Headband Wigs, The Lowdown

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By: Gabbi Mitchell & Antonia

Lazy hair days are inevitable but they don’t have to be ugly hair days. Wigs have always been a great hair hack but can be intimidating, especially when they involve bald caps, holding glue and blow dryers. Luckily, hair manufacturers, once more, have listened. Enter the headband wig. Some people love it, while others hate it, but this trending option has eliminated all the fuss of a traditional wig. But before you jump on the bandwagon, here’s what you should know about headband wigs.

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Before Buying a Headband Wig

There are a few things to consider before purchasing a headband wig.

Less Versatility

This may sound obvious but, if you’re going to purchase a headband wig, you have to like the headband look, which is why so many have mixed feelings about this kind of wig. Headbands were popular in the 80s/90s and have made various comebacks, but it is a very specific look that you’re locked into when wearing this kind of wig.

But There’s a Variety of Headband Wig Styles

Although wearing a headband wig is a style commitment, you can still spice things up with this wig. First, headband wigs come in all the same lengths and textures as regular wigs. You can purchase synthetic or human hair wigs; long, short, blond through black wigs; there are kinky hair wigs, straight wigs and all the textures in between. The market, for once, knows what we want and has been quick to give us options.

On top of the styles headband wigs come in, they can also be styled into a number of different looks, including wearing them all down, pulling them up into a high bun or rocking the half-up-half-down look (note: check for exposed tracks or net when wearing your wig in a half pony tail).

The Biggest Benefit: No Blending

Even if you don’t love headbands, you may want to consider having a cheap one in your repertoire, because they truly are a time-saver. You can literally put them on and go, depending on how much of your own hair you want out. If you place the wig over your hairline, you won’t have to do any blending at all.

But do headband wigs damage your hairline?

Headband wigs are *relatively* safer than traditional wigs because there’s no need for glue, strong-hold gels or wig tape. Most wigs do, however, include combs, which over time can thin your hair. Although, if you leave part of your hairline out–placing the wig further back on your head–there’ll be little to no chance of thinning edges. That said, anything that places constant tension on your hairline, be it a headband wig, turban, or wig grip (can) over time, result in hair loss. The key is making sure the wig isn’t applied too tightly and that your hair underneath feels like it has room to breathe. (You might also want to read this: How to Wear a Wig Without Pulling Out Your Edges).

🛑PSA: Before getting any protective style, watch our short doc.🛑

How do you keep them from sliding off?

Most headband wigs come with combs attached to the cap, like a traditional wig. But unlike traditional wigs, they also include an adjustable black velcro strap, that’s an extension of the headband itself. If you’d like to avoid using the combs altogether, you may want to cut the combs of your wig out and use a wig grip to secure your wig instead. But it might feel a bit hot having essentially three layers on your head–the wig grip, the wig and a headband (most people put a headband of their choice on the band that’s attached to the wig).

Most of the vloggers you’ll see below said their wigs felt secure–“snug” was the word several used. As with traditional wigs, you’ll want to check reviews to see if the wig cap itself runs small or large–or if it’s “big head friendly” 😅.

How do I put on a headband wig?

via GIPHY

Okay so, yes, putting on a headband wig is pretty intuitive, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Decide where you want to place the wig. Do you want to cover your entire hairline or leave some of it out?
  • If you’re leaving some of your hair out, do you want to slick down your edges or embrace your beautiful frizz.
  • 🚨You’re not locked into the headband the wig comes with.🚨 You can wear a headband wig with the black band that’s attached to it, but most people put a headband of their choice on top of that. In fact, a lot of the headband wigs sold on Amazon come with additional headbands. The key thing to look out for here, however, is the thickness of the attached band. Sometimes the band is so wide it’s not covered by the headband you put over it. To fix this, you can simply fold the base band like vlogger Kayla does so it’s not visible under her headband.

via GIPHY

How do I wash my headband wig?

You basically wash your headband wig, in the same way you would wash any synthetic or human hair wig. The key difference is that in addition to washing the hair, you also have to wash the band, which Youtuber Brittney does with the shampoo she uses on the wig. See video below. (Here’s more on washing a synthetic wig and here’s how you wash a human hair wig).

Other Considerations

  • Price: As with traditional wigs, price varies when it comes to headband wigs. Affordable headband wigs are usually synthetic, but this doesn’t mean a human hair wig isn’t within reach. The length of your wig often determines the price.  (See also: The Best Human and Synthetic Wigs on The Market)
  • Longevity: The kind of wig you purchase and how you maintain it will determine how long it will last. Synthetic wigs, for example, generally don’t last as long as human hair wigs (more on taking care of synthetic wigs here and human hair wigs here). However, if you purchase a wig on the pricer end from a business like BetterLength that sells human hair wigs, you should expect it will last up to a year with careful maintenance.
  • THE BIGGEST CONSIDERATION: Finally, the biggest consideration when buying a headband wig is that you can achieve the same look with a traditional wig by simply putting a headband on it 😅😅😅😅.  We know, we know–why did we make you read all that before saying this? Well, we think there’s a difference in using a product that’s built to do something specific vs making something else into something it’s not.  Or maybe there’s not… 🤷🏾‍♀️.

