The whole point of wearing a wig is to feel just as beautiful and confident as you did when you had a full head of natural hair, and that is hard to do if you’re worried about strangers whispering, “Is that a wig?” at the grocery store or while you’re in line at the bank.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to make sure your wig is your best-kept secret. And, no, that doesn’t just mean going out and buying the most expensive human hair wig possible.
Getting a Natural Look
First: Measure your head accurately to purchase the right wig size
Measure the circumference of your head around your hairline, along your center part from your forehead to the nape of your neck, and across the top of your head between your ears. Use these measurements to order the wig, or have a professional take your measurements for you to make sure they’re as precise as possible.
- This will ensure that the wig fits snugly along your hairline, but doesn’t squeeze or press on your skin.
Second: Wear a wig cap to conceal your hair
Style your natural hair in a protective style, such as braids or pin curls, or slick your hair back with gel. Then, place a wig cap over your head. Choose one that’s a close match to your skin color to make it look like your scalp. This will prevent any stray hairs from popping through the wig liner.
Tip: Use bobby pins to hold the wig cap in place if you have longer hair or are worried that it’s too loose.
Third: Use wig tape to secure the wig in place for short-term wear
If you’re going to be wearing the wig for less than 4 hours, apply small pieces of wig tape around your hairline and behind your ears. This will hold the wig in place so it doesn’t shift or fall off while you’re wearing it. Opt for shorter pieces rather than long ones, since longer strips can sometimes peel at the ends.
- You can find wig tape at most cosmetic supply stores, or you can order it online.
Fourth: Apply wig glue along your hairline to position the wig for long-term wear
If you plan to wear your wig for longer than 4 hours, it’s best to use wig glue to hold it in place. Dab the glue along your hairline as you’re positioning the wig. Then, press down on the hairline to ensure that the glue bonds the wig to your scalp.
- Wig glue is a gentle adhesive that’s safe for use on your skin. When you want to remove it, simply use a cotton swab to dab rubbing alcohol along the hairline and pull the wig away from your head slowly.
- You can purchase wig glue at most cosmetic supply stores, or you can order it online.
Finally: Align the wig as close as possible to your hairline for a natural look
When you’re securing the wig in place, try to line it up with your natural hairline. Look in the mirror while you’re positioning your wig and check to make sure it’s not too high or low before you secure it. This will keep the wig looking natural and prevent your forehead from looking too small or large.
- If you have a receding hairline, you might opt for a wig that has bangs to cover up the area where your natural hairline would be.
8 Top Tips to Make Your Wig Look Natural
1. Replace Your Wig Regularly
The best way to broadcast to the world that you’re wearing a wig is to wear an old smelly wig.
Unfortunately, no one has invented a wig that grows new hair yet, so we’re stuck with wigs that lose their quality over time. No matter how hard you wish, no amount of wig styling products or cap adjustments can save a wig that’s past its prime.
2. Two Words: Rooted. Colors.
Unless you naturally have very dark hair, it’s unlikely that your hair is just one color.
Most people have shades of color and gradients throughout their hair.
Your stylist calls those gradients “dimension.” We call them “the reason wigs dyed with one flat color look really fake.”
Wigs with rooted colors, on the other hand, mimic the natural gradients in bio hair by blending several colors.
Can’t find a wig that you like with rooted colors? Look for a wig that is a ‘blend’ of two colors or ask a stylist to give your wig highlights and lowlights two shades away from the wig’s base color.
3. Look for Lace Fronts and Monofilament Tops
How did she keep everyone in the dark about her hair?
With lace fronts and monofilament tops.
Lace front wigs create the illusion of a natural hairline, making it look like your wig hair is growing right out of your head.
Monofilament tops do the same thing, but for the wig’s part. Each hair of a monofilament top wig is individually sewn into the wig, rather than being machine applied. This allows the wig hair to move freely and lets you to part the wig anywhere you want.
4. Mess Up The Part
When something looks too perfect, especially with wigs. It’s usually a sign that that thing is fake. Apparently, wig companies haven’t learned this yet.
Most wigs come out of the box with eerily perfect parts that scream, “This isn’t my natural hair!” when you wear them.
As soon as your new wig arrives, take a pair of tweezers and carefully pluck out a few strands. Then, using baby scissors, cut a few strands so that they look like they’re just growing out. Last, choose a couple of hairs to place on the ‘wrong’ side of the part.
