Wigs are worn for many reasons. They are worn mainly for fashion; some due to aesthetics; some to hide a balding head; while a handful are worn to portray roles in films or plays.

The Creation of this Great Hairpiece

There are currently two methods of making wigs--the traditional method and machine manufacturing. The traditional way of creating wigs is focused on producing finer wigs for film and theatrical presentations. Wigs that are machine manufactured are much cheaper and are often not custom-made.

1. The very first step to creating customized wigs is to take the measurement of the wearer's head. Real hair should be tied in tight knots all around the head before the measurement is taken. Once the knots are in place, measurement is taken and recorded. There are some wig manufacturers who make a copy of the head. They do this by wrapping clear plastic on the person's head and putting the necessary markings. This is a more detailed approach to wig-making as it captures the natural markings of the person's hairline. The wigform is based on the markings and measurements.

2. Once the wigform has been set, the wig netting or wig lace is placed over it. Wig netting is made of a fine lace of polygonal cells. This can be made from fibers that are either natural or synthetic. The edges have finer laces just so they could blend with the facial skin. The heavier lace is placed at the center to provide maximum support. The lace is the part of the wig that has to be trimmed and properly sewn to achieve the proper shape of the wearer's head.

3. The materials that are used in making wigs vary in their sources, length, texture and color. The manufacturer of the wig chooses from a variety of hair when he starts to make the hairpiece. The design also dictates the type of material that will be used for the wig. The chosen material is then aligned in a hackle which is a device that is used to straighten hair. This tool also weeds out the weaker strands of hair which are not fit for wig-making. If there is more than one material to be used, this device will also even out the varieties.

4. The term used to refer to the tying of hair strands into a wig lace is ventilation. The hair is folded into half so that the strands can be taken off from the center. A wig hook is used to take strands of hair and tie them slowly into a lace. This hook is bent to come up with the best ventilation knots. Since wig-making is all about lacing, folding and tying knots, the actual length of the hair strand is twice the length of the finished wig. The center of the wig has the most number of hair strands while the edges have finer hair.

5. The next step is to fashion the wig into the desired style.

6. Once the wearer tries the wig on, any strand of wig that does not fall into its place is cut. This is the only time that the wigmaker can finally say that the hairpiece is ready to be used.