#wig detangling

Every cosplayer has had that moment when one of their favorite wigs is tangled. It doesn't make your cosplay look very well. I recently had one of these problems and made up my own way of detangling my wig. This is for wigs that are lightly messy. I will post a tutorial for messier wigs in the future. 

What you will need:

a wig head 

Your wig 

Fabric softener 

Spray bottle 

* Wide tooth comb

Bristle brush

Anti-frizz hair stuff

Pins

Clips 

Step 1: Wig Spray:

Grab your spray bottle and fabric softener. If you have packet softeners like me, cut and empty one packet into the spray bottle. If you have liquid softener. Fill your detergent cup to the fill line and pour it in. Fill the spray bottle halfway with water. Twist on the cap and mix up the softener and water.

Step 2: Spray & Comb:

Find somewhere comfy to sit. This could take a bit. Pin your wig to the wig head. Take your hair clips and clip the top layers of hair to the top of the head. This way we can work with the bottom hairs first. Take your comb and very gently start combing out the tangles. Make sure you comb from bottom to top. Spray your softener mixture on the wig to help you loose. The tangles a bit. Be patient. Keep going till there is no more tangles. When you're done, let down sections of the top hair and do the same. It's better to do it in small chunks. If you try to comb the entire top layer you're going to be miserable

Step 3: Make It Nice:

Now that your wig is all combed out let's make it look nice. Take your bristle brush and gently run it through the wig to smooth it down. Then take your anti frizz hair stuff and apply it to the wig. Use your comb to apply it evenly. Gently smooth it with your brush again. (Optional: if you are experienced with cutting wigs I recommend to take this time and trim off the frizzy ends)

And that's it! All done! Keep your wig solution in case you need it again! Make sure to store your wigs properly. I recommend braiding long wigs to keep them nice. If you store them in bags, gently fold them and place them in a safe flat area. 

wigs that aren’t heat resistant are usually styled with the “Hot Water Method” where hot water is used as a heat source to set a style into a wig. The hot water used in this method is often from the tap, as boiling water can be too hot. I suggest using a small amount of hair from the underside of the wig as a test piece to see how much heat your wig can take. Then adjust your water temperatures accordingly. For a flip, you can curl the ends with rollers and pour the water over top.Another option is to not set the style into the wig and use hairspray to hold the curl in place. I do this by spraying a strand with a bit of hairspray and wrapping it around a hair roller. Then I spray the outside with some hairspray and let it fully dry. Then I remove the roller. Sometimes I will use a bit of white glue to hold the tip of the curl together. For Detangling: 

Start on one side of the wig. Grab a small amount of hair and section off the rest of the hair using hair clips.

Starting from the bottom of the strand, work out the tangles using a wide toothed comb. Then move up an inch, and work out the tangles. Repeating until you reach the top of that strand and it is tangle-free

Then move onto the next strand and repeat until the entire wig is detangled. 

Tips:

Wig detangling spray, skin-safe silicone lubricant or fabric softener and water can be used to help work out stubborn knots. 

Yes hair will be pulled out, it’s going to happen and it’s best not to stress about it

Sometimes a tangle might be too crazy to work out, in which case you can cut it out. This may mess up how your wig is styled. 

You may need to re-curl the wig after detangling, since the stress may loosen the set-in curls. 

Hello there!

Sorry to hear about your wig troubles, and for the somewhat late response. (I’ve had a very busy week.)

Do you know what the wig is made out of, and if it is heat-resistant?

If the fiber is simply tangled, you can carefully detangle it. I would recommend using a wig detangler as a lubricant (you can also use silicone spray lubricant as a wig detangler) and either a wide-tooth comb or the pointed back end of a comb. Make sure you work slowly and from the bottom of the wig, working upward, and that your wig is dry. You will likely lose some fiber in the process, but if you are careful, you shouldn’t lose much. You also need to be careful not to pull on or stretch the fibers, because they will become frizzy-looking from being stretched out.

If the wig is already frizzy-looking, you can restyle it with heat, though you need to make sure that your wig has heat-resistant fibers first. (Also, some wigs have crimped fiber at the base of the bangs to create volume -- this likely won’t be able to be straightened, though it also shouldn’t be super visible when worn.)

If you have a heat-resistant wig and a flatiron with precise temperature controls, you can try gently heating and flattening the fibers with it. This is the easiest way, and will give the best results, but not all wigs can take the amount of heat needed.

You can also try defrizzing with hot water, by making sure it is 100% detangled, and then pouring hot (but not boiling) water over it. Here’s a tutorial on straightening a wig with water -- it’s much the same process, since that’s basically what you are doing.

Another option, one that I haven’t tried though others have had luck with it, is to soak your wig in diluted fabric softener. Keep in mind that this will reduce some of the shine of your wig, and leave a slight waxy residue. (Whether it potentially damages fibers or not is something I can’t seem to find a clear answer to -- it can be damaging to nylon, spandex, and certain other synthetics, but wigs aren’t made of those things.)

If it is very frizzy, you may never be able to restore it to new condition, but you can get it close. Also, if you have had fiber breakage, they may have broken off in the middle of the fiber, leaving ends that can potentially stick up and cause a frizzier look. There isn’t much you can do about that.

Once it is detangled and defrizzed to a satisfactory degree, you can then treat it with a product of your choice (again, I like silicone spray lubricant) and then hit the top with a bit of hairspray and smooth it down to help keep the fibers sealed down to the wig.

A few random companies’ FAQ pages. They say similar things:

http://www.headcovers.com/wig-care/

http://www.wowwigs.com/hair-care-instruction-human-hair-systhetic-wigs-hairpieces.html

http://www.acewigs.com/shop/wigs/FAQs/13776.php

https://www.epiccosplay.com/wig-care-and-styling-information.html

Detangling with wig conditioner. I have no idea what is in that stuff.

http://windofthestars.com/blog/tutorials/wig-care-and-you-how-to-de-tangle-and-store-wigs/

Detangling with lotion. 

http://stealthos-aurion.deviantart.com/art/Tut-HOMEMADE-WIG-DETANGLER-252023136

Detangling curly wigs.

http://arda-wigs.com/blogs/tutorials/6375154-detangling-a-curly-wig

Photos and descriptions of tools used with wigs for styling and care.

http://indulging-inaccuracy.tumblr.com/post/18122564813/the-cosplayers-wig-styling-essentials