There are many reasons that would make someone want to sleep in their wig. You might not be public about the fact that you wear a wig, and finding yourself in situations where you’ll be sharing a room with another person or making communal sleeping arrangements can be very stressful. In this blog post, we will discuss the drawbacks of sleeping in a custom-made wig, be they mechanical, practical, financial, or health-related, as well as provide some practical solutions.
Paula’s Wig Boutique prides itself on being the best wig store in Toronto for human hair and custom-made wigs. Educating our clients and the wig-wearing community on practical day-to-day wig-wearing issues has always been a priority.
The most obvious reason to avoid sleeping in your wig is that the amount of knotting and tangling will be exponentially greater than just from regular day-to-day wear. Friction is not your wig’s best friend. It is the reason that you may find the most tangling at the nape of the neck area of your wig. This is a direct result of the constant friction of hair against your clothing. Particularly, custom-made wigs that are produced using “living hair” (also known as cuticle hair) will readily tangle from much friction.
This obvious drawback leads to another disadvantage: increased wig maintenance time. As a wig wearer myself and the owner of the best wig store in Toronto, one of the biggest perks of wearing beautiful, custom-made wigs is the amount of time I save getting ready in the morning. My hair is always ready to go, and I never have a bad hair day. Sleeping in a wig undermines this incredible advantage. Particularly if you are a one-wig kind of gal, your morning routine becomes considerably more involved.
If you have decided that investing in the finest human hair and custom-made wigs is right for you, it would be worthwhile to consider how much sleeping in your wig affects its lifespan. Clocking in an additional 8 to 10 hours of wear on your wig (particularly heavy wear, such as sleeping) can lessen the lifespan of your wig anywhere from 50% to 75%. The choice to sleep or not to sleep in your wig may very well be a financial one.
I believe the most important problem to address when sleeping in your wig is the issue of health. The fundamental building block of good health is good sleep. Sleeping in a wig is never as comfortable as without. We spend on average a third of our lives sleeping, and getting a good night’s rest is essential to achieving and maintaining good health. The few times I have chosen to sleep in my wig or accidentally fallen asleep wearing it did not result in restful sleep. You want to be completely relaxed when you go to bed, and being conscious of how you sleep will undermine relaxation. It is also really important to give the sensitive skin of your scalp a break from being covered all the time. Constant wig wear is positively associated with skin irritation. Once you get a rash, it’s really hard to get rid of it, especially if it’s constantly covered. In my years of operating the best wig store in Toronto, I have seen some pretty nasty scalp conditions, from contact dermatitis to fungus to full-on infections.
Here are some practical solutions to make sleeping in your wig potentially less problematic:
- Be comfortable in your skin. Do whatever it takes to come to terms with being a wig wearer. Finding a good support group can go a long way. Although not a solution for everyone, it certainly takes care of every problem associated with sleeping in a wig.
- Designate a sleeping wig: Consider choosing a super comfortable wig for sleeping in that you won’t wear during the day to avoid extra maintenance.
- Consider a synthetic: Although I am a custom-made wig purist, I can see the utility of buying a few cheap synthetic wigs for heavy activity, such as exercise and sleep.
- Decrease friction: Use a silk pillowcase to help cut down on knotting and tangling.
- Embrace the headwrap: there are some beautiful cloth head coverings that are easy to wash and are super comfortable, light, and breathable. If you are suffering from complete hair loss, they also help to keep your head warm. This is a considerably more comfortable choice than a wig.
I hope this blog of tips and tricks was helpful, and we look forward to continuing to be the best wig store in Toronto, dedicated to restoring women’s confidence.
❤️Paula
