Half Wig Q&A

[Ivytresses]

I am really trying to get to Arm Pit Land Yall!! Can a half wig give my hair a break? I don't mind wearing headbands to cover the seams, but I am so concerned about it being detected. Any suggestions and how can I wear it and not damage my hair?

Slowly Easing up to my local Korean Beauty Supply,

Kim

 

[msa]

I love half-wigs. Use to wear them all the time. The main thing to remember is to cut out the combs and use bobby pins to pin them on. The combs cause major breakage. If you must keep them in, cover them in castor oil, that helps. I usually just wear a headband with mine because I like all my hair to be covered, and everyone always thinks it's my hair.

Here's a recent thread about it:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=388980

You can also check out the wig challenge threads, there are lots of tips and pics in there.

 

[Dommo]

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

 

[pattyr5]

I wear the Half wigs with headbands and scarfs around the front because I haven't mastered the hair matching yet. Mostly all of the ones I get come with drawn strings so I can use them as ponytails too. I have to try that castor oil thing though 'cause lots of times when I wear them full I tend to get a headache by the end of the day from all the pulling. The half wigs are my staples for wash and go days.

 

[Keen]

I've been using half wigs for almost a year. I wish I started using them a lot sooner. I have no problem keeping the comb on. It doesn't break my hair.

One good tip for wearing half wig is to part your hair about an inch from one temple to the other. The front hairline closer to your ear should be tucked under the half wig. Trust me, it will not be detected and your edges will thank you.

 

[PittiPat]

I love half-wigs. Use to wear them all the time. The main thing to remember is to cut out the combs and use bobby pins to pin them on. The combs cause major breakage. If you must keep them in, cover them in castor oil, that helps. I usually just wear a headband with mine because I like all my hair to be covered, and everyone always thinks it's my hair.

I'm going to try the bobby pins. My head is sore right now because of these darn combs.... ouch!

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

Oooo, I have an old kinky straight lace front at home .... let me pull that bad boy out and give this a try.

Great tips, ladies.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

Human lace wigs are a great idea. My budget does not accomodate those, so I do something similar. I use half wigs that are made of synthetic hair, but that have a super thin mono front. The Sensationelle brand makes some half wigs they call Instant Weave Lace Top... it has about half an inch of lace front material at the front edge. My personal fave is called Juniper. You can wear your hair all slicked back, with a thin headband over the demarcation and nobody will be able to tell.

In my experience, the half wigs that double as drawstrings have a thicker "lip", since the casing for the drawstring is under there. It's harder to disguise the demarcation for those. When I wear that type (I have tons of them) I take a normal wide elastic headband and fold it in half so that it looks like a narrow headband. The extra layer of headband fabric really helps to disguise the bump.

At the end of the day, most people are not scrutinizing you that tough... they are too worried about other folks seeing thier tracks, zits or whatever. If the wig is thick and relatively long, most sisters will assume it's not yours anyway... as evidenced by all the long haired LHCF posters who get accused of weaves/wigs even when they have thier own hair out.

 

[cmw45]

I am really trying to get to Arm Pit Land Yall!! Can a half wig give my hair a break? I don't mind wearing headbands to cover the seams, but I am so concerned about it being detected. Any suggestions and how can I wear it and not damage my hair?

Slowly Easing up to my local Korean Beauty Supply,

Kim

Your hair looks great and from your siggy pic (your ends look tucked under) it looks like you might already be APL. You must be super close.

Can't help with the half wig question. I have relaxed hair and that is far too much trouble worry about blending for me to try a half wig.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

I'm straining over here... trying to resist the urge to go online and buy more half wigs! They are SOOOO addictive....

 

[Bianna125]

I love half wigs and I wear them all the time! One note about the combs though: You dont have to cut them out if you don't think you'll feel "secure"! They only cause breakage if you yank it off at night or dont put them in carefully. I use the combs and bobby pin the sides...no problems yet. I never tighten the drawstring cause I have a big head But I have noticed that the half wigs with the small metal combs often have black paint flecks or something that will come off if alot of oil is applied. I used to oil the plastic combs, but now I just put some extra moisturizer and oil on my hair before I put on the wig.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bianna125]

At the end of the day, most people are not scrutinizing you that tough... they are too worried about other folks seeing thier tracks, zits or whatever. If the wig is thick and relatively long, most sisters will assume it's not yours anyway... as evidenced by all the long haired LHCF posters who get accused of weaves/wigs even when they have thier own hair out.

