9.9 Hair Pieces, Wigs and Extensions

Hair Pieces, Wigs and Extensions

Exam Focus: This bullet covers both the construction vocabulary and the attachment methods. Know the human-versus-synthetic distinction and its heat consequences, the hand-tied versus machine-wefted construction difference, and the curved-needle rule, which is a safety requirement rather than a preference.

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1. Hair Extensions, Integration Pieces & Wig Construction

Hairpieces & Wigs

• Integration Pieces: Hair additions constructed with an open web or mesh base through which the client's own natural hair is pulled with a crochet hook. Allows the client's real hair to blend directly with the hairpiece to add dramatic volume to thinning crowns.
• Toupees: Small custom hair additions designed to conceal baldness or thinning at the crown and top of the head for men and women.
• Wig Constructions:
  • Cap Wigs: Constructed with an elasticized, mesh-fiber dome base to which individual hair fibers are hand-knotted. Requires a snug nylon wig cap. Provides realistic scalp appearance but can trap heat.
  • Capless Wigs: Constructed of long strips of hair called wefts sewn to elastic mesh strips in a circular pattern. Machine-made, lightweight, cooler, and ventilated, making them highly comfortable.

┌───────────────────────────────────┐     ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│             CAP WIGS              │     │           CAPLESS WIGS            │
├───────────────────────────────────┤     ├───────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Solid mesh-fiber cap base       │     │ • Open rows of wefts sewn to bands│
│ • Hand-tied / hand-knotted hair   │     │ • Machine-sewn open framework     │
│ • Natural scalp simulation        │     │ • Lightweight, airy, and cooler   │
│ • Traps body heat; requires wig cap│    │ • Ready-to-wear and cost-effective│
└───────────────────────────────────┘     └───────────────────────────────────┘

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2. Extension Attachment Methodologies & Protocols

Extensions can be added to natural hair using four primary clinical attachment systems:

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│  TRACK & SEW    │    │ LIQUID BONDING  │    │ FUSION BONDING  │    │   MICRO-LINK    │
│ (Weft Weaving)  │    │  (Latex/Resin)  │    │ (Keratin Clamp) │    │  (Bead/Cylinder)│
├─────────────────┤    ├─────────────────┤    ├─────────────────┤    ├─────────────────┤
│ • Cornrow base  │    │ • Liquid glue   │    │ • Keratin tips  │    │ • Metal tubes   │
│ • Curved blunt  │    │   onto weft     │    │ • Heated clamp  │    │ • Clamped with  │
│   needle        │    │ • Patch test    │    │ • Ultra-sonic   │    │   pliers        │
│ • Stitches:     │    │ • Removed with  │    │ • Lasts 3 to 6  │    │ • Zero heat or  │
│   Lock, Double  │    │   oil solvent   │    │   months        │    │   chemicals     │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘

Detailed Attachment Protocols

1. Track-and-Sew Method (Sew-In Weave):
   • Natural hair is braided into flat on-the-scalp cornrows (the tracks).
   • Hair wefts are sewn onto the tracks using a blunt-pointed curved needle (to prevent puncturing the scalp) and specialized weaving thread.
   • Stitches:
     • Lock Stitch: Thread is wrapped around the needle twice before pulling through, creating a secure knot.
     • Double-Lock Stitch: Two consecutive locking stitches for perimeter security.
     • Overcast Stitch: Simple, continuous spiral passing over the track and weft.
2. Bonding (Liquid Adhesive):
   • Hair wefts are secured directly to the base of natural hair strands using a specialized liquid latex or resin adhesive.
   • Safety Protocol: A 24-hour patch test is mandatory to rule out latex allergies. Adhesive must be placed 1/4 inch away from the scalp—never directly onto the scalp tissue.
   • Removal: Dissolved using an oil-based bonding remover solvent; never pulled or ripped.
3. Fusion Bonding (Keratin Melt):
   • Individual extension strands tipped with keratin or protein polymer are bonded to natural hair strands using an electric heated clamp or ultrasonic cold fusion tool.
   • Longevity: Lasts 3 to 6 months with proper maintenance; allows natural 360° hair movement.
4. Micro-Link / Bead / Cylinder Attachment:
   • Small silicone-lined aluminum or copper cylinders are threaded onto natural hair and extension strands, then crimped shut with micro-pliers.
   • Benefits: Requires zero heat, adhesives, or chemical removers.

3. Wig and Hairpiece Construction

Human hair versus synthetic

Kanekalon and Toyokalon are the standard synthetic braiding fibres. Kanekalon is the industry default because it is heat-resistant enough to be sealed in hot water and closely mimics afro-textured hair.

4. Sizing, Fitting and Blocking

• Measure circumference, front hairline to nape, ear to ear across the forehead, ear to ear over the top, temple to temple around the back, and nape width.
• Prepare the client's own hair flat under the cap — a wig cap over cornrows or pin curls, depending on hair length.
• Fit the cap so it sits at the client's natural hairline, with the adjustable straps snug but not tight. A wig that requires tight adjustment to stay on is the wrong size.
• Trim lace to the hairline only after the wig is positioned, cutting in an irregular line rather than a straight one so the edge disappears.
• Block the wig on a canvas block of the correct size for styling, secured with T-pins through the base — never through the hair.

5. Cleaning and Maintenance

Wigs and hairpieces used in the salon on more than one client are subject to the same principle as every other item that touches a client: if it cannot be cleaned and disinfected, it is not shared. Salon display or trial wigs should be fitted over a disposable wig cap for each client.

6. Consultation Standards for Added Hair

• Assess the client's own hair and scalp first. Extensions are installed on hair that must carry their weight, and section 9.8's traction rules apply directly.
• Match weight to density, not to the look in the photograph.
• Set a take-down date and book the maintenance appointment at installation.
• Explain the cost of maintenance honestly — the installation is the smaller part of the commitment.
• Explain the shed-hair effect at take-down before it happens.
• Record the method, the fibre or hair type and grade, the weight installed, the installation date and the planned removal date on the client card.
• Decline where the hairline is already compromised, where elasticity is poor, or where the scalp shows any contraindication from Chapter 6.