The story behind . . . real hair wigs
Despite the trend for synthetic wigs, there is still a demand for real hair wigs and the art of real-hair wig making is a highly skilled art form. We visited the Banbury Postiche factory in Oxfordshire to see how it's done.
Nick Allen, sales director, says, "Although our business mostly supplies acrylic wigs, some customers will pay extra for real hair wigs which are made by hand on the premises."
The consultation form
Before the process can begin, the client has to fill in a detailed consultation form about the type of wig they would like. This form is referred to throughout the entire process, so that the colour, style, size and any other specifications are followed.
A wig piece can even be made to cover a bald patch or a scar so this would be detailed on the form.
Raw hair
The raw hair comes from various sources around the globe. The lengths are washed and organised into colour groups.
Drawing out the lengths
Lengths of the hair are drawn out by hand in order to create bundles of equal lengths.
Blending the hair
Sitting in a room flooded with natural light and using a hair hackle, the lengths are colour matched by hand. At least three months training is required for this job.
The foundation
The foundation is the fine mesh cap that the hair is attached to. This can be made out of silk, lace or polyester, each requirement alters the price of the finished product.
Knotting the hair to the foundation
A highly skilled process of knotting the hair to the foundation is performed by hand in a room filled with natural light.
The 'knotters' use a knotting hook to thread between one and eight hairs at a time into the foundation, depending on the wig specifications. This part of the process takes almost 40 hours of work.
Styling
Finally, the wig is washed and styled into the selected 'look.' A large, low-heat oven is used to dry the wig without damage.
After-care
With natural wear and tear, clients send wigs back to be professionally washed, dried and styled, helping the product to last longer and freshening up the style.
More Wigs
See how wigs have come back into fashion, Charlie Le Mindu's avant garde wigs and check out the ways that hairdressers can work with wigs.
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