First Install

The barrier to this category used to be adhesive: lace glue, a hairline that had to be cut by eye, and knots that needed bleaching. The wear and go caps in this range ship with the lace pre-cut and the knots already bleached, and hold on straps and combs rather than glue. That turns a two hour appointment into about ten minutes at home.

Measure first

Almost every wig here is a medium cap, sized for a 21.5 to 22.5 inch head, which covers most adults. Three measurements tell you where you sit:

1. Circumference. Around the head at the front hairline, above the ears, around the nape and back to the start.
2. Front to nape. Over the crown, from the front hairline to the base of the skull.
3. Ear to ear. Across the top of the head, from the top of one ear to the top of the other.

Under 21.5 inches, take the straps in fully and expect to use the combs. Over 22.5, a medium cap will sit high and lift at the nape by the end of the day.

The install, step by step

1. Flatten your own hair. Cornrows, flat twists or a wig cap. Bulk at the front is what makes a wig sit forward and look like one.
2. Try it on before you touch it. Set the straps with the wig in position, and see where the lace naturally falls.
3. Place the lace a finger's width behind your own hairline. Further back looks deliberate; further forward is what reads as a wig.
4. Tighten from the back. Straps first at the nape, then the combs at the temples, then the comb at the front.
5. Lay the baby hair with mousse, not gel. Gel dries hard, flakes at the lace, and shortens the life of the knots.
6. Separate the wave with your fingers. A brush breaks a wave pattern apart and it does not come back until the next wash.

If you are using adhesive anyway

The HD lace fronts and the 360 caps take glue if you want a longer hold. Two rules matter more than the brand you use: clean the skin with alcohol and let it dry completely first, and take it off with a proper adhesive remover rather than pulling. Every damaged hairline in this category comes from removal, not application.

What to expect on day one

A new human hair wig arrives with more product in it than you would put there yourself, which is what keeps it neat in the packaging. Many people co-wash before the first wear for that reason. It also sheds a little in the first day, which is normal and stops.

After the first wear, the care guide covers washing and sleeping, and the lace guide explains which cap suits which parting.