Clint Jhonson asked:


Most of the things around us, the things that we use on a daily basis, have a manufacturing process that you are not aware of.  Most people do not think about how products are made as long as the product serves its purpose.  Some people are more curious and want to know more about the manufacturing process.

The purpose of this article is to provide those people interested in the manufacturing of wigs more information about the process. Wigs are generally used to provide a change in appearance. 

There are two main processes that can be used in order to produce wigs.  We live in a world that is driven by machines and technology.  This allows for mass production of any type.  Accurate machines guided by computer programs used together lead to the manufacture of interesting head-pieces.
The process of producing wigs by machines is not as attractive as it is describing the art of hand-manufactured wigs. Yes, there are some people that still create custom ordered head-pieces that are to be worn by celebrities and others in order to improve or change their looks.

There are many reasons as to why people choose to wear wigs. Men go bald and they want to hide this fact by hiding what they lack with additional hair. Others may suffer from cancer.  The treatment for cancer will cause severe hair loss and wearing a wig is also beneficial for the recovery process while the hair grows back. Other diseases may cause permanent hair loss which can be hidden with a nice wig.

However, we are here to talk about how short and long wigs are manufactured. You may have noticed that I called the manufacturing of custom head-pieces art. This is because it takes a lot of time and skill to create something that looks great on someone else’s head.

The first part of the wigs manufacturing process is measuring the head of the person who will wear it. If there is any hair present on the head, the hair will be secured against the head and various measurements will be taken. Sometimes plastic caps can be placed over the head and a copy of the head shape can be created.

Short and long wigs have a framework that the hairs are attached to. This cap serves as a base for the wig and it consists of lace or netting. They are made from synthetic or natural fibers, sewn into the desired shape and used for structural support at the center and for blending into the skin at the edges.

Another important part of the manufacturing process of short and long wigs is the preparation for the attachment of hair. A device called the hackle is used to straighten the hair previously separated according to source, color and length. This is also used to find any weak strands in order to use the best hair possible for the wig.

Tying the required strands onto the short or long wigs is called ventilation. This is done with a special hook that facilitates tying a knot so the strands won’t get separated from the wig. The wig producer knows how much hair to insert and where. After all the hair is attached and inserted the wig is styled according to the requests of the client. Once the styling is finished,  the final product can be provided to the customer to enjoy.

hairworks asked:


Lace wigs and lace fronts 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 front wigs were originally only found in the theatre, the silver screen or on those who had the connections to have one made for them.

A lace wig is truly the ultimate for any wig wearer. A lace front wig 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. They are different from wigs as we generally know them because they are usually made or at least “tailored” to fit the individual.

This is particularly 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 to ventilate 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

The ability for the wig maker is of course the frontal area. 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 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 front wig is finished, 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.