Hair replacement systems are a modern reinvention of the traditional wig using up to date materials, hand finishing and custom fitting. They offer a reliable alternative to other more permanent hair replacement solutions and involve no hair surgery. The modern materials used are the secret to their acceptance compared to the old fashioned wig. They have managed to deal with the stereotypic unnatural look and the fear of the whole thing slipping off. For this reason people should take a fresh look at what is on offer.

The design of hair replacement systems and the selection of materials to be used depend on two seemingly conflicting desires from people. It depends on how important you feel appearance is compared to durability. Clearly people would like both. A hair piece that looks natural and can’t be identified by the general public together with one that remains in place and lasts a long time. You really need to select the materials based on your requirements, but somewhere along the line you will need to make some compromises.

The main differences come into the making of the base materials that the hair is attached to. Ideally, people like to think that close examination of their scalp will not reveal the hair piece. They want their scalp to look as natural as possible and merge with the features of their own skin. However, the materials used to make near invisible bases are often the most delicate on offer. An example of this are the bases made from ultra fine lace. Here the lace is made of such fine threads that it is very hard to see.

The threads used are either made from nylon or polyester. Add to this a system of bleaching the knots used to tie the hair on and you have a base that is virtually undetectable during normal use. Due to the very light nature of the materials these systems are also very light weight and therefore comfortable and cool to wear. Comfort and overheating are the common complaints about traditional wigs. The problems arise due to the delicate nature of the lace. It can easily get torn and damaged. It is also vulnerable to attack from acids produced in sweat. This means that lace hair systems have a limited life and often ongoing repairs have to be made.

In terms of hair pieces lasting a long time and being very resilient the base materials used to do this job are silicone and polyurethane. These two materials are used together due to their individual properties. The silicone is very durable which adds strength and longevity to the base. It is also resistant to the corrosive elements produced in sweat. Unfortunately silicone doesn’t colour very well with dyes and this is where polyurethane comes in. Although polyurethane is not as durable as silicone and attacked by skin acids it can be easily dyed to resemble the scalp skin tones. This is why the two materials are often used together in the same base. Due to the fact that these materials aren’t permeable to water and air they are said to not breathe. This means that they are often seen as warm and uncomfortable to wear.

As can be seen, the choice of base materials for hair replacement systems is critical to their acceptability by the people wearing them. If you are looking for a hair piece you should carefully weigh up what you are expecting to get from it and the properties that the base materials offer.