Cosplay Wigs

[RedeadDie]

Any tips and tricks you want to share involved with styling, making, or buying wigs? Post them all here for everyone!

Also, if you have any questions about styling or finding the perfect wig, don't be afraid to ask your San-Japan cosplay family in this thread!

[RedeadDie]

I just typed up a tutorial on how to make an ahoge for a wig. (An ahoge for characters such as Austria, American, Italy etc.)

Link to tutorial and pictures is down below.

http://redeaddie.deviantart.com/#/d35gxem

[KittyAnne7152]

Ah, wigs.
Wigs and I have a love hate relationship.
Lets just say I'm a heck of a lot better with the "realistic" vs. "stylized" wigs. I cut my own hair, so styles without any extreme spikes or weirdness I can handle pretty well. Like Vince Noir, he basically has... well scene kid hair. And because it's live action, it's okay for it to be a little messy.
But never for the life of me have I been able to figure out how to make spikes look pristine and clean and perfect. Closest I've come to it is this.
So if anyone can help me with that... that'd be brilliant.

[RedeadDie]

Well, what you need for the spike look are the following.

-got2bglued freeze spray and spiking hair glue
-feathering scissors

Only have a pea sized amount of the hair glue (or less) and only spike the very tip of the part you want to spike up. Hold it in the desired place and give a quick spray. DO NOT let go of the spike for about 5 or more minutes. After that time, it should stay in the desired spot. This is what I did for my spiked wigs. One that took quite some time was my Netherlands wig.

http://redeaddie.deviantart.com/gall...12288#/d2g4y3r

[Yuuto]

I buy mine off of the ebay seller cosplay-laurawu_123. Their wigs are really nice and very well made. What I really like about them is the fact that when you spike it close to where the 'roots' are you don't see any of the strings, netting, gaps or your hair underneath. And they aren't scratchy or hot to wear at all.

For spiking them I use Redken Styling Fabricate 03 Heat Active Texturizer and a blow dryer. I do each spike or clumps separately by getting a portion of the wig, spraying it, then holding it so the spikes hang upside-down, I use the blow dryer. As I use the blow dryer I try to loosen the hair so it looks more natural rather than a clumpy mess or like you just put on the grease. (I really dislike fake looking hair) and I'll repeat this step on the same section until when I flip it right-side up it has the effect I am looking for. I continue doing this until it looks about right, put it on and make any adjustments I need to. I can take a long time, but the result is usually pretty good. I'll see if I can set up a wig and take a before and after picture as well as see about how long it takes

[RedeadDie]

GAH! Working on plans on how to tackle the Phoenix Wright wig for Kitty. I'm going to be ordering it by this week.

As for my Netherlands wig (pic posted earlier), I'm debating on altering it a bit more and turning it into a Larry Butz wig. Aside from cosplaying Miles, I've always wanted to cosplay as him!

[DezzyDiamond]

i buy my wigs from The five wits! on http://www.thefivewits.net they are amzing and inexpensive. heat resistant and shiny! I love them. Because they are heat resistant, styling is sooo much easier

[sado]

actually for buying cosplay wigs, recommand you to check some shops:

1.http://shop.cosplay.com, excellent service but price is much expensive.
2.http://www.sakurawigs.com ,custom made wigs
3.http://www.Dream-Angels.net
4.http://www.miccostumes.com/Cosplay_Wigs_38c.html, provide cheap cosplay wigs and also costumes.
5.http://www.cosplayanimewigs.com, inexpensive but i think they are dropshippers
6.http://thefivewits.net/ , nice, my friend have bought some wigs from them

good luck!!

[RedeadDie]

I buy all my wigs from http://www.amphigory.com They're the best place I ever bought wigs from and they have a huge selection.

[DezzyDiamond]

i can't pick a color for blair @_@ i am planning on this GX cosplay (since i have little time its easy to pick out some odds and ends to make it I can't pick a color since i want the dark blue one and i can't really seem to make up my mind

[DezzyDiamond]

it didn't show the character wig

[cameraphobia]

any help with adding (purple) extensions to a wig?

ie eridan

[Yuuto]

@dezzydiamond I think those wigs are too blue and the other is too black. I think you are looking for for a cobalt or gray blue color.

Here are a few that I found that look a little closer to the color (I think at least) :
Grey-blue
Laurawu's Grey-blue (these ones I know are made very well)
Grey-blue with a more of a blue tint

@cameraphobia If you have the wig and extensions already you can use a thread and needle to sew the extensions to the mesh part of the wig. This tutorial is kind of similar and gives you the jest of what I am talking about starting at the 6th picture/description from the bottom:
Criss-cross back wig

[DezzyDiamond]

Grey-blue with a more of a blue tint

the last one was awsome! however i already purchased the blue wig...X( the color was darker than in the picture and looked more royal blue but if all fails i will dye it later

[Yuuto]

ah, that sucks. lol
You can try to stain it a darker color if you need to. I usually use weird things like sugar-free grape Kool-aid to stain my stuff wigs a bit darker and most of the time it comes out with a few good washes. :P

[KittyAnne7152]

Errrrr.... or you could use sharpies.
In fact, please please use sharpies.
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=152637
I've used kool-aid to dye my hair before, and I don't have anything against it necessarily, but wigs are extruded plastic, not human hair.

[DezzyDiamond]

i was actually gonna ink dye it and blend in blues and greys into the dye to get the right color.

[Yuuto]

It depends on what kind of wig is used though. It won't work for junky ones like the walmart brand Halloween ones. Some wigs are made different and hold colors and stuff like that better than others, but w/e.

[ErazDod]

Is it difficult to keep a wig in good condition when it's not being used?
I always cut/dye my own hair for cosplays because I'm always afraid that if I buy a wig it'll get ruined, they seem so fragile >>

[Pika-Neko]

Is it difficult to keep a wig in good condition when it's not being used?
I always cut/dye my own hair for cosplays because I'm always afraid that if I buy a wig it'll get ruined, they seem so fragile >>

Not really. When you buy a wig it will normally come to you in a little ziplock type bag.(not actually ziplock...but yeah) What you can do is either keep that bag and make sure to always brush and put it back in the bag after you're done wearing it...orrrr if you lose that back then you can keep it in a actual ziplock bag. The only wig that might be a bit harder to maintain are super long wigs and spikey styled wigs. Super long wigs get tangled really easily but I believe you can buy wig detangler...or if anything use actual hair detangler. I used it on a wig once..and it may take awhile to detangle but it does work. For spikey wigs..best you can do..is get a wig head. When I go to cons I'll flip my spikey wigs inside out and keep them in a ziplocked bag, then once I'm at the hotel..or home I put them on a wig head. ^.^ I've had my Sora wig for about a year now and its still in good condition.