This is really great to remember!

 

[bronzehair]

i love my half wigs, for tips, tricks and basically everything you need to know about them i highly suggest going on youtube http://www.youtube.com/muffinismylovers

 

[Deja9]

Wow good thread idea!

 

[SelfStyled]

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

Great idea, I did this with a kinky straight wig, I loved it. The only thing is that in the summer the hair gets really big, lol

Human lace wigs are a great idea. My budget does not accomodate those, so I do something similar. I use half wigs that are made of synthetic hair, but that have a super thin mono front. The Sensationelle brand makes some half wigs they call Instant Weave Lace Top... it has about half an inch of lace front material at the front edge. My personal fave is called Juniper. You can wear your hair all slicked back, with a thin headband over the demarcation and nobody will be able to tell.

In my experience, the half wigs that double as drawstrings have a thicker "lip", since the casing for the drawstring is under there. It's harder to disguise the demarcation for those. When I wear that type (I have tons of them) I take a normal wide elastic headband and fold it in half so that it looks like a narrow headband. The extra layer of headband fabric really helps to disguise the bump.

At the end of the day, most people are not scrutinizing you that tough... they are too worried about other folks seeing thier tracks, zits or whatever. If the wig is thick and relatively long, most sisters will assume it's not yours anyway... as evidenced by all the long haired LHCF posters who get accused of weaves/wigs even when they have thier own hair out.

The mono wigs are definitely a cheaper way to go, compared to the lace wigs. I stick with the curly styles for the synthetic, cause they don't seem as shiny/fake to me, compared to the straight ones. At the end of the day I really don't care if people look at me and know that it's a half wig. No shame in my game, I switch it up way too much.

Here is a picture of the curl mono top half wig. I like it because there is no reversion in the heat, except for the piece of my hair that is covering the demarcation line

They are great for a protective style. I do take the combs out, not because they caused breakage, they would just make my scalp sore.

 

[SpiritJunkie]

I wear 1/2 wigs and ponytails pretty regular and alternate between the two. i died my hair jet black and it matches 1 very well. so hard to tell if its mine or not. i also use baby powder on my wigs to take down the shine.

i have no probs with combs as long as i change positions every once in awhile.

i keep my hair in a baggy underneath and have been able to retain my length with this method

 

[SpiritJunkie]

I would love to see a pic of this if you don't mind! pretty please.

Also to OP there's a thread kicking around with photos of us in our 1/2 wigs.

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

 

[KBA]

I love half wigs as well. They are very helpful especially when trying to stretch my relaxer to 12 weeks. I haven't had any breakage from the combs, but I do put vaseline on the combs every morning just to be sure I never sleep in my half wigs, so I take them on an off as necessary.

If the wig feels loose, I will put 2 small bobby pins in the front where it attaches to my temples.

I blend mine or wear a headband. Ms Muffins (aka April-Many Faces of Beauty) on Youtube is a great resource for half wig tips. She taught me a lot. But be careful..they are addictive!!

 

[curlmama]

I wear human lace wigs as half wigs. I hate the half wig look because it has that lump. I can always tell when someone is wearing half wig unless it is custom made and then it won't have that lump.

What i do is i cut the lace to about 1/8 of an inch; i slick my hair back with a wig cap leaving no hair out meaning my edges are showing but the ends are tucked in my wig cap; I place the wig on and secure with bobby pins and then place the scrunchi headband (the thin one) over the 1/8 inch of lace and its finished. I use lace wigs because they last long and they have scalp so i can finger comb my hair and it looks natural and there's no lumps or bumps(no detections what so ever)

Do you buy stock lace wigs or custom to use as a half wig? Does it matter if the wig is the exact circumference of your head in order to work as a half wig?
Thanks

 

[msa]

Do you buy stock lace wigs or custom to use as a half wig? Does it matter if the wig is the exact circumference of your head in order to work as a half wig?
Thanks

I would think she's talking about the lace wigs you can get at the BSS. There'd be no point in buying a 3-500$ stock or custom wig and wearing it as a half-wig. And no, it wouldn't need to be the exact circumference of your head to work.

 

[Dommo]

Do you buy stock lace wigs or custom to use as a half wig? Does it matter if the wig is the exact circumference of your head in order to work as a half wig?
Thanks

I buy both. If I am in a rush, i will purchase a human lace wig at a BSS but the quality is not great at all and they're still expensive. I mostly order and get to choose the size and everything, Im a member at BHM so I have found the best sites to buy the best lace wigs for less. If you get the wig from the BSS, it has combs and tighteners in the back to adjust the size; so either way you choose to go, the wig will be secure.

