A flawless fit

Knowing how to make a wig look seamless is often a concern for beginner and experienced wig wearers. We’ve put together some tips on how to make your wig look as natural as possible.

You don’t necessarily need to buy the most expensive wig to achieve a natural look. While synthetic wigs are a great option, the best tip to make a wig look natural is to start with one made of 100% human hair.

You care for a human hair wig much like your natural hair. Regularly washing and brushing it will keep it looking natural.

A great option is to take your wig to the hairdressers to have it styled on your head as if it were your natural hair. A stylist can also help you blend in your hairline or leave it out depending on the type of wig you have.

WHAT KIND OF WIG IS BEST FOR YOU?

If you’re unsure which wig type to choose for a more natural look, lace front wigs are a great option as they’re designed to look as natural as possible. Lace front wigs have a feature that gives you a virtually natural hairline, which is seamless and looks like the hairs along the hairline are growing right out of your head. The wig hair moves freely, and a delicate finish allows you to part your hair in whatever place suits you best.

PLACEMENT OF YOUR WIG

Where you wear your wig will make a difference to how natural it looks. If it’s too far down on your forehead, it’ll be noticeable. First, you want to make sure it’s the right size. Then, we recommend wearing a nylon or mesh cap underneath.

It’ll conceal your hair and help any hair fall out under the wig. Your wig should lie right on your natural hairline. If you don’t have any hair and you’re trying to figure out where your natural hairline would be, you can use the 90-degreeangle trick. Hold one hand in front of your face pointing upward whilst resting your other hand on top of your head. Touch the fingertips of both hands together, creating that 90-degree angle. Your hairline is where your fingertips meet.

A SMOOTH HAIRLINE

For a lace front, cut the lace as close to the hairline on the wig as possible. Make your first cut in the middle of your forehead towards the hairline, making sure not to cut any baby hairs you want to keep.

(Some people choose wig glue or tape to glue the lace front hairline of their wig to their forehead, which isn’t necessary but can help if the wig’s not sitting flat at the front of the hairline.)

If you aren’t sure how to secure a wig with no hair, wig tape is a great place to start. It’s a more scalp-friendly alternative to wig glue, as adhesives can irritate a sensitive scalp, particularly for those recovering from cancer treatment.

You can use tweezers to carefully pluck away hairs from the first few centimetres or so of the hairline if you want it to look more gradual. You can also tweezer out fibres that stick up on their own or don’t quite look right. Use foundation and a makeup brush to blend the front of your lace with the colour of your skin. Blend the very front of the lace, making sure to cover any parts you can see.

TOOLS

you’ll need bleach, gloves, colouring tools (such as a hair dye applicator), a mixing bowl, purple shampoo or toner and dye.

METHOD

• For light coloured wigs (613 or lighter), use the water-colour method, which is fast and beginner-friendly. 1. Boil 1ℓ of water. 2. saturate your wig in room temperature water.

3. Pour the boiling water into a plastic container. then, mix one bottle of hair dye into the water and mix until dissolved.

4. Dip your wet wig into the water and watch as it changes colour. the longer you leave it, the darker the colour.

5. remove your wig from the mixture, and wash it with The south African Hair Emporium (S.H.E)

Hair dye Activator to

seal in colour.

• For dark coloured wigs:

1. apply S.H.E 30vol bleach generously throughout the wig. cover your wig with foil to speed up the process. you may need to bleach your wig one to three times to achieve a level 9+ blonde shade. the lighter the wig, the bolder and brighter the final colour will be.

2. after 30 to 60 minutes, rinse off all the bleach.

3. use the S.H.E Hair dye set. should you wish to achieve a pastel shade, opt for S.H.E Purple shampoo to get rid of brassy tones, then apply S.H.E Hair dye.

BLEACHING

The higher the developer volume, the lighter the colour it produces and the more harm it causes your hair. For a brown shade on a black wig, go for S.H.E 10vol, whereas

S.H.E 40vol results in a bright-blonde shade. Don’t leave the bleach on your wig for longer than 60 minutes.

Divide your wig into four sections

Wearing gloves, mix the powder and developer in a 1:2 ratio start by applying the bleach to the back of the wig and work your way toward the front cover the wig with foil to speed up the bleaching process

Wait for 30 to 60 minutes, continuously observing the wig until it reaches your desired colour rinse using room temperature or cold water apply a conditioning treatment

should you put Hair DYE on THE lace?

No, but protect it by applying petroleum jelly or a strong hair spray before you begin the colouring process. however, you can use bleach safely.

How often?

that depends on the quality of the wig and hair dye. if you plan to colour the same wig multiple times, use a semi-permanent hair dye that’ll fade over time.

founder of the south african hair emporium nana Kgwete’s guide to dyeing your wig at home.

Words by shannon manuel