What does bleaching the knots on a wig mean? One effective technique for making a wig look natural is to bleach the knots. The hair strands of a full lace wig are secured with easily visible knots. When you bleach these knots, they become less noticeable, and more of your scalp shows through.
Although it’s a simple process, the learning curve is steep. Bleach can lead to an irreversible chemical reaction, but you can get the hang of it with guidance. Before you buy any hair bleach and get started, we’ll review everything you need to know below.
What Does Bleaching the Knots on a Wig Mean?
The right wig can completely transform a person’s look.
But no matter what you’re going for in terms of hairstyle, the wigs you wear should look completely natural — because of this, bleaching the wig knots is essential.
Knots on a frontal wig or hair replacement system can be made less obvious through bleaching.
What Exactly Are Wig Knots?
Each strand of hair in a lace closure wig is secured to the wig cap with a knot.
These knots aid in attaching the hair to the lace, reducing the likelihood of excessive shedding and hair loss.
Wig knots come in two types.
Single Knots
Single knots are constructed with only one hair strand, making them very tiny knots.
These knots are typically found along the lace wigs’ frontal units.
Single knots are best for the hairline and section of a front wig because they have a more natural look and are nearly undetectable.
Also, bleaching single knots takes less time and effort than double knots. One drawback of using single knots is they tend to fall apart.
Wigs that are made entirely of single knots are typically more costly.
Double Knots
Double knots are formed by tying at least two hair strands to the transparent lace.
These knots are more prominent and stand out since they look like black dots. As a result, they look less natural than real hair.
You’ll typically find double knots two inches past the wig hairline. They can be more challenging to bleach.
However, double knots are far more resilient than single knots; thus, wigs with them tend to have less hair shedding.
The durability of the lace is also higher. They are commonly used to increase wig density.
What’s the Purpose of Bleaching the Knots on a Wig?
Bleaching the knots in the wig or hair system may seem unnecessary.
However, these hair knots can be seen as tiny dots at the wig’s base that look like small seeds, so bleaching them is usually recommended. Otherwise, they make the wig look unnatural.
In addition, the wig and lace color also need to be considered.
Improving the overall look of the lace closure upside can be as simple as bleaching the knots. By using this method, the lace base can look as smooth and delicate as the skin covering your scalp.
No one will suspect you are wearing a lace closure; everyone will assume it’s your natural hairline.
How To Bleach Knots on a Wig
Bleach chemicals can quickly harm synthetic hair fibers and top silk wigs, so make sure only to bleach human hair wigs.
In addition, the developer and bleach should be combined in proportion to the wig’s thickness and length.
Here’s a simple tutorial for bleaching the knots on a wig to look more like natural hair.
Things You Need To Prepare Before Bleaching Wig Knots
When bleaching knots, it’s important to have everything you’ll need to complete the job. Here’s a list of the things you’ll need:
- Bleaching powder
- Developer
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic cap
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing brush
- Tinting brush
- Gloves
- Mannequin head or foam head
- Alligator clips
- Neutralizing shampoo
Steps for Bleaching Wig Knots
1. Get the Lace Wig Ready
Prepping your lace wig is essential before you begin mixing the bleaching solution. First, make sure the lace wig is securely fastened to the mannequin head or another soft base, such as a foam head.
Be mindful of the wig’s baby hairs, as well. When bleaching the knots in a pre-plucked wig, it is crucial to trim them first. Otherwise, the knots and the baby hairs could be bleached together.
After securely placing the lace wig, you can spray cold water on the roots. In case of a bleach leak or if it trickles down to the roots, the water would act as a barrier and prevent any damage.
2. Mix the Bleach Solution
Wear protective gloves before mixing the bleach to avoid getting any on your hands.
Then, prepare the professional developer and bleach powder. For a successful mixture, make sure you follow the proper instructions.
If no measurements are provided, use the standard ratio of one-to-one.
If the mixture is thick, you can tell there’s enough bleach powder and that the two components have been blended correctly.
Stir it until it reaches the desired consistency. Avoid bleaching the knots in the wig while the solution is still watery. It will only saturate the roots of the hair, which could be damaging.
You can choose between 10, 20, 30, or 40-volume developers.
The higher the volume, the faster the bleaching process will be. A developer with 20 or 30-volume will guarantee an excellent result and a more natural color for your knots if you have black hair or dark brown hair.
But a 40-volume developer may be the best option if your skin tone is lighter. This also works for a light-colored wig. On the other hand, if the developer is really strong, it could cause damage to your unbleached knots, so be careful.
3. Apply the Bleach Mixture on the Wig Knots
Always start at the front hairline when bleaching wig knots. First, ensure you don’t get any mixtures on the hair roots by brushing them lightly into the knots. Then, use alligator clips or T pins for a more precise application.
Wrap aluminum foil around the bleached knots and let them sit for half an hour. Sometimes wigs can lighten quickly (as little as 15 minutes), so keep an eye on them. If you lose track of time, the knots could get over-bleached, leading to a blonde color and a brassy lace closure.
In this case, you can use hair dye to fix mistakes.
4. Wash the Hair and Rinse the Bleach
Make sure to rinse the wig promptly and wash it with a neutralizing shampoo after bleaching the knots to the right hair color. This will stop the chemical processing.
After this, condition the wig’s hair for a few minutes before rinsing it again. The hair will be softer and less likely to dry out if you do this. You can also apply a leave-in conditioner.
Be careful if you decide to blow dry your lace wig, as you could risk damaging it. Instead of blow-drying your wig, you can squeeze the hair softly with a towel to remove the excess water.
After that, hang the wig somewhere and let it air dry away from direct sunlight.
Final Thoughts
If you want to make a standard lace wig seem more natural, bleaching the knots is a good place to start.
By minimizing the visibility of the knots, your wig will seem like it’s growing from your scalp.
Fortunately, you can achieve this without leaving your house with the right information and some time and effort.
