Keeping Wigs Nice

[Myriai]

I think this is where I post this. Anyway, the question is this...

I live in Arizona, it is very hot and very dry most of the year and my dolls' wigs get absolutely destroyed in what seems like less than three months. I've tried conditioning them, but it doesn't really seem to help beyond the first day or so. Are there any other suggestions? I can't put out the money for wigs and the shipping of them for 8+ dolls every three months ^^;

My roommate and I are playing with the idea of putting a humidifier in the area where we plan to keep our dolls when we move, is this a good idea or a bad one?

[Fyredancer]

What kind of fabrics do you favor for your wigs?

[tylonika]

Volks wig spray/conditioner. Seriously, this stuff will rehab ANY wig.

http://www.volksusa.com/matlst0002.html

I think its this one - it came with my fcs girl and I swear by it.

[washi]

There are products you can get for acrylic wigs which are supposed to keep them under control. You may be able to ask at a hairdressers, particullarly one that deals with acrylic hair extensions.

Also, I've heard that leaving the conditioner in for a while can help - It helped my boy's wig for a while, but it's not a permanent solution.

Around here it's much the same - hot and dry. However, I tend to keep my dolls in the cool, so their wigs remain more or less okay (Except for the light blue on one of my wigs, which tangles badly at the base - it's a diferet fibre to the rest of my wigs though). Certain types of fibre last better in hot dry climates too.

[FunnyLori]

All I know about wig care (human and doll):

Human conditioners are made to work with human hair. Human hair is protein based and very porous, acrylic and synthetic fibers are not porous. Because the synthetic fibers are not porous, they do not pick up the conditioning agents designed for human hair. With that in mind, shop for products designed to either work with doll wigs specifically, or for human wigs made of synthetic fibers.

Spray detanglers seem to work well with synthetic wigs. They tame and shine the fibers and ease combing.

Use a wide tooth comb, to brush the wig. Start at the ends of the wig, not the roots when combing. That way you work out the knots at the bottom and line up the fibers before reaching the top. Do not tug on the fibers, it will stretch them, pull them from the wefts, and cause more fly-aways. If there is a knot, spritz very lightly a bit of detangler and then gently work the knot out from the bottom first, then go up the knot. Sometimes you can pick the knots out gently with your fingers.

Properly store your wigs when they are not in use. First be sure they look nice, don't store a messy wig. Then put them neatly in a wig/hair net. Gently curl the ends of longer wigs in the net, do not twirl the hair into a twist before storing or the style may set. Then store the wigs in a plastic bag or a box so that they do not get dusty.

To wash a wig gently pull the wig by the top of the head cap through a bath of cold water with a very small amount of shampoo. Then pour cool water over the wig to rinse out all of the soap residue. Place the wig on a bath towel that has been folded so that there are a few layers underneath it, but still enough to fold over the top of the wig. Gently fold the towel over the hair and pat dry the wig. Leave the wig on a dry towel or on a wig stand to dry over night. Do not comb or brush a wig while wet. It is important to remember that every time a wig is washed, it's life is shortened. I notice that some synthetic wigs become instantly unmanageable and less shiny after being washed. I believe this is because they have been sprayed with products by the manufacturer to maintain their shape and luster. Other wigs are revitalized once the products are removed.

Curly wigs, once messy, are very difficult to recover. They require the most special care. Do not pull on the curls, comb or brush these wigs. When they are not being used, the should be kept neatly in wig nets. In some cases, a curly wig can be washed in cool water, but they usually do not look as neat afterwards. If a curly wig has become impossible to manage, then wash it gently in HOT water to relax the fibers, then re-curl the wig with small foam rollers as you would human hair. Once the hair is rolled, run it under hot water again, and then block it on a wig stand or leave arranged very neatly on a towel to dry overnight or longer. Do not remove the curlers until the hair is completely cooled and dry. Never use heated appliances to style synthetic fiber, or they will melt.

