A sew-in spreads its cost across salon appointments and repeats them every install; a wig is one purchase and a small kit. Put in your stylist's prices and see which costs less over 3, 6 or 12 months, and how much time each takes.
Over 6 months, the glueless wig costs $719 less.
That's $157 a month for the sew-in against $37 for the wig. Salon prices are the ones in the form: put in your stylist's.
| Hair: bundles and a closure | $250 |
|---|---|
| Installation | $450 |
| Touch-up appointment | $120 |
| Take-down | $120 |
3 installs, each taken down after 8 weeks, with the hair reused once. About 9–15 hours in the salon chair (three to five hours an install).
| Glueless wig | $165 |
|---|---|
| Kit: wig caps, grip band, elastic (melt) band, wig stand | $56 |
130 wears at 5 days a week, within the roughly 160 wears one wig lasts. About 22–43 hours fitting it, at 10 to 20 minutes a morning.
| Sew-in | Glueless wig | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Wins: sewn to your braids, it doesn't shift | Secure with a good fit and a grip band, but removable |
| Mornings | Wins: you wake up with your hair done | 10 to 20 minutes to fit |
| Your hairline | Braids under tension for weeks, often adhesive at the front | Wins: off every night, no adhesive |
| Washing | On your head, and the braids must dry completely | Wins: in a sink, dried on a stand |
| Changing your look | The same style for weeks | Wins: a different wig any day |
Read more: frontal sew-in vs frontal wig · closure sew-ins · wigs as a protective style. The wig's cost per wear.
The cost structure is our frontal sew-in vs frontal wig guide's: a sew-in costs the hair plus an install, a touch-up and a take-down every time, and bundles can sometimes be reused for a second install; a wig is one purchase and a small kit (caps, grip band, melt band and stand, at the cheapest we list). Sew-ins come down after six to eight weeks and take three to five hours to put in; a glueless wig takes 10 to 20 minutes a morning once practised and lasts about 160 wears. Hair prices start at the median of what we list. Salon prices vary too much to know, so the ones filled in are examples: change them to your stylist's. Care products cost much the same either way, so they're left out.
Usually the wig. A sew-in costs the hair plus an install, touch-up and take-down every time, repeated every six to eight weeks; a glueless wig is one purchase and a small kit. Put your stylist's prices into the calculator to see your own numbers.
Six to eight weeks is typical before it should come down, depending on your own hair and scalp. The bundles can sometimes be reused for a second install if they are cared for.
A glueless wig is gentler on your hairline: it comes off every night, needs no adhesive and puts no long-term tension on braids. A sew-in is more secure and means no fitting each morning.
