Category Archives: Wig Construction

  How is a Wig Made?

Wigs are made all over the world but most mass produced wigs are made in countries like China, Indonesia and India. Countries like Australia have very high labour costs which makes wigs very expensive.  Countries in Asia have much lower wages costs hence making it much more affordable for the average client to afford a wig.  It is amazing how from a few strands of hair that is made into a weft and with quite a lot of work, a wig is created.

Below are some images where you can see how a wig starts with the raw products of hair, lace, monofiliament fabric, skin tops and a few more items.  There is some machinery that helps with each stage but it is very labour intensive.  There is a real art to making  a good quality wig.  Below are some of the things we saw that were all part of the process.

Collection of Hair and Bundling:  Hair is collected  and prepared for manufacturing.  Hair is arranged so it is lying in all the same direction.  The hair is brushed against a hackle quite a few times which is just a large wire brush that is clamped to a table. It keeps the hair smooth and untangled as well as drawing out any small hairs. ( You can see on the left what a Hackle looks like)

Washing & Sterilising Hair : The hair is inspected to make sure it is clean and they will sterile the hair. The hair is gently and thoroughly hand washed in basins in soapy water with disinfectant. They are rinsed a few times to make sure there is no residue of soap.  Then the hair is  allowed to air dry or put in warmer ovens specifically for hair.

Making Wefts  :For a wefted wig, the hair is sewn onto a weft by machine.  The wefts are then made up into a wig.  Depending on the type of wig they are making there are different steps.  Some wigs are made with a lace cap while others are have a mono top or a skin top.

Making a Skin top:  Here you can see how a skin top has hair punched into it by machine.  You can see in the second photo that the hair needs to be trimmed on the inside of the wig.  After it is trimmed they place a special glue to keep it all intact.  Then it can be inserted into the rest of the wig.  Others have a mono top which is a fine monofilament mesh that the hair is tied individually onto to give the wearer a realistic look.

These are just a few of the processes hat it takes to make a wig.  Seeing the process makes you appreciate all the work it takes to make a wig and most of it is done by hard manual labour by very talented craftsmen.

See our full range of Wigs and Hair pieces on www.wigsonline.com.au.

Permatease is also known as Perma lift.  It is a crimping effect done at the root of wigs to create more volume and height to your hairpiece. It can also be seen at the nape of the wig sometimes as well. If it is done properly it is barely noticeable and wont look ratty as it does in some cheap wigs.  Most hand tied wigs will not have permatease.

It is a personal choice whether you like the permatease  or not.  Some clients like the look and feel that it contributes to the realistic look of the wig.  While others are absolutely opposed to it.

This image below is very close up to the wig.  The next two images are the same wig but a little further away.  As you can see it is only noticeable extremely close up.

The image is of the new style we have available from Ellen Wille called Carrie.  Its part of the Perucci range.  It has an European elegance about it.

If you need any further information please email sales@wigsonline.com.au or phone us on 1300 79 75 79.

Check out our full range of Wigs and Hairpieces at www.wigsonline.com.au

Lace Front Wigs.

Lace front Wigs are very popular.  The hairline has a look of natural hair growth along the front hair line.  With a lace front hair wig you can pull the hair away from the face as it looks very realistic.  The front of the wig has a fine sheer mesh which the hair is individually tied to.  Being hand tied the hair is usually multi directional so you can style it whichever way you choose.  Most hand tied Lace Front wigs are ready to wear.  Wigs Online carries a few human hair as well as synthetic hair wigs.  A lace front wig will be more expensive as the labour costs involved in making a lace front is a lot higher than a fully wefted wig.  On a Lace from the hair is individually tied so this is very labour intensive.

The lace front can be glued down with adhesive or not depending on your preference.  If you want to remove the wig each night we would recommend using something like It Stays Body adhesive which is easily removed with just water. Alternatively you can use Hairpiece adhesive and the Remover.  We would only suggest this if you were happy to wear your wig all day and night.  And to remove every 5 -7 days.

You must always be careful with the lace as it is very delicate but the realistic look of a lace front is worth the time and effort.  If the lace is a good colour match to your skin tone it should be invisible.  When you apply your make up, you can cover the lace front with your make up to give you a flawless finish.

Wigs Online has a great range of Lace Front wigs and you can always call us for any advice you need in choosing the right one for you.

Check out our full range of Wigs and Hair pieces at www.wigsonline.com.au or call us on 1300 79 75 79.