to hair care, there's a lot of fact, fiction, myth and reality on the internet. In the event of any confusion, it is advised you see a professional hair care expert.

Atilola Moronfolu (HPT) is a certfied hair care expert and a holistic practitioner of trichology certified and accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and Mahogany Hair Revolution, Los Angeles, California. To book a hair clinical appointment with Atilola in Lagos Nigeria, send a mail to hairconsult@africanaturalistas.com or call 07061141501.