How to Measure Your Head for a Wig: Three Measurements
Quick answer: Record three separate measurements—around the head, ear-to-ear over the crown, and front-to-back—because a wig maker may size from more than circumference. Use a soft tape, keep it comfortably against the head without pulling, and compare the results with the exact maker’s chart.
How to take the three measurements
- Circumference: Start at the front hairline, follow the hairline to the nape, continue around the head, and return to the starting point.
- Ear to ear: Follow the maker’s route over the top of the head from the hairline above one ear to the other. Jon Renau’s stock-system method places a reference point seven inches back from the front hairline; other makers may specify a different route.
- Front to back: Measure along the center of the head from the front hairline to the nape hairline.
If you will wear the wig over your own hair, prepare or wrap your hair as you intend to wear it before measuring. Jon Renau recommends measuring in the planned hair configuration and using the largest of the three chart-indicated sizes when the measurements do not match one row. That is Jon Renau’s guidance, not a universal rule for every maker.
Printable measurement worksheet
| Measurement | My result | Manufacturer chart row |
|---|---|---|
| Circumference | _____ in / _____ cm | ________________ |
| Ear to ear (maker’s route) | _____ in / _____ cm | ________________ |
| Front to back | _____ in / _____ cm | ________________ |
| Hair preparation used | ________________________________________ | |
| Brand and exact model | ________________________________________ | |
Before using the result
Repeat a measurement if the tape slipped, crossed a different route, or was pulled tight. Keep the path consistent and write down the maker’s chart version or product page date. The numbers describe head measurements; they are not measurements of a lace closure or frontal. For a worked manufacturer example, use our Jon Renau size chart.
Editorial scope: This worksheet organizes manufacturer directions. It is not a fit guarantee or an in-person fitting.
