spotting low quality frontals and picking better quality ones

Spotting Low-Quality Frontals and Picking Better Quality Ones

Can't Front a Frontal

Frontals are fabulous hair pieces that have swept the hair industry by storm lately. A laid frontal can pull an entire look together and is the centerpiece of a hairstyle or wig. To ensure that your frontal looks like the scalp, and undisputably laid baby hairs, and your style or unit is flawless, you must invest in your frontal. While you can fake edges, length and hair color you can't front on a frontal, quality is a must when purchasing this must have hair item.

Signs of A Low-Quality Frontal

Imagine buying hair; you feel it soft and bouncy before installation, and you fork over the two hundred. Then you pull your hair out the bag, get it installed, and leave the salon feeling fabulous, only for a week or two later your bundles won't curl, shed like crazy and are always getting tangled. With your money wasted, and your heart crushed, you ask yourself "How could I have avoided this?" Just like securing beautiful, soft and long-lasting bundles is essential to an elegant style, a frontal is equally as important. Unlike bundles, however, a low-quality frontal are easy to spot because despite how the hair feels, the proof is in the lace! The top three ways to spot a frontal not worthy of your hard on coins hiding in the lace:

1. Thick Lace

If you have thick lace, please do not bother asking 'Lace Front where?!' because the reply will be 'right there sis, right there.' Frontals are made with thin lace so that it can be easily cut, lay flat and blend nicely with the skin on the perimeter of your hairline.

2. Oddly Colored

The lace on a frontal or closure should be "clear" instead of another darker color unless you asked for it to be customized ahead of time. Otherwise, frontals that have grey-ish colored lace or brown lace is not lace as advertised and is likely mixed with something else. Oddly colored frontals will have a harder time blending with your skin and scalp. This is due to the lace being harder to color and possibly reacting badly to the bleach.

3. Thick Black Pores

There are squares on each frontal, and black hair bulbs attached to the lace. While most frontal's are slightly noticeable if the bulbs are huge and visible from far away chances are the frontal will be harder to bleach and tint.

Tips for Serving Frontal Realness

1. Bleach Your Frontal

Depending on the density and tint that you desire for your frontal, different developers can be used to replicate a natural scalp. I usually use 20 Vol. developer for fifteen minutes. I liked to mix the bleach and developer in equal parts until it has a "syrup" consistency. Using an applicator, I spread the mixture evenly across the length of the frontal and then lay it on foil to help quicken the process. Be careful when bleaching your frontal or you run the risk of dying your hair (this happened to me before, and I had slightly blonde hair roots on the base of the frontal). Set a timer and check the frontal periodically. You may even want to practice this on a cheaper frontal!

To Bleach Or Not to Bleach

People who are on a budget and do not pay for customization along with others, like me, who have had some close calls with DIY tinting of frontals, opt to skip it altogether. If for whatever reason, you decide not to bleach your frontal there are other options.

Use A Stocking Cap

Buy a flesh colored stocking cap from the hair store. Some companies even provide a stocking cap in nude, light brown and dark brown tones when a customer purchases items like wigs or frontals. The cap will help protect your hair from the pull of the frontal or the products added to keep the frontal in place. Additionally, this will help the frontal to look more natural without tinting the lace.

Add Make-Up

Adding makeup along the perimeter of the frontal or along the whole frontal will help make the frontal look more like scalp and blend with your hair. Try using a powder foundation or concealer that matches your skin tone or a shade lighter. Liquid concealers will bleed through lace and are harder to remove later on. Whether you bleach the frontal or use makeup, the foundation of a beautiful and natural style is a quality frontal.

Debunking Frontal Myths

Although many companies will argue that lower-quality frontals will shed and bald, the truth is all frontals are subject to shedding and balding. Balding and shedding occur naturally because the hair is virtually manufactured onto the lace and not built to last forever. It will shed and thin just like natural hair over time. The difference lies in the rate at which the frontal deteriorates. Consequently, as a proud 22-inch lace frontal owner, with the lace, bleached and tinted to perfection, you must take good care of your frontal to ensure longevity. Do not overpluck or manipulate your frontal. Overplucking will cause the hair in the areas to be thinner and more subject to extra hair loss. Furthermore, continually removing and re-installing the frontal without proper removal solvent and cleansing can cause rips in the lace and excessive shedding. Most frontals are made to last through two hairstyles or a few months with proper care.

Calling All Frontals

Frontals are meant to be an excellent addition to your hairstyle or wig. It can be hard when purchasing online or from a store to distinguish a quality frontal from a less effective one. However, it is essential to read reviews and watch videos before buying online to ensure you get the quality advertised. Additionally, look for the telltale signs of a lousy frontal like darkly tinted, thick or black spotted lace. Do you have any tips on spotting a lousy frontal, drop them below!

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