Top 3 Beginner Mistakes When Purchasing Human Hair Lace Wigs

Can I just start this post off with the fact that, whoever invented lace wigs, deserves the biggest hug ever?!

Human hair lace wigs are great in so many ways.

They are distinct from silk top wigs (which have their own advantages!) in that they essentially create a new hairline for you. They lay super flat against the forehead and are great if you're looking to wear a wig in order to transform your look. 

Here are some key advantages to wearing human hair lace wigs:

• You can completely change the color of your hair:

  If you're looking to go from brunette to platinum blonde and 1. don't want to spend a day at the salon and 2. don't want to damage your natural hair (we're with you sis!), purchasing a human hair lace top wig is a great option. Lace wigs cover your own hair completely, even your sideburns if you get an ear to ear lace wig(!) so that you can have a seamless new look. 

• You can create a new hairline/face shape with a human hair lace front wig: 

  Although *I personally* do not have a problem with your face (we think it's gorgeous!!), we hear some people wanting to reduce the size of their forehead. In fact, "fivehead reduction surgery" is trending on Tiktok...and I gotta admit, I'm kinda fascinated by the vids. With that said, I'm also furiously commenting on them saying, you don't have to get surgery, get yourself a wig!!! 
• Lace wigs allow you to create a new hairline. You can control where the hairline starts in order to create your desired face shape. 
• Lace wigs are also ideal wigs for balding women or women with hair loss and hair thinning! If you have a receding hairline or thinning around your hairline, you can cover this up with the lace wig. In contrast, with a silk top wig it's recommended that you blend your hairline with the wig. With a lace front wig, there is no blending needed!

• Lace wigs are more breathable compared to silk top or mono top wigs:

  Lace, by construction, has tiny holes that human hair (or synthetic hair) is sewn into and bonded into the lace. Those holes also enable more breathability to your scalp which is a godsend during hot summer days. If you're looking for the best wig for summer, I recommend going with single lace top wigs. They're lightweight, breathable and stylish!
• Keep in mind, the thinner the material is though, the more delicate the construction is! Double lace wigs (or even Hair Mama's silk illusion wigs) still provide a good amount of breathability while also giving you a little more strength and longevity to your high quality human hair wig. 

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Ok, whew! Now that I've convinced you to atleast consider a lace top wig, I've gotta mention how finicky they are. They are not for the weak of heart, let me tell ya!

Unlike silk top wigs, which I recommend are best for beginners, lace wigs take a little bit of customization and buyer considerations before you can just pop it on and go out the door. 

They are also more delicate since the lace is much thinner than comparatively, a silk top material. This means that over time, you can expect a little more hair shedding, lace stretching/ripping, and wearing out over time compared to a silk top wig. 

A good high quality lace top wig should last you (depending on how often you wear it and if you sleep in it) 1-3 years. If you're wearing it during the day and taking it off at nighttime, it should last you ~2-3 years with good care.

We hope you enjoy your time with your new hair! But in order to get to this step, you gotta make sure you're setting yourself up for success and getting a piece that's right for you first! And believe me, it's a process!

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Here are my top 3 mistakes I made when purchasing my first lace top wig and what questions you should be asking. 

1. How do I know what size wig to get?

My wig was way too big. Sizing is SUPER important when it comes to lace top wigs. I'd say, it's even more important than getting the size right for silk top wigs. 

This is because it's imperative that the lace front sits completely flat against your head. If your wig is too big for you, the lace front will ripple or will be too loose against your forehead. You'll find yourself having to either glue/tape that lace down and fold over the excess lace against the sides of your forehead, which is not ideal. 

On the other hand, if your wig is too small for you, the lace front will stretch over time degrading its strength and integrity (plus, if it's too small, you may struggle with getting the wig completely over your head anyway, or even worse, experience headaches from it being too tight!).

To ensure you get the right first, make sure to measure your circumference and purchase the right size for you. Here's a good guide on how to measure your head for a human hair wig!

2. How short should I cut the lace on my lace front wig?

I cut the lace too short. When you first receive a brand new lace top wig, you're going to open the box and find that there is a piece of lace that extends past the area where hair sewn. This is excess lace that needs to be cut off before you wear the hair. 

Now, before you get scissor crazy, be careful!!! Remember, once you cut lace/hair, it won't grow back!

One of my biggest mistakes is to cut the lace front too short. It seems pretty intuitive to a beginner that you should cut the lace right up against the first thread of hair. 

You're probably paranoid that if you don't get rid of all of the lace that doesn't have hair on it, that people will see the lace (Yes, that was my thought). 

But let me tell you why that's a big mistake. 

• Cutting the lace too short doesn't give the lace enough room to lay flat against the forehead. If you cut it right against where your hairline should be, there's a bigger chance it will lift off of your forehead and ripple, causing it to look less natural. 
• If you need to glue or tape down the lace, you need a little bit of that excess lace to glue down. 
• It doesn't create a "graduating hairline" that makes the wig look natural. You need a little bit of the lace that doesn't have any hair in order for it to look like your hair is growing from the lace. 

Ideally, you want to leave atleast half a fingernail of lace front out. I suggest actually cutting the lace and leaving out a 1/2 an inch of lace first, seeing how you feel about the wig in general/gauge the fit, and then cut to 1/4 inch as the final result. 

Important note: Do not - and I repeat do not!! - cut the lace in a perfectly straight line. When you're cutting the lace, you want a little bit of a jagged edge to it (think Rocky Mountains) when you're cutting across. This sounds counterintuitive, but even creating a little bit of fray to the edge of the lace will make it look more natural. 

Leaving as much lace out as you can also improves the resale value of the piece if you somehow change your mind about the wig and want to sell your lightly loved wig. 

The excess lace will give the next person a little bit more flexibility to recut the lace as she/he/they please according to their own forehead shape. 

3. I didn't vet my colorist's experience with human hair lace wigs

Whew! Ok you got this far!

You've got the right fit, you've cut the lace, and now you're thinking, "it just needs a little more highlights...and maybe a small root."

Customizations are super common when it comes to wigs. If you think about how unique you are(!), it's likely that you'll have to do a few tweaks to get it just right for you. 

When you're booking an appointment with your colorist, make sure she/he/they has prior experience with lace top wigs. 

It takes very special knowledge and skill to deposit color into human hair lace top wigs without damaging or accidentally dying the actual lace.

Furthermore, human hair has varying levels of porosity that can impact how and how fast the color deposits into the hair follicle. 

When I wanted to put a simple root and lowlights to my lace top wig with my regular, go-to stylist, I was confident that he'd know what to do. He had worked with two of my other silk top pieces, what could go wrong? 

Turns out, everything (*cue all of the sad music*). 

My colorist failed to tell me that he never had experience working with lace wigs and ended up staining color onto the lace. Furthermore, he used a dark dye that had blue undertones without doing a strip test (highly recommended!!), which not only stained the lace blue, but the hair as well. 

Like I've mentioned before, once you damage the hair and lace, it ain't growing back!

While we could have dyed the hair again to a darker color, the lace was ruined and the wig was not wearable. I commiserate about it to this day. 

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In summary, do not make the same mistakes I did!!

Lace wigs, while delicate, if you get it right, they can be your best friend! Take your time when searching for and purchasing a piece so you know that it will be the right match for you. 

Once you find and customize your perfect piece, let me the first to congratulate you!! Welcome to the wig world, bestie!! xoxo