By Jamie at XOJane.com
“It doesn’t even look like a wig,” my intern said, trying her best to be reassuring. “I couldn’t even tell.”
That is, of course until, the darn thing fell off my head.
Except for the occasional set of braids, I’ve never been a weave girl. But lately, I’ve been toying with idea of “going natural”, so I’ve been trying out alternate hairstyles during my “transition” period. My half-wig, Sheila, has been a godsend. Yes, I named my wig.
I’ve got a full head of hair so I don’t rock Sheila out of necessity as much as I do for convenience. She just makes life so much easier. Like a Batwoman for the bad hair day. Can’t get that side part just right? Call Sheila! Bangs looking a bit blah? Sheila’s got it. Too lazy for the flat iron this morning? Sheila to the rescue! She’s a big, curly “Number 2,” full of life and personality. She’d never done me wrong, until she did.
On that particular morning things weren’t looking good. Dealing with the two different hair textures (curly-coils and straight) can turn even a pony tail into a war zone. I was battling between new growth and relaxed strands. Nothing was working. On the brink of frustration and tears, I threw on my trusty Sheila (or so I thought) and left for work.
During our mid-morning recap of reality TV shows and on-going conversation about hair, the unthinkable happened. Somewhere between the Stevie J love triangle and rehashing my hair that morning, Sheila decided she’d had enough. My half-wig silently and ever-so-gently slid off of my head and to the floor.
Now mind you, I was sitting down when it happened, not doing jumping jacks or swiveling neck exercises. I wasn’t doing anything to upset Sheila. I was just talking. And Sheila shut me (and everyone else) up.
Mid sentence I felt my wig exit stage left. There she was at my feet, laid out in all her curly glory. Oh my God, I thought. That really just happened.
Click to read the rest of this absolutely hilarious piece at XOJane.com.
Ladies, have you ever experienced a wig mishap? Share your stories!
*grabs drawstring afro puff to make sure it’s secure
I’ve not laughed this much in years. It was just so funny to hear. Excellent relaying of the tale. I laughed till I cried, my whole family sat watching me laughing with tears rolling down my face. I like the sound of Sheila she’s a joker!
Girl NO!!!!
This one is up there with my ultimate life fear… falling and chipping my front tooth. Like a bird pooping on you…consider it ‘good luck’- as your day could only go up hill from that point. 🙂
Literally LOL’ed at this one! The way she refers to her wig as a person and the ‘conversation’ they had afterwards, hahahaha
I seriously probably would have ran home like Jackie Joyner Kersee and phoned my boss and told him I would not be returning, lol.
Oh goodness you had me in tears! I was trying not to laugh out loud. My office mate is wondering what is going on with me. lol
I need y’all to realize that I work at a cubicle in the Finance Dept of a non-profit. Most days you can hear a church mouse thinking too hard. I literally broke all silence and almost choked on my lunch when she described her wig falling off !!! Though a bad experience I am glad she was able to laugh it off.
*grabs wig and fixes hair pins* I shouldn’t have read this. I have on a wig today and she is just like sheila- curly beautiful and full of life. Bless the Lord she hasn’t fallen off yet, but now im kinda scared. it’s super loose today because i didnt take enough time to secure it properly. threw a few hairpins in it and rushed out the door late for work. (currently sitting in my office about to cry from laughter) the thing that embarrasses me the most though is having a beautiful luxurious weave (that i spent GOOD money on), thinking i’m… Read more »
Laughing my African self so hard, African and China lol
VJ, I’m so done!!! I’m laughing so hard!!!!!!
This is my WORST nightmare. But hilarious story. Had me crying! But please God may this NEVER happen to me…
You can write!!! Too funny! When you got Shelia home, all I could think is: “Ooo Shelia, you in trooouubbbllleee!”
I would have just laid down next to Sheila’s behind and DIED! I’m am in tears over here! And my office is super quiet.
Please, please, please. Let me share. I was out shopping for a washing machine with a girl friend of mine and my son. I was sporting my fly drawstring ponytail. Feeling myself because I was looking good. Well, my son mades a hand gesture that connected with my ponytail. And off she went, to the floor she fell. I was so dumbfounded. I didn’t know whether to throw her in the purse and keep it moving or breakdown and re-position her on her throne. To this day, I have no clear recollection of what I did. I think my son… Read more »
Lololol! Wignesia, lol! Wonderful story Mary!
Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Great story, Lol!
I have another one. My mother’s colleague was having a terrible time with chemo years ago. On her way to a doctor’s appointment, feeling ugly and sick, a gust of wind sent her wig tumbling down the street. She said she screamed and cried like a baby but as she watched it pick up steam and debris and become a tumbling tumblewig she started laughing hysterically and never looked back. She didn’t wear another wig throughout treatment (cancer-free now) and she still laughs about it today.
