For Black women, wigs are more than just a fashion statement – they’re a means of self-expression that carries centuries of history.
Considering their popularity among women of color, any hair vendor worth their salt must consider stocking a variety of wigs and hair extensions to cater to fashionable Black women.
In this blog, we’ll cover the types of wigs that are likely to help you attract and retain customers looking for Black hair products.
Table of Contents
Market growth overview for wigs
12 trendy wig types for Black women
Conclusion
Market growth overview for wigs
At least five in 10 people wear wigs or hair extensions. Add a growing list of celebrities to the mix, and you have a ballooning industry.
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are full of wig-related content, where creators share styling tips and tricks and invite users to experiment with different colors and styles.
These factors, among others, drive global market demand for wigs and extensions, valued at US $6.46 billion in 2022. The segment is forecast to have a compound annual growth rate of 8.4% between 2023 and 2030.
In North America, which boasts a 40% market share, a rising disposable income among consumers has helped fuel a lucrative wig industry driven by small-to-midsize online hair businesses.
12 trendy wig types for Black women
A high-quality wig can help project confidence, courage, and style. They also enhance the wearer’s natural beauty and sophistication. In addition, wigs can be switched up on a daily basis, allowing for a playful vibe without the need to change hair permanently.
Your online hair store should cater to these needs and personas by providing on-trend hairstyles as well as timeless pieces.
Below, we’ll look at 12 trendy wig types that will help to showcase your customers’ creativity and style:
1. Human hair wigs
Human hair wigs are made from donated natural human hair for a texture that can help to uplift a wearer’s looks and add a touch of finesse to their appearance.
Human hair wigs offer unmistakable natural color, texture, and malleability that synthetic wigs can’t match, making them highly sought after. In addition, zero to little modification means that these wigs have a long wear life and could even last a lifetime with the right care.
If you’re concerned that your product isn’t real, simply burn a few strands: if it singes, burns upwards, and smells like burnt hair, it’s real. If it melts into a ball and smells like burning plastic, it’s fake.
The human hair extensions market is forecasted to be worth US $7.9 billion by 2030 at a growth rate of 8.58%. Therefore, now is an excellent time to tap into the market!
2. Seamless high-definition (HD) lace wigs
HD lace wigs are made from Swiss lace, making them thinner, softer, more pliable, and more transparent than regular lace. These unique features allow for a seamless wig fit with a natural, undetectable hairline, hence the term “high-definition.”
HD lace wig units are similar but different from transparent lace wigs in that they are far more pliable, thinner, and transparent.
When buying a transparent lace wig unit, customers must consider their skin tone and lace color. They’ll also need to consider bleaching the wig’s knots to get them thinner and look more natural when applied to the scalp.
By contrast, pre-plucked HD wigs meld seamlessly with the scalp (as depicted below) and don’t necessarily need bleaching.
Considering these preferences and differences is important when stocking up. In a nutshell, HD lace wigs are ideal for customers who want a more natural, invisible hairline with minimal or no customization.
3. Full lace wigs
Full lace wigs have a lace cap base material that covers the entire scalp area, giving the illusion of natural hair around the head. This offers the wearer more versatility when styling as they can wrap the wig into a ponytail or braid it into pigtails.
This versatility is made possible because the full length and breadth of the lace cap is ventilated, making it feel like a natural extension of the wearer’s scalp when installed.
Full-lace wigs are more breathable because the base is made of lace. However, if customers prefer not to use wig caps (necessary for full lace wigs), lace front wigs are recommended instead.
Finally, full lace wigs are pricier due to their labor-intensive manufacturing process. Nevertheless, they make a wonderful addition to any wig store collection.
4. Half wigs
Also known as three-quarter wigs, half wigs are a popular way to lengthen or volumize hair without going overboard with installations.
Wearers can leave some of their natural hair (around the hairline, circumference, or middle, for example) and blend it into the rest of the wig, which creates a realistic, clip-in extension-like illusion.
Due to its limited head coverage, these wigs take less installation time and are easier to fix than full wigs. This feature makes it great for styles like high ponytails.
Some exceptions exist. For example, headband wigs are now considered half-wigs by many wig enthusiasts. They may not require leaving out a portion of the hair, but they don’t use up the entire head of hair either; the band covers up the part of the hair that should otherwise be left out, hence, the half-wig.
Headband wigs are particularly popular among women of the Black community, especially those with very nappy hair.
Other half-wig types include:
- Half-wig hair extensions
- Hair toppers
- Half-head accessories, e.g., ponytails, clip-in fringes, and ponytails
You may want to mix up wig types too, as some afro hair types might require more effort to blend seamlessly into the wig.
5. Ready-to-wear glueless wigs
Ready-to-wear wigs do not require adhesives or wig glue to stay secured. Instead, they have adjustable bands, clips, or combs that make them easy to wear.
This saves the inconvenience of laying a frontal each time and eliminates the chances of white patches due to the use of spray glue or conventional wig gel.
Furthermore, glueless wigs come in either lace front or a full wig form. But most importantly, rather than have specific dimensions, they’re made to fit a range of head sizes and shapes, so make sure to purchase with dimensions in mind.
Glueless wigs are especially popular among Black women who prefer a low-maintenance hair routine, with this style alone expected to be worth US $1.32 billion by 2032 at a growth rate of 6.3%.
