Male Infertility Panel Discussion by Dr Sujoy Dasgupta
Lace Wigs
1. Lace Wigs at its best
A Lace Wigs is truly the ultimate for any wig wearer. Lace wigs and lace front wigs have
recently been seen on the streets since the popularity of some well seen celebrities who
openly wear the wigs and lace front additions. Lace wigs and Lace Front Wigs are the
hottest ticket out there. Lace wigs were originally only found in the theatre, the silver screen
or on those who had the connections to have one made for them.
During the process of tailoring the lace front wig base the wig maker will take into effect the
finished hair extensions and style to be sure that the lace is place so the hair can be
ventilated / tied into the base going in the correct direction for the finished style. They are
different from wigs as we generally know them because they are usually made or at least
“tailored” to fit the individual. A Lace Wigs is made completely of a soft French or Swiss
lace in several sections and the wig maker will take darts in the lace to make the material
contour the head and because of this it is possible to get a glove tight fit for the wearer.
This is especially important in the top and frontal area as this is where the hair must flow
naturally and the way the lace is configured hair direction will be affected if the lace is not
placed correctly. Once the wig maker has the cap completed they can do a final fitting to be
sure the fit is correct and the front is smooth and tight. If adjustments need to be done this is
the time to do it and a final fitting can be done just to check. Once the cap is finished the
wig maker can now begin ventilating the hair into the base. This is done with a hooked
ventilating needle that can be gauged to pick up as many hairs as needed for a section of the
wig. For example in the back and side areas the wig maker may use a needle that picks up 2
to 4 hairs for the knot. This allows for volume without having to fill in quite so many holes
in the lace.
The wig maker will usually start at the nape area and work up on the back of the wig
followed by the sides and then working on the top. Once the wig maker gets to the top and
front area they will usually switch their ventilating needle to only pick up one hair for each
knot. This allows the wig maker to make very small tight knots that are virtually impossible
to be seen. The real art for the wig maker is of course the frontal area. The single hair knots,
placement and hair direction has to look and move like natural hair and should not be
noticeable to the eye.
Once a lace wig is completed, dressed or styled and placed on the head a small amount of
lace adhesive is placed on the skin where the edge of the lace will sit, allowed to get tacky
and then the lace is pressed into the adhesive where it disappears into the skin. Once the
adhesive is completely dry normal daily make up can be applied and the wearer is ready to
go.