Inspect Before You Install
Is This Normal?
Shedding. Scent. Compressed waves. Color that looks different on screen. Lace that seems thin. This guide gives you clear thresholds — normal, monitor, or contact support — for every common concern in one place.
By AA WIGS Team
·
August 5, 2026
·
5 min read
This guide covers concerns at two stages: on arrival (before installation) and during wear. Use the 🟢 Normal → 🟡 Monitor → 🔴 Contact Support framework to evaluate what you're seeing. If you haven't yet completed the pre-installation inspection, start with the First Ten Minutes guide first.
Before you alter the wig: If a concern appears at arrival — before cutting lace, washing, or styling — do not proceed with installation. Photograph the concern under natural light and contact
AA WIGS support with your order number and photos. Alterations made to a wig can make it significantly more difficult to determine whether an issue existed before or after the change.
Shedding
Some shedding is a normal part of how human hair wigs behave, especially in the first few uses. The question is how much and when.
💬 Shedding
🟢 Normal
- Fewer than 10 loose hairs on first gentle handling
- A few hairs after washing and detangling
- Occasional loose hairs during styling
🟡 Monitor
- 10–20 hairs on first shake — document, re-evaluate after first gentle wash
- Consistent shedding after every wash that does not decrease over time
🔴 Contact Support
- Clumps of hair releasing from the weft on first handling
- Visible thinning or bald patches forming at the weft tracks
- Heavy shedding that continues and worsens after multiple gentle washes
For the full explanation of what causes shedding and how to reduce it, read Why Does My Wig Shed?
Scent
Human hair wigs can carry a manufacturing or packaging scent. This does not indicate a quality issue in most cases.
💬 Scent
🟢 Normal
- Faint, non-specific scent from packaging or manufacturing materials
- Scent that diminishes when the wig is aired for 30–60 minutes
- Scent that resolves completely after the first wash
🟡 Monitor
- Noticeable but not harsh scent — air for 30–60 minutes and re-evaluate before washing
🔴 Contact Support
- Strong chemical odor that does not diminish after airing
- Mildew or musty odor suggesting moisture damage during transit
- Document before washing — washing may make the cause harder to assess
Wave Pattern
Body wave wigs almost always arrive with the wave compressed or flattened from transit. This is expected and not a quality issue.
💬 Wave Pattern
🟢 Normal
- Wave looks less defined or flatter than product photos on arrival
- Hair appears straighter than expected after being held in packaging
- Wave restores after airing on a stand, light misting, or full wash
🟡 Monitor
- Wave has not fully restored after first wash — apply a leave-in conditioner and air dry
🔴 Contact Support
- Wave pattern is completely straight with no curl memory after washing — if the wig was ordered as body wave and remains straight after washing, document and contact support
For restoring the body wave pattern, read How to Refresh Your Body Wave.
Color
Color appearance varies with lighting, screen calibration, and photography. Evaluate color under natural daylight, not on a phone or computer screen.
💬 Color
🟢 Normal
- Slight tonal variation root to tip — natural hair is not one uniform shade
- Appears slightly warmer or cooler than on screen — screens vary significantly
- Minor variation between individual wefts — natural human hair is not identical strand to strand
🟡 Monitor
- Color looks noticeably different indoors vs. outdoors — evaluate under both before deciding
- Seems cooler or warmer than expected — photograph under natural daylight for a more accurate reference
🔴 Contact Support
- Clearly wrong color family — e.g. a warm brown ordered but a cool black arrived
- Significant inconsistency between wefts — patches of a different color
- Document under natural daylight before any alteration
For more on why color looks different from product photos, read How AA WIGS Photographs Its Products.
Lace Appearance
Swiss HD lace is designed to be extremely fine and sheer. Many customers are surprised by how delicate it looks — this is the intended quality.
💬 Lace
🟢 Normal
- Lace appears almost translucent when held to light — this is Swiss HD lace working correctly
- Slight waviness at the lace edge before cutting
- Faint knot visibility before bleaching or tinting
- Lace feels very soft and delicate to the touch
🟡 Monitor
- Minor fraying at the very outer edge — photograph before cutting to document arrival condition
🔴 Contact Support
- Tears or holes in the lace area before cutting
- Lace material does not match the described type
- Significant discoloration of the lace
- Document before making any alteration
Tangling
💬 Tangling
🟢 Normal
- Minor tangles at the ends after wear — ends experience the most friction
- Slight tangling at the nape after sleeping or wearing a collar
- Tangles that release easily when detangled from the ends upward with a wide-tooth comb
🟡 Monitor
- Consistent tangling at the nape — reduce friction with a satin scarf or collar-free clothing
- Tangling that requires more effort than expected — add a leave-in conditioner and re-evaluate
🔴 Contact Support
- Severe matting on arrival before any wear
- Hair that cannot be detangled from the ends without breakage after proper conditioning
For the full explanation, read Why Does My Wig Tangle?
Density
💬 Density
🟢 Normal
- Slightly less full at the nape than at the crown — cap construction places more density at the front
- Hair appears compressed or flat after shipping — density restores when the hair is allowed to fall naturally
- Some variation in thickness between sections — human hair is not mechanically uniform
🟡 Monitor
- Sections that appear thinner than expected — place the wig on a stand and evaluate after the hair falls naturally for 30 minutes
🔴 Contact Support
- Visible bald patches at the weft tracks on arrival
- Density significantly below what was described — document before any wear
Cap & Fit
💬 Cap & Fit
🟢 Normal
- Cap feels slightly snug or slightly loose before adjusting the internal straps
- Elastic band is firm but not restrictive
- Slight tension at the hairline before breaking in the cap
🟡 Monitor
- Cap feels tight after full adjustment — try wearing without combs secured for a short period to allow the cap to relax
🔴 Contact Support
- Wrong cap size delivered — document against your order confirmation
- Combs or straps are broken or missing on arrival
- Elastic band is broken or discontinuous
Length
💬 Length
🟢 Normal
- Wig appears shorter than stated length when the wave is intact — wave compresses the hair length
- Within ±1 inch when the hair is measured straightened from crown to ends
🟡 Monitor
- 1–1.5 inch variance — measure again with hair fully straightened before concluding
🔴 Contact Support
- More than 1.5 inches shorter than stated when fully measured straightened
- Document with measurement before making any cut
After Extended Wear
💬 After Wear (weeks/months in)
🟢 Normal
- Wave pattern loses some definition between washes — this is wear
- Ends feel drier than the mid-length — ends are furthest from the scalp and benefit from regular conditioning
- Slight reduction in overall luster after multiple heat styling sessions
🟡 Monitor
- Noticeable dryness throughout — increase deep conditioning frequency
- Shedding that slowly increases — check styling routine for tension or heat damage
🔴 Contact Support
- Weft stitching separating — photograph and contact support for assessment