Lace front wig

A lace wig or a lace front wig is a special type of hairpiece or wig in which human hair or synthetic hair is tied by hand to a sheer lace base which goes over the scalp. Wigs are worn by some people on a daily or occasional basis in everyday life. This is sometimes done for reasons of convenience, since wigs can be styled ahead of time. They are also worn by individuals who are experiencing hair loss due to medical reasons. Some men who cross-dress as women wear wigs in different styles to make their hair seem more feminine.

History

Wigs have been used since antiquity as hairstyles and costumes; ancient Egyptians wore wigs to shield their shaved heads from the sun. Wigs were kept in place by using beeswax and resin. Wigs were once made from horsehair, wool, buffalo hair or even feathers. Other ancient cultures, including the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, also used wigs as an everyday fashion. There was intermittent use of wigs in many cultures throughout history including the prophylactic use of them in England in the 1600s to help protect from head lice.

16^th Century

The modern wig was adopted by Louis XIII to cover his balding head. By the late 1600s, both wigs and handmade lace headpieces were common with European and North American upper classes as daily fashion. Wigs were made of human, horse, and yak hair and sewn onto a frame with silken thread were meant to be obvious as wigs and not the wearer's actual hair. Powdered wigs in rows of curls, known as periwigs, were adopted as court dress in many cultures with elaborate curls and style.