The first time I wore a wig was in 2019. I was 24 years old, phasing the relaxer out of my hair after getting perms since I was 10. It was a style option that sounded good in theory while I was relearning my hair. The closer I got to being fully natural, the more I realized that I didn’t know what to do with my hair. The No. 1 piece of advice everyone gave me was “Get a wig; it’ll be less tension on your hair.” I tried it, and I hated it. I felt like I was wearing a helmet, and I looked like it, too. I was back to perms and sew-ins by 2022, and I haven’t looked back. I swore I’d never wear wigs again, but I tried an AI-created one a few years later and was impressed with the technology — though still not sold on it being my go-to hairstyle. My beauty-obsessed 17-year-old niece has been wearing wigs from Amazon and TikTok Shop for the past few months so I decided to try some.
My expectations were low. TikTok Shop is not somewhere I order from; if you’ve been to the interface, you understand that it is chaotic and known for selling dupes. Each wig was under $120 — a steal, especially when you consider the $30,000 wigs being constructed for red carpets. Plus they were all being sold by three different QVC-style vendors, whom I couldn’t really vet, other than some reviews. (I used Apple Pay to check out.)
Still, for over a year, I’ve seen creators on my “For You” page showing off the pre-plucked wigs and undetected lace, so I purchased three different ones directly from the app. The plan was to try a half-wig, a short style, and a long style, but I accidentally ordered two short styles that were just slightly different. Here’s how they all held up.
Wig No. 1 – The Half-Wig
A half-wig felt like a safe option because I didn’t have to deal with any lace, which is usually the challenging part of wearing a wig. It was from an official TikTok Shop seller, Tinashe, for $117. It came in four business days, which is quicker than the bundles that I always order. I wore it to the office, and every time I told someone it was a TikTok Shop wig, they were shocked. “But … it looks so good,” I kept hearing. I sent a friend a photo and told her where my wig was from, and she immediately replied asking for the link to buy one herself. No one, including myself, expected these wigs to actually look decent. I expected to open a box to a wig with poor construction and smelly hair. There are thousands of videos of creators promising perfect everyday wigs that look like a sew-in.
The construction of the wig was impressive. It was complete with clips along the perimeter of the inside and a drawstring so I could tighten or loosen it as much as I desired. I don’t have a big head, so I needed to adjust it to the tightest option. As I cinched the band more, the wig lay flatter and looked less like a helmet. The first day I wore it, I just clipped it onto my head and didn’t add heat or anything; it came out the box curled and ready to wear. The second day, I washed my hair so that I could blend it better into the wig, and my hair looked like I was wearing a flip-over sew-in.
Although it looked full, my only con of this wig is that I wish there were a bit more volume. A few more tracks would’ve been perfect. I’m also used to wearing full sew-ins with three to four bundles. Overall, I’d buy this again. I plan on keeping it in my drawer and pulling it out when needed.
Rating: 8/10
Wig No. 2 – The Bob
I love wearing bobs, but I was a bit wary after the helmet-hair incident of 2019.
This one came from West Kiss, a “Gold Star seller,” according to TikTok Shop, with over 580,000 units sold. The 12-inch wig was labeled as a ready-to-go, precut, glueless wig for $96. I received it in three business days in a bubblegum-pink box. I was very impressed with the packaging; it was something I’d expect when I order my expensive bundles for my sew-ins.
Inside the box was the wig, four wig caps, and an elastic wig band. I put my hair in a slicked-back bun, placed powder to match my skin tone on the wig cap, and put the wig on my head. The part was perfectly plucked and the lace was precut, but there was still a tiny inch I had to cut off.
Like the last wig, it was complete with clips and a tightening band so I could adjust it as needed. The lace was a tad lifted in the front, but overall it was a great fit. The top wasn’t lying as flat as I’d like it to so I used a hot comb to flatten it and added some mousse to lay it down. I didn’t build up the confidence to wear it outside, but I wore it around the house and even took meetings in it. No one told me I looked like I was wearing a helmet, so in comparison to my last bob wig, which was definitely triple this price, I’d say it’s a great option.
Rating: 7/10 (because I had to do more styling work)
Wig No. 3 – An Accidental Bob
The photos advertising this wig showed a woman wearing long, straight hair, probably about 20 inches, which I was expecting to receive when I got my package. Instead, I opened a ten-inch wig, just two inches shorter than the last one. My first thought was I knew this was going too good to be true, but when I went back to double-check my order, I noticed that I chose ten inches as the length. I was probably too busy paying attention to the photo instead of the details of the order. Even in my confirmation, the photo shows a woman with a long buss down. But I still had to put it to the test.
This one came from OQ Hair, a popular vendor that I repeatedly see on my FYP. It’s sold over 1.5 million units, from face-framing layered wigs to wigs with 220 percent density. It was $106, and like the last wig, it came with multiple wig caps, wig bands, and an adjustable band. I applied it the same way I applied the last one, but instead of cutting the lace, I had to melt it, the process of blending the lace into my skin for an invisible-hairline effect. I used my favorite lace-melting spray and left the wig band on for 20 minutes, and when I removed it, I was surprised by the outcome: a hairline that looked like it was growing from my scalp. I laid this one with a bit of mousse and my hot comb, too, but not as much as the last one. When I saw how realistic the lace looked, I was upset that it wasn’t longer. I loved it so much that I’m considering ordering a longer one just to have it. Safe to say, I can see why the girls love OQ Hair. I’m a part of the fan club now, too.
If I’m being honest, my favorite part about each of them is that at the end of the day, I can snatch it off and let my scalp breathe. Nothing beats that.
Rating: 9/10