Finns increasingly wear wigs as everyday accessories

More Finns are choosing their hair each morning like they choose shoes or a bag, with wigs and hairpieces increasingly used as accessories, Yle reports. Demand is rising in Finland, according to wig shops interviewed by the broadcaster.

Iina Sorvari, an assistant human resources manager, sometimes arrives at work with a shaved head and sometimes with straw-blonde hair. Her look can also change during the day: she might choose a shaved look for a blazer at work and softer hair for a date in the evening.

Sorvari has alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair and body hair to fall out. After going without a wig for two years, she recently began wanting hair to go with certain outfits. She prefers wigs resembling her hair before it fell out, but varies their shades and cuts.

Sini Laitinen, a social media influencer and radio host, says she chooses wigs to match her clothes. Her friends are used to seeing her with a sleek bob one day and curls the next. She estimates she owns about 20 wigs, orders some online and makes some herself.

Demand grows as wigs become easier to wear

Wig shop owner Arto Pirinen of H. Kuokkanen says people are buying wigs more often for everyday styling and special occasions. Wearers can try different colours and lengths without cutting or dyeing their own hair.

Mikko Heinilä, chief executive of wig shop Hiusextra, says people are also more readily using wigs as accessories. He and Pirinen say men are showing greater interest in hairpieces to cover, for example, baldness at the crown.

Finnish Customs figures reflect the interest: the import value of synthetic wigs approached €500,000, more than €100,000 higher than in 2015. There are no comparable figures for wigs made from human hair because the same customs category also includes other hair products, such as false eyelashes and braids. Imports of products in that category were worth as much as €3.5 million last year.

Human hair and handwork raise prices

Wigs for everyday use typically cost from just over €200 to more than €2,000. The price depends mainly on the materials. Human-hair wigs cost more than synthetic ones, and longer strands and more handwork add to the price.

Hair origin also matters. European hair is expensive because little is available, while large quantities come from Asia. In India, the hair used includes temple hair, donated by Hindu worshippers to temples and then sold for wigs and extensions, as well as hair collected from women’s hairbrushes.