High quality wigs are an investment. You’ll easily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a good human hair wig, so you don’t want to go wrong. To increase access to good wigs, Shante Frazier launched WellCapped, a wig rental service that allows users to enjoy a variety of glueless lace-up wigs for a fraction of the cost.
Determining which wig to buy depends on word of mouth. Your hairstylist recommends a brand of hair that they know you’ll love. Your former college roommate (who majored in biology?) Now makes custom units sold through Instagram. And your favorite hair influencer just posted another wig unboxing and review on YouTube. Information is coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, making it difficult to choose the right wig for you.
“Right now the consumer journey is completely interrupted. If you’re a customer looking for hair extensions, you’re probably starting out on social media and then going to an e-commerce site that isn’t optimized for your shopping experience. ” said Frazier. “There are no major players in the game. No one owns more than 15% of the natural hair extensions market. This means that there is no one to give this education to consumers than L’Oréal , Proctor & Gamble or Unilever would generally give. “
Choosing a WellCapped Rental Plan
WellCapped offers two wig rental options. The premier plan, a $ 100 monthly subscription (no annual commitment required) that includes up to two wigs per month, is for trend-setters – people who love a change of look and are already spending over $ 2,000 per month. year for some units. The second plan is a la carte, in which you rent one wig at a time only when you need it. (“No one wants to spend $ 500 on hair to look good on their birthday,” Frazier says.) You’ll pay $ 100 to keep a wig for a month or $ 35 a week. For the weekly option, if you keep it for a month, you’ll end up paying $ 140. “We try to encourage people to sign up for a one-month subscription if they have it for more than two weeks,” says Frazier.
Frazier has partnered with The Hair Laundry, an Atlanta-based wig laundromat to ensure all wigs are thoroughly sanitized, washed, conditioned, repaired, and styled before going to a new wearer. When you select a wig, it is sent to you fully styled with a fixed part, but you can play around with the hair. Besides cutting or coloring the wig, “you can do whatever you would do if you bought the wig,” says Frazier. Accidental damage such as tearing of the lace is covered by your membership fee. But if you permanently damage the wig by spilling paint on it or end up dying on the unit, you are about to purchase the wig from WellCapped. As well as offering more traditional styles and colors, “we’re seeing a lot of trends in people who get the colorful wigs, the wild colors, like bright blue and pink,” says Frazier.
The WellCapped Membership Experience
When you open a WellCapped box, you will find the wig in a satin drawstring bag, two wig caps, and an envelope with a return shipping label. The lace and knots are bleached to make the wig look like it is sticking out of your scalp. It is built on a basic brown cap with adjustable shoulder straps for the perfect fit.
The first wig I chose was styled with medium wand curls and a side part, giving it a 1920s vibe. The hair was incredibly soft, smelled great and the curls held together beautifully, arriving in these coils fresh out of the tool. I tied it to my head with the combs attached and with the internal straps adjusted, the wig fitted perfectly (which worried me as I have a large head). I loosened the curls with my fingers and teased around the part for more fullness on top.
The wig looked exactly like the photos, but I didn’t like it on me. I haven’t worn a side part since 2017 and this device reminded me of why. But that’s the beauty of a service like WellCapped. If this had been a custom wig I owned now, I would have been furious. The wig return process leaves a lot to be desired, and I could easily have ended up with a wig that I didn’t want. But with WellCapped, there is no stress. The service makes it easy to play with different styles and try on looks outside of my comfort zone.
WellCapped is the kind of business the hair industry has been waiting for, especially for black people who invest time and money in their looks. And especially for black women who have historically been held to higher standards of beauty, having to deal with the pressure of looking “polished” throughout our lives. Plus, curly, coarse hair takes a lot of love and attention to look and feel its best. Protective styles like wigs take the hassle out of worrying about our own hair every day. But not everything is done out of necessity. Many of us who regularly change our look do it because we love it. WellCapped makes this process even more enjoyable by reducing it to a more affordable price.
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