Heat-forming lace

Although I'm still constantly learning new wig making techniques, it isn't very often these days that I have what I would consider a major breakthrough.  However, today was definitely a breakthrough kinda day!

I have known about this technique for a while, and have monkeyed around with it in the past without much success.  But today I got serious about heat-forming lace, and I'm happy to say that it went WAY better than I thought it would!

I hate knotting through darts in a wig base, and I have noticed that many of the commercial wigs are made without using any darts at all.  This is achieved by stretching nylon lace over a form, and heating it with a heat gun to permanently form it to the correct shape.

I had bought a wooden toupee block a while back on Aliexpress, and I decided that it was time to put it to use.  I stretched some inexpensive Asian 'swiss' lace over it (also from Aliexpress) and secured it with a staple gun.  I took my time and made sure that the lace was taut but not too tight, and that it was as smooth as possible in the area that I would use to create the hairpiece.

I then heated it gently with a heat gun - the kind you would buy at a hardware store to strip paint.  I was hesitant at first, and didn't want to get too close to the lace.  However I found that on the lower setting, the gun would heat the lace without burning it.  I tried it at the edge on the higher setting, and the lace just shrivelled and became crispy.

I continued on the low setting, making sure that I covered all of the lace, especially the perimeter of the base shape.  I went over it several times just to be sure, and once I was happy that I had heated the entire base, I set it aside and let it cool completely.

Below are the results.  I'm amazed at how well the lace holds its shape!  In the photos it looks stiff, but it is actually still very soft and malleable, it just has the perfect shape of the head block that I used to form it.

This will be fantastic, not only for making toupees, but also for forming lace for the front of wigs.  No need for darts at all any more!  I really feel that this could completely change the way I make my bases from now on!

Now that I'm comfortable with the technique I will try a few different types of lace to see which ones work with heat.  I'm really excited to see what the results will be!

Lace stretched over the wooden block.

Removed and trimmed.

I'm amazed at how well it holds its shape!

Another re-fronted commercial wig.

I finished this one a while back, not sure why I never posted images.  This was a commercial synthetic lace front wig, but I hated the knotting at the hairline.  I removed the old stiff monofilament and added my own, better quality lace.

Despite being synthetic, I think this wig has an amazingly natural look.  This was achieved by using a lighter density and cross-ventilating the front.  I also used a lighter blend of hair along the front edge and at the temples, giving the wig a very natural sun-kissed look.

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Before & After

I don't think I have ever shown this before, but I thought it would be interesting to show a recent project, first on the mannequin head before being cut and styled, and then after it has been attached on an actual scalp.

The photos are un-retouched, and no-one was harmed during the installation of this hairpiece! :P

This is a mix of 'Brazilian' remy hair (custom coloured) and high heat synthetic for the grey.  It is knotted using only single strands and single knots on Hugo Royer 2905 lace.  The knots have been lightly bleached to help them disappear against the scalp.  It was attached in the last two photos using Walker 3-mil lace front tape.

Dark, re-fronted commercial wig

When I first started learning about ventilation, I bought a few inexpensive (and a couple of not-so-inexpensive) 'lace front' wigs, to see how they were made.

In hindsight, the commercial wigs really weren't much help – the knotting was not great for the most part, and all but one of them were knotted on stiff, scratchy monofilament mesh, not lace at all.

As a result I have a small collection of mediocre commercial wigs that are just sitting on a shelf in my office.  I decided, rather than let them go to waste, that I would re-front them using decent lace and finer knotting.

I just finished the first one.  The main body of the wig is good, and even the knotting wasn't terrible, it's just that the scratchy monofilament (aka 'German' lace) was very uncomfortable.  Also the shape of the hairline was very round and unnatural.

I have redone the entire lace section using only single (2-way) knotting, and I think the final result is much more natural.  This is high temperature synthetic hair, so it probably wouldn't work as a hair-replacement wig, but I think it would make an excellent theatre or opera wig or even a fun fashion wig.

As a side note, I have the wig on a cheap plastic mannequin head that I bought to help when I'm working on hairlines.  I find the eyes really disturbing, which is why I have it wearing sunglasses... :P

Thor No More

At long last I plucked up the courage to start the final cut-in on the blonde synthetic wig that I had made previously (see: Making Waves).  Its long, Thor-like locks have given way to a much more respectable pompadour style.

I worked on it most of the afternoon, and it's getting close to where I want it to be, although it still needs some finessing.  I have realized that I really need to take a barbering course.  My cutting skills are not good enough for this kind of work!

The synthetic hair also made my job a LOT more difficult!  The synthetic is great for longer styles, but requires a lot of work with the curling iron to make it look natural after it has been cut.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos of the cut-in so far:

Cross-knotting (aka 2-way knotting) explained

A few people have asked me to explain the idea of cross-knotting (cross-ventilation / 2-way knotting).   The most common knot used in traditional wig-making (except in the Chinese factories) is the single, or flat, knot.   When used properly, the single knot gives the most natural appearance, especially if the hairs are knotted one-at-a-time.

