See the Difference: Lace Front Wigs, Full Lace Wigs, U-Part Wigs, Half Wigs, 360 Wigs and Machine Made Wigs

A major indicator of how much a human hair wig costs is cap construction. That is- how the wig is made.  There are many ways a wig can be constructed, and we will explain the differences between the more popular wig styles.

There are three categories of wigs: hand-tied wigs (also called “lace” wigs), and machine wigs, or combination wigs-wigs that are made with a combination of wefts and lace.

Full Lace Wigs: Lace wigs, whether the lace is Swiss or French, are constructed by individual strands being tied by hand info a wig cap made of a tulle-like fabric (lace).  The process of tying individual strands into a piece of lace is very labor intensive and time consuming.  In fact, a full lace wig takes up to 50 hours of hand-tying to create. The length of time it takes to create a full lace wig drives the price.  One of the benefits of wearing a full lace wig is versatility.  This kind of wig covers the entire head, and allows the wearer to wear virtually any style.  Parts and up-do’s are possible.

Lace Front Wigs are combination wigs and the construction style is in its name.  The wig is hand-tied in the front (lace front), and the back is a machine wig.  This means that the front of the wig can be styled in various ways- pulled to the back, parted anywhere throughout the lace, etc.) and the back is constructed of wefts, meaning it should always hang down. Pulling it up into a ponytail or bun would not be acceptable. Doing so would show the hair weft (tracks) in the back. Lace front wigs are also known as ear-to-ear frontal wigs.

Closure Wigs are combination wigs, and are very similar to lace front wigs, except the hand-tied  part of the wis is a 4×4 closure. The remainder of the hairline is a machine cap, thus, the sides cannot be pulled back. This kind of wig is best for middle or side-part styles.  

U-Part Wigs can be all hand tied, or all machine made. U-part wigs are wigs that have a u shaped opening at the top of the head, and the wearer’s natural hair shows through that opening. Installation and removal is easy- Simply clip the wig onto the hair and it will remain in place all day.  This wig can also be sewn onto the hair.  The natural hair that is exposed in the u-shaped opening allows the natural scalp to be shown in the part, and can look very natural.  However, the natural hair can experience breakage if excess heat or styling is used on the hair to make it blend into the wig. 

360 Wigs are combination wigs that offer the best of both worlds.  They are hand tied around the perimeter, which allows ponytails and up-do’s, but the middle of the wig is machine made.

Half wigs have made a resurgence with trendy Headband wigs. Half wigs are machine wigs that cover the back of the head,and allow the wearer to wear the hair back, and often over the top of the wig. A cloth scarf or headband makes the wig undetectable, as long as the texture and color of the wig matches the wearer’s natural hair. 

Machine Wigs are constructed by sewing wefts of hair onto a cap, or by sewing wefts into the  shape of a cap (capless). Machine wigs are traditional wigs- a simple off and on installation (much like a hat), and usually can only be styled in the style that it was purchased in.

To know more about wigs and hair extensions, visit our website today at tiffanichanel.com.