We had a customer email us complaining about the instructions we send with our wigs. Each lace front wig purchase comes with a shampoo guide, a care guide for curly/textured hair if the wig is curly or African American texture, and a wig application guide, if the customer opts to receive one.
We give instructions, tips and tricks on caring for the wig, as well as a list of recommended products. The customer who complained was questioning if our hair was remy because remy hair is just “shake and go” in her words.
Well, if you can show me a woman walking the face of this earth, who has more than 14″ of hair, who believes her hair is carefree, I’d love to meet her. Let’s cover some basic facts about wigs:
When a wig is made, the hair used to create the wig is typically 4″ longer than the finished length of the wig. This means that a wig with 20″ length was made with hair that was originally 24″ long. In most cases, it’s longer than that, because of the need to trim the ends.
So not we’re not only dealing with hair, but long hair at that.
In the hair processing industry, most standard wigs and extension hair, sold at beauty supplies and chain stores, is heavily processed for uniformity and consistency. This means using chemicals to strip the cuticle and silicone to coat the hair, to give hair a “carefree” appearance. Over time, the results of the stripping and coating wear off and the hair becomes difficult to handle.
At zarawigs.com one thing we have learned over the years is that most of our African American customers do not know how to properly care for their hair. It’s just a disappointing truth. There are a few of hair care boards serving black women who wear their hair natural, who want to grow it long, or just general hair care because the reality is that the products used are often inferior and harmful and the techniques used are often harmful. This is why African American women suffer disproportionate amounts of hair loss and damage.
So when we send care guides with our wigs, part of our goal is to offer hair care education. All too often, searching for “do nothing” hair is a myth that causes women to jump from one thing to the next looking for a solution. We try to educate our customers on selecting quality products and using proper techniques because the care required for hair is pretty standard, whether it’s growing out of your scalp or attached to a wig. We try to get our customers into a habit of proper hair care and this includes: ditching the hair grease and the pink oil moisturizers, getting rid of the notion that you should brush through the hair constantly, using poor quality shampoos and conditioners, and not realizing that treated Indian or Chinese hair really is treated Indian or Chinese hair, not African American hair, and should be cared for accordingly.
Celebrity photographer cameras, with high zoom lenses and outrageously large photographs, often catch every flaw, even the ones normal eyes can’t see. John Travolta was recently captured with the lace showing on his hairpiece.
While any girl or boy can, technically, grow up to be president, only Tina Fey can become Sarah Palin, at least on “Saturday Night Live.”
And even for her, that means a hairdresser, a team of wig makers, colorists and a pound of human hair.
“A wig takes 40 to 50 hours to make,” said Bettie Rogers, the show’s head of the hairstyling department. “We read the sketches on Wednesday night to determine the wigs to be built at Bob Kelly’s, a wig maker on 46th Street. The ladies who make the wigs work around the clock until Friday night, sometimes even late Saturday.”
So many customers want to know the answer to this question. We must say, without any hesitation, that if this is your first wig purchase, definitely go with French lace. Matter of fact, don’t think about buying a Swiss lace wig until you have worn a few wigs, are confident in your application and removal routine, and are experienced at proper care of a lace front wig. French lace is the standard type of lace used in lace front wigs. The lace is thicker, more durable, and firmer than Swiss lace. Swiss lace is finer, softer, but far more prone to wear and tear, including holes or tears in the lace. It’s not advisable to use extended bonding times on swiss lace wigs.
For those dying to know how Bey braids her hair under her lace front wig, watch the behind the scenes video of “Video Phone” and see it in the first minute! Now if only all of us had a glam squad and high powered fan.
We don’t know if Keri is wearing a wig with this geometrical bob, but we sure think so. Short hair has been all the rage lately, with celebs like Alicia Keys, Jordin Sparks and others, flashing a shorter look. Get Keri Hilson’s look with a short African American texture lace front wig, and have it shaped to your face by an expert stylist. A few strategically placed highlights and you can have a perfect replica of Miss Keri’s look.
Lace front wigs are a great option to change your style without permanent commitment, or to wear a short cut without having to grow your hair back.
Silk and fine mono caps are designed to eliminate the need for a nylon wig cap underneath the wig. These materials are soft and comfortable against the skin, and emulate the look of a scalp. We generally recommend that our lace front wig customers purchase a wig cap to wear underneath their unit. This serves two purposes:
It provides a protective layer to cover the hair to prevent abrasion and dryness. If your hair is dry, damaged or you’re growing it, you can often use leave in conditioners, healthy hair butters or nourishing oils underneath the cap. Using the wig cap leaves your hair soft and supple.
It creates a base color to emulate the look of a scalp. If you do not have hair loss, chances are your hair color is not the same as your skin color. To create the appearance of a scalp, underneath the parts in your lace front wig, a nylon wig cap is a great option.
Additionally, many customers apply their lace front wig to the wig cap, eliminating the need to have contact with the adhesive. Wig caps serve many purposes when used with lace front wigs.
At zarawigs.com. we pride ourselves on unique lace front wig color combinations. While it isn’t an easy task, it’s often a result of a lot of trial and error (and a lot of funky colored wigs), when we get it right, we do a fantastic job. We’re proud to offer this beachy blonde lace front wig for custom orders. Crafted of Indian Remy hair, colored to varying shades of blonde, the wig has dark roots to emulate color that’s growing out just a tad.
We generally do not advise our customers to experiment with coloring their wigs, although we know some customers love to experiment to create color unique color combinations. We do not repair or exchange wigs that have been colored by the customer, so proceed with caution. Having said all of that, we have a few tips for those who want to color their own wigs:
Always test on a small, inconspicuous, patch of hair. It’s best to do this near the nape, so that you can see the hair’s reaction to the color. Not all hair reacts the same to color and the results you have achieved before are not always predictable.
Do not try to color a jet black wig. Typically, it’s difficult, or nearly impossible, to color a wig that has been dyed jet black. Jet black is usually pretty permanent and difficult to lift.
Choose a color close to the end result. If you’re trying to get to a dark blonde, start with a #4, not a 1B, you’ll have less work to do. For best results, try one of our pre-lightened wigs, or wait until we have some in stock. Pre lightened wigs have the hard work already done at the factory level, the hair is lightened, and ready for coloring.
Don’t think you can just apply color from the bottle and get the results on the bottle. Asian hair can be very difficult to lift. Sometimes, it requires a two step process of pre-lightening with a mixture of developer and bleach, and then using hair color. Always test before applying color on your entire wig.
If you would like dark roots, you get a more natural look by lightening the hair than you do by coloring the roots. The exception to this is blonde and red units. If you’re looking for a unit with dark brown roots and brown hair, it’s easier to lighten the hair than color the roots. However, if you’re looking for dark roots on blonde hair, it’s much easier to apply color to the roots of the unit. This is because it’s difficult to control the color when lightening Asian hair to blonde shades. Most people end up with results that are too brassy.
We hope this helps. Remember, a lace front wig is an expensive investment so be sure you are well informed before attempting to color your unit. Also note that we do not provide exchanges on units that have been subject to chemical services, including coloring. Proceed with caution.
If you’re losing your hair due to chemotherapy, wigs can be an easy and affordable way to take control of your appearance. Some women even end up liking the idea of trying a completely different hairstyle.
