Wig Install Styles: Middle Part, Side Part, Slicked Back, Curls
Clients book a wig install with a style in mind and a wig in a bag, and about a third of the time the two do not match. A slicked back ponytail on a 4x4 closure is not a thing I can do, no matter how good the hair is. The style decides the unit, and the unit decides the install.
There are four families of wig install styles: a middle part, a side part, a slicked back or pulled up look, and a curly or textured look. A middle part works on any lace unit, a side part needs a 5x5 closure or larger, a slicked back look needs a frontal, and curls hide the lace better than any straight style. Every one of them is on my wig install menu, and the unit you bring tells me which ones are possible.
Which style needs which wig
The lace on your unit sets the limit. More lace at the front means more styles. Here is how it maps, with the install each one books as.
| Style | Unit it needs | Install | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle part, hair down | 4x4, 5x5 or 6x6 closure, or any frontal | Closure wig install | $130 | 2 hours |
| Side part, hair down | 5x5 or 6x6 closure, or any frontal | Closure wig install | $130 | 2 hours |
| Deep side part, swept across | 6x6 closure or a 13x4 or 13x6 frontal | Closure or lace front install | $130 or $140 | About 2 hours |
| Slicked back, ponytail, half up | 13x4 or 13x6 frontal, or 360 lace | Lace front wig install | $140 | About 2 hours |
| Curls, waves, textured bob | Any lace unit | Closure, lace front or glueless install | $130 to $150 | 2 hours |
| Any of the above, no adhesive | A unit with a fitted cap | Glueless wig install | $150 | 2 hours |
If you already own a unit and want a style it cannot give you, I will tell you before the appointment rather than fight the lace on the day. Send a photo of the inside of the cap when you book and I can confirm.
Lace front, closure, full lace and glueless
A lace front wig has lace across the front hairline, ear to ear. A closure wig has a square of lace at the front center only. A full lace wig is lace all over, so it can be parted anywhere and worn up, but it is the most expensive to buy and the most delicate. A glueless wig is any of those with a cap built to hold without adhesive. For most styles in this post the practical choices are a closure or a lace front; full lace is a luxury that few daily wearers need.
The middle part
The middle part is the cleanest install and the one I recommend for a first unit. It works on every lace size, because the part sits at the center of the lace where there is the most room, and the hair falls forward on both sides to cover the edges of the cap.
How I lay it
The braid down goes away from the part on both sides so there is no ridge under the lace. The part is plucked a touch wider than feels natural, because a part that is too narrow reads as a wig from the front. The knots along the part are bleached so no dots show. On install day the lace is laid from the center out so the part stays dead straight, and the hair is pressed or waved to fall symmetrically.
Who it suits
Anyone, and especially anyone who wants the install to last. A middle part puts the least strain on the lace because nothing pulls the hairline sideways, and it photographs the same from the left and the right. On a 4x4 it is the only part that truly works. On a 5x5 or 6x6 you get a deeper part that looks like a frontal in pictures at a closure price. See the sizes on my closure wig install page.
The side part
A side part needs lace on both sides of the part line, which is why it needs a bigger closure or a frontal. On a 4x4, moving the part an inch off center lands it at the edge of the lace and exposes the wefts. On a 5x5 a moderate side part works. On a 6x6 or a frontal you can go as deep as you like.
How I lay it
The braid pattern follows the part: the hair under the lace is braided away from the part line, and the braids on the heavy side run toward the back so there is no bump where the swept hair sits. The part is plucked to the side you want, which is permanent on a closure, so decide before the customization. On a frontal, the lace on the swept side is laid a touch tighter at the temple, since that is where the weight of the hair pulls.
Deep side part and swept across
A deep side part with the hair swept across the forehead is a frontal style in my chair. It can be forced on a 6x6, but the hair sweeping over the temple exposes the join between lace and cap the moment it moves. On a 13x4 or 13x6 frontal the whole front is lace, so the sweep has skin behind it wherever it falls. That is the look most of my glam clients ask for, and it pairs with a full glam face for an event.
Slicked back, ponytails and half up
Anything that pulls the hair off the face needs a frontal, and it needs adhesive. The temples, the edges and the whole front hairline are exposed in these styles, so they have to be lace that is melted into skin. This is the one family of styles where I will not promise a glueless result and where a closure unit is simply the wrong tool.
Slicked back
The frontal is laid with the hairline glued across the whole width, ear tabs included, and set under a scarf before the hair is brushed back with gel and a boar brush. The baby hairs are laid last. A 13x6 frontal gives the most room, because the deeper lace means the slick can start further back without showing cap.
Ponytail and half up
A high ponytail on a frontal is possible if the back of the cap is secured as well as the front, so the nape does not lift when the hair is gathered. A 360 lace unit, which has lace around the whole perimeter, is built for this and is the unit I suggest if a ponytail is your daily style. Half up, half down is gentler: the lower half covers the nape and only the front hairline has to be melted.
