Human Hair Wigs are used for a variety of purposes. For many, it is a great way to quickly and easily change their appearance. They may be used for themed parties like those held on Halloween or special social occasions like weddings and other such commemorative events. Actors and actresses need them for roles that demand drastically different appearances than their own, and some people even use Human Hair Wigs to enhance their job interview prospects! Then there are those who experience hair loss, unfortunately, particularly as they age, and simply want the comfort they are used to getting from a full head of hair.

Hair loss from cancer treatment such as chemotherapy is another situation where Human Hair Wigs are welcome. Indeed, they often form an important part of the patient's full recovery, psychological as well as physical. Chemotherapies almost always result in complete baldness, and women in particular find it not just embarrassing but outright painful to be bald. Then there are those women who use wigs for religious purposes, as a part of the dictum to dress modestly, which notion extends to their very hair, as it is seen as a sign of feminine beauty to be properly reserved only for their husbands' enjoyment.

Married Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women also believe their rabbis' teachings that a woman's head should always covered be when out-of-doors as a sign of respect to God, even as a man's is. But because wigs give the appearance of an uncovered head, many rabbis find them insufficiently modest, violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the law. Scarves, snoods, or other headgear are recommended instead. Finally, there are considerations involving religious purity, where nothing associated with idol worship may be used. Controversies have erupted over whether certain hair from India shorn during pagan ceremonies was kosher for wear.

100% human hair wigs are usually much preferred over synthetic ones by all people, and they are thus more expensive, though man-made samples do exist that can almost rival all-natural hairpieces in price. Wigs made from human hair can be cut and styled in any way, and some people even claim they can feel the difference. They tend to be sourced from Asia or Eastern Europe. Hair from Asia is typically Chinese, Korean, or Indian, and may undergo treatment for color and texture. Materials from Europe most likely originate in the eastern half of the continent and do no generally need such processing. They are sometimes referred to as "virgin" or "all-natural" wigs.