What seems to get me about “false hair” is the fact that we as a people are still shocked and perplexed by it. Now I know, my friendly black readers are thinking, “The hell you say. Ain’t nothin’ confusin’ ‘bout a weave. Sew it in, bond it down; just keeps it tight.” But to you I say hold those horses Ray Ray. Not everybody is up on hair etiquette and the myriad of ways in which a girl can rock her head frock.
The key to “fake hair,” in my opinion, is to treat it as what it is, an accessory. Now I won’t go into the, “it’s mine if I paid for it,” debate or the ludicrosity (yes I made that a word) of people asking if it’s “real” when you got 24 inches today and had 4 inches yesterday (come on people, work it out before you open your mouth). What’s important about hair as an accessory is to stay on top of the trends. And in that vain, I bring you the subject of the lace front wig.
Now some of you, most likely of non-ethnic decent (look it’s my blog; I keeps it real) are probably wondering what a lace front wig, or “lace front”, is. A lace front wig, in simple terms, is a wig that the edges are bonded down to your own skin (using a special adhesive like toupee glue) and then make-up is used to blend the “wig line” into your facial line giving the appearance of real hair. The traditional wig is obvious in that there is a separation between the wig hairline and your scalp/skin, so that unless you’re wearing a wig with bangs or a headband, it’s easy to tell what “accessory” you’re wearing today.
The cool thing about lace fronts, is that they offer much more versatility than a traditional wig, or even a weave. You can pull them back into ponytails, part them any which way (people with weaves know, you part that sucka one way, and one way only, cause that’s how Leneitra laid your tracks). And you never have to worry about “yacky” in the back, “nappy” in the front with lace fronts. Since none of your hair is out, all of the hair will stay laid and blended (that’s styled and seamless for non-ethnic peoples) no matter what the day or weather brings your way.
As quoted from black voices on AOL: "Lace fronts were first developed for cancer patients and balding women," explains Diane DaCosta, 15-year veteran of hair design and author of 'Textured Tresses: The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining and Styling Natural Hair.' "Celebrities have been wearing them for years. These wigs were always used in movies, and drag queens have always used them."
Okay, “queens” aside, lace fronts have been extremely popular in the medical and entertainment industry for quite some time, and now they are starting to earn notice in the hair care community among people who like to follow celebrity trends. But be aware; these wigs are NOT cheap. I’ve read quotes of $300 - $500 starting, and have typically seen price quotes in the $1,100+ range. Celebrities like Tyra, Beyonce, and Gwen Stefani are rumored to be paying $16,000+ for theirs; Beyonce is “allegedly” using $20k wigs on her tour. So if you got that cash, and you want to rock it, go ahead, but just remember one final thing……
It takes TIME to rock these lace fronts. I said TIME, not “The Time” (put your Morris Day florescent suits back in the closet). T-I-M-E; the wig takes practice and skill to be applied properly; (and someone wasn't working after this 2006 performance):
The key to “fake hair,” in my opinion, is to treat it as what it is, an accessory. Now I won’t go into the, “it’s mine if I paid for it,” debate or the ludicrosity (yes I made that a word) of people asking if it’s “real” when you got 24 inches today and had 4 inches yesterday (come on people, work it out before you open your mouth). What’s important about hair as an accessory is to stay on top of the trends. And in that vain, I bring you the subject of the lace front wig.
Now some of you, most likely of non-ethnic decent (look it’s my blog; I keeps it real) are probably wondering what a lace front wig, or “lace front”, is. A lace front wig, in simple terms, is a wig that the edges are bonded down to your own skin (using a special adhesive like toupee glue) and then make-up is used to blend the “wig line” into your facial line giving the appearance of real hair. The traditional wig is obvious in that there is a separation between the wig hairline and your scalp/skin, so that unless you’re wearing a wig with bangs or a headband, it’s easy to tell what “accessory” you’re wearing today.
The cool thing about lace fronts, is that they offer much more versatility than a traditional wig, or even a weave. You can pull them back into ponytails, part them any which way (people with weaves know, you part that sucka one way, and one way only, cause that’s how Leneitra laid your tracks). And you never have to worry about “yacky” in the back, “nappy” in the front with lace fronts. Since none of your hair is out, all of the hair will stay laid and blended (that’s styled and seamless for non-ethnic peoples) no matter what the day or weather brings your way.
As quoted from black voices on AOL: "Lace fronts were first developed for cancer patients and balding women," explains Diane DaCosta, 15-year veteran of hair design and author of 'Textured Tresses: The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining and Styling Natural Hair.' "Celebrities have been wearing them for years. These wigs were always used in movies, and drag queens have always used them."
Okay, “queens” aside, lace fronts have been extremely popular in the medical and entertainment industry for quite some time, and now they are starting to earn notice in the hair care community among people who like to follow celebrity trends. But be aware; these wigs are NOT cheap. I’ve read quotes of $300 - $500 starting, and have typically seen price quotes in the $1,100+ range. Celebrities like Tyra, Beyonce, and Gwen Stefani are rumored to be paying $16,000+ for theirs; Beyonce is “allegedly” using $20k wigs on her tour. So if you got that cash, and you want to rock it, go ahead, but just remember one final thing……
It takes TIME to rock these lace fronts. I said TIME, not “The Time” (put your Morris Day florescent suits back in the closet). T-I-M-E; the wig takes practice and skill to be applied properly; (and someone wasn't working after this 2006 performance):
It’s recommended that you not sweat vigorously while wearing it. The wig has to be maintained, similar to maintaining “tracks”. You’ve got to keep the edges cleaned and free of old glue; it needs to be washed, conditioned, and dried; combed, styled, and sometimes cut; the edges require make-up application techniques beyond the basics (i.e. if you’re still throwing down Cover Girl cosmetics with those same sponge applicators they give you, lace fronts ain’t for you!).
After all that, you must be able to walk out the front door confident in the fact that anyone that looks at you closely will most likely see that you’re wearing a wig. That is because, even with the best make-up application, the “lace” front that you cover with make-up can still be noticed up close. Now I know, you’re the type of person who isn’t worried about that kind of thing, cause the minute somebody steps too close to you, you’re all about telling’ them to, “back up b----!”
The reason why so many celebrities can wear these wigs and pull them off, is the same reason opera singers can get away with wearing 20lbs. of make-up on stage. With the proper lighting, make-up, and the added advantage of stage distance, you don’t get the opportunity to get “up close and personal” to most celebrities. Even in the front row, no one’s getting a shot of “B’s” lace front; (unless you wanna rock your telephoto lens like someone did above).
In conclusion, I think it’s about time they came up with a better solution to wearing tracks, and over time the price will come down considerably for the rest of the population. Just remember, like Marvin said, “Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing baby.” But when you like to switch it up a bit, or a lot, this can be a great addition to your hair “accessories.” And if you got the receipt, hell yeah it’s yours…………!!!
Additional "L.F." info.:
John Travolta rocks the L.F.:
"B" without her "accessory":
Additional articles/blogs on L.F.:
2 comments:
Lol. Man $20 thousand dollars?! That better be some very magical hair (I don't think my car cost that much). Missing you in NY!
ummm...yeah...so...honey, i gotta get you out to san fran and hang...
xoxo
alexio
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