Have you ever wondered how celebs constantly switch the colour, length and texture of their hair without any damage done to it? And you are puzzled how you have bad hair days? How you spend oodles of money on hair sets or worse chemically treating it and suffer from maintaining severely damaged hair?
The answer to celebrity locks is simple - Wigs. These fake hair caps have evolved and emerged as a great style statement for many bigwigs across the world. Right from the sexy pop singer Beyonce Knowles, Jessica Simpson, Cher, supermodel Tyra Banks to our desi celebs like Rani Mukherjee and many television actors - all these icons use stylised wigs to enhance their look. Hairstyle is truly the reflection of one’s personality and actresses use wigs many a time to switch age-jumps within a film. Like Rani Mukherjee recently sporting the long curly tresses with bangs in the first half of Tara Rum Pum and earlier the short blunt style in Hum Tum.
Kannada film actress Sanjana says that a wig can really transform you but feels that it’s imperative to check whether it suits you. “If the wig is heavy or prominent, it’s not ideal to wear in public. Rani’s wig in Tara Rum Pum looks fake. If you force yourself into something, the audience will not digest it. The quality of the wig is imperative. Take professional help. You can either look stunning or like a complete fool,” says the 19-year-old, who likes to use wigs once in a way for change.
The quality of wigs have improved drastically over the years. You get them in synthetic or human hair form. Today they are worn by many on a daily or occasional basis as a matter of convenience as they can be styled ahead of time and worn when there is not sufficient time to style one's own hair. Bangalore model Bhavya only agrees, “Wigs these days look very natural and come in sexy styles. I own six wigs but hire any new style that is doing the rounds. I wear it for family functions, theme parties and even for fashion shoots. If carefully pinned, the wig can stand well for hours.”
The appearance-conscious public is also steering towards them. Like real estate dealer Nafiseh Khaleeli. She was bored of her baby soft hair, which could not be styled due to its soft and scanty nature. Nafiseh says, “I tried everything from back-combing to hot curlers. Nothing worked. It would just fall flat. I didn’t want to chemically treat it because age is catching on me. I wanted more body in my hair. Wigs are great. I can go from short to long or get soft curls.”
So how did people react to her new accessory? “Initially, I felt a little awkward because people saw a sudden bounce in my hair! But now I feel very confident. Hair thickening creams are rubbish,” says Nafiseh, who uses a short wig for meetings and a long one for weddings.
Customer relations executive Saima Ahmad, shocked the wits out of her friends when she first wore a wig. Not because it looked fake but they thought she had chopped off her cascading locks. “I have long blonde hair. I love short hair styles but cannot imagine chopping my hair. The first time I wore a wig, people were shocked. They thought I had cut my hair and coloured it black. Wigs look natural and give you a new look without damaging even a strand. Although wigs are totally maintenance-free, it becomes a bit hot to sport in summer.”
Make-up and image consultant Zarina Nissar, of Zarine’s Makeovers Studio (at Sigma Mall), stocks some very stylish wigs imported from USA. She has many styles including some in outlandish colours for the bold. Zarina says, “From models, actresses, housewives to techies, I get many clients who want to look groomed all the time. So, wigs have gained popularity. You can sport the latest style statement without damaging your hair. It’s a like a cap. People are sporting wigs for parties, bashes, weddings or regularly for work.”
Nageshwar Rao has been in the business of making wigs for the last 38 years through his set-up in Basaveshwarnagar. Supplying wigs for the glamour industry and public, Rao easily sells 25 to 30 wigs a month. “Primarily people with scanty hair come to me. Wigs are not popular with the film industry now. It takes two days to make a wig. Natural hair wigs are more popular because synthetic wigs get too hot to wear in summer.”
The popularity of wigs may be a debate but there is still a section of Bangalore that digs into it.

How to wear a wig and maintain it.
*Pull back your own hair and tie it up neatly. Wear the wig like a cap over your head.
*Each wig comes with its own instruction leaf and a pouch for storage.
*Wigs come pre-coloured and pre-set.
*Wash it with a mild shampoo and let it dry naturally.
*Wigs cost anywhere between Rs 2500 to Rs 4500.
*If maintained well, they will last a couple of years.