Do Lace Front Wigs Damage Hair?

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now if you're like me then you like alternating between wearing your natural hair out and protective hairstyles such as weave and braids. I pride myself in knowing quite a bit about protective hairstyles and the best way to do them that doesn't do any damage to my natural hair. However I must say, one protective hairstyle I know the least about is lace front wigs. We always see our favourite celebrities such as Beyoncé and Rihanna sporting these beautiful lace front wigs but in reality, how good is it for your hair?

Many women like wearing lace front wigs as it gives the illusion of long, straight hair growing from their scalp whilst ensuring that none of their own hair is left out. The traditional method of securing lace front wigs is by merely applying glue or tape to the circumference of the head. About 6 years ago, Countess Vaughn who played Moesha's bestfriend in the 90's sitcom, spoke out about the adverse reactions she had with regards to lace front wigs. She was introduced to them by her hair stylist and fell in love with them instantly. Lace fronts enabled her to change up her hair as often as she wanted whilst, as she believed, causing no damage to her hair. She gradually however began to experience oozing from the nape of her hair, wherever she had applied the adhesive. She then noticed that her hairline was receeding as she wasn't take care when removing her wigs as each time she took them off, it removed a layer of skin each time. She now experiences discolouration under her eyes and around the nape of her hair which makes her more self conscious. 

This all sounds really scary doesn't it! Now I know there's many of you probably thinking 'why would I ever wear a lace front wig!' There are other ways to ensure that you are able to sport this hairstyle whilst minimising the damage caused to your natural hair:

• USE ADHESIVE IN MODERATION - if you have to use adhesive such as glue or tape to secure your lace front wig then please use it in moderation. Apply glue once a week and take care to look after your wig so it doesn't lift or come off which would force you to have to reapply the adhesive. 

• DO NOT WEAR FOR LONG DURATIONS - lace fronts are fine to be worn for 1 - 2 months but do not wear for long blocks of time such as 6 months. Your natural tresses need to breathe! Not only will your hair be severely damaged as it lacks moisture, you may cause excessive damage to your edges as you're placing unnecessary tension onto your hair for long periods of time. 

• SEW OVER GLUE - there are more people than before who want to wear lace front wigs without experiencing the damaging effects of glue/tape. There are many hair stylists who are able to install these wigs to give the natural look without having to use anything but thread to secure the wig into the head. Make a conscious effort to seek out stylists in your local area who are able to sew in lace front wigs to minimise hair damage. 

I hope that has been helpful for you!

Au revoir x