By Ronnie Williams

It has happened to the best of us Hair Detectives.

You are watching a movie, music video, or you may even be in the street…and there it is.

A beautiful head of uniform full, healthy-looking, shiny, long, flowy hair.

You ask yourself…

Is It Hers? (Maybe)

Is It A Weave? (No tracks in sight)

Is It A Wig? (No clips or tell-tale wig lines)

What Is That?!?!

It’s probably a lace front or a full lace wig.

Lace front and full lace wigs got their start in theatre and television when the only ones who could afford them were celebrities. Now, they are accessible and being utilized by everyone from babies and adults living with alopecia and cancer to the working woman who just wants to change her look.

In a full lace wig, hair is added to a nylon fiber base with a special tool, strand by strand. The types of lace can vary from a monofilament material to a thin, polyurethane based skin-like material. The process of attachment to the lace or material is called ventilation. The hair used in ventilation can vary from Yaki-perm to virgin Remy hair. Most top quality wigs use Remy hair. In a lace front, the lace only appears ear to ear across the front scalp of the hairline and is about 2-6 inches deep backwards. The rest of the wig is attached by ventilation to a net base. In a full lace wig, the hair is attached to the lace all over the circumference of the head. In either a full lace or lace front, elastic may be added for a more secure fit. Finally, the wigs are attached to the head using glue, tape or a combination of the two.