Certainly not a Johnny-come-lately, the wig has been around for centuries.
It first gained popularity with the Egyptians who, due to their dislike for natural hair, made shaved baldness, covered by wigs, the accepted custom. Their wigs were purposely designed to look false in order to show Egyptian contempt for all that was hairy.
Throughout the decades, wigs have developed a history of their own. One century has supported them;
the next banned them. In this country, they were very acceptable during our formative years. In fact, powdered periwigs were worn by many of our most respectable forefathers.
Today men's wigs are used more as a change of hairstyle rather than for ornamentaion. Basically, their popularity is confined to young men who want to temporarily change the look of their hair from an acceptable business style to a more sporty and "with it" look during their hours of socializing. For this purpose, they usually serve the wearer well.
In spite of the many years of existence, however, they have not yet been perfected enough to be truly practical. Furthermore, although great advances have been made in the production of women's wigs, those designed for men are not a comparable quality , and thus, have a shorter life span.
A wig covers entire scalp, and consequently, most of the scalp's breathing room, In the cases of a man who is losing his hair, this coverage is unnecessary. Only his balding area needs to be hidden.
Unfortunately, most men's wigs are still detectable and often the cause for many a man to be subject of ridicule. They can also be quite warm and uncomfortable for the average wearer.
Therefore, as a full-time cover up, the wig has little demand.