My favorite of all the stories.
Elle,
That’s a beautiful, life affirming story your mother’s friend has to share with the world.
It has happened to the best of us.
I was wearing a cute wavy phony pony. It felt really loose but no amount of pinning and adjusting seemed to be doing the job so I left the ‘do alone.
I walked into the main office of my job and said hello; the damn thing fell off almost on CUE! Ugh. My coworker behind me said “Oh here’s your HAIR!” Loudly.
I just laughed it off, but it was definitely the last day I wore that thing.
I can’t.…I really can’t!!!! I’m dead, I’m gone. I have tears in my eyes and the fact someone on the original website posted a comment saying “SHELIA YOU HAD ONE JOB!” .…lord help me, I’m gone.… LOOOOL!! For real!!
This is so funny. I haven’t laughed so hard in a while. It brought back memories when I was on the exam table getting my annual pap one year and my wig fell on the floor. I moved so fast to pick it up. When I look back on it I am amazed I was more concerned about my hair falling off than my ass hanging out.
So hilarious! Of course now I have to share. When I was in high school I went to our downtown Fiesta celebration with my family wearing my hair slicked up (read: Layyyyed) into a drawstring ponytail. I thought I was cute, well I knew I was lol. So I decided to try and climb the rope wall. Imagine my embarrassment when a third of the way up my drawstring pony said “Forget this!” and fell all the way down to the bottom, in front of the line of onlockers and people waiting to try the wall next. I bout died… Read more »
Oh man…you all are giving me life with these stories. Of course I have my own… Years ago when I was in the 8th grade (mind you this was the early 90s and the ponytails were nowhere near as secure as they are now) me and some friends decided to go swimming. I don’t know why I thought this was a good idea considering I had my “around the way girl” ponytail in. Get this: the ponytail simply wrapped around my hair and snapped. Oh it had a little comb, but that was it. So anyway there I was in… Read more »
So glad I’m not alone! I’ve had several incidents, strangely enough. Like to hear one? Here it go.… It was back when I was still texturizing my hair and I’d just done a touch-up when my girl called me up and begged me to go out with her where our friend was deejaying. I hadn’t dried my hair, but I knew I was going to put on a wig (or “piece” as my mom and I call them). This particular piece was the kind with the black built-in headband so your hair is out in the front. I threw it on top… Read more »
I’m straight up cackling!!!!!!
I’m officially leaving this post for now. I’m laughing so hard, I can’t breathe!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never worn a wig and will never after all these postings. I will also never again look at another wig wearer with a straight face never, never never. My face hurts from laughing.
Hahaha ya’ll I funny remember this incident that happened three years back, There was a sister in the choir a lead singer(and I cant say she was a humble person)lol so Pastor wa slaying hands on people and she rushed right on in Front well, not surpring she FELL under the anoiting well we are used to that BUUUUT her wig fell off as she hit the carpet to reveal the most hedious unflattering, falling off relaxed hair and teh next thing she grabbed it QUICKLY and pulled it back on in full view of the front audience LOL.….BUT i… Read more »
I don’t wear wigs but this story made me remember my own embarrassing story from 2 months ago. So I have really curly 4c hair and I didn’t feel like combing it. I had done a nice wrap with a scarf the day before so I decided to rock that again. I slept on the hair and did not bother combing it because I knew it would be wrapped. Did a bump in the front and wrapped the rest like a turban. While I was walking the bus came and if I did not run I would miss the bus… Read more »
You poor thing. people thinking, “She can’t even do her hair”.
Haha. I remember once my half wig fell off at the beach girl. Matter of fact both my roomate and I wore half wigs and the SAME wave took it clean off our heads. The waves almost drowned me so I didnt even have time to try and fix it on my head before I came out of the water- lol trying to save myself from drowning was way more important. According to my friends the entire beach front was laughing at me.( i didnt notice, I was busy thanking God for saving my life) Lol i honestly wasn’t even… Read more »
It happened to me with a phony pony. I was rushing from the car to my job for a meeting. I had dropped something and had bent over to pick it up, bloop.…there went the pony. Thank God no one was around. I had picked it up and put it back my head.
That happened to my sister on a date. she closed the door to her dates car and when he drove away, off came the pony tail. Her date didn’t even noticed it happen. Thank god it was one of those ponytails on a clip, so it didn’t really rip out her hair. We were wondering what other driver’s thought was hanging from his door. He called the next morning and he said that if it wasn’t the fact that he was putting stuff in his car, he still wouldn’t have known that it was there. lol My sister tried real… Read more »
this is my worst nightmare. when i first started wearing wigs i was so afraid they would fall off. i used to watch drag tutorials on how the queens kept their wigs on & when i caught the train i would pretend to scratch my hair just so the wind wouldn’t blow it off my head!