6. Stylish, budget-friendly synthetic hair wigs
Unlike human hair wigs, synthetic hair wigs are made of high-temperature fibers that don’t need constant styling due to their fixed style. This means they can be washed, dried, and shaken out but will still maintain their curl.
High-quality synthetic wigs are almost identical to human hair wigs in texture and density. Even a trained eye might not be able to differentiate them from a distance.
Synthetic wigs sometimes have an unnatural shine and often come in bold colors. They also come pre-styled, meaning one can wear them right out of the box.
Compared to real hair wigs, synthetic wigs are more affordable and easier to maintain in terms of styling. That’s because synthetic hair’s “memory” fiber keeps its curl pattern permanently fixed without any effort on the client’s part. It also holds up well in bad weather, with no drooping or frizzing.
7. Quick-and-easy style u-part wigs
U-part wigs are hair extensions sewn onto u-shaped wig caps made of sheer mesh with clips underneath. Its u-shaped opening lets wearers leave space for their natural hair to blend with the wig.
They come in different sizes and designs, allowing the center, middle, or side of the user’s natural hair to show. This minimum-effort approach is a great way for users to achieve a fantastic look with little professional assistance, no adhesives, nor sew-ins.
8. T-part wigs for a versatile look
It’s easy to confuse T-part wigs with u-part wigs because they look somewhat similar. However, T-part wigs are more versatile thanks to a design that swoops down to include the ear-to-ear hairline.
T-part wigs also come with intersections at the side rather than the middle. The wearer can therefore choose to style it as a c-cut wig or stick to the conventional mid-part styling, which gives it an edge over u-part wigs.
T-part wigs are glueless for the most part. But most importantly, you can style them like a regular lace frontal with the right wig installation tools.
9. No-glue, no-fuss headband wigs
These types of wigs come with a scarf-like material attached to the front. In addition to covering the wearer’s hairline, these wigs are easy to wear and require no glue, straps, or wig combs.
Moreover, headband wigs are light, making them easy to carry, style, and maintain. The headband’s elasticity gives it a comfortable and secure fit, keeping slippage to a minimum. Their convenience makes them perfect for customers new to wearing wigs or are too busy for glues or fasteners.
10. Lace frontal wigs for a natural hairline
Lace frontal wigs (not to be confused with lace front wigs) are all the rage, and for good reason. Their versatility and natural-flowing ventilated hairline provide a feel akin to natural hair.
Lace front wigs are simply wigs with lace at the front. This lace typically covers only a tiny portion (usually 1 or 1½ inches) of the frontal hairline, with machine-weft or hand-tied wig caps covering the rest.
Lace frontal wigs, by contrast, are often 4 to 6 inches front to back and 13 inches across, covering the hairline from ear to ear.
In order to cater to different customer preferences, it’s then advisable to stock up on frontal wigs with various dimensions, such as 13×4, 13×5, and 13×6 inches. This allows your customers the flexibility to style their hair however they want, including with ponytails, a bun, or side and deep middle partings.
Like many of the wigs discussed thus far, lace frontal wigs give wearers the illusion of a natural, sleek hairline when applied correctly. Thus, this wig type is unmatched in versatility and popularity among trendy Black women.
11. Easy-install lace closure wigs
Think of closure wigs as the junior cousin to lace frontal wigs. Lace closures typically come in 4×4 inches and are added to wigs to close them off in a particular style. Depending on which style is required, they can come in sizes of 5×5, 6×6, 7×7, and even 2×6 inches.
Lace closure wigs come in three main styles: three-part, free part, and middle part.
Three-part closures give the wearer three different ways to part their hair, while middle-part closures only offer one style option. Free part closures allow users to part their hair however they please. Because of their versatility, free-part closure hairpieces are more popular among Black women.
12. 360-lace wigs for all-around coverage
A 360-lace frontal wig has a circle of lace that surrounds the head’s perimeter, unlike regular lace frontal wigs, which cover only the front.
These wigs feature human hair that is knotted by hand in the 360-lace portion but bundled in the middle, so the wearer can style the wig however they like without revealing the wefts.
The artisanship involved, stunning features, and range of flexibility make 360-lace wigs highly sought-after by women looking for that classier look.
360-lace wigs often come pre-plucked, meaning the hairline and hair around the head circumference appear natural and realistic when laid.
On the surface, 360-lace wigs may seem similar to full-lace wigs, as both wig types offer extensive styling flexibility. However, some styles, such as pigtails and space buns, are impossible with 360-lace frontal wigs.
The key is to stock both wig types and recommend them to customers based on their styling preferences and needs.
Conclusion
Our hair is our crown, and when it comes to quality, trendy wigs for Black women, that is certainly the truth. Stocking the stylish wig options discussed above will help to attract wig enthusiasts to your store with the promise of stylish upgrades to their look.
In addition, stay on trend by observing the celebrity and pop landscape, which have been crucial in redefining beauty standards with their hairstyle choices for many years. The wig trends you see today are also a result of youth preferences. Keeping up with wig trends is crucial to your business’s success, so use social media to stay current.
Once you know which styles of wig you want to source, browse the thousands of trusted varieties on Alibaba.com.
