22″ sounds long until it's on. Pick a length, a texture and your height and see where the ends really fall.
A 22″ body wave wig falls at your bra strap.
Body wave hair is measured straight, but the loose, s-shaped waves take up some of the length. Expect it to hang at around 20″, roughly 2″ shorter than the number on the listing. Stretched out, it's the full 22″.
Shrinkage: a little. Where a wig sits also depends on how your hair is styled and how far forward the hairline is placed, so take it as a guide to within an inch or two.
Among the retailers we list. The price on each is its lowest, usually for a shorter length; the length you pick on the retailer's site sets what you pay.
All body wave wigs →Retailers measure a wig's length straight, from the top of the hair to the ends. On a head the hair starts at the crown, so the common rule of thumb on a 5′5″ figure is: 10″ at the chin, 14″ at the shoulders, 18″ at the armpits, 20″ at the bra strap, 24″ mid-back, 26″ at the waist and 30″ at the hips. On someone taller the same length ends higher, and on someone shorter it ends lower.
Waves and curls take up length. A straight wig hangs at close to its number, body wave a little shorter, and curly and kinky curly textures noticeably shorter, sometimes by a quarter or more. If you want curls to reach a point, go up a length or two. Our guide to choosing a texture and length covers how the two work together, and what changes as wigs get longer.
