January 7th, 2008
Want to look your best at any age? Older women who face growing concerns about their hair are choosing wigs to enhance their appearance.
Wigs are no longer for costumes and cover ups. Some older women want wigs simply for a new look, which is a very common reason younger women use them. This is especially true as Baby Boomers hit their 50’s and 60’s. Lois Joy Johnson of More – a magazine created for women over 40 – recently noted: “The 40- and 50-year-olds we are today are not the 40- and 50-year-olds of a generation ago.” (azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0528prime0528.html)
“If you do it right, [wigs] enhance your natural attributes. . . you can still have your dignity, and your pride. . . and keep some respect for yourself,” said a 66-year old BeautyTrends customer from Illinois. The customer, who started wearing wigs so she wouldn’t have to worry about styling her own hair, has worn wigs for about 20 years. She estimated that her wigs take approximately 10 years and about 10 pounds off of her appearance.
One question recently debated is whether mature women should wear their hair longer or shorter. Lynne Chapman of BellaOnline.com posed the question very well: “Should mature women, over the age of forty, wear long hair? This question is a concern of many of my readers. It reflects public opinion – ‘Will it look frivolous?’ and physical changes – ‘Will it make me look older?’” (bellaonline.com/articles/art27395.asp).
Ms. Chapman’s answer is that it really depends on the needs of the individual woman. Karen Marie Shelton of HairBoutique.com points to actress Jane Seymour as an older woman with longer hair who looks glamorous. She strongly encourages longer styles for mature women (http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip004.htm).
Older women wear wigs and wear them for many reasons. Their stories are as individual as themselves. They want to look more glamorous, they want something easy to style, and they want to look the best that they can.
