The Real Use of Lace Products

Lace hair products were originally meant for theater, television, and film production. However, these products became very popular in everyday wear. When I first noticed them being popularized in everyday wear was in 2008-2010.

At first, I thought it was a dope idea. I liked the way they looked. I liked that they looked so natural on the girls and woman on television. When I was a teenager all the video vixens and popular actresses at the time had the best hair! Trina and Vivica Fox were my top favorites!

I did the iconic Trina middle part in high school and it has had me in a choke hold ever since. I always wondered how their hair was sooooo perfect. Then, when I started watching Tyra Banks and her Americas next top model show, her hair ate! Tyra’s hair gave me life! I was always looking for where her hair started and where her hair ended and I could never tell.

Then I saw Mary J Blige on a magazine cover and I was looking for the same thing with her hair. Where did it end and where did it start? Someone told me she had every single one of her hair strands fused at the ends with hair extension hair. Could you image? Fusing a single strand of hair with a single strand of hair? That would take days! Hahahaha! Although it would probably be the best and most expensive hair extensions out, I would have to charge a million dollars a client.

I digress, so when I actually found out how they were achieving these looks, the lightbulb went off in my head. So, when woman started coming into the hair salon to get this service, I realized it wasn’t what it was all cracked up to be.

Back when we first started installing them for everyday wear, women were shaving off there edges and using glue to lay down the lace. Then if the lace wasn’t sticking, they would call and complain every time it lifted up. That was enough for me to pass on doing it because I hate being harassed by clients lol.

On top of that I did not fully like the way they looked in the front. There was so many cons that for about the next 7-8 years I was not interested in the service. Then, the wave started coming back around and these new stylist took it to a whole other level! Bay Be! They had that lace laid! They were not using glue and the hair line looked more natural than the natural hair line.

Tokyo Stylez was one of the new stylist to take it all the way there and was such a big inspiration for me to try lace products again. I started doing them before I took his class back in 2016. After taking his class I came back to Denver and was one of the first stylist to start with the modern version of lace melting. My clients loved it! I was able to maintain the health of their natural hair and create a natural looking lace hair pieces.

We had to implement some rules of course, because they was not about to drive me crazy talking bout how they lace was lifting every dang day. After working out a few kinks it was very successful for me. I’m still on the fence till this day only because of the time it takes to prepare the lace, install, and style, and leaving it on for long period of times is not recommended. The amount of time it takes to make look perfect, braid down, style, lay the lace, I just hate to charge what I feel is adequate because of how long it last.

I do have clients who I sew them on, so it last longer. However, at the end of the day its up to you to maintain the lace. If you want your lace melt to look like god himself laid it, then its your responsibility to maintain it in between visits to your stylist. Otherwise it looks a hot gross mess. I don’t mind even laying your lace once a week as long as you come in with it clean and ready to go. If you have a stylist that has the time to lay your lace and do a full service once a week, even better. If not, then you need to learn how to maintain it at home because these are not meant for everyday wear.

I see now stylist coming up with adhesives that you can spray on top of the lace to melt it. Water proof adhesives, and adhesives that last for a month. Even with that, the look and maintenance is ultimately left up to you.