Did you realize that your hair is one of the first things people notice about you?
This means that your hairstyle can literally make or break your feminine image!
You deserve to look and feel your best as a trans woman or crossdresser – and it all starts with your hair.
Here are 5 male to female hairstyle mistakes to avoid – and what to do instead!
Mistake #1: Choosing The Wrong Hair Color
If you wear a wig or dye your hair, choosing the right hair color is key.
The wrong shade can wash you out and add years to your face, while the right shade will have an instant flattering, feminizing effect.
Here are my top two hair color tips to keep in mind:
Tip: Stay within 2 shades of your natural hair color
Unless your hair is naturally very light or dark, you should avoid extreme shades like platinum blonde or jet black.
Platinum blonde is not flattering to most skin tones.
Jet black is too harsh for many people’s skin tones.
Flattering hair color as seen on Janet Mock, transgender author.
Tip: Choose a hair color that complements your skin tone
Before you can choose a good hair color, you need to know if your skin has cool or warm undertones.
An easy way to determine your skin tone is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If they appear more blue, you have a cool skin tone. If they look more green, you have a warm skin tone.
Then, choose a hair shade that coordinates with your coloring:
- If you have a cool skin tone, choose hair colors with a cool tone – like coffee brown, burgundy, or ash blonde.
- If you have a warm skin tone, opt for golden shades such as chestnut, auburn, or honey blonde.
For more on this topic, be sure to check out my blog post on Male to Female Hairstyles: What Does Your MTF Hair Color Say About You?
COOL hair colors complement cool skin tones – as seen on transgender vlogger, Gigi Gorgeous
WARM hair colors complement warm skin tones – as seen on transgender actress, Candis Cayne
Mistake #2: Opting For The Wrong Cut Or Style
The cut and style of your hair have a dramatic impact on your appearance. Hairstyles that are too short, too long, or too angular can have a masculinizing effect on your face.
Instead, flatter your face with soft waves and layers. Bangs are also a great choice if you have a high forehead.
I go into more detail on the most flattering hairstyles in this blog post: MTF Transgender Hairstyles: 6 Best Transfem Haircuts & Styles.
Long, straight, center-parted hair looks too severe.
Angular bobs emphasize the angles of your face.
Soft waves (as seen on trans actress Laverne Cox) are feminine and flattering.
Mistake #3: Revealing Thinning Or Receding Hair
If you prefer to style your own natural hair (vs. wearing a wig), be sure to pay special attention to its thickness. Slight hair loss might not be noticeable in male mode, but it can detract from a feminine appearance when presenting as a woman.
Hair loss treatments and hormones can help with hair regrowth, but in the meantime, wear a wig or hair piece. You could also try sporting a cute hat!
Mistake #4: Wearing A Cheap Or Worn Out Wig
If you’re going to wear a wig, pay close attention to quality. High quality human hair wigs can cost hundreds (or even thousands) or dollars, but you can find synthetic wigs for much less.
No matter how much you spend, you want to look for shine and softness. Wigs with dull, rough hair fibers scream “fake” from a mile away.
Also keep in mind that wigs have a limited life span. As soon as your wig starts to look dull or frizzy, it’s time to shop for a new one.
Mistake #5: Wearing A Wig Too High Or Too Low On Your Forehead
If you’re new to wigs, it’s normal to be scared that your wig is going to fall off. Your instinct might be to push the wig down, but this is not a flattering or feminine look.
On the other hand, if the wig isn’t properly secured, it can creep up your forehead. This doesn’t look good, either.
To keep your wig securely in place, use wig clips, a wig cap, or a wig grip.
For more information on wigs, be sure to check out my blog post on The Ultimate Guide to Transgender / Crossdressing Wigs and Hair Extensions.
Wig clips
Wig cap
Wig grip
Make everyday a good hair day!
Beautiful hair can transform your female appearance – and it all starts avoiding these 5 simple mistakes.
Now I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Share your best hairstyle tips and tricks and upload a photo of your femme hairstyle in the comments section below!
Love,
Lucille
P.S. If you liked this article, you will love my FREE Male to Female Makeup Mini Course.
i’m speaking from my experience of buying some wigs online and buying some wigs in a tg-salon. Online wigs bought in a tg-salon felt good. They would cost an arm and leg (100 a while ago and 160 recently, nothing extra-ordinary), but they felt right and comleted with a custom trim (!) became as close as having real hear. Nothing else, without that extra-trim made the cut and went into a trash bin no matter how pricey they were.
Make sure you got a wig from a knowledgable person and get that custom trim.
I would say advice hear is reasonable, long hair + staying within reasonably natural hair is a solid advice.
A tg-girl shouldn’t go without a long-hair wig of the highest quality available. I tried my best to do, but was never satisfied.
Lucille
These tips are awesome as i am just about to buy a new wig and these tips will help, i have been looking for a way to tell what i should buy as the last wig i bought was short and cheap and just didn’t look right, had the color right, i see now that bangs and wavy might be the way to go for me.
Love Gayle
Just like to say you look stunning Mandy.
At least I have hair , and I suppose simple is best . Styling was never my forte .
Lucille, These tips are wonderful for many ladies who are new to wearing wigs, as well as for those of us who have used them for many years. I would like to add that if you are not real sure of which color looks best for you, go with a reddish color. Reds help to soften the features. Wig caps and grip bands should be placed close to where your normal hairline would be, not where it is now. Then, place the edge of the wig itself ontop of the edge of the wigcap/grip band. And make sure the tabs on the sides are in front of your ears, not on top or in back. This will help to center the wig on your head. One final suggestion, wigs need to be taken care of like your own hair does. When it looks dull and lifeless, take it to a wig shop an have them clean it and restyle it, and if needed, trimmed to fit your face. Too many modern wigs have overly long hair strands and these need to be trimmed to fit the wearer.
Thank you for all the wonderful advice and tips on helping us become better women.
Linda L.:
Should not be a suprise that you look Fabulous!
I totally agree with your comments about the “Reds ” in Wigs. I get most compliments on the red /ish ones At 71, I wear quality wigs, purchased in professional wig shop. Hope you like the results :
Thank you for all your help……….I am finally seeing results, thanks to you and my girlfriend………..
With all your help and now my girl friend I am starting to see that I am getting there finally, get so excited when I see myself looking so good…. Thank you for the help and continued help for me….”You are WONDERFUL” ……..XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lucille,ive been to two hair dressers now and both suggested to me no bangs. They said if I did bangs at all im to only go with soft bangs nothing drastic. Their thoughts are we need the hair draped around our face to hide the extra angles mens faces have,especially in early transition. Now the Hormones have been good to me and my face is way more femme these days so I could pull off a lil more bangs if I wanted.I have to agree with my hairstylists when I first started with my own hair,it did help hide my secret to the world. Today I blend nicely and very lil people know I am a TS woman. The only ones who know are the ones I tell. Ive learned a lot for your advice over the years,my start as Flat2Femme years ago. I hope this helped huggles…
Amy