3 Reasons Human Hair Wigs are so Expensive + [Infographic]

(Updated August 25, 2019)

If you know wigs, you know they cost a pretty penny. According to reports, one of Nicki Minaj's 40" wigs cost $75,000. According to those same sources, Nicki paid a woman to grow her hair just for these wigs, and then had a whole team of hairstylists put the wig together. And apparently, it took this woman six years to grow her hair to the specified length TWICE! That was so Nicki could have a wig that was both long and thick.

Why would a wig cost $75,000? Sorry ladies, pay off your student loans or get a wig. Buy a house or get a wig. Invest in Bitcoin or get a wig...

Although the average wig comes nothing close to $75,000, wigs can be fairly expensive. A fully customized unit can go for as high as $10,000. What determines the cost of a wig? Why are some wigs cheaper than others? Let's find out:

1. Quality of the Hair

The quality of the human hair used to make your human hair wig is what determines 50% of the total cost. We're not talking about 8A, 9A or 10A. That grading system was made up by human hair retailers, merely as a marketing gimmick. We're talking about the actual source of the hair, how the hair is treated once it's acquired from the donor, and the methods they use to put the wig together.

Let's use an example from our collection. Our Cashmere Moschino is one of our more expensive wigs. This unit is made with the highest grade Cambodian hair we could find. That means:

1. We used hair from one donor

2. The hair was sourced from ethical sources (the women were paid reasonably for her hair) and the women were in good health

3. The hair was then treated to remove lice and other diseases with high-quality chemical (so you won't get a funky processed smell)

4. And the hair was aligned so that each individual strand of hair is facing the same direction (roots are with roots, and tips are with tips)

When investing in a good human hair wig you want to make sure your source passes these 4 hair quality checks. Don't be afraid to ask questions. And although a few of these things may seem trivial, it's important that consumers condition themselves to expect better from companies, so that companies will do better for their customers.

2. Construction of the Wig

The process and time it takes to construct a wig is another major expense. If your wig has a full lace cap, your looking at least 40 hours of ventilating work. And that's on a standard lace cap. Add a monofilament or silk base and the time can as much as triple. Add any more hair than 150% density, and you're adding extra hours. Prior to ventilating, raw hair needs to be prepped. Which means the hair has to be organized, cleaned, and coloured (if required). After ventilating, we take the wig to our stylist who adds highlights, low lights, baby lights, a colour melt or balayage. Before the stylist begins dying the wig, she needs to test colours, combinations, and strands and then document each and every step, in order to ensure uniformity.

These are steps that we take to complete the wigs we make at Essence Luxe Couture.

3. Features

There are so many points of customization when it comes to wigs. Depending on the length, colouring/highlighting, cap material, hairline features, plucking methods, knot bleaching methods, and styling the price of your wig will vary greatly. Different wig companies have different specializations, in terms of customization. For example, we specialize in salon hand-dyed wigs that are custom-fit. That feature alone adds at minimum $200 to the cost of our wigs. But it's a feature that we believe is important because it adds a unique aspect to our wigs. It's unlikely that you'll find our designs anywhere else.

So when it comes to your human hair wig, look at it as an investment. For those looking for something high quality, long lasting, and extremely natural-looking, look into purchasing one of our handmade luxury wigs. Check out the handy infographic below. Keep it handy as you search for your perfect wig.