Reviewed Headband Wigs Worth Trying

Okay, so, they’re are A LOT of headband wigs out there, and if you’re shopping for wigs on Amazon or Aliexpress you know some vendors can be a bit suspect 👀. So we looked to our favorite vloggers for their tried and tested recommendations–from cheap to splurge!?.

Cheap Headband Wigs!

  • Youtuber: Just Jocelyn TV
  • Brand: Vigorous
  • Style: 22″ wavy synthetic hair
  • Comes with: wig cap
  • Where To Buy: Amazon
  • Price: $23.99

 

Loc and Kinky Headband Wigs

Gwladys (pronounced Gladys) tries two different types of loc wigs–a short and a long one–both very affordable. We love the short one. She mentions it looks just like natural hair. Gwladys likes the long one also, but says it’s a bit bulky at the top and has flyaways.

  • Youtuber: Is That Your Hairr (Gwladys)
  • Brand: DAIXI
  • Style: 8″ synthetic faux locs
  • Where To Buy: Amazon
  • Price: $25
  • Note: The short wig doesn’t have an adjustable strap.

Queendom Mindset tries four different wigs. We really love the first one, the short afro wig, because of the bangs; your hairline is completely covered. It’s also a cute look. We also love the Havanna twist bun wig, because… who knew bun wigs even existed 😅.

 

Mid-Range

  • Youtuber: Olinceece
  • Brand: Licoville Hair
  • Style: 16″ deep wave human hair, density: 150%
  • Comes with: black wig cap, a variety of headbands,
  • Where to Buy: Amazon
  • Price: $79.99
  • Note: Really strong velcro strap. The wig is secure without wearing the combs. Olinceece says the wig is very snug.
  • Youtuber: CrownK
  • Brand: Beauty Forever
  • Style: 24” water wave human hair
  • Comes with: wig cap and extra headbands
  • Where to buy: Ali Express
  • Price: 24” is $139.39
  • Note: CrownK mentions the wig feels snug.
  • Youtuber: Kayla Rouser-Davis
  • Brand: Unice
  • Style: 24″ curly human hair, density: 150%
  • Where to Buy: Ali Express
  • Price: $66.69-$144.72
  • Note: Kayla mentions that she wishes they would have made the band a bit thinner because it was challenging for her to secure. The hair itself is bouncy and shiny for the curly pattern.
  • Youtuber: Sharron Renee’
  • Brand: Nadula
  • Style: 26″ curly human hair, hair density: 150%
  • Where To Buy: Ali Express
  • Price: $47-$168
  • Note: The price of this wig differs based on the length you desire. There’s very little shedding with this hair. The wig fits a bit loose so you really have to rely headband strap to secure the wig. Sharron mentions she doesn’t think it’ll fall off but it is a bit looser than her liking.

Human Hair Headband Wigs

Brittney aka The Hearts and Cake90 reviews 10 wigs in her video (one of them being a half wig) all of them being human hair wigs. The one we like the best is the very first one, the Wow Africa (shown at around the 3:00 mark).  Most of the wigs she tries, hover around the $200+ price point.

  • Youtuber: The Hearts and Cakes90
  • Brand: WowAfrican
  • Style: 20″ brown ombre human hair
  • Comes with: extra headbands can be purchased
  • Where To Buy: WowAfrican
  • Price: $189
  • Youtuber: Ms Naturally Mary
  • Brand: WestKiss Hair
  • Style: 20″ loose curly human hair
  • Comes with: extra headbands
  • Where To Buy: West Kiss
  • Price: $184.71
  • Note: The band is not attached to the entire circumference of the wig cap, which Mary ended up liking because it made it more adjustable.
  • Youtuber: ulovemegz
  • Brand: BetterLength
  • Style: 16″ 3a/3b curly human hair
  • Where To Buy: Better Length
  • Price: $279.90
  • Note: BetterLength overall is a good brand for all natural hair wigs, clips ins and microlinks. This wig comes with combs and a velcro strap, however, but it doesn’t have an adjustable strap at the nape of the cap. ulovemegz washed the hair before wearing it and noticed it didn’t shed–a good sign 👌🏾. You can choose your cap size when purchasing.

We know sifting through wig site reviews can be tedious. Be as picky with your wigs as you are with your selfies. That ideal headband wig is calling your name.

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