Wig and Hairpiece Fundamentals, Selection, and Client Consultation
Wig and Hairpiece Fundamentals, Selection, and Client Consultation
This domain tests whether you can match a client to a wig or hairpiece by cap construction, fiber, density, hairline, lifestyle, and budget, and whether you can run a consultation that uncovers medical, emotional, and maintenance realities.
Core rules
- Classify the product first: full wig, half wig, fall, toupee/hairpiece, integration unit, or extension. The classification drives attachment and service limits.
- Cap construction controls comfort and realism: wefted/capless caps are affordable and breathable; monofilament tops give multidirectional parting; lace front creates a natural hairline but needs adhesive skill; silk tops hide knots; skin/polyurethane bases suit close-cropped styles.
- Fiber controls service options: human hair accepts heat and color; standard synthetic has fiber memory and limited heat tolerance; heat-resistant synthetic sits between the two.
- Consult for hair loss context: alopecia, chemotherapy, traction loss, and trichotillomania change density, weight, and scalp-sensitivity needs. Do not diagnose; refer medical questions.
- Match density to face shape and age, not to the client's "before" photo alone. Heavy density on a fine perimeter looks wiggy and causes traction.
Worked example
A client with thinning front edges wants a lace-front wig for a wedding. Reasoning: lace gives the most natural hairline, but the adhesive and removal routine may further irritate a fragile hairline. Offer a lace-front with a soft mono top and a low-density hairline, or a silk-top unit with a small lace front; teach a gentle removal routine and schedule a trial run at least one week before the event.
Traps
Promising an invisible hairline on every cap; choosing by style photo without measuring; ignoring the client's ability to maintain the unit; treating a hairpiece as a medical device.