Installing a closure so the parting stays believable
A closure fails at the parting or not at all. Most of the work is in the first ten minutes, before anything is sewn or glued down.
- Applies to
- 4x4 and 6x6 closures, 13x4 frontals
- Takes
- Two to three hours for a full install
- You will need
- A closure that matches your leave-out
- Cornrow foundation, braided flat
- A wig cap in a shade near your scalp
- Needle and matching thread
- Tweezers for plucking
- Edge control and a soft brush
- Written by
- Miss Kanzi
The give-away on a bad install is almost never the hair. It is the parting: too dense at the front, too straight a hairline, a lace edge that sits above the skin instead of on it. All three are fixed before the closure is attached.
Braid a flat foundation
Cornrows should sit flush against the head with no ridges under where the closure will land. A lumpy foundation shows through lace no matter how well you sew. Take the braids straight back and keep them thin at the crown.
Pluck the hairline before you attach anything
A new closure is deliberately dense so you can thin it to suit your own hairline. Working with tweezers and good light, remove single hairs from the front edge and work backwards, following the irregular line your own hair grows in. Stop often and look from a distance. This is slow and it is the single thing that makes the install read as real.
The one rule. Pluck less than you think you need. You can always remove more hair; you cannot put it back.
Bleach the knots only if you need to
On a closure matched to a dark scalp, the knots are usually fine as they are. Bleaching is for lighter scalps and it weakens the lace, so use the mildest mix that works and rinse it out completely.
Sew, and keep the tension even
Attach the closure to the braids with a needle and thread, working around the perimeter in small, even stitches. Tight is not the same as secure — tension at the hairline is what causes traction loss over months. If it hurts, it is too tight.
Lay the edges last
Brush your own leave-out over the lace edge, then use edge control sparingly. Heavy product at the parting builds up and lifts the lace within a day.
Give the install a week before you judge it. The parting settles, and the hair falls into place once it has been slept on and washed once.