Imperfection never looked so perfect.
5. Trim Your Wig
Typically, we aren’t completely happy with a new haircut until our hair has had the time to grow out a bit. To mimic that natural, grown out look, take your wig to a stylist and ask her to use a razor to cut in some layers or jagged edges.
6. Blend it Out
Lace front wigs are great at mimicking a natural hairline, but they’ll never beat the real thing. If you’re lucky enough to have some natural hair, try ‘blending’ your natural hairline with the hairline of a lace front wig.
How to Blend Your Natural Hairline With a Lace Front Wig
Step 1: Place your wig an inch or two farther back on your head than you typically would, exposing your natural hairline.
Step 2: Fully attach the wig.
Step 3: Spray a little dry shampoo into your hairline and along the part of the wig, and use your fingers to tease everything together.
TIP: Ultimately, the key to a flawless installation is maintaining perfectly-manicured edges. if you have long baby hairs, your wig should probably have them, too. Mimicking your own edges is one major key to achieving a flawless illusion. It keeps people guessing.
NOTE: If you’re going to try this trick, it’s super important that your wig color matches your natural hair color.
7. Know Your Size
Finding the right size wig for your head will make your wig feel more comfortable, it will also help your wig look more natural.
To figure out your wig size, take out your tape measure.
Starting at the front of your hairline, wrap the measure behind your ear to the nape of your neck, around to your other ear, then match the measuring tape back to the other end at the front of your hairline.
To make sure you measured accurately, repeat the process to make sure you get the same number each time.
If you’ve measured a few times and still aren’t sure, ask a friend for help!
8. ALWAYS Line Up Your Wig With Your Natural Hairline
If you don’t line up your wig with your natural hairline, your wig will never look natural. That’s why it’s super important that each time you put on your wig, you take the time to line it up properly.
To correctly line up your wig with your natural hairline, first put your wig on your forehead just above your eyebrows.
Next, slowly slide the wig back over your head, adjusting as you go, until the bottom of the wig hits the nape of your next.
Last, slide the wig forward just a bit until it hits your natural hairline, secure the straps, and style away!
Making a Wig Look Real
Spray a dry shampoo over the hair to make synthetic strands more matte
Synthetic wigs are often made of plastic, which can have an unnatural shine. Put the wig on loosely and spray the dry shampoo all over like you would your natural hair. Avoid brushing or combing the wig to keep the tousled, matte look.
- It may be helpful to hold the wig upside-down and spray it with the dry shampoo before putting it on.
Apply a mixture of fabric softener and water to condition the hair
Mix equal parts liquid fabric softener and cold water in a spray bottle, and shake the bottle thoroughly. Then, spray the mixture onto the wig and let it air dry for 20-30 minutes. You can also wrap the wig loosely in a towel to make it dry more quickly.
- This will help make the strands look bouncy and maintain their shape.
Warning: Avoid using hot tools, such as straighteners and curling irons, or volumizing spray if your wig is made out of synthetic materials.
Pluck a few hairs from the center part and hairline to make it look more natural
Place the wig on your head without securing it, and use a pair of tweezers to remove a few random hairs from the center part and the hairline. Pick out 10-15 hairs along your forehead in various spots, and pull 20-25 hairs from along the center part. Since many wigs are made by a machine, this section can end up looking too “perfect,” leaving you with fake-looking hair.
- Remember not to go overboard with the tweezing. Avoid removing too many hairs from a particular spot, since that can make the wig look bare.
Remove kinks in the hair by steaming the wig on low
If you want to style the wig, use a handheld steamer on a low setting, and comb or brush the hair as you run the steamer over the fibers. For curls, put the hair in curlers and then run the steamer over each curler for 5-10 seconds to set the hair.
- Make sure the wig is completely dry before you remove the curlers and put on the wig.
Style the wig into a ponytail or braid with accessories for a realistic look
Put the wig on your head and secure it in place, and then pull it into a low ponytail or braid. Look in the mirror to make sure you can’t see any parts of the wig cap, and then use accessories, like a headband, to cover any imperfections or kinks in the hair.
- If the hairline on the wig looks unnatural, try tying a scarf around the wig hairline to cover the area.
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