Today we are going to discuss wig caps; the cap is the foundation of the wig no matter what type of hair it has on it is, synthetic, blended, or human. The two are separate selections however one should take both into consideration to make the proper selection.
There are many types of wig caps to choose from. Sometimes people will make their choices based on price, need, or aesthetic function. Keep in mind, this is a conversation about wig caps only and not the various hair types that may be attached. First today, we will discuss Machined wig caps.
Machined
A machined wig cap is just that, it is made entirely by machine with no handcrafting at all. It is also referred to as an open cap and in many highly textured styles, some may also refer to them as a perma-tease cap. The most significant advantage is that the machined cap is the most economical of all wig types. Being that they are also made from wefts they tend to have a good bit of elasticity allowing for some stretch and making it more comfortable for the wearers who are slightly above or below average head size. Another advantage to a machine-made cap, due to the way the wefts are bound together, is that it creates a lot of open area for ventilation allowing for air to flow more freely and thus reducing the amount of heat emanating from the head because of the open ventilated space.
The most significant downside to a machined cap is that it lacks intricacy of any type. Meaning, if you are not wearing bangs or some sort of front fringe it is often easy for others to see the front banding across the forehead.
Front Lace
The front lace wig cap is one that is made with lace starting at the front hairline, moving back toward the crown, and down to each temple. The most significant advantage to front lace is that when the lace color is somewhat close to the wearer’s skin tone it creates an almost invisible transition from skin to wig at the hairline. This is thought desirable by most wig wearers. The amount of lace used on the top just behind the hairline and in front of the crown varies by the design of each individual wig, wig maker, or mass manufacturer. The remaining areas on a front lace wig are typically machined using banded hair wefts. The wefts on the remaining pieces of the cap will be either open or closed in those areas using a material of the makers choice typically some type of stretchy polyester or nylon. One of the most beneficial points of wearing a front lace wig is that it is when worn properly and in the appropriate color, a much more non-detectible piece than in a fully machined wig. Using machine-made weftings in the remaining areas of the cap behind the hairline will keep it more economical than the full lace alternative which we will discuss next.
The major drawback of front lace wigs is that they can only truly be parted, for a natural look, in the lace areas of the front and back towards the crown.
There are many variations of a front lace wig, some will even have what is called a lace part giving you a one to two-inch area within the top or crown in which to part freely while all other areas would be machine wefted in order to keep the cost down. This also applies to a mono crown where the crown section gives you the free parting while all other areas of the wig will be machine wefted.
Front Lace / Monofilament Top
It is often common for a front lace wig to have a monofilament top behind the front lace. The difference between lace and monofilament varies by product, however, the typical commonality is that the monofilament tends to be a much firmer material giving the same look like lace.
Full Lace
A full lace cap is just that, the entire wig cap is made of some sort of lace and is completely hand-tied. Often you will find a sturdier, firmer type of lace in the front or even a monofilament top behind the front hairline. The sides are usually made of some type of stretch lace material to give flexibility and comfort. The diameter of the types of lace used will determine the amount of density or lack thereof, that can be attached to the wig cap in whatever form, synthetic or human hair, the wearer desires. This is typically the lightest, most comfortable, and most natural-looking base designs found. When the wig cap is coordinated to match the wearers’ skin tone it is practically undetectable throughout the entire head.
The only downside found with a full lace wig cap is that it’s the most expensive to produce and requires the most amount of time to complete, however, it is often well worth the wait!
