Weave wearing and the overall appearance of a sewin have come a long way. We are far gone from the time of installing hair that looks like we installed hair. Today, there is no reason for your weave game to not be on point because let’s be real, if you don’t have the money to pay a stylist, YouTube, E how and many other resources can teach you how to do just about anything.
Many women have found themselves a new side hustle with the demand for weave installments. From crochets, to wigs to braids, there is a taste out there to feed anyone’s hunger. While a lot of people opt to try new hairstyles like faux locs, which have become a kind of go to for a host of black women, there are those who like to keep it simple with a more traditional weave installment.
As with any industry, there have been a plethora of innovations in the field of black hair, particularly when it comes to wearing extensions. Without a doubt, one of the best additions in the weave wearing game to hit the shelves of beauty supply stores and online suppliers everywhere is front closures.
A closure is a very simple and convenient alternative to leaving a portion of your hair out when you have your Brazilian (or whatever choice of texture, etc.) hair installed. Remember here that the key to weave wearing is to ensure that your do looks as natural as possible. While leaving some hair out at the top in order to blend it with your installment has been common practice, a closure, which his a small hair piece unit, allows you to braid all of your hair, install your bundles and leave none of your hair exposed, which still allows your sew in to look natural.
The front closure technique is a great option for just about anyone who wears weave and it is especially a great choice for women with natural hair because many times your installment may call for you to straighten your hair constantly, which can obviously damage and dry out your hair.
With front closures, there are two options to from which to choose and while some think that they are one in the same, they are indeed very different. When dealing with a closure, it will either be a lace closure or a silk base closure and it is important to know the difference so that you can make the best choice for you.
So to make sure you are well informed and know what you are getting yourself into, here is a breakdown of the difference between a lace closure and a silk base closure.
First of all, before getting into the intricate details, know that the purpose for both is the same and both can be installed by gluing, taping or sewing. It all just depends on you and what works best for your situation.
Now here are some of the differences Between Lace Closure and Silk Base Closure: ( Watch the VIDEOS below:)
The Foundation
The base of a lace closure is of course- lace, with hair strands rooted through tiny holes. The installation is fairly easy and blending it with the rest of your hair should not be a problem. Lace closures usually are thinner and lay flatter on your head allowing for a more natural hairline and overall look.
One of the drawbacks, however, with lace closures is that most of the time, you will have to do some kind of bleaching or add some material underneath in order to make it look as natural as possible. You will also see “gridlines” or the outlines of the lace itself, which will call for you to make some adjustments. This has a lot to do with the construction, which is discussed below.With silk base closures, the strands of hair are intertwined in a nude, silk material that is very skinlike and is reinforced with a piece of lace. Silk closures tend to last longer and, something that is a sticking point for a lot of people, don’t usually require any bleaching. Furthermore, silk closures tend to look the most natural, which makes it a favorite amongst a lot of weave wearers.
The Construction
As mentioned above, lace closures’ construction consists of tiny black knots that enable the hair to stay connected to the lace material. This is a great way for the closures to be made but may not necessarily serve as the best way to allow for a blended natural look. The knots are also the reason that a lot of stylists choose to bleach the lace of a closure because when against your scalp, it can take away from the hairstyle. Most of the time, nonetheless, that is a small issue as the convenience of a lace closure outweighs the alteration you might have to make for it to truly work.
You also want to consider the density of a lace closure. The higher the density the more natural look it is going to have and the less heavy and stiff it will be. You don’t want it to look bulky.
The construction of silk closure makes the small hair unit look more natural and most like your scalp. Because of the material that is underneath (silk) it acts as the most ideal method for using a closure as the finishing piece to your hair install.
The Color
The lace of a closure can come in difference shades, which is very helpful in making sure that what you are getting works best with your scalp color. It cannot be reiterated enough about the importance of making your sew in look as natural as possible. With that, though the lace of closures can come in different colors, they are still very much transparent so you will see whatever it lays on.
On the flip side, silk closures are not as transparent because there is a layer of material, which we discussed above, that gives you the look of hairs coming out of a natural scalp.
The Cost and Longevity
Now what would cause a person to choose one closure over the other? There are pretty much two basic reasons- longevity and cost.
Lace closure will be more affordable. While you may have to put in extra effort, you have to determine if that effort is worth the dollars you will save. The materials that silk closures are made make them more expensive. This does not necessarily mean that the hair is better, because you can get the same kind of hair in both types.
The other thing to consider is the longevity which most people agree, the silk closure lasts longer.
There are a lot of differences in a silk and lace closure but the overall purpose remains. They can help make your lookvery natural and can help to ensure that you are not putting too much stress and damage on your own, real hair.