Why these installs are shorter lived
Pulling the hair back tugs on the lace all day, so expect a slicked style to lift sooner than a middle part. Tie the hairline down at night, keep the edges dry and plan to come in for a reinstall a little earlier than you would with hair worn down. The lace frontal install is $140 and includes the braid down or blow dry, a scalp treatment, knot bleaching, plucking and the styling.
Curls, waves and textured bobs
Curly and wavy units are the most forgiving installs there are. The hair sits close to the hairline instead of hanging away from it, so any lace edge, any slight lift, any join between lace and cap is covered. If you are nervous about a hairline showing, bring a curly unit.
Human hair versus synthetic
Human hair curls can be reset, straightened, dyed and refreshed with water and a curl cream. They cost more and they need more care, but they last through many installs. Synthetic curls hold their factory set and cost less, and they look good from day one, but they cannot take high heat and they frizz sooner. For a unit you will wear for weeks, human hair. For a single event, synthetic is fine.
Body wave, deep wave, curly and kinky curly
Body wave is the loosest and shows the most hairline, so it is installed like a straight unit. Deep wave and curly hide more. Kinky curly matches natural 4C hair textures at the leave out and the edges, which makes the blend at the hairline nearly invisible with no baby hairs needed. On a closure, curly textures also forgive a smaller lace, because the hair at the edge of the 4x4 or 5x5 curls over the join.
Bobs
A bob is cut after the install so the line sits right on your jaw or collarbone, and the lace is cut especially close because there is no long hair to fall over the temples. A curly bob is the easiest version; a blunt straight bob is the hardest install on this list to make look natural, and it is the one where the knot bleaching and plucking matter most.
Custom color, glueless and the rest of the menu
The style is not only the part and the texture. Color, adhesive and the unit itself are choices too, and I offer each as its own service so you only pay for what you want.
- Customized lace with color. If the unit is not the shade you want, I can color it before the install so the hairline and the color are done at the same time.
- Glueless. Any middle part, side part or curly style can be installed with no glue or tape on a fitted cap. The glueless wig install is $150, takes 2 hours, and you can take the unit off at night.
- Reinstall. Once a unit has been customized, a lace wig reinstall is $140 and 90 minutes, which is the quickest way to change from a middle part look to a swept one on the same frontal.
- Same day. Same day service is $350 when availability allows, for the day you forgot the event was this weekend.
- Hair and makeup together. The Slay Me hair and makeup appointment is $300 and covers hair and makeup in one sitting, which is how many of my event clients book.
If you are not sure whether your unit can do the style you want, the wig install page lists every option, and a photo of the cap by message gets you an answer before you pay a deposit.
Keeping the style between appointments
A good install is set once; a good style is reset every morning. The daily routine is short and it is the same for every style on this page.
- Every night, tie the hairline down with a satin scarf and sleep in a satin bonnet. For curls, pineapple the hair up loosely inside the bonnet.
- Every morning, check the edges are dry before touching them, and lay baby hairs with gel on your own hair, never on the lace.
- Every 2 to 3 days, refresh curls with water and a light curl cream, or re press a straight style on low heat with a heat protectant.
- Every week, wash the wig hair with a sulfate free shampoo and condition from the mid lengths down, keeping conditioner off the glue line.
- Every 2 to 3 weeks on a glued install, book the take down or reinstall when the edges begin to lift. Slicked styles usually get there first.
- Every 6 to 8 weeks, give your own hair a full wash, condition and rest before the next braid down.
Store a unit you are not wearing on a canvas head with the hair combed through, out of direct sun. A styled unit holds its set far longer on a head than in a bag.
Book your wig install style in Springfield Gardens
Decide the style, then buy the unit, then book. If you do it in that order the install goes smoothly and the hairline does what you want it to. If you already own a unit, message me a photo of the cap and I will tell you which of these styles it can do.
Tyca Beaute is at 146-20 232nd St in Springfield Gardens, Queens, by appointment only. Book a wig install at the booking page with a 20% deposit, drop the unit off 2 to 3 days ahead, and call (973) 963-7449 if you have a question first. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 8pm, and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Questions readers ask
Can a closure wig be worn in a ponytail?
Not a high one. The sides and back of a closure cap are wefts, not lace, so gathering the hair up exposes the cap at the temples and nape. A low, loose ponytail with hair left around the face can work on a 6x6; anything higher needs a frontal or a 360 unit.
Can I switch from a middle part to a side part on the same wig?
On a frontal, yes, at a reinstall. On a closure, the part is plucked and bleached in one position during customization, so moving it means plucking a new line, and a 4x4 will not have the lace for it.
Which wig install style lasts the longest?
A middle part worn down. Nothing pulls the hairline sideways or backward, so the lace stays put longest. Slicked back and ponytail styles tug on the lace all day and lift soonest.
Does a bob need a different install than a long unit?
The install is the same, but the lace is cut closer because there is no long hair to fall over the temples, and the bob itself is cut after the install so the line sits where you want it on your face.