Wigs and Hair Additions

Chapter 19
Differences between Human and Synthetic Hair
• Human hair will burn slowly, giving off a distinctive odor.
• Synthetic fibers will either ball up and melt, extinguish itself,
or it will continue to flame and burn out very quickly. It will
give off a slight odor.
Advantages of Human Hair
• Realistic appearance
• Greater durability
• Same styling and maintenance
requirements as natural hair.
Human hair can be custom
colored and permed or relaxed
to suit the client.
• It can tolerate heat from a blow
dryer, curling iron, flat iron, and
hot rollers.
 Disadvantages of Human Hair
• Human hair reacts to the climate in
the way that natural hair does. It
may frizz or lose its curl in humid
weather.
• After shampooing the hair needs to
be reset, this can be a challenge for
clients maintaining their hair at
home.
• The color will oxidize, it will fade with
exposure to light.
• The hair can break or split if
mistreated by harsh brushing,
backcombing, or excessive heat.
 Advantages of Synthetic Hair
• Wigs, hairpieces, and extensions
made of modacrylic are strong
and durable.
• Synthetic hair is a great value. It
has a realistic look, but it is less
expensive than human hair.
• Most synthetic wigs, hairpieces,
and extensions are cut according
to the latest styles with the cut,
color, and texture.
• Color options are limitless and
colors will not fade or oxidize.
Disadvantages of Synthetic Hair
• Synthetic hair cannot be exposed to
extreme heat.

• Coloring synthetic fibers is not

recommended because traditional
hair color will not work on them.

• Synthetic hair can sometimes be

shiny, and may look unnatural.

• Price often has a lot to do with how

natural synthetic hair looks.
 Quality and Cost
• Virgin, European, human hair is at
the top of the line. Virgin hair is the
most costly; color-treated virgin hair
is very costly as well.
• Virgin human hair from India and
Asia, the two regions that provide
most of the human hair
commercially available, are next in
cost.
• Asian hair is available in lengths of
12 inches to 28 inches. Indian hair
is usually wavy; Asian hair is usually
straight.
 Quality and Cost
• Human hair mixed with animal hair is
next in expense. Yak hair is taken
from the animal’s belly and is the
purest of whites. Its natural color
lends itself to adding fantasy colors,
which attract teenagers.
• Human hair mixed with synthetic
hair finishes the list. These wigs and
hairpieces blend the advantages and
disadvantages of both and can be a
good option if chosen in the best
color and texture for the client.
 Important questions to ask when
selecting a hair addition for the client…
• Is the addition made of human hair, animal
hair, a mix of both, or is it synthetic or a
synthetic blend?
• Is the hair colored, or in its natural state
(virgin hair)?
• If the hair is human hair, is it graded in terms
of strength, elasticity, and porosity?
• Is the cuticle intact? Cuticle-intact hair is
more expensive because the hair has been
turned. Turned hair, also known as Remi hair,
is hair in which the root end of every single
strand is sewn into the base so that the
cuticles of all strands move in the same
direction: down
 Important questions to ask when
selecting a hair addition for the client…
• Is it fallen hair (opposite of Remi hair), hair that has been shed from the
head and gathered from a hairbrush, as opposed to hair that has been
cut? Fallen hair is not turned, so the cuticles of the strands will move
in different directions.
• Is the hair tangle-free? If the cuticle has been removed, this often
means you cannot condition the hair because it will tend to mat.
• What was the condition of the hair? Has it been bleached? Can it be
colored? Has it been colored with a metallic dye?
• Will the hair match the client’s hair? Is it similar in type and texture? Is
the color-match close enough?
 Important questions to ask when selecting
a hair addition for the client.
• Can the hair be
permed or relaxed?
• If the client is going to
maintain her hair at
home, will the hair
addition last a
reasonable amount of
time? (Additions
should last four to six
months in continual
use.)
 Basic Wig Knowledge
• A wig can be defined as an
artificial covering for the head
consisting of a network of
interwoven hair. Wigs conceal
the hair 100 percent.
• If a hair addition does not fully
cover the head, it is either a
hairpiece, which is a small wig
used to cover the top or crown of
the head, or a hair attachment.
 Cap Wigs
• Cap wigs are constructed with an
elasticized, mesh fiber base to
which the hair is attached.
• They are made in several sizes
and require special fittings.
• The front edge of a cap wig is
made of a material that
resembles the client’s scalp,
along with a lace extension and a
wire support that is used at the
temples for a snug, secure fit.
 Capless Wigs
• Capless wigs, also known as
caps, are machine-made from
human or artificial hair.
• The hair is woven into wefts,
which are long strips of hair with
a threaded edge. Rows of wefts
are sewn to elastic strips in a
circular pattern to fit the head
shape.
• Capless wigs are more popular
than cap wigs as they are ready-
to-wear and less expensive.
 Methods of Construction
• Hand-tied wigs- also known as
hand-knotted wigs, are made by
inserting individual strands of hair
into mesh foundation and
knotting them with a needle.

