I use the JR paddle brush or the JR HD comb. I brush my synthetic hair with both all of the time, even wavy styles! I think synthetic hair looks fake when it starts to look stiff or clump. I guess we all have our own preference.

Human Hair wigs react to humidity and can become bushy or frizzy in high humid weather. Florida has high humidity. Synthetic hair doesn't have those issues with humidity. Longer, synthetic styles will bunch at the nape with heat and friction. So if you are active, you may want to pin the hair up or wear shorter styles above the shoulders. Have you considered toppers? Toppers would definitely be cooler than a full wig. If you decide on human hair, I would definitely have a synthetic for backup for certain activities to abuse like sports, chores, etc. Human hair will also oxidize in the sunlight and eventually have to be recolored, whereas synthetic hair doesn't.
Unfortunately, wearing and buying hair can come with a learning curve that can be expensive. I would try to view as many videos, read reviews, and look at as many customer pics as possible to get an idea of color, cap features, etc. Instagram is a great place to view wig pics too. If you buy online, carefully review return policies before buying like restocking fees for instance. Also, most sites will allow you to try it on only. Do not brush or play with it until you decide to keep it. Playing with the wig will make it unreturnable for many online wig stores. Good luck!

A negative comment can be so discouraging, but try not to let it dissuade you from wearing hair. I love JR Julianne, and you can't beat handtied. I always wash my wigs before I wear them for the first time. It cuts the shine and helps to relax the style and make it look more natural in my opinion. I always wear wavy styles, mostly JR. Also, wigs will settle with wear and age. Wear it around the house for a few days to give yourself time to adjust to seeing yourself in it. It will start to settle some as well. After that, you can take it to a hairdresser to have it thinned or add some light face framing layers to customize it for your face shape. It doesn't have to be done by a wig shop. There are hairdressers that will do them. I had to ask around for awhile before I found someone. I have also used steam on the crown of some of my styles as well to get the look I wanted from a side profile. Some people will leave their wig to sit on a wig head for a few days or more to get the hair to settle as well. Good luck!

RW has beautiful styles. Do you have experience with HD wigs? Most of RW's newer styles are HD, but I wouldn't recommend a HD wig, especially a longer one, unless the person has experience with synthetic wigs. If you plan on wearing it all day, the maintenance on HD styles can be frustrating.

When I first started wearing hair, all hair pieces seemed like too much hair! It can be a shock seeing yourself with a normal head of hair, especially if you have been losing it gradually for years. I thought everything looked wiggy in the beginning. It turns out that pieces I had rejected at first, I just wasn't mentally prepared for at the time. Now, I personally do not like lower density pieces that I did in the beginning. Ellen Wille, as suggested by others, is known for lower density styles and petite heads. Gabor has a style called Premium that is a low density bob. Have you thought about toppers? If you do purchase online, carefully read all return policies and fees for returns. For the most part, if you comb it or mess with it, you can't return it.

A lot of brick and mortar wig stores, but not all, will not tell you the name or color. They don't want you coming in to try it on and then going online to purchase it cheaper. I personally did not like my wig store experience in my area. One in my area even charges above retail for a synthetic wig. I would never pay those prices for plastic hair. I do believe that good service is worth a nice tip though. You may have to travel a ways to find a good wig shop where you feel comfortable, or take your chances online. It can be a learning curve. Remember, you don't just have to go to a wig shop to have them cut either. Maybe if you identify a major city near you, some people can make suggestions if they know a good wig shop.

BT Energia is a beautiful style on you! The HD fibers allow you to spike it up and style it away from your face compared to regular synthetic.

No, I don't know how much they cost. I haven't worn HH yet. I think synthetics are a good, affordable solution for water activities. Like you said, a buff or Nammu style cap can be worn over them.

I believe it may be Dolce as well.

Estetica has a couple of mono wiglets with good reviews. Also, have you considered cutting a wig into a topper? It would give you more choices. I don't wear toppers, just trying to give you a few suggestions.

Amy Gibson has the HH water wig. There are also synthetic solutions. You can wear a Nammu hat with any wig. Blue liner tape is recommended for a strong hold when doing water activities.

I agree. Gabor missed the boat on this one. The color would have been more realistic without roots. Their other new release color SS Champagne Blonde looks fake in all of the promo pictures too, like doll hair.

I wear an all-handtied JR daily. I just glue the lace down, nothing else. Have you tried wearing a wig grip? The clips would have to be very small because there is only a small area that runs around the inside perimeter of the cap to attach them. I cut a hole in my handtied cap once and sewed it up with a dart type stitching. I honestly can't answer if it is durable enough to sew a clip on to the handtied mesh portion.

I have used everything from "wig" shampoo, ammonia, vinegar, Woolite, fabric softener, to regular shampoo. I currently use Suave Clarifying because it gets the buildup of It Stays and Got2B glue off the lace just as good as anything else, plus Suave has the benefit of being inexpensive and easily put on my grocery list. I soak with Suave Clarifying in cool water for at least 15 minutes, usually longer as I forget, then rinse and hang to dry. I no longer do a separate condition soak, I am too lazy and I don't notice a difference anyway. I spray the nape with Simply Styling or Envy Renu and Repair after it dries. Suave Clarifying seems to work for me to take out product, but a little ammonia, or the vinegar and baking soda as suggested, will also work.

