How to Make a Women's Lace Front Wig

When a woman has a well-made lace front wig on, it is difficult to tell. This is because a lot of time and effort is put into these wigs to make them look like natural hair. The hair is knotted to lace one strand at a time in order to mimic the layout and movement of natural hair. Due to the painstaking work involved, wig makers spend at least 50 hours on one wig. It may take a lot of time to make women's lace front wigs but it is not impossible for a beginner. Motivation, time and patience are requirements for this project.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cellophane Filament tape Wig block Grease pencil Pins Large size polyester cotton lace Fine lace Human hair Colored synthetic hair (optional) Hackle Holding card Hooked needle Scissors

1. Measure the subject's head from all angles for a custom wig fit. Wrap the head in cellophane and then twist the cellophane just under the ear lobes for a snug fit.

2. Cover the cellophane with strips of filament tape. Repeat this process four times for four layers of tape. This makes a cast of the subject's head.

3. Place the cast on a wig block. Use a grease pencil to trace the hairline of the client's head, from the edges of the cast, around the wig block.

4. Place a large size polyester cotton lace on the wig form and cut it to the outline on the wig block. Place finer lace on top of the first piece of lace and pin from front to back. Lead the edge of the fine lace with pins.

5. Prepare the hair. The bulk of the hair should be human hair but you can use colored synthetic hair for the highlights.

6. Place the hair on the hackle. Strip and blend the hair with a hackle. Although it looks like a brush, a hackle is actually a large comb with several rows of sharp metal teeth. Place the human hair between the teeth of the hackle and then place the colored synthetic hair on top.

7. Pull the hair through the comb. This hackling process blends the hair colors together, removes the weak strands and takes the tangled hair off. Turn the hair over as you work so the hair blends thoroughly.

8. Cut the ends of the hair to cut off trailing strands. Press the tail into a holding card.

9. Use a hooked needle to pull a few strands out of the tail. Beginning at the nape of the neck, use the needle to pass the strands into the lace and knot. This is referred to as ventilating and is similar to the process of hooking rugs.

10. Use one strand at a time when knotting the hair at the front of the lace wig. This makes the hair look more natural.

11. Complete the process. Style and trim the wig as desired and then cut the excess lace from the edges.

12. Learn more about wigs. "The World of Wigs, Weaves and Extensions" by Toni Love contains information on techniques and hairstyles.

Tips & Warnings

• Work carefully when using the hackle to avoid cuts from the sharp teeth.

Resources

• Read "The World of Wigs, Weaves and Extensions" by Toni Love to learn more styles and techniques.