 

[msa]

I buy both. If I am in a rush, i will purchase a human lace wig at a BSS but the quality is not great at all and they're still expensive. I mostly order and get to choose the size and everything, Im a member at BHM so I have found the best sites to buy the best lace wigs for less. If you get the wig from the BSS, it has combs and tighteners in the back to adjust the size; so either way you choose to go, the wig will be secure.

Don't you just love all the sites you find through bhm? They have the hook up on cheap hair/wigs.

 

[Dommo]

I would think she's talking about the lace wigs you can get at the BSS. There'd be no point in buying a 3-500$ stock or custom wig and wearing it as a half-wig. And no, it wouldn't need to be the exact circumference of your head to work.

Personally, i go for quality,look and feel. So i dont mind paying a little extra when i know that the lace wig will last me a very long time. I would not pay 500 though...When i order stock or custom wigs, the most i pay is 300 which is still cheaper than getting a weave and hair that wont last you long at all. The wigs in the BSS are still expensive and dont last at all; after a month, they look a little worn because of the quality so you'll actually wind up spending more getting them from the BSS.

 

[msa]

Personally, i go for quality,look and feel. So i dont mind paying a little extra when i know that the lace wig will last me a very long time. I would not pay 500 though...When i order stock or custom wigs, the most i pay is 300 which is still cheaper than getting a weave and hair that wont last you long at all. The wigs in the BSS are still expensive and dont last at all; after a month, they look a little worn because of the quality so you'll actually wind up spending more getting them from the BSS.

I guess that makes sense, especially since you're getting them at a reduced price. I just couldn't imagine someone paying for a custom lace front just to wear it as a half wig considering how much they cost. And it also depends on the BSS as well, the ones near me have great selection at low prices so paying 50$ for a wig that I'm going to wear for a two months isn't bad for me. But you are right, it does come out the same price.

 

[Chicagodiva]

I love my half caps & wear one most workdays for the last 4 years. When I was relaxed & transitioning I had no problems matching textures or evening having a bump show, since I parted from ear to ear as suggested. I would just pincurl that small front overnight & comb it back over the half cap, no headband required, but I suppose it depends on the length & thickness of your hair.

Since I am all natural now it is more of a struggle to match textures, so I mostly only wear kinky curly or strawset half caps now with a matching silk scarf as my headband. I did not ever remove my combs and I have had no problems with breakage.

 

[andromeda]

Thanks for starting this thread OP!

I recently started wearing past wigs within the last 2 weeks. My wig doesn't have combs in it and I'm so paranoid about it that I went back to the BSS and purchased combs that can be sewn-in the other day. Now that I've read some the replies in this thread, I'm thinking I'll just use bobby pins (I was using hair pins before).

Has anyone attempted to dye their half wigs? I'm thinking about hennaing and I wonder if it would be easier to find a wig that matches the resulting color or just hennaing the wig? Or am I crazy for even entertaining such an idea?

Here are some pics of my Modu Anytime Jessie half-wig. I'm planning on checking out some YT videos on half wigs to perfect my technique, but please feel free to critique/suggest how it can be better blended.











My hair was looking a little dry in the last two...

 

[SpiritJunkie]

This looks very real and very good!

Thanks for starting this thread OP!










My hair was looking a little dry in the last two...

 

[LadyPaniolo]

^ Wow, that half wig looks like it is your hair! Looking

Though I am texlaxed, I have about 6 months of new growth that is fully natural. I just use the scarf method on the front of my hair, while the rest of my hair is cornrowed. I can't quite get my ear-to-ear leave out to be silky straight, but honestly, I'm not sweating it too tough.

I had thought perhaps I should rollerset the front, but ye gods rollersetting is hard. I'm not trying to go through that every day with all the other mess I have on my plate. So if somebody can see that the texture is not a 100% match, bully for them.

 

[andromeda]

Bump!

What's the best way to wash and detangle a synthetic curly [half] wig?

 

[GoingBack]

You could just hand wash it in the sink with a little poo or conditioner, rinse and then put it into a few two-strand twists and let it drip dry overnight. Once dry, separate the twists to your liking.

 

[SelfStyled]

Bump!

What's the best way to wash and detangle a synthetic curly [half] wig?

Soak it in a basin filled with some fabric softener, this will renew the wig- I promise.