How To Make A Wig Cosplay

A good wig tin can effortlessly brand or break your costume. Unfortunately, wigs are not always simple to piece of work with. Information technology'southward too easy for wigs to tangle and frizz when transporting them or wearing them. Inappropriate storage can besides lead to a tangled mess.

Keep your wigs in adept condition by practicing proper styling, transporting, and storage techniques. You'll also want to take some precautions when wearing your wig to forestall major damage, and you should wash wigs that are worn frequently.

Depending on the type and length of your wig, and how heavily styled it is, you lot'll take to take unlike steps to keep it in good condition. When well cared for, a wig tin last you several years before it's time to get a new one.

• Related reading: How to launder and store you cosplay costume after the convention is over

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Basic wig styling tools that you'll want are a wide-toothed rummage, a wig caput, and super strength hair spray and gel.

Stride 1: Styling your wig

In general, there are ii types of wigs. Those you tin can utilise rut to way and those y'all cannot. The rut-resistant wigs are considered higher quality and easier to mode, so they are typically more expensive. However, the cheaper wigs that are not heat resistant can be a slap-up choice for characters that don't have heavily styled hair.

Because cosplay wigs are made of plastic fibers, you should but apply heat on the low setting of a curler or straightener fifty-fifty on oestrus resistant wigs. Sometimes you tin get away with using boiling h2o and a pilus dryer on wigs that are not heat-resistant, but always examination on a small section first.

Exist sure to check all hair products yous use to see if they are flammable and save to employ with oestrus styling tools.

Other than the use of heat, pretty much all wigs tin be styled using the same techniques. Utilize these tips to preclude impairment to your wig while styling:

• Comb the wig before styling. Use a wig castor or a wide-toothed comb to brush through the wig before styling. This will ensure that it's in the best condition and prepare for whatever crazy hairstyle you lot have planned.
• Avoid using too much pilus spray and pilus glue. As well much of these supplies create a visible sticky residue, so it's e'er best to use as picayune as you tin can get abroad with. This is why heat styling is and then valuable because you lot tin can use less of these supplies to get gravity-defying hairstyles.
• Pay attention to whatsoever combustible products. Many products are highly flammable and should simply be used afterwards styling with heat. Almost pilus sprays, for instance, tin can easily catch fire with oestrus.
• Spray long wigs to prevent tangling. Long wigs tangle way too easily. To help in preventing the worst tangles later on, it's helpful to spray them with a detangling spray (brand your ain detangler by adding conditioner and water to a spray canteen and shaking it together). Spritz the wig thoroughly and comb it with a broad-toothed comb to coat the wig fibers and help prevent tangles afterwards on.
• Brush from the bottom outset. If yous have a long wig, you always desire to start brushing your wig at the tips. Otherwise, y'all are likely to damage the wig fibers and create actress knots while combing.
• Don't oestrus a wet wig. The plastic strands of wigs along with water and heat do non work well together. Expect until your wig has dried before trying to employ any kind of rut styling other than a basic hairdryer.
• Examination small sections first. Whether you lot are testing to make sure a curling fe isn't also hot or you're trying out a new hair styling product, it'due south best to test information technology out in a small surface area of the wig offset to brand sure it doesn't crusade any impairment.

Recommended wig styling products

• Got2B Glued Freeze Spray
• Got2B Glued Ultra Styling Spray
• Mane and Tail Detangler

You tin can transport a styled wig in a large bag if information technology won't be easily crushed past the flexible sides of the bag.

Pace 2: Transporting your wig

Bringing a wig to a convention often accidentally causes impairment to the wig. Transporting it safely depends on how heavily the wig is styled. A wig that does not have spikes or specific styling should be transported in its original packaging.

Identify the tissue paper inside the wig cap and cover it with the included pilus net to prevent static and frizz. Then slide it into the plastic wig bag with the crown of the caput first. Flatten the bag then that you volition be able to hands ship it in a suitcase. If you have done some pocket-sized styling to the wig, such as unproblematic spikes, y'all tin can plow your wig inside out before placing it into the wig pocketbook.

Wigs with heavy styling demand to be transported carefully to prevent any harm. It'south all-time to keep these attached to a wig head or stand so that they tin remain upright while traveling. Many people will use an quondam hatbox to keep the wig from getting knocked around and squished, simply you tin can likewise utilise a box or fifty-fifty a large, sturdy bag for these bulky designs. To immobilize the wig head in the box, you tin can duct record it to the bottom.

Regardless of how you send the wig, yous'll likely take some small fixes yous'll need to make at the convention. Bring a wig head and bones styling supplies with you to brand quick fixes before you clothing it.

