Why wear wigs?

OK, the obvious answer is it covers up a bad hair day and makes you feel better about yourself, or does it? If both you and the other person know it's a wig then you're fooling nobody; if they don't and compliment you on your hair then they may as well be saying "Hey, I like your false teeth" ! Also, why do media celebrities wear wigs? As if the profession weren't shallow enough, Whitney & co. assault our senses with false hair! As I see it, ANYONE can wear a wig, it takes no effort at all, but to chose the right stylist, then the right style, then be able to maintain it, and it's all REAL, now that's worth something. So I say again, why wear wigs?

*answers ancient post that came up in "From the Past"*
I don't think the fact it's fake is a problem at all. When we went for groceries yesterday, the cashier had a really beautiful wig on. It was a short, flippy style similar to the one Halle Berry had for a while, but in a highlighted honey blonde. I could tell it was a wig, but it was lovely and so was the woman wearing it. I didn't think anything negative about it, only how nice it was and how I'd like one like it.
I wear wigs sometimes, if I don't feel like dealing with my real hair or if I'm temporarily bored of it. I have been complimented on wigs, whether by people who knew i was fake or not, and it never bothered me. *shrugs* If someone asked me I would admit it was a wig. It doesn't make me feel ashamed or anything.
And wearing a wig isn't easy. You have to secure your own hair so it won't poke out under the wig, and once the wig is on you have to style it just like you would real hair. You can't just plop it on and go, or it'll look like you're going around with a Tribble on your head :-P .
If you're having a hard time with your real hair, though, like it's sticking out uncontrollably and you can't get it to behave, a wig can be easier. Or if you want to try a new style or a different shade without commitment, or if your real hair won't curl or won't lie right to do a certain style or whatever, they're good for that, too.
I think the question should be, what's so wrong with wearing them?

phil wrote: OK, the obvious answer is it covers up a bad hair day and makes you feel better about yourself, or does it? If both you and the other person know it's a wig then you're fooling nobody; if they don't and compliment you on your hair then they may as well be saying "Hey, I like your false teeth" ! Also, why do media celebrities wear wigs? As if the profession weren't shallow enough, Whitney & co. assault our senses with false hair! As I see it, ANYONE can wear a wig, it takes no effort at all, but to chose the right stylist, then the right style, then be able to maintain it, and it's all REAL, now that's worth something. So I say again, why wear wigs?

phil wrote: OK, the obvious answer is it covers up a bad hair day and makes you feel better about yourself, or does it? If both you and the other person know it's a wig then you're fooling nobody; if they don't and compliment you on your hair then they may as well be saying "Hey, I like your false teeth" !

As if nobody was ever legitimately complimented on cars, clothes, or anything else they bought. If someone chose to get false teeth that really look good I am all for complimenting them on that. It is a recognition of similar taste rather than effort.

Wigs serve many purposes from testing styles to providing something otherwise unavailable such as a shade of royal blue without the color damage and upkeep of the actual hair. People can visit long hair if short, short hair if long, and hair if posessing none. Wigs give variety and that can be enjoyable. Phil assumes a wig is always intended to be undetected but that is a narrow view of what they can provide.

When the look is what a person is going for it really does not matter how they got it. Somehow "earning" it through growing and styling is a concept difficult for me to understand. It reminds me of the people that look at adopted kids differently. How something came to be is rarely going to matter when it has no effect on the other person.

(Thanks for revisiting this question and putting the topic forward again, Kuroneko!)

Some people have been ill and their hair is thin so they feel self-conscious. Wearing a scarf just draws attention to the fact that the person isn't showing their hair. But a good-looking wig can make someone feel good about herself when her own hair is very thin. So the next time you feel like criticizing someone for wearing a wig, remember that you don't know the circumstances behind why she's doing it. If you don't want to wear a wig, then don't do it. But please have compassion for those who do.