However, single knots can tend to lie quite flat, without much volume.  To combat this, the wig factories use split knots.  These add a LOT of volume to the hair, but in my opinion they look horrible!  Also, I believe that split knots shed much more easily than single knots, which is why factories often resort to using double split knots everywhere except the hairline.  This just makes for an ugly end result, as far as I'm concerned, and the reason why a lot of the factory wigs still look 'wiggy' and fake.

Cross-knotting allows the use of single knots, but adds volume to the hair.  It also adds a more freestyle direction to the knotting so that it's not set so much in a single direction.

The idea is that every second row of hair is knotted in an alternating direction.  The best way to get the idea is to see it illustrated, so here's a diagram showing the very basic concept:

Cross-knotting / 2-way knotting

In this example, we want the general direction of the hair coming forward from the crown, towards the hairline.  So each row is knotted at slight, alternating angles to the final direction of the hair.

To add even more volume and lift to the hair, a technique called REVERSE cross knotting is used, in which the hair direction is knotted in the exact opposite direction from the final direction you require.  Using the same example, again with the final hair direction being forward from the crown towards the hairline, it is actually knotted backwards at alternating angles.

Reverse cross-knotting

When the hair is finally brushed into its final direction, it retains much more lift at the root, giving a very natural volume to the hair.

Vintage roller set

I have been trying for ages to find time to learn how to set and style the wigs I make.  I have several sitting on a shelf that are finished as far as the knotting goes, but I haven't known how to style them.

I finally watched a few YouTube videos on roller setting hair, and I tried it for the first time today on the light blonde Marilyn wig that I made ages ago.

The results are far from perfect, but not too bad for my first attempt...

Small front partial piece

I haven't had time to do much ventilation lately, but I just completed knotting this small front partial piece.  It is fully single strand/single knotted, and is cross-ventilated to add some lift.  I used #16 Brazilian hair from YYhair.

The density is higher than I would normally like, but this piece was made to replace the hairline on an existing topper which is quite dense, so I tied the hair using one knot per hole, with slight graduation at the hairline.

The hair will finally be dyed to match and attached to the existing piece.

New Hipster Hair

I finally finished knotting the topper that I have been working on, and I thought I would post a few pics.  I'm very happy with this one!

This is a high definition piece — all single strand/single knot.  Also, the entire piece is cross-knotted, which I think gives an amazingly natural, realistic look.

It is all synthetic except for the front inch or so, where I used Brazilian hair so that the knots could be bleached.  I need to touch up the colour of the real hair so that it blends better into the darker, more ashy synthetic.

I have done a preliminary cut-in at this point, but the cut still needs some finessing.  Overall, though, I think this one is a winner!

King of crowns

I just finished the crown on the cross-ventilated (2-way) piece I'm working on.  I'm really happy with the knotting on this one.  The hair lies and moves very naturally, and has a nice, natural volume to it.

Video: reverse, 2-way ventilation

Below is a quick video to show the in-progress results of the reverse, 2-way knotting I am using to add lift to the hair.  I plan to use 2-way knotting for the entire piece, as it creates a 'freestyle' appearance, meaning that the hair can be parted anywhere and will look natural.

The entire piece will also be single strand/single knotted for a very natural scalp appearance.

Click below to view the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FNNFh479I

Adding lift

I have been quite happy with the results of knotting the crown area in some of my wigs.  However I had noticed that the hair at the back tended to lie quite flat against the scalp as it radiated out from the centre of the crown.

I asked Sam Cox, a wigmaker in the UK, if he knew how to solve this problem, and he suggested trying 'reverse two-way' knotting the crown to add some lift to the hair.

Essentially, this involves knotting the hair in the opposite direction of how you ultimately want it to lie.  In addition to this, though, the hair is knotted in two slightly opposing directions, so that none of it falls flat against the scalp when brushed into its final 'resting' direction.

As you can see in this photo, this technique gives the hair a beautiful, natural appearance.  I will definitely be using this method from now in any any area that requires some extra lift!

Reverse, two-way knotted crown.

Narcissistic blond gentleman, prefers himself.

I had pinned the mustache on the blonde refronted wig I made a while back, and I liked the look.  :P

Making waves

I have actually been doing a fair bit of ventilation recently, but not on the most recent re-front of the reddish-blonde wig.  That has been put on hold while I've been working on a commission for someone in the UK who wanted a version of the previous blonde wig I made (the one I'm wearing in the photo with the sunglasses.)

Since this new one will be almost identical to the previous one, I won't bother posting photos.

However, you may remember that my ultimate goal is to cut the original blonde wig down to a short men's style.  I still haven't plucked up the courage to do that, but I have been messing about with the style a bit in the meantime.

