Wig Care

The very first wig I bought was a cheap pink bob from Price Attack. A friend of mine was having a fancy dress party, and seeing as I couldn't afford to buy or hire a proper costume, I decided to wear a cute outfit with a wig and say I was a doll. I never thought that ten years later I would be dressing like a doll on a regular basis, for no other reason than because it's fun.

As a cosplayer and alternative fashion lover, I've accumulated a rather nice collection of wigs over the last few years. As mentioned in my Eurovision post, I purchase the majority of my wigs from www.dolluxe.com. They have an amazing range for both daily wear and cosplay, however you have to be prepared to pay for the good quality. Fortunately, they have recently introduced free shipping throughout the United States, and internationally for orders over ninety-nine dollars.

If you're looking for something specific, say for an anime cosplay, I find eBay to be a decent resource, although it can be a bit hit and miss. I ordered a black wig with a detachable ponytail for my Vanellope Von Schweetz cosplay. Stupidly, I didn't think to try it on before I started making and attaching the candy. I was horrified to find that the wig was too small, so the hair at the nape of my neck was visible. To make matters worse, the ponytail was too heavy and caused the wig to slip off altogether! Thankfully, I didn't lose my head and decided to dye my hair black to make the gap less obvious. I would have been in more trouble had the wig been an unnatural colour.

Vanellope Von Schweetz (Wreck It Ralph) - Gold Coast Supanova 2013

When you do find a wig that you like, it's important to take care of it. Just like real hair, it is possible to shampoo and condition a synthetic wig. I'm not perfect. There have been plenty of times when I've left an event and pulled off my wig, shoving it in the back seat of the car and promising to take care of it as soon as I get home. But then it stays there for a week until someone sits on it and I finally decide to put it away. Recently, I've vowed to be a bit more respectful.

I picked up a shampoo and conditioner from Starkles for about seventeen dollars each. The first time I tried them, I managed to wash eight wigs before I ran out of conditioner. I only used about half a bottle of shampoo. I've since changed my technique, shampooing multiple wigs at once, before adding some conditioner and rinsing them in cold water.

I started with a wig I purchased from Starkles. I figured it was best to learn using a plain, straight wig. The instructions say to put some shampoo in a bucket of cold water, however I chose to use lukewarm water.

Long straight purple wig submerged in lukewarm water.

I also found rubbing some shampoo into the wig cap to be effective. I personally don't use a protective cap when I wear wigs, as I have very short hair. Instead, I gel my hair down to create a kind of shell. This stops my head from getting itchy under my wigs, but it also means the wigs are in contact with sweat, hair product and make up. This is a completely personal choice. If you feel more comfortable with the protective cap, go for it.

Gently rub some shampoo into the wig cap to remove the majority of the dirt.

Dunk the wig into the soapy water a few times before using the conditioner.

Although you can't work the shampoo into a lather like with normal hair, I found it didn't hurt to carefully massage it into the wig. Once you've finished, rinse off as much as you can into the bucket before using the conditioner.

Pouring the conditioner directly onto the wig uses far too much product.

I feel adding a spray nozzle to the conditioner bottle would be a good idea. I poured the conditioner directly onto the wigs, gently rubbing it into the hair. While effective, this method wasted far too much product. After letting the conditioner sit on the hair for a few minutes, rinse the wig thoroughly in the shower.

Use fresh cold water to rinse the wig.

After rinsing the wig, place it on a towel and roll it up, squeezing out as much excess water as you can. To completely dry the wig, you will need to hang it up for a few hours. I left mine overnight.

Hang wet wigs to dry overnight. Place a towel on the floor underneath to catch excess water.

When the wig is completely dry, use a metal brush to comb out any minor tangles. I found brushing my wigs before beginning the shampooing process to be extremely helpful. If your wig is particularly messy before you begin, I would suggest using a fairly sturdy brush. Don't be afraid to be a bit rough with the hair. It will frizz up, but this will calm once you have washed and conditioned the wig. Be sure to grip the hair at the base of the cap to avoid pulling out the fibres.

Grip the wig at the base of the cap when brushing out stubborn tangles. This way, you can be rough without pulling the hair away from the cap.

Clean and dry wigs ready to be stored.

Hair is clean, dry and silky smooth.

Finally, although the floor may seem like a convenient place to store your wig after a long day at a convention, it's a good idea to get into the habit of combing out the tangles and placing it in a box or drawer. I use the cardboard gift boxes you can buy from discount variety stores like Stacks.

I should note that I did have to cut one of my long, curly wigs as no amount of washing or brushing could reverse the damage I had done to it. I will talk about wig styling in a separate tutorial.

Happy Wig Washing!