Choosing a wig: Cap features

The Plain Jane Cap. These caps lack all the fancy features below, but they can look just as good and are usually offered at a fraction of the cost because the simple design means they’re easier to make. The hair usually comes toward the front of the wig to hide the cap material, so this is a great cap for a style with bangs. Many styles use permatease (see more on permatease below) or dark rooting to disguise the cap underneath. Most of these wigs can’t be styled away from the face or parted differently and the hair may lack natural movement.

Best for: those who don’t want to spend a lot of money

Permatease is the purposeful use of short kinky hair fibers near the cap that help disguise the cap and also give the hair some volume. When styled well, wigs with permatease can look very natural, but some times it can can look fake or “wiggy.” Wigs with permatease usually need some help “waking up the permatease” straight out of the bag or box to help bring the regular hair fibers over top of it.

Hair is tied (knotted) to transparent lace, which blends in with your skin and creates a very natural hairline. Because of this, most lace-front wigs can be styled away from the he face. The transparency of lace has its downfalls, though- you may be able to see through the lace part to your bio hair or wig cap underneath, and it has the issue of visible knots. Theses knots tend to look unnatural, especially on darker colors, so wig makers may bleach the knots (see note on bleaching below) or recommend that you use concealer or powder at home to disguise the knots underneath. Because hairs are attached individually, it has very natural movement and can be parted anywhere on the lace. Lace is delicate and needs to be handled with care, so any adjustments of the wig on your head should be done by grabbing and pulling a section of hair, not the lace. Wigs may be made with varying degrees of lace: lace front, lace part, lace top (in various sizes) or full lace. Most lace front human hair wigs will come with extra lace in front that needs to be trimmed before wearing while most synthetic lace front wigs are pre-trimmed.

Best for: those who want to be able to style their hair away from their face

To minimize the appearance of the hair knot on the underside of a human hair wig, some wig makers bleach the knots. As with all things, there is a trade off here as bleach can weaken the hair, which may result in hair loss from the wig. Because of this, some wig makers leave the knots unbleached and recommend using makeup on the part or along the hairline to minimize the appearance of the knots instead. Wigs may have bleached fronts only, bleached front and top, or be “lightly bleached.” Sometimes wigs end up unintentionally “over-bleached,” which results in an orange discoloration of the hair near the cap and can also make the wig have a thin appearance In that area. These overbleached “oopsies” are usually sold at a discount with the recommendation to use root spray or dark eyeshadow to disguise the over-bleached area. 

Typically combined with a lace front, monofilament tops (or ”mono tops”) offer a transparent material that is stronger and more durable than lace and typically costs less than lace tops. Like lace, the hair is individually tied to the cap, so hair will move naturally and can be parted anywhere over the monofilament area. Watch for a visible transition from lace to monofilament on these.

Best for: those who want a budget-friendly alternative to lace tops

Silk creates a very realistic looking scalp, and hair can be parted anywhere on the lace. With silk top wigs, hairs are threaded through the silk so that the knot ends up hidden on the underside, eliminating the need for bleaching or makeup that is often used for lace tops. While silk makes for a great looking part, it does not do well at the hairline, so silk top wigs usually have a lace front (watch for a visible transition from lace to silk) or have hair that comes forward to hide the silk at the hairline (so it can’t be pulled away from the face). These tend to get hotter because there’s less ventilation compared to lace (read: may not be good for summer). They also tend to cost more than lace top wigs. 

Best for: those who want a great looking part part

A weft is a linear section of hair secured to a strip of cap material, which is then attached horizontally to the wig cap. Wefted caps are easier and less expensive to make compared to hand tied caps, but the wefting may be seen when the hair is moved in certain ways. “Open wefts” are open between the strips of hair, which can result in hair inversion (hair going the wrong way towards the inside of the cap) or bio hair poking out if a cap is not worn. “Closed wefts” have extra material between the strips to avoid these issues.

The alternative to wefts, hairs are tied to the cap individually or in small numbers, so they are more evenly distributed like bio hair. This requires much more effort, which is reflected in the price tag.

Ear tabs are little patches of cap material that sit between your temples and ears and give the wig some stability or added comfort in that area. They may have bendable metal stays or flexible plastic stays sewn in to help keep the wig against your head.

Some wigs come with pressure sensitive clips, often positioned on the ear tabs, that clip to your bio hair for added security. If your wig doesn’t come with them they’re very easy to add, just make sure you sew it to the ear tab and not on any delicate lace.

feature added for comfort in different areas of the wig such as at the ear tabs or near the nape.are.

 instead of the cap ending right at the nape, the extended nape feature offers a little extra coverage to help hide any bio hair at the nape. 

positioned on the inside of the wig at the nape, these allow you to let the wig circumference in or out. They come in various forms such as bra-strap type, velcro, or hook and loop.