Since the receded hairline of the wig is very obviously masculine rather than feminine, I thought I would add some nice manly waves.  In my mind was the image of a mediaeval knight or a Norse god, muscles rippling and long, golden tresses blowing in the wind.

Well... my original effort was a bit more Sex and the City than Game of Thrones, but after a bit of fiddling I think I got it more-or-less to where I wanted it.

Here are a few photos that show the finished wig, at first unstyled, then at the various stages it went through.  I have added a shot at the end to show the hairline, which I think turned out quite well.

If I feel brave enough this weekend, I might try an intermediate haircut, just to shorten the hair to a medium length before progressing to the final cut.  Next stop, Kurt Cobain...

Covering my tracks

Quick progress with the re-fronted wig.  I attached the lace top/front and began ventilating it.  I need to make sure I cover the hard edge, where the wefted tracks of the commercial wig begin.  I'm knotting 3-4 hairs at a time just to get things moving.  When I get to the front lace I will start knotting single hairs for a realistic hairline.

Re-fronting another commercial wig

I swore I would never do this again, but for some reason I decided to have another go at re-fronting a commercial wig.  I found this one on eBay.  It was made from heat-resistant fibre that looked quite nice, and was very inexpensive so I bough two of them.  I will use one for the back section (see the photo) and I will cut the hair off the other one to ventilate the top and front.

In the photo you can see that I have cut out the entire top and am in the process of attaching lace.  The wig had a very unnatural-looking crown, right on top of the head (rather than where the crown should be) so I decided to get rid of the whole thing.

I might use the wefts that I removed from the top to add a bit of volume to the back.  It is a nice natural density now, but the wefts seem quite visible.  I will see what it looks like once the new top has been ventilated, and decide then if I need to add any wefts to the back.

This should hopefully be a quick project.  I have several others on the go, but I prefer having options as I tend to get bored easily.  Stay tuned...

Quick update on the blonde synthetic wig

Apologies as usual for not posting more frequently.  I have taken a couple of weeks off work, so have had a bit of free time to work on the blonde synthetic wig.

It is aaaaaalmost finished, just the crown to complete and a bit of hair in front to fill out the temple recession areas.

I had to take it off the block today to modify the pattern, so I took the opportunity to test the hairline and take a few selfies!

Here's one in which I'm looking particularly studly.  Axl Rose, eat your heart out...!  HAHA!

Blonde, continued...

Just a few shots to show the progress of the blonde synthetic wig.  It's coming along well, and a bit quicker now that I'm knotting in a clear open space on top rather than trying to dodge seams and darts!

I have decided I will continue to ventilate all the way to the top seam before changing the fronting lace.

Thanks for sharing!

As someone who hasn't had any formal training in wig making,  I find it difficult at times to find answers to some of my technical questions on the subject.  Many wig makers, understandably, keep their methods and sources a closely-guarded secret.

There are a few I have come across who are incredibly generous with their help and advice.  I just wanted to add a quick post to say how much I appreciate everyone out there who is willing to share their knowledge with those of us who are trying to learn the ropes.

A huge source of information and inspiration for me has been Super Wig Maker on YouTube.  I really admire his ability to take a problem or situation and break it down into the most minute detail to find the solution.  He is not a professional wig maker, but he works with very basic tools and supplies to explore and experiment continually, and shares his knowledge freely.  If you're interested in learning to make wigs, you should definitely check out his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9_pmyRjgrIRygdtajg3nA

I just received a tip from another excellent wig maker, Sam Cox (a professional in the UK.) His advice has quite possibly changed my life!  Well, it has definitely changed the way I make wigs from now on!

I have been worried because the very fine front lace of the current blonde wig I'm making is fraying at an alarming rate:

I asked Sam about this via email, and he told me that if the lace is turned 90 degrees, so that the holes run horizontally instead of vertically, the lace will not fray!

I tested it out on a scrap piece of the same lace, and it really does make a difference!

The downside is that now I will have to remove the front of the wig and replace it with new lace, but it will definitely be worth the effort and expense to prevent the front of the wig from falling apart.

You can check out Sam's excellent work on his website:  http://www.samcoxwigdesign.com

So, my sincere thanks to everyone who has shared a tip or helped me out along the way.  I hope that some of my posts will be useful to other would-be wiggies along the way too. :P


EDIT:  here are a couple of diagrams to illustrate what I mean.  If you look at the photo above you will see that the holes in the lace are currently running like this when you look at the cap from the front:

I will remove the old lace and attach a new piece with the lace oriented so that the holes are running like this instead:

You will notice with the new orientation, it will be impossible to knot the hairs so that they are directed straight back (or straight forward if you are ventilating forward from the crown.)  The knots will now have to be on a slight angle to the hairline.  However, I find this makes a more natural hairline anyway.