Choosing between a lace front wig and a full lace wig will come down to your hair needs. For those who simply want a natural looking hairline at a more affordable price, a lace front wig will suffice. Lace front units provide the natural hairline for multiple part locations within the first 3-5 inches of the hairline. These are less costly than a full lace wig as it only covers the front section of the head. Many women install partial weaves to complete the style.
If you prefer to be able to part past the first few inches of the head and would like to put the hair into a high ponytail, a full lace wig is a great option. With a full lace wig, it is possible to part the hair fully from front to back and style for high updo's. While a full lace wig is more expensive, it is the most versatile option and can be reused for years with proper maintenance.
French Lace vs. Swiss Lace
Now that you have decided between a lace front wig and full lace wig, you must choose your lace. The lace is the portion that hair is laced through and mimics the look of the scalp. French lace is the most durable lace type and is installed in most lace front wigs. French lace gives a natural appearance and has bleached hair knots. The lightly colored bleached knots give the appearance that hair is growing from the scalp through a cuticle.
Swiss lace is the lace that typically comes in custom full lace wigs or any high quality lace wig unit. Swiss lace is the least detectable and should be handled with the utmost care. It is very easy to tear Swiss lace so it is commonly recommended only for professional applications or experienced lace wig wearers.
A third lace option includes monofilament lace wig caps. Monofilament lace wig caps allow for maximum ventilation and styling. Due to how the hair is laced through the pantyhose like lace, each strand can rotate to however you will style it. Also, with such a thin lace, it blends almost perfectly with your actually scalp color. Monofilament lace wig caps are almost exclusively made with custom lace units due to the amount of labor.
Lace Wig Hair Type
The type of hair used on a lace wig or lace front wig is very important to the natural look. For African-Americans, choosing European texture lace wigs will just be a dead giveaway of a wig. The best hair textures for African-Americans are yaky and Indian Remy. Yaky textured hair is similar to relaxed African-American hair while Indian Remy is less textured but thick. The best quality lace wigs are sold with virgin Indian Remy hair because of the smooth texture, full body, untouched cuticle and overall quality.
Other hair types include Chinese Remy and European. Chinese Remy is coarser than Indian Remy and has no cuticle left to prevent tangles. European hair is super silky and straight. With all human lace wigs, they can be colored and styled to your liking.
Now that you have a more detailed overview of your options, find the full lace wig or lace front wig that works best for you!