• The hand-tied method closely

resembles actual human hair
growth, with flexibility at the
roots.
 Methods of Construction
• Semi-hand-tied wigs- are
constructed with a combination
of synthetic hair and hand-tied
human hair.

• Reasonably priced, they offer a

natural appearance and good
durability.
 Methods of
Construction
• Machine-made wigs- the least
expensive option, are made
by feeding wefts through a
sewing machine, then
stitching them together to
form the base and shape of
the wig.
 Taking Wig Measurements
• The creation of a custom-made wig begins with taking the
client’s measurements.
• There are three sizes of wigs: petite, average, and large.
• Petite wigs fit up to 21.5 inches.
• Average wigs fit heads from 21.5 inches to 22.5 inches.
• Large wigs fit heads 22.5 inches to 24 inches.
 Measuring the Head
• To determine the size that’s right for your
client, measure your client’s head size by
taking the following measurements:
• Head Circumference- this measurement is
the distant around the head.
• Front to Nape- this measurement is the
length of the head from the front to the nape
of the neck.
• Ear to Ear- this measurement is the head
from the top of one ear, over the crown to the
top of the other ear.
 Blocking the Wig
• A block is a head-shaped
form, usually made of canvas-
covered cork or Styrofoam, on
which the wig is secured for
fitting, coloring, and
sometimes styling.
• If the wig does not fit properly,
to shorten the wig from front to
nape and remove bulk, create
a horizontal tuck or fold across
the back.
• To remove width at the back,
create a vertical tuck and sew
it in place.
 Cutting the Wig
• The stylist should try to achieve a
natural look with the wig. The most
effective way to do this is to taper
the ends when cutting the wig. The
more solid the shape, the more
unnatural the hair will look.

• If you use free- form cutting, always

work toward the weight.
• You will discover that the wet cutting
method was more controlled and
technical, while the dry cutting
method was freer and more
abstract.
 Integration Hairpieces
• An integration
hairpiece is a
hairpiece that has
openings in the base,
through which the
client’s own hair is
pulled to blend with
the (natural or
synthetic) hair of the
hairpiece.
 Toupees
• Toupee- is a small wig used to cover the top and crown of the head.
• There are two ways to attach toupees: temporary (tape or clips) or
semipermanent (tracks, adhesive, or sewing).
 Braid-and-Sew Method
• In the braid-and-sew method, hair
extensions are secured to the
client’s own hair by sewing braids or
a weft onto an on-the-scalp braid or
cornrow, which is sometimes called
the track.
• The angle of the track determines
how the hair will fall.
• When sewing on the extension, use
only a blunt, custom-designed
needle, either straight or curved.
 Bonding Method
In the bonding method of attaching hair extensions, hair wefts or
single strands are attached with an adhesive or bonding agent.
 Bonding Method
In the fusion-bonding method of attaching extensions, individual
extension hair is bonded to the client’s own hair with a bonding
material that is activated by the heat from a special tool.