Lace closure vs lace frontal: which to choose

The short answer

Both pieces do the same job: they finish an install of bundles, or form the top of a wig, so that no natural hair has to be left out to blend. The difference is how much of the head is lace. A closure is a patch of lace on top, sized to the parting. A frontal is lace across the whole front hairline. More lace gives more styling freedom and asks for more work, more skill and more care.

So the question to ask the wearer is not which piece looks better, but how she wears her hair: one parting or many, hair down or off the face, worn up or not. The answer decides the piece. Sizes within each type, from 2x6 closures to 360 frontals, are covered in the closure and frontal size guide; this page is about choosing the type.

Choose by the wearer

Most mistakes in ordering come from buying a frontal for a client who wears one middle part, or a closure for a client who wants her hair swept back. Match the piece to the habit.

Install: what each one takes

A closure is sewn down over a braided base or built into a closure wig, with the bundles sewn or wefted around it. Only the parting area is lace, so there is little to tint, pluck or lay. That makes it the usual first install for a new stylist, and the quicker appointment for a busy salon.

A frontal is laid along the hairline. With adhesive, the lace is cut to the hairline, glued or bonded, then melted down and styled. Glueless frontal wigs use an elastic band, combs or adjustable straps instead. Before either, most installers customise the frontal: bleaching the knots so they do not show as dots, plucking the hairline so it is less dense at the edge, and tinting the lace to the skin. That is why frontal installs take longer and cost the client more in the chair.

Neither needs a different hair. The bundles, the closure and the frontal can all be the same texture and shade, so the install reads as one head of hair.

Styling: parting, hairline and ponytails

• Parting. On a closure, the part has to fall inside the lace. On a frontal it can go anywhere across the front, and a 13x6 lets it run deeper back than a 13x4.
• Hairline. A closure install hides the hairline under the hair. A frontal makes a new hairline that can be shown, with baby hairs styled at the edges if the wearer likes them.
• Off the face. Slicked-back styles and pulled-back fringes need a frontal, because the front edge has to look like skin.
• Ponytails and buns. A standard frontal stops above the ears, so a high ponytail shows the wefts at the back. For styles worn up, the choice is a 360 frontal or a full lace wig. The blog compares full lace, 360 and lace front wigs in more depth.

Lace life and maintenance

The hair in a closure or frontal lasts as long as the bundles: 3–5 years with proper care. The lace is what wears out first, and how fast depends on how it is installed and removed.

Closure lace sits on top of the head, mostly covered by hair, and is often sewn rather than glued, so it sees less adhesive and less friction. Frontal lace sits at the hairline. Every install brings adhesive, and every day brings make-up, sweat and touching at the edges. Pulling adhesive off instead of dissolving it is the most common way frontal lace tears, so a frontal is usually replaced because of the lace, not the hair. Our guide to safe removal for every install type covers the method.

• Dissolve adhesive with a remover and let it work before lifting the lace.
• Wash the lace area with diluted shampoo and keep conditioner off the knots, which loosens them.
• Dry the lace flat and store frontals on a head or flat so the lace does not crease.
• For a frontal worn every day, plan a re-lay schedule with the client rather than wearing one install until the lace lifts.

How many bundles with each

A bundle is 100 g. As general practice, installers start from three bundles with a closure for a full sew-in at mid lengths, and three or four with a frontal. A frontal install is often styled fuller at the hairline, where the wearer shows it, so many stylists add a bundle. Long lengths and fuller densities need more hair in both cases.

Rather than guess, work it out from length and density with the bundle calculator, and check lengths against the hair length chart. Wig makers building closure and frontal units in volume will find order planning on the wholesale hair for wig makers page.

What drives the cost

We do not quote prices on this page; the quote depends on the mix. What moves the cost of a closure or a frontal:

• Lace area. A frontal has far more lace than a closure, and every square inch is hand-knotted, hair by hair.
• Length. Longer hair means more hair in the same lace area.
• Lace type. HD lace is finer and more delicate to knot than transparent lace. The HD vs transparent lace guide compares them.
• Customising. Pre-plucked hairlines and bleached knots add hand work before dispatch.
• Hair and shade. Raw hair comes only in the donor's own texture and shade, while lifted blondes are made from Remy hair; see raw vs virgin vs Remy.

What to order

Closures: HD lace closure, 4x4 straight closure, body wave closure, deep wave closure and kinky curly closure, or browse wholesale lace closures. Frontals: 13x4 HD lace frontal, 13x6 HD lace frontal, pre-plucked 13x6 HD frontal and 360 lace frontal, or browse wholesale lace frontals. Made-up units: closure wigs and lace front wigs.

There is no minimum order. To compare a closure and a frontal side by side before stocking both, start with a sample kit or a few pieces, and say on the enquiry if you want knots bleached or transparent lace instead of HD; it is written on the proforma invoice.