When we age, our roots are expected to be white. Going blonde is an obvious choice as it brightens our face and takes a few years off. We have all seen older people who dye their hair jet black or dark brown from their younger years and it ages them and looks ridiculous. I think an advantage of getting older is that with age and white roots, a lot of women can wear unrooted darker blondes or blondes without the harsh rooting and obvious knots in the lace front. Some of the grays can be overly shiny in synthetics like the blondes, that can be remedied I guess. I have seen quite a few younger women on Instagram wearing JR's Martini as an ash blonde alternative, even though it is gray.

The problem is the HD fiber. They are high maintenance, especially on styles that hit the nape and shoulders. They clump and get stiff, which looks wiggy imo, within minutes to hours of wearing. You can't brush, or it frizzes - plus the hair separates in the back of the wefted styles especially and looks like you are wearing clip in extensions due to the clumping. I won't purchase HD personally anymore. RW's new collection drops tomorrow and it is all overpriced HD. I like RW Vibralite, regular synthetic styles like Celebrity, but they seem to be veering from regular synthetic and doing HD. I pretty much stick to mostly JR and some HM in regular synthetic fibers. I am glad they aren't converting their whole line over to HD.

Estetica has beautiful lace fronts. IMO, they are sized for average but have good stretch for larger heads. I don't bother with Estetica much because they have backorders that are months long and will often discontinue styles in the same season they debut. Estetica is owned by Aderans now, so maybe their production will improve. It is my understanding that EW is good for smaller heads. Denise Sheets has a few YouTube videos on Girl Mono.

As your wig collection grows, you can relegate some of your older wigs for exercise, yard work status, camping, etc to save on your newer ones you want to wear to work, church, etc. When you open the oven, stand to the side and let the hot blast of air come out, then proceed to take your food out. The problem comes when you forget you are wearing a wig because it has become so comfortable! You will be fine camping this summer! Wear a hat or bandana when cooking, or get a heat friendly wig. I am not a fan of heat friendly wigs myself. If you are worried about outdoor grills or bonfires, it may be an option for you to consider.

You should send your email through private message since this is a public forum.

Tressallure's Mid Wavy Layered Shag is 100% handtied with a lace front and double mono. It used to be known as Syntress Primrose. Tressallure has a few short shags that have potential to be styled like RW's Trendsetter, although it appears they have monos with no lace front.

I use a small basin to soak my hair. I usually just put a fraction of what I would use for a full load of laundry, just enough to see it disperse throughout the water. I used the Downey fragrance free. I haven't been using the fabric softener method lately though.

Godiva's white labels wigs from a lot of brands. I am not sure if they have their own exclusive designs. If you aren't visiting their store personally for their services, I wouldn't be paying full retail price for a synthetic online. I have heard good things about their in-store customer service though.

I am not an expert on HH. From what I have read and understand, your best chances at an ashy brown will be virgin European hair as the Asian hair tends to pull red when dyed. Hopefully, someone else will chime in to help you.

The color in human hair oxidizes and fades. Eventually, they have to be recolored. You may need to use toner on the blondes occasionally. Sun exposure can definitely affect the color as well. They can dry out. There are many variables when purchasing HH. I have been contemplating it as well, but I am in no hurry.

JR Marion would be a possible alternative to JR Kendall.

The Malibu Blonde HD is gorgeous on you!

12fs8 is such a beautiful blonde in the HD. I do not like the regular synthetic 12fs8, but the HD version is awesome. The dark rooting, number 8, ruins it for me though. I like subtle, not so harsh rooting. I will not darken my brows to wear darker roots. I would buy an unrooted blonde and add roots. The lighter unrooted blondes have better front hair lines.

Like Jayne suggested, wigs can be cut down to be toppers too, if you are considering toppers. Henry Margu just released a couple of petite/average wigs. They have a new style called Taylor with a monotop/lace front that looks natural, plus a shorter one whose name I can't remember. Jon Renau and Gabor also have some petite/average selections. I think Ellen Wille and Belle Madam run small too. Sorry, you were called out at work. What an inconsiderate jerk to do that to someone.

I put the Tressallure Mia on, and it definitely has some stretch and should accommodate your circumference. I can't speak for the brand in general if the sizing is consistent for all of their styles.

I am a JR girl, but the rooted blondes do not have a natural hairline, especially the 8 and 10 roots. The 12 and 18 roots aren't as stark across the forehead. I wear bangs to solve that problem. Raquel's hairlines are beautiful, but I think equally unnatural at times with the shock of all blonde at the hairline in her rooted blondes. I bought a Tressallure Mia in Mimosa Highlight and the front lace was beautiful as it was a mixture of blonde and the rooted color, very well done.