OMG, That's A Wig?!
Remember back in the day when wigs were so taboo? When I was growing up, if you were caught wearing a wig it was an embarrassment!
Fast forward to 2018, women brag about rocking the most luxurious, stylish, and expensive wigs! Of course, social media has influenced many of us to become more open-minded when it comes to the ways we style our hair. YouTube is a popular platform that women use to share their favorite methods of styling their hair, and wigs are no exception.
YouTube has an entire wig community of women who create, review, color, and style different wigs, educating and entertaining their audience.
History of Wigs
The earliest wigs are dated all the way back to 2700 BC.
But wigs didn’t become a modern commodity until the eighteenth century. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, large wigs were applied to achieve massive hairstyles. These styles included fringes, fronts, switches, pompadour rolls, and frizettes. Wigs also denoted rank; if you wore a giant, elaborate wig, it meant you are rich. If you only wore your natural hair, people assumed you had little money.
In the 1920s, wigs fell out of style. Women wore wigs in the 1950s for short-term fantasy hairstyles. In the Black community, women used wigs as a go-to alternative to the long process of pressing natural hair.
Wigs Now
Wigs fell out of style again in the early 90s.
They were only worn by older women or those with a lot of money to invest in high-quality wigs. They have become popular amongst the general popular due to the availability of the lace wig.
Hairstylists around the world are paying thousands of dollars to enroll in classes that will teach them how to create and install the most beautiful and natural-looking wigs. Once the stylists have mastered the skill, they can charge anywhere from $300 - $1000+ to create and install a lace front wig.
In the past women would wear wigs on occasion, for special events or performances. Today, a lot of women wear wigs every day. These women prefer to wear wigs for the style, the protection of their natural hair, and to add length and thickness to their mane. The wigs look so natural that you wouldn't know the difference!
Women have taken to YouTube to share their favorite ways of creating, coloring, cutting, and styling their wigs. Women in the YouTube community help each other build beautiful wig units to wear on a daily basis or for special events. The YouTube community has been a crucial part of the growing popularity of lace wigs and the sale of hair extensions. Women on YouTube have created a career out of reviewing hair, creating wig construction tutorials, and promoting hair companies on their channels.
Some of these women have been able to use their popularity and influence to create their own hair extension companies instead of supporting other hair companies.
1. Peak Mill
Peak Mill is a Nigerian beauty that serves us with phenomenal wig construction tutorials.
She began creating YouTube videos of herself reviewing her favorite hair extension companies seven years ago. After a year of reviewing hair, she started creating basic wig construction videos for her subscribers.
Fast forward to 2018, Peak Mill creates videos ranging from frontal and closure wigs, and she has created almost any style you can imagine! Her high-quality and educational videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to create an impeccable wig unit.
Check out some of her wig creations; you may love them as much as her 1.6M followers!
2. Chrissy Cousin
With over 239,000 subscribers, Chrissy Cousin is another wig making superstar.
Chrissy Cousin has over 51 videos reviewing her favorite hair companies, constructing beautiful wigs, and even some color tutorials! Chrissy started making YouTube videos two years ago, uploading videos of her doing simple hairstyles like wand curls.
After positive affirmation from her viewer, Chrissy began making more detailed videos on different wig-making techniques. She shares her favorite method of bleaching knots and creating the most natural-looking frontal and closure.
Chrissy provides high-quality, step-by-step tutorials that truly give you an understanding of how to make the most natural, seamless lace wig!
3. Ivy Dear
Also known as IvyLeagueStyles is a Chicago-based hairstylist that first stole our hearts seven years ago on YouTube.
Ivy started her channel making videos in her bathroom about her sew-in weave and hair reviews. She put us on to the best braid-down patterns, and the hair companies to avoid! Her talent and consistent upload schedule has earned her over 495k subscribers over the past seven years and is consistently growing.
Ivy is known for her immaculate color jobs, and her seamless wig and sew-in install.
