I'll update this as I get more photos and tutorials together, so I'm marking this as a WIP for my own memory.
Products
Generally speaking, be cautious about what products you put on a wig. You'll want to know whether the fibers are natural or synthetic, and what products will work and won't work on the wig.
- Volks makes a neutral wig wax here.
- Dollmore has a nice wig spray here.
- I've personally used a little human hair gel and a few other products to tame wild hairs.
- Don't wash a bjd wig unless you know that it has been sewn and not glued. If you wash a glued wig it can fall apart!
- Store your wigs in a wig net when not in use; this will protect them from damage.
- Keep a ball of tissue or other paper inside the wig to help it hold its shape.
- Be careful to avoid products with oils in them that might sit for too long on the doll's resin and stain or ruin that area.
Heat Styling
- You can boil heat resistant fibers and scrunch them into curls. Don't use this method on non heat resistant synthetic fibers or on glued wigs. I've used this method on vinyl dolls and for Ginny Doll restoration and had great results.
- Flat Irons/Curling Irons should only be used on heat resistant fibers. You can use these on most natural fibers as well, but be sure to test all wigs underneathe where any damage won't be seen just in case.
Wet Styling
- For most wigs, you can use a spray bottle to lightly wet the fibers of the wig and then wrap the sections around a tool, like a pencil or straw. When the hair dries you'll have a curl.
- You can use this to set most styles, not just curls.
Reminder though, if the hair is glued, be sure not to get the wig cap wet!
Combing
- Don't brush curly wigs! You'll end up causing the curls to separate and end up with a fuzzy mess like this:
- If you must tidy a curly wig, boil the wig and scrunch the hair back up, or manually redo each section of curl with a wet styling method.
- Long wigs will tangle even when just sitting pretty. Comb them very gently with a wig comb, wire doll hair brush, or your fingers. Start at the ends and work your way up. Be as gentle as possible to minimize the loss of fibers.
Removing Sheen
Got a synthetic wig with too much shine? Never fear! Follow these steps to reduce the shine and give it a more natural, and expensive look.
- First, get yourself some hair spray. (I've been lazy and used MSC, but I don't recommend this as it's expensive. If you do use it, wear a respirator.)
- Remove the doll's wig and place it on something else, like a soda bottle.
- Spray the hair with a light mist of hair spray and sprinkle baby powder or talc on top. Comb it through gently. Comb and shake the wig to remove excess baby powder.
- Repeat as needed.
- The baby powder will stick to the fibers of the wig and reduce the shine.
This technique took this wig from Kemper:
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| http://kemperdolls.com/wigs/modacrylic-wigs/althea-turquoise-modern-wig.html |
And turned it into this:
I hope this basic little guide is handy. If you want any more info or have any more questions about wigs, rooted hairs, or fibers, feel free to ask in the comments.