Weird Words for Wigs and Hair Extensions

Weird words for wigs… vocabulary to help you navigate wigs and hair extensions

Angora- Goat fur/hair, fibers are finer than horse or yak hair, used to add bulk in full wigs or for shorter extensions, typically straight but can be permed or chemically treated to produce curl or wave and natural looking colors

Beads- Pre bonded/prepared sections of hair that are attached to guest’s natural hair in small sections to create length, add bulk or for accent color. Hair extensions are attached by clamping the weft section to the hair with a small aluminum or copper tube and crimping with a tool to secure.

Blended Real Hair- Angora, Yak and Horse hair fibers are used to create wefts or wigs; similar in texture to human hair but less expensive. Possible to color or perm, recommended to do a strand test prior to perming or coloring the hair weft/wig

Bonding- Small sections of hair or wefts are glued to guest’s natural hair, adding length, bulk, or accent to a hair design

Cap- a wig with hair that has been sewn or tied into a spandex base that completely covers guest’s scalp, offers full coverage for clients with complete baldness; often uncomfortable or heavy if guest has existing hair

Capless- a wig with hair that has been sewn or tied to spandex or elastic strips forming a base that creates the basic shape of a cap, but allows the guest’s natural hair to be incorporated into the wig for a more natural look; light weight and more realistic

Cascade- oblong base made of reinforced fabric to which hair has been sewn or tied to; attached by combs, pins or clips that adds length and curl to a design

Dart- horizontal alteration made by stylist to shorten the cap of a custom wig, stylist sews by hand, fitting the wig to the guest’s natural hairline

European hair- most expensive hair to buy, medium to fine in texture, available curly, wavy or straight, length can vary from 8-21 inches

Fall- similar to a cascade, oblong or round base made of reinforced fabric to which has hair been sewn or tied, hair is usually straight, adds length to a design

Fallen- hair that is taken from brushes or swept from floor after making initial hair wefts for extensions or wigs, cuticle may not all lay in the same direction, hair may mat or knot, least expensive type of human hair used for wefts and wigs; hair is usually coated with simethicone, paraben, guar gum or carnuba wax to prevent matting, shampooing removes coating and wig/extensions become difficult to manage. AKA- dog or doggy

Hair Piece- reinforced fabric base custom shaped and sized for guest’s need or coverage to fill in component area, smaller and more precise than a toupee

Hand tied- hair is attached manually strand by strand, to a nylon or spandex netting that forms the wig or weft base by tying, looping or crocheting hair; more precise and natural looking, most expensive wig

Horse hair- fibers from mane and tail are used for length and durability; hair is coarse, available from 6-24 inches in length

Human Hair- classified by region or nationality; Asian, European, and Indian

Indian- Human hair varying in length 16-24 inches, usually wavy, medium texture and most commonly used

J & L Color ring- hair swatches produced by major wig manufacturers allowing salon professionals to match wigs and hair pieces to client’s natural or existing hair; not as commonly used or available

Kanekolon- synthetic or plastic fiber simulating hair, available in a wide variety of colors including bright fashion shades; least expensive type of wig

Machine tied- hair is sewn into wefts with a machine to be used individually or is then sewn to a cap or attached to additional nylon or spandex bands and formed into the wig base.

Remy- hair extension wefts guaranteed to have the hair with the cuticle layers going in the same direction; price dependant on type of hair, animal, blended or human

Toupee- reinforced fabric or synthetic base customized for guest needs to which hair is tied, sewn or looped; larger than a hair piece can cover entire top of head

Track & Sew- guest’s natural hair is braided in small sections close to head creating a “track” for wefts of hair to be sewn to, creating additional length, density may be reduced; a can cause traction alopecia