Weaves vs Wigs - How to Choose

Wigs and weaves are commonly used by ladies who want to give their look a boost. They give you the freedom to try out styles you wouldn’t be able to with your natural hair. If you’re new to wigs and weaves, it can be challenging to choose the best one for you, and that’s where we can help. In this article, we’ll compare wigs and weaves so you can make an educated decision about which one will best fit your hair routine, hair condition, and personal desires. Let’s get right into it!

What is a Wig?

Wigs are hairpieces where human hair or synthetic hair are sewn onto a wig cap. Wigs may or may not come with lace, which gives the wig a more natural look.

Wigs come in various hair textures, lengths, and colors, so there’s a perfect wig for everyone. To put on a wig, you’ll need to flatten your natural hair, put on a nylon wig cap, put the wig on, and then secure it with the included clips or elastic band. Wigs are great for anyone who likes to switch up their hairstyles often.

There are many types of wigs, including closure wigs (with lace only in the crown), lace front wigs (with lace from ear to ear), 360 lace wigs (with lace around the perimeter of the wig), and full lace wigs (with a cap made entirely of lace).

Pros of Wigs

Wigs come with an extensive list of pros, and that’s why they’re so loved. Here, we’ll highlight the pros of wigs:

Protection: Wearing a wig protects your natural hair from sun damage, wind, and damage from repeated styling. Also, you can experiment with heat styling, bleaching, and dyeing without damaging your natural hair since it is protected under the wig.

Easy Application: With a bit of practice, anyone can learn how to put on and style a wig. And once you get the hang of it, you can change up your style in minutes.

Freedom: When wearing a wig, you get to take a break from your natural hair styling and maintenance routines. This gives you more time to do other things you enjoy.

Styling Options: There are so many wig types and styles that there’s no limit to the looks you can create.

Natural Results: High-quality wigs look so realistic that they can pass for your real hair.

Cons of Wigs

As good as wigs may seem, they still come with their fair share of cons, and we’ll highlight them below!

No Swimming: You can’t swim in a wig. It may come off in the water.

Insecurity: If your wig is not secure enough, it can fall off your head if it accidentally gets caught on something.

Quality Varies: Though high-quality wigs can look 100% natural, low-quality wigs look artificial- nothing like your natural hair.

Wig Care: Maintaining a synthetic wig can be challenging since synthetic fibers are prone to tangles. Human hair wigs should be cared for much like your natural hair. And for some, it’s a bit too difficult.

Natural hair damage: When you wear wigs often, it’s easy to ignore your natural hair. After neglecting it for a while, your natural hair can get dry and damaged.

How Long Do Wigs Last?

The longevity of your wig will depend on how well you care for the wig and what type of wig it is. On average, synthetic wigs last around 6 months, while human hair wigs last at least 6 months to a year. If you take good care of your wig, you may be able to get it to last longer than these estimates.

Wig Treatment

If you’re thinking about what you can do to your wig, the possibilities are nearly endless. If your wig is made of human hair, you can treat it as if it’s your own hair. That means you can wash it when it gets dirty and condition it to keep it feeling soft. You can also do roller sets, straighten it, curl it, bleach it, and color it as well. But be warned that excessive bleaching or heat styling can negatively affect the quality of the hair.

With synthetic hair, you don’t have as many styling options. The most you can do with your synthetic wig is comb it through, condition it, and (in very few cases) curl or straighten it on low heat.

What is a Weave?

Weaves are sew-in extensions. The style is done by braiding your natural hair down and then sewing hair wefts onto the braids. It’s a low-maintenance hairstyle that’s perfect for ladies who want a style they can wear for months.  Weaves can be done with human or synthetic hair - they last longer when done with human hair. What’s great about weaves is that they can be customized to create any style you can imagine (short, long, curly, straight, etc.). The choice is yours!

Pros of Weaves

There are many weave benefits that you should know about. We’ll outline them here:

Quick Natural Results: Weaves offer an instant change (more length, a new color, a new cut, etc.) in just a few hours. And when a weave is installed correctly, it’ll look just like your own hair.

Protection: While your hair is braided up under your weave, it is protected from outside elements (sun damage, dry air, etc.) and manipulation from styling.

Low Commitment: Weaves allow you to try out virtually any style you want without a long-term commitment.

You can Swim: Since weaves are secured with thread, you don’t have to worry about them falling off when you go into the water. 

Cons of Weaves

Here are the cons of weaves.

Painful Installation: Pain is not always a part of weave installations. However, some people are in so much pain during sew-in installations that they need to take painkillers afterward.

Expensive: When you get a weave, you not only have to pay for the hair, but you have to pay for someone to install it. That is, if you don’t know how to install it yourself.

Variable Results: There’s an art to installing weaves. Some do it well, while others do not. So, if you get your weave installed by an inexperienced stylist, it may not look very natural.

Hong Long Do Weaves Last

On average, weaves last anywhere from six to eight weeks at a time. But the amount of time your weave will last depends on whether you choose synthetic or human hair weave. Synthetic weaves don’t last nearly as long as human hair weaves.

Weave Treatment

If you choose a human hair weave, you can color it, straighten it, dye it, and bleach it in most cases. But synthetic weaves are much more fragile and don’t react well to chemical and heat treatments. Both human and synthetic weaves can and should be washed and conditioned regularly.

Weaves vs Wigs: How to Choose

By now, you may have a pretty good idea of whether a weave or wig will be best for you, but in case you don’t, here are some guidelines you can use:

Choose a wig if you want a styling option that allows you to switch up your look every day.

Choose a weave if you want a style that you won’t have to tend to for months at a time.

Choose a wig if you have bald spots or damaged hair, as weaves can worsen damaged hair.

Choose a weave if you want to be able to swim with your hairstyle.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. You’ll have to choose the best option based on your personal preferences, routine, and the condition of your hair. If you are still having trouble deciding, there’s no harm in trying a wig or weave and seeing how you like it.

What is Your Choice?

Wigs and weaves have a lot in common, but they have some critical differences that are impossible to ignore. Now let’s hear from you! Which do you prefer: wigs or weaves? Tell us your choice below in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!