One of the major strengths of wigs is the endless possibilities that they offer when a quick change of look is needed in a pinch. One moment you can go from brunette to blonde and even redhead, with absolutely no harm done at all to your natural hair, unlike hair dyes and other available options.
That being said, it becomes fairly obvious why hairpieces and wig are such a valued and commonly seen asset in today’s filmmaking industry.
Whether it be on the big screen or the little screen, there’s a good chance that a wig was used for a scene or two at least.
And believe us, they still see plenty of use in today’s movie and tv industries. Wigs never went anywhere, they just got more natural looking and therefore harder to spot, that’s why they don’t seem as prominent in today’s day and age cinema and tv shows. With the exception of some purposely, and some not so purposely bad looking wigs, wigs have flown under the radar of most moviegoers and tv fans thanks to the advances that have been made to make them look more believable and lifelike than ever.
But a question still stands. Why would big studio movies and tv shows risk using wigs if there’s a chance of them being spotted and breaking a watchers immersion?
Well, there a ton of reasons really.
Sometimes actors just don’t want to modify their natural hair. Most actors and actresses have several projects that they’re involved with at the same time, so getting a rad haircut for the portrayal of one character might conflict with another character’s appearance in a different project they’re in. And unlike body weight and shape (we’re looking and you Christian Bale), you can’t drastically alter your natural hair in a set amount of time, you’re stuck waiting for it to naturally grow back.
Another very valid reason to use a wig for a scene is to avoid the use of hair dyes. Many people don’t know this, but most hair dyes are incredibly harmful to natural hair. Sure, the final result might look awesome, but at what cost? Ammonia, which is an ingredient in most readily available hair dyes, literally lifts up your hair cuticle. And the second culprit, peroxide, destroys your current color.
Dyeing your hair once in a blue moon isn’t such a big of a deal, but imagine having to constantly do it to maintain a character’s appearance, and it becomes pretty apparent why some actors and actresses might choose the wig over the dye.