Step three: Wearing your wig

Other than transport, wearing your wig is what volition cause the most damage. If you want to minimize the corporeality of wear and tear on your wig during a photoshoot or convention, you'll need to exist careful. Utilise these tips to assist keep your wig in good condition:

• Wearable a wig cap. Wearing a wig cap volition go along your wig in place more than easily, which can go along it from tangling from moving around besides much. A wig cap will as well go on the wig cleaner, which will mean you don't take to clean it as often. (detect cheap wig caps)
• Pay attention to crowds and the size of your wig. If you lot take a big, beefy wig, you'll desire to keep an centre on your periphery to make sure yous don't bump into objects or other people.
• Utilise wig clips to secure your wig to your head properly. Any wig that is heavy in the back will benefit from wig clips to go along information technology in identify on your head. (sew in small wig clips similar this)
• Rummage immediately subsequently use to prevent tangles. After you lot take your costume off, it's best to immediately comb out your wig and place it back in storage. (wide toothed combs are ameliorate and less likely to damage wig fibers)

Store lightly styled wigs in a hairnet and plastic pocketbook.

Step four: Storing your wig

Storing a wig improperly can as well lead to a ruined wig, but luckily they aren't too difficult to put away. Before storing them, you desire to give each wig a comb through to become rid of any tangles that accumulated while you wore it.

For most wigs, you'll want to accept the same steps you did while transporting. Place them dorsum in their original packaging with the hairnet to prevent actress frizz or tangles. If you don't accept the original bag, you can use a large ziplock purse for your wig. Y'all can get hair nets pretty cheaply online to assist protect your wigs.

A wig that has light styling can be turned inside out while in storage. Long wigs are more easily tangled if the bag gets moved around too much. Therefore, it's best to put these wigs into a loose braid to proceed the hair in place. A tight braid may cease upward causing kinks in the wig, so make sure it's a gentle braid with a hair tie loosely holding it together.

Complex designs should exist kept in storage in an upright position on a wig head or stand up. If yous programme on wearing them again soon, y'all tin can keep them out on a shelf. However, if you're putting the wig in storage for more than than a couple of months, it'southward best to discover a box to keep it in.

Information technology'southward actually difficult to remove dust without ruining the styling. I kept my Gon wig (from HunterxHunter) out in the open up but eventually had to throw information technology away. The problem? The fur from my rabbits got all over the wig, and I couldn't remove it without causing a ton of frizz and flyaways. So information technology's best to keep your wig somewhere that it won't accumulate too much dust and pet fur from the environment.

Step v: Washing your wig

The more you wear a wig, the sooner it volition get necessary to launder it. Wigs are very shut to our heads, so they accumulate sweat and oil from our pare. This is particularly true of any wigs worn in the heat of summer. Afterwards 3-4 times wearing the wig, it's a good idea to clean it. This will foreclose a smell from building upwards, and it tin forestall brow acne.

You volition besides desire to wash a wig if y'all ever have to remove styling products from it. If yous want to restyle a wig or reuse it for some other character, you'll need to launder the wig first.

To wash a wig:

1. Comb the wig. Offset, yous'll want to rummage the wig and remove any significant tangles. This may have a while with a long wig, simply it will keep impossible tangles from forming during the cleaning process.
2. Fill a basin with h2o and mix in shampoo. Technically you should be using wig-specific shampoo to clean wigs since it will be gentler on your wig and assist it last longer. However cosplay wigs aren't worn or washed very frequently, so information technology's okay to utilise regular shampoo or even dish soap if that's what you lot have bachelor.
3. Add the wig and gently scrub. Place the wig in the bowl and soak information technology through. Scrub the sweaty role of the wig cap to assistance clean these areas. Rub whatever areas with heavy styling products betwixt your fingers to help remove the hair spray or gum.
4. Soak the wig for x-15 minutes. Keep the wig in the water for a little while to brand sure information technology's clean. You can swish the wig around occasionally to make certain it gets clean. If you accept a heavily styled wig, you may accept to repeat steps one-four a number of times.
5. Rinse off the wig with make clean water. Afterwards the wig is clean, dump out the soapy h2o and use clean water to wash off the soapy suds.
6. Squeeze off backlog water and let the wig air-dry overnight. Y'all tin identify the wig on a wig head or wig stand and gently comb through it with a wide-toothed comb. Then permit information technology completely dry before trying to restyle the wig.

Loosely complect long wigs to keep them from tangling while being transported or in storage.

How long do cosplay wigs last?

Since cosplay wigs are typically only worn a few times a year, they can actually last a very long fourth dimension. They will show some wear and tear with time. The wig fibers will become damaged and too much styling will become knotted or have a visible glue residue. You lot can await a decent quality cosplay wig to last you at least 4-five years if you have good care of it.

A good quality wig might even last you 10 years. Higher quality wigs that are thick, and heat resistant will last longer considering they are more hands repaired if they get tangled or damaged.

Source: https://cosplayadvice.com/care-of-cosplay-wigs/

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