Hair Dilemma

[Guest LauraJen]

I suspect there might have been a couple of other places I could have posted this in, but if is better suited somewhere else, I apologise.

I went to a local trans group last night and was dressed in role for it. I sat there and didn't feel anything other than complete comfort in how i was presenting. When i was changing back before leaving (as I don't present as female in the real world yet), I took a picture in front of the mirror in the toilets, just as a souvenir of a good occasion.

I look extremely feminine in this pic, not that I am going to show it, not just with what i was wearing, but with my face and figure as well. I would probably pass 95% of the time if I just had longer hair - whether or not that's an actual biological indication of how I developed in the womb is another discussion entirely. I know of a good UK-based shop on eBay which sells wigs and hair extensions at very affordable rates, and they are reliable - they have a very high rating and i have used them in the past (although I recently threw out what I bought from them when I had to purge all of my clothes stash).

I'm just wondering if one had any pros or cons over the other. Wigs have obvious practicality issues, such as not being able to go out if strong winds are forecasted, but with extensions I'm worried about how obvious they'd be if your hair is only 2 or 3 inches to start with. I just wondered if anyone had any guidance.

Thank you for reading,

Laura Jen

[VickySGV]

Wigs can be fine in wind if you take precautions in how they are put on and attached. You need to be sure the cap adjustment is secure and snug without being too tight, and that the back part is pulled into the bone crease at the back of your head. Several bob pins through the wig wefts into your own hair, and it will survive a speed boat ride upwind. In addition, there are chin straps that attach to the ear tabs of the wig with alligator clips that can also help in a near gale. On the decorative side, a stole or scarf can be worn over the wig the same way other women put them on their regluar hair do's and tied down against the wind.

If your hair is only a couple of inches long, hair extensions won't do you much good, since they need long enough hair to cover the place they are put in and lie down flat over the attachment point. Until your shortest hair at the nape of your neck is 3 to 4 inches long, the wig is a better bet. My hair is very fine, and extensions did not look convincing until it was 6 inches long, but now at about 9 inches long, I have a clip in hair extension that puts me at 24 inches long with a 4 inch overlap that hides the top edge of the extension. There is one way that short hair could have extensions put in, but it is semi-permanent, and VERY expensive to do.

Hope that helps.

[Guest LauraJen]

Thank you Vicky, that helps enormously. At the moment my hair is 5 inches long, but occasionally i do need to get it cut. I can't just let it grow, otherwise it just becomes a mop and gets in my eyes all the time. The trouble is, when I say to hairdressers I just want it tidied up and only a couple of centimetres off at most, they rarely listen and probably think "Guys shouldn't have long hair" and cut most of it off, which masculinises me again. I still get regularly seen by my mum and that won't change until after I graduate, so a wig looks set to be the ideal short term solution. I'll set about getting one soon.

Thank you for your guidance,

Laura Jen

[Guest Szenzie]

I've often had the problem with them cutting too much. Now I lay down the law and give my own personal look of death to ensure them I'll be very angry if they cut more than I specify. They want your money and business, even if you have to repeat your self 10 times before they take scissors to your hair. This totally works

Take your time with wig shopping, Be up front and make sure they understand you're trans. Often times they assume people are just there for costumes or gimmicks (to take cell phone pics) and they will be more willing to help if they know you're really serious about buying a wig. In any case, have fun

[Guest LauraJen]

^ OK, thank you Szenzie.

It looks like this topic has been moved. I had a feeling I could have chosen a better forum. Apologies to the mods for having to make them do that.

Laura Jen