Hey hows are you?

If you are looking at buying a wig i strongly suggest 'Play With Hair' which is a seller on ebay, i have bought a couple of wigs from them and they are awesome and it is really fun too, there are heaps to choose from.

Good luck and i hope you can find what you are looking for

It's an individual thing, but a wig or bandana does help a lot of people because they are less likely to reach underneath and pull. If you choose to cover, just remember to do gentle massage to your scalp daily to keep the blood flow strong so you don't get 'the itch'. And it definitely should help your self confidence!! There are a couple good sites we know of:

http://www.headcovers.com/

and from a fellow trichster:
http://www.cheryn.com/

P.S. Welcome to the group!

I have tried a lot of different types of wigs over the years- most brands are cheap for synthetics but look like crap as in not real. When I moved to NYC a friend who has alopecia recommended this wig store Helena.They are by FAR the best wigs I have ever tried. I get compliments all the time from total strangers on how they love my hair. One lady even asked me where I got it cut, I have never ever received that kind of reaction from wearing wigs. They way they make the tops looks incredibly real.

If you live in the East Coast this place is WORTH checking out http://helenacollectionwigs.com/
They do a lot of wigs for movies & tv shows. If you have ever watch Sex and the City Carrie and Samantha went to this place when Sam got her wig after Chemo.

Oh yeah they do custom wigs so any style hair you want they will cut a wig for you and it will look fabulous- like i said they make wigs for a lot of movies... good luck!

Well from my experience, I have worn two wigs and when the first wig was amazing until it started to become worn out. It looked kind of natural and people complimented me. But eventually I started to pull the hair from the wig out :(. It also became worn and old in about 2 months or so. It was fun in the mean time because I missed having long hair!! You should really try it :).

BTW, the wig I'm talking about that I loved is the one I'm wearing in my picture. It's been since last summer since I've worn that.

I will tell you upfront that wigs make you feel a bit insecure and you may be afraid to do certain things at first, but the more you get used to them the better you feel. They really make you feel better about yourself which is always good. I also recommend not getting a very expensive ones because they wear out almost as fast as a cheaper one. I get forever young wigs and I love them like you have to replace them every few months but they are only like 30 dollars. Also they get really knotty and kinky for lack of a better word when they are longer because of friction so if you want to avoid that just get one thats a bit shorter. I hope I helped somewhat and I hope that it all works out for you!

Forever Young Wigs:

http://www.voguewigs.com/forever-young.html?gclid=CM2PwYK2opcCFRQhnAoddFgxGA

How to care for a wig:

http://www.headcovers.com/care_wigs.php#3

http://www.tgtoday.com/makeupandfashion/wigcare.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/272100/synthetic_wig_care_secrets_how_to_take.html?cat=69

http://www.ehow.com/how_172370_care-wig.html

Wig Caps:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2330868_take-care-hair-under-wig.html

Hi!
I actually just got my first hairpiece yesterday - not able to cover bald spots anymore. i went to a salon that was recommended on the trich medical assn (whatever the name of the group is) website (they list support groups and salons by state) and am so glad i went through with it. it was cathartic in a way - the woman who i met with has male pattern baldness and has been covering her hea for years and she works with cancer pateients and trich sufferes (aged 11 - 49) too. she was kind, compassionate, non-invasive, helpful and not nosy or judgemental at all. the room we were in offered total privacy - regular salon treatments were in a separate area - and i had a consultation and she discussed my options, asked great questions, etc.
anyhow, i spent WAY more than I thought i'd have to (like triple digits) and hated having to call my husband to tell him the cost, but the price includes the human hairpiece, which is a great match to mine, which they cut and colored as part of the price, as are monthlywig washings and any trims I want on the hairpiece for one whole year.
when my husband came home, he had no idea i was wearing the hairpiece and my 4 1/2 year old didn't notice either. it feelssolight and fits great and i understand how to use my hair with the piece and how to wear it in complementary ways. If i ever have a question they will meet with me at no cost. so now i have two new friends(my haipiece, the woman at the salon) and no wrries about people staring at the marks and bald patches on top of and in the backof my head.

my advice is, if you have the money, to go somewhere professional so you feelgood about yourselfwhile you are there and afterwards. if cost is an issue, just make sure what you wear is comfortable and does not bring attention to your hair.

good luck!

p.s. i love reading everything you all write - it has meant so much to me.

I wore a wig before for a little over a year. It looked good and natural. People couldn't tell that it was a wig. Then it started getting worn out so I bought the exact same one. The reason that I decided to wear one is because I cut my hair really short and I wanted to let it grow back and grow in. It helped because I couldn't pull when I wore it. I actually considered shaving my head before wearing it. I was waitressing at the time and the most embarassing thing happened. Someone asked me if I was wearing a wig. It may not be embarassing to people b/c some people wear wigs for fun. But because of the reason I was wearing it, I felt stupid. Even though he didn't know why.

But I don't think it's a bad idea. It all depends on you. :)

hey everyone! i'm so grateful for all of your replies. not only is it nice to receive some great advice, but it's also always helpful to know that i'm not alone. :) thanks, and lots of love to you all!