Oh man, I was rolling when I read this story. She handled it well and I love that her intern tried to reassure. Lol I could literally visualize the wig just sliding off her noggin because of how she described it. In all her Curly Glory! ROFLMBO! SHEILA WHY DID YOU DO IT?! I’ve always had this fear. When I was in the Navy there was a shipmate that wore a really cute bob wig and we where in the hanger bay and this really immature whited dude that knew that it was a wig. Snatched it off and let… Read more »
That white dude isn’t right! Smh
Lmao!! Ouch, sorry that happened. I hope you and you coworkers just laughed it off. I hope you enjoy the natural hair journey Jamie. There will be plenty more hair stories to come!
I am so sorry to read all the terrible experiences women have had with their wigs!
But I really want one, a nice human hair, kinky-textured, full or half-wig. Can anyone recommend either good,trustworthy/reliable websites or stores in NYC?
HAHAHAHA!!! I love this and I love your sense of humor…
Funny, i saw this just as i was shutting down and heading to tthe hairdresser to get my first wig put on!! lol
Oh Sheila!
Lmao! I’m sorry, I died reading the title. Lemme read this post. xD yes gawd.
LMAO! I’m sorry I laughed while reading and I’m reaaly sorry to hear this but girls please where y’all leave your bobby pins when y’all rock that wig, ponytail, wrap or whatever hair piece you added? Always secure with bobby pins to avoid this.
This has always been a fear of mine. I have been wig shopping a couple of times, and changed my mind.
Ahahhhahahha I almost choked on my laughter. The title got to me. The other ladies’ stories were so deep. Wow. I can only imagine how you felt. Ahahaahhahahaha I keep telling my older sister that her wig will fall off at work since she doesn’t put on bobby pins to secure it. One time when she was in high school, she cut off her hair and donned a pixie cut wig and the boys who had issues with her figured it was a wig. So they planned to ambush her by the staircase when it’s “rush hour” to have her… Read more »
Wow. That experience must’ve been so embarrassing. I would have surely found myself hidden in the bathroom, tearing up, trying to salvage my pride. I don’t wear wigs but I wear beanies all the time. There was this one time when coming back from collecting some data at sea (Marine Biologist) I was walking through a park. This guy walked directly in front of me and to avoid him I moved to the side and went under this tree… Only to feel breeze on my head and realize my beanie was caught on a branch. Best believe, my hair was… Read more »
I might as well chime in with my story. I was transitioning with two strand twists to the back and an added twisted faux bun on the bottom. It was a very cute style. One day at the printer while making copies, I felt something heavy on my neck. I shook my head a bit and the thing was wobbling. All I remember is the old lady behind me saying “Girl, you done lost your ponytail!” It came loose. I fixed it with my bobby pins and laughed it off. Luckily, the copy room wasn’t crowded that day. Never wore… Read more »
I was walking in a parking lot and to make a shortcut I decided to walk on the median…well there were trees and lets just say that a branch wanted my wig more than I did lol…branch stole my wig! lol I got it but geesh was I embarrassed.
I just bought a wig today, ya’ll. Wish me luck…
I would have faked a pass out. No seriously, I would have quickly picked up and excused myself from the room.
Divachyk @Relaxed Thairapy
I have a good one! Years ago I made a full cap wig for the first time and decided to wear it to walmart with my family. I thought my little poorly constructed wig was the cutest thing. In reality it fit horribly and made me look like a cone head! Anyway, while at Walmart my family and I decided to eat at the mcdonalds. While we were eating I tilted my head back for some reason and I immediately felt the wig slip off. I was soooo embarrassed that I wanted to run straight to the car. To make… Read more »
I just say, Be greatful for your lovely natural hair. Aint it a sign? Them wigs will keep falling off as long as you have a healthy head full of hair. Thats right!
I remember my first he wearing extensions. They were havanna twists. I had them up in a ponytail and I couldn’t stop messing with them. I remember letting them down and right in the middle of class 1 fell out. I was so embarrassed. Thank God I had a really good friend who knew how to handle that situation!
Sheila is a comedian. I am transitioning too but my go to accessories are hats. I think I am going to get braids so I can get a longer break from my hair.
Lol I was literally crying reading these stories, let me give you guys mine, I was 18 and on the weekends I would go to the library and hang with my friends. Not wanting to comb my hair I made this curly hair half head wig, thinking I’m cute strutting my stuff through the town. the wind reminded me I’m not. One big gust of wind came out of no where and took my wig with it. My girls and I were running that thing down lmao we looked like chickens without our heads I was so embarrassed cuz everyone… Read more »