Taking care of wigs?

[7bijou7]

How does one 'take care' of a wig. I had a wig that I bought cheaply at Partycity last year, which I didn't take very good care of, all rattled and oily(I didn't relize you couldn't use hair gel on wigs) and red sharpied.

This year I'm planning to get 2 or 3 wigs online for 40$ or so, and hope for better quality. My parents are always saying 'you aren't gonna take care of it well blah blah'

So I'm wonderin', how does one take care of a wig? what supplies should I get? Should I get a manikin(belive thats what they're called right? The styrofoam heads?) Will it cost alot? Should I get alot? Or is it just as easy as a comb?

[Cassiopeia]

Yeah, you'll want to get some wig heads to hold your wigs. They shouldn't be too expensive.

You want to be VERY careful when combing a wig. Really, do it as little as possible if at all. Fibers will tear out no matter how gently you comb, and they will never grow back.

If you wear a wig a lot, you'll probably want to wash it after several uses. Soaking it in cold water with a little bit of a really light or wig shampoo should work.

For detangling wigs, I hear sheen spray or something of the sort does the trick, but I've never tried it.

[~boogiepop~]

Hmmm, there are a lot of different methods and such people have for keeping their wigs nice. I'll just post my own personal preference on how to work with things.

Defiantly get some wig heads. Styrofoam ones a great if you are going to be styling, straightening or washing a wig. I recently got some little plastic ones too that are more stylish and aren't as ugly. I've heard they are better for some reason, I'm not sure why. Both are around the same price though.

If you don't have the money to invest in wig heads, your best friends are plastic bags! Save the bags that your wigs come in! They are really sturdy and great for transporting wigs. If you threw them away though, you can just use ziplocs.

If you are storing long wigs the best way to keep them looking nice and to avoid tangles is to put the hair in  a loose braid and either a. wrap it around the base of the wig head or b. Turn your wig inside out and tuck the braid inside it before sticking it in a ziploc.

Short wigs are a little easier, just leave 'em be if they are on a wig head or just turn them inside out before sticking them in a plastic bag.

ALWAYS STORE HEAVILY STYLED WIGS ON WIG HEADS.

Buy a wig brush. They may not seem likes the help much but I recently bought one and OH LAWDY, IT'S SO NICE. Doesn't pull out as many fibers as a comb or brush would and it's got nice little metal bits in it...

If I have a wig with little styling (like just a little hairspray or something) I like to wash them after a con. The method that Cassiopeia suggested is the best. I usually do that and then put one of my wig heads on a broom and take it in the shower with me. I'll brush it out in there since it seems a little easier. I also put just a LITTLE bit of conditioner on my wigs. It helps take tangles out wig and makes them smell all nice and pretty.

And that's really it. Hope that helps.

[nikkiolie]

Detangling sprays that you would use on your own hair help when combing out a wig. The oils make the wig slick and easy to comb (you can also use conditioner to do this and wipe it off with a towel once it is detangled). A wig brush does help a lot but a wide tooth comb also works just fine. I love my wig brush but sometimes it doesn't get to the fibers at the base of the wig to brush so I use a comb as well. Always start at the bottom of the wig and work your way up. Do not put the comb or brush at the scalp and move down this will tear out a lot of fibers and cause the wig to kink and fray. Be patient when combing it out. A tangled wig take a long time to brush out. x.x

A wig head helps a lot. I try to have one for all my wigs. For the longer wigs I mainly just let the hair hand off a shelf (at least that is what my Kuja wig is doing right now). Also, if you dyed your wig I would test washing a small section before you do the whole thing. Most of the time the dyed come out if you wash them, at least Katie Blair's does (know from experience x.x).

I also was told about this lubricant (I think it was WD40) that helps long wigs from getting tangled and it doesn't leave an oily mess. I can try to find that for you if you are interested.

The wigs you get at Party City are crap so I am not surprised they were ruined. Thes other ones you get should last a while as long as you follow the steps given to you. Even with that wigs (mainly long wigs) get frayed and need to be replaced with time. My old Kuja wig is crap now but I have had it for almost a year and have worn it to three cons and several other events including a dance. That is another thing, if you can avoid it do not wear a long wig to a dance, the fibers that rest on your neck get tangled very easily.

[Cyprus]

Detangling sprays that you would use on your own hair help when combing out a wig. The oils make the wig slick and easy to comb (you can also use conditioner to do this and wipe it off with a towel once it is detangled). A wig brush does help a lot but a wide tooth comb also works just fine. I love my wig brush but sometimes it doesn't get to the fibers at the base of the wig to brush so I use a comb as well. Always start at the bottom of the wig and work your way up. Do not put the comb or brush at the scalp and move down this will tear out a lot of fibers and cause the wig to kink and fray. Be patient when combing it out. A tangled wig take a long time to brush out. x.x

A wig head helps a lot. I try to have one for all my wigs. For the longer wigs I mainly just let the hair hand off a shelf (at least that is what my Kuja wig is doing right now). Also, if you dyed your wig I would test washing a small section before you do the whole thing. Most of the time the dyed come out if you wash them, at least Katie Blair's does (know from experience x.x).

I also was told about this lubricant (I think it was WD40) that helps long wigs from getting tangled and it doesn't leave an oily mess. I can try to find that for you if you are interested.

The wigs you get at Party City are crap so I am not surprised they were ruined. Thes other ones you get should last a while as long as you follow the steps given to you. Even with that wigs (mainly long wigs) get frayed and need to be replaced with time. My old Kuja wig is crap now but I have had it for almost a year and have worn it to three cons and several other events including a dance. That is another thing, if you can avoid it do not wear a long wig to a dance, the fibers that rest on your neck get tangled very easily.

I don't know if you really want to use WD-40 unless you don't mind smelling like a car mechanic everytime you wear it. It would work well yes, considering it's an industrial lubricant/rust remover, but I would avoid using it because it STINKS.

[~boogiepop~]

There's lots of alternatives to WD-40 that don't smell bad. Oil sprays seem to be popular, though I haven't used them before. Motion sheen's oil spray is what I've heard of the most?

[LtCommanderRichie]

:< what's wrong with smelling like a mechanic?

[The_Geek]

:< what's wrong with smelling like a mechanic?

Nothing, as long as you are cosplaying a mechanic as well. (Or something along the industrial lines.)

My best advice is to purchase wig heads, keep your wigs on them, cover them with plastic, then don't touch them. The less you touch them before you pack them for the con or wear them - the less tangled they will get - the less brushing you will do - the better wig quality.