Styling Your Wig

Just as with the hair that grows naturally out of your scalp, if you are a wig wearer you are going to want to style, play with, and change the look of your wig hair to match your mood, the occasions, or your activity. However, before you start you need to know the difference between styling your own hair and a wig.

Tips on Styling Your Wig

How you style and how often you can style your wig first depends on the type of wig you purchased. Real human hair wigs can, and need to be, restyled after every clean since they do not hold their shape after they have been wet. Synthetic hair wigs snap back into their predetermined style and shape after each wash, so you do not have as much styling versatility. (See our article The Difference Between A Real Hair And Synthetic Wig.)

Also, the length and cut of your wig have definite affects on your styling choices. Short cuts cannot be changed too drastically and longer cuts are heavier and harder to hold into certain styles.

Real Hair Wig

If you have a human hair wig, you can style it differently after each shampoo and easily touch it up between washing with rollers, curling irons, and other styling tools. If you like a lot of versatility with your hairstyles, you will want to go for a longer cut when you first purchase the wig. With this wig choice you can use a wig brush or pick to style the hair into a straight, sleek style, use a curling iron to add curl, wave, or extra volume, or twist the hair into many different styles with rubber bands, bobbie pins, clips, head bands, or other hair accessories.

Synthetic Wig

If you have a synthetic hair wig, you will be more limited in your style choices. Since these wigs are crafted from man-made fibres, the hair strands are designed to snap back into the original style after each wash. This means that if you purchased a wig with a curly style, you cannot completely remove these curls if you feel like sporting a straight, sleek style. You can, however, use rollers or specially designed curling irons to add curls and waves to usually straight synthetic hair wig styles.

Using Wig Alternatives and Accessories

No matter which hair type you have chosen for your wig you can always add styling options by purchasing wig alternatives or accessories. Human or synthetic hair falls, ponytails, hairpieces, and even bangs are available at most retail wig shops. These wig alternatives are designed to be worn with a scarf or wide headband to change the look of your style, and replace your wig when it is being cleaned or you just want a change in style.

These accessories can even be worn with your wig to change the look of the original wig style. For example, a ponytail hairpiece can be added in with your wig hair to make the style fuller or longer. This piece can also be sued to style your wig hair into an up style for special evenings if your original wig lacks the length needed for the style.

The best way to discover what hairstyles are available for your wig and which looks are the most flattering is to practice styling your hair often. By experimenting with your wig style you can increase the versatility of your cut and enjoy the look and style options of your natural hair.

Maintenance Advice

For more advice about washing and cutting your wig, read our articles How Often Should You Wash Your Wig? and Having Your Wig Cut To Suit You.