No need to split hairs if you’ve got a stylish wig

Wigs are about the easiest way to get a new look without worrying about the disappointment of being adventurous ― too adventurous ― at the hair stylist’s.
Lee Mi-sook should know. Plenty of people come to her wig shop, Villan, immediately after leaving the hair salon. “Sad to say, but some people come here to buy wigs because they don't like their new haircut,” says Ms. Lee, whose shop is near Ewha Womans University in Daehyun-dong.
Her store has dozens of wigs, in the latest styles, for people who want to get wigged out. She says choosing a wig is more than a matter of taste. Quality counts.
Some background: Wigs are made by hand or machines of natural or synthetic hair. Their cost varies according to the material, the length of the hair and the style.
It takes 7 to 10 days to make a wig by hand, which is why they’re more expensive. Handmade wigs from human hair cost upward from 290,000 won ($240). Handmade wigs made from synthetic fibers cost from 220,000 won. Synthetic wigs made by machine take just two to three days to make and cost from 69,000 to 98,000 won.
Vallan stocks two-tone natural hair and synthetic wigs. It’s one of the few Korean companies to actually dye human hair in two colors, giving it a more natural look. Vallan also fills special orders for customers who can’t find exactly what they want.
Regardless of where you buy your wig, you’re going to have to take care of it. Wigs should washed and brushed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
There's another Vallan store in Apgujeong-dong that’s triple the size of the Ewha shop. For more information, visit Vallan’s Korean Web site at www.vallan.co.kr.

Vallan
Telephone: (02) 363-2355
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Location: 56-57 Daehyun-dong, Seodaemun-gu. Walk four blocks from Exit No. 2 of Ewha Womans University station. Turn left.

by Min Byung-hee