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Though lacefront wigs have been around for some time, for some reason, lace wigs the masses have not had the opportunity to benefit from their existence. Part of the reason why is because until recently, they have not been financially accessible to most people. Just a few short years ago, lacefront wig prices kept anyone but the rich and famous from being able to afford one, as the prices were in the thousands of dollars. However, due to the increased knowledge about the seemingly endless ways that lacefront wigs far surpass even the highest quality "regular" wigs, and the demand that this has brought about, today the savvy consumer can purchase a quality lacefront wig for a couple of hundred dollars.
Though this is true, the wig alternative is still not widely known among the masses. Hopefully this article will induce you to look deeper into the numerous reasons why - if you or someone you know needs to have hair alternatives, then the lacefront wig should be at the top of your list as an option. First lets talk about how men can benefit.
Men and their Hair:
Though it has long been touted that only women are obsessed with their hair and how it looks and if the color is right, etc., men will try anything to conceal their thinning hair. While some nonetheless surrender to the inevitable and join the ranks of the "I'm too sexy for my hair" crowd and go completely bald and beautiful, there are still many who are so devastated at the thought of a "thinning" or "receding" hairline, and will do anything to avoid being bald or the appearance of being bald - hmmm could that be how the infamous "comb over" got its start?
Many men suffer from what is called male-pattern baldness, which has produced a billion dollar industry that sells men a variety of hair care and hair growth stimulation products. Besides the products available to men experiencing hair loss, there are numerous "hair club" type companies that work with clients individually to either stimulate hair growth, plug hair pieces from one part of their head to another (ouch, sounds painful) or some other "miracle" hair growing system. While these processes have always been surrounding by mystery to all accept the paying client, many of these hair club companies had not been very successful in "growing" new clientèle. But alas, hope springs eternal, like the healthy sprouts of hair that these clubs promised. At some point, the hair club for men met the lace front wig industry and a star was born! Many companies who offer lacefront wigs to their clients are experiencing the increase of their clientèle due to the introduction of the customized lace front wig or hair piece.
Women and their Crowing Glory:
Ok, now women and their hair is a whole completely different animal. If men see a healthy head of hair as an ego booster, women see their hair as their crown, which they will never be willing to part with. Of course, we see women who have tragically had to deal with the ravages of cancer and the treatments that cause them to lose their hair coming into the realization that a healthy crown of hair does not come close in importance to a cancer free, healthy body, and they embrace their baldness as a different kind of crown - the crown of life over death - as a badge of courage and triumph and they love their bald head as much as any woman blessed with a healthy mane.
However, in larger numbers, women who have lost their hair to cancer treatment still want to have their cake and eat it too - in other words they want to be healthy in body, mind and hair.
Thus began the hair clubs so to speak for women with cancer. These hair clubs are based on the idea that other women will gladly cut off some of their own hair to share it with their less fortunate "sisters". Many women, including celebrities like Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) cut 9 inches of her locks on Oprah for the cause. Women unite on this issue like no other, and are wiling to share their crown with their female counterpart. More and more not for profit cancer research and self-help websites are introducing these wigs as an alternative for women with cancer.
Lacefront wigs have become a saving grace for not only cancer patients, but women who see their beauty as intricately tied to their locks. To augment this love of hair we see celebrities in droves adding hair pieces to their hair - from Britney Spears to the infamous "Hilton" girls. This trend does not stop with the under 30 crowd.
Thanks to celebrities like Beyonce and Tyra Banks (Tyra revealed the lacefront secret on her talk show) women see a way that they can share a "look" with the stars - and lacefront wigs are how they can do it. While for the most part, we "see" women celebrities wearing their lacefront "crowns", celebrity men are beginning to embrace the look - it is almost a sure bet that John Travolta wears one, and many others. If you want to be able to see just how "real" the wig looks once attached to the human head, just check out some of the companies offering this service on the world wide web. The great thing for men at least about a lacefront is that it does not have any of the appearance that the old style hair plugs had - lacefronts look completely natural, and here is why.
How a lacefront wig is created
A lacefront (hair attached on a partial cap) or full lace (hair attached to a full cap) wig is simply that - human hair "knotted" (slip knotted) into a lace foundation. The beauty of this process is that the lace used is extremely delicate, either French lace or even more delicate Swiss lace, thus becoming invisible once placed on the head with either adhesive tape or adhesive liquid. The cap is custom created for each person, using the unique dimensions of their head shape. The full lace wig covers all the areas that hair would grow from - from front of head to nape and from ear to ear. While a lacefront wig covers from front of head to middle of crown and from ear to ear, providing the wearer with the option to wear their own hair from the crown down to the nape of the neck.
Each individual hair is actually "slip knotted" into a custom made lace cap. This process if done properly gives the illusion that the hair is actually growing from the scalp of the lacefront wig wearer. There are wig making schools popping up all over the place, which helps women to understand the process - not only for their own use, but hair salon owners and beauticians are seeing a boost in their income by providing their clients with this alternative, which is healthier alternative to the weaving and braiding and perming and strain put on a woman's own hair. The lace cap, again if created correctly, covers the client's head completely, and is "glued" or "taped" down to the skin of the client's head.
Though this sounds kind of strange, take a good look at Beyonce and Tyra and you will be able to see how versatile they are in their look - all because they have the ability to change their hair color, texture, length at any time.
Bottom line - how much does it cost?
The other positive about lacefront wigs is that the cost of owning one won't break your bank account. Of course, celebrities still pay a hefty fee for one high quality lacefront wig - of between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the hair salon they go to. But supply and demand has provided a number of other economical alternatives for women who can't afford or refuse to pay such a high cost of having a quality lacefront wig.
China is a hub of many products - but in growing numbers, women are looking outside the United States to purchase their wigs. The Chinese have the ability to mass produce these wigs, at a very low cost and to pass that savings on to their customers. For the most part, Chinese vendors work with clients who can purchase wigs in bulk, but more and more, women are able to connect with Chinese vendors on their own, primarily through hair forums, and due to the low cost (between $100 and $300 dollars depending upon the length, and customization of the wig) women can purchase multiple wigs of different colors and lengths and stay well under the cost of what celebrities pay.
Also for those who don't want to deal with international purchases, more and more hair extensions salons are cropping up in the United States who purchase wigs from China, and pass the savings on (with a good commission for themselves) to their clients. This may be a better alternative, as even though you may pay more for your wig through a United States vendor, you save on the anxiety of wondering if you are dealing with a reputable Chinese vendor.
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