[Myriai]

I believe all of my wigs are fiber(?) (I know they are not fur or mohair, must admit I never quite learned wig terminology for all the months I've been in the hobby). 3 are from Luts, 7 from Leekeworld, and 1 from Volks--almost all of them are longish and straight (Nikolai's is short) except one which is crimped on the ends. My dolls are inside (usually on the top of the closet or on my desk) except for when I take them outside for photoshoots (the AZ sun has to be good for something, right?), the rooms for the most part are kept cool (as much as possible anyway, our a/c is having issues on some days), but, even so, it is extremely dry inside the house hence the consideration of a humidifier.

*reads everything else* Hmmm...thank you for the input, I'll have to try some of those after I finish moving, anything to save my wigs will be wonderful.

[Ai Kazi]

I use bedhead waxes....they work really well. Keeps the hairs all spikey and soft and in place.

[ShaDrouet]

I love the Volks wig oil myself and use it when a wig gets too dry looking..

[Karhys]

I'll third the vote for the Volks wig oil spray. I had some come with my first doll (he was a FCS) and at first had no idea what it was.. but then his wig had got kind of dry and blah from too much playing, and out of curiosity I tried the oil spray on it and was blown away but how much better it became afterwards. I always keep at least 2 bottles of the stuff around now so that I never ever run out of it. :D I find it particularly useful for some of our longer wigs that are really prone to tangling. We have a long (knee-length) LeeKe wig that's quite flyaway and it also gets a bit dried out easily, and the Volks wig oil is a dream for taking care of that one!

[Chops]

I live in Arizona, it is very hot and very dry most of the year and my dolls' wigs get absolutely destroyed in what seems like less than three months. I've tried conditioning them, but it doesn't really seem to help beyond the first day or so. Are there any other suggestions? I can't put out the money for wigs and the shipping of them for 8+ dolls every three months ^^;

Myriai-- Wow, I live in Phoenix so I understand the heat situation. I am not clear on your wigs being destroyed. Are the wigs being worn all the time and are you talking about stray flyaway hairs? I keep my extra wigs stored in plastic bags in a suitcase, and other then the static I am not having problems.

Using a humidifier sounds like a good idea, if you run it 24/7! Maybe I should take a closer look at my wigs!

[Daniel Falls]

I used to have this exact same problem with my wigs, and I asked Bailey, a VolksUSA store employee for some advice. She recommended that I use the Volks Wig Oil Spray to bring moisture and life back to the wig. She was right! The spray does wonders for dry and unruly wigs, so I usually will spray it onto my doll's wigs before a photoshoot or whenever I feel like it. It is a worthwhile investment.

[aisy]

I had a Monique curly wig (Donna) which had seen better days so I washed it out, poured fabric conditioner on it and recurled it using warm, not hot heated spiral curlers which worked wonderfully. I then restyled the wig for a bit of fun. Since the wig is synthetic and synthetic burns I put warm rollers on damp fibre, not hot rollers on dry fibre.
http://www.islean.com/islean/face/wig/18b.jpg

[Baakay]

Question about the Volks spray: is it scented at all?

I tried using the Elfdoll Essence spray, but unfortunately severe sensitivity to perfumes of most kind meant I had to immediately toss it. What a shame.

I'd love to give the Volks a try, but there's no point in buying it if I'll just have to waste it...

[Fyredancer]

It does have a light scent. I like it. :) But, if you're allergic to anything scented, that's something to consider. Volks also has water wax (http://www.volksusa.com/matlst0005.html) for wigs, which I also have, and it's not scented so far as I can tell.

[Tonboko]

I've been wanting to get the Volks water wax since the beining of the year, but they never seem to restock it. :(

I've been holding off on getting wig oil hoping the water wax will restock, but I think I am just going to cave and get just the oil. The first wig I got is in serious need of a recharge. :sweat

[Merry]

The Volks wig spray is fantastic! I don't recall it having much of a scent at all either. I didn't have reason to use it until I was experimenting on Tibetan Lambskin fiber and wow, did that stuff make all the difference! I intend to stock up on it now! :D

[Amaryllis]

I know I've had difficulty with my SwD Kaede's default wig. Hairs on the bun are coiling off of it and I barely even have her wear it. It seems that no matter what, the wig isn't going to look the same :< Should I try the Volks Wig Spray?

[n1k1ta]

Uh, has no one ever heard of wig conditioner? Doll wigs are just like human wigs (except for the fur wigs). You can go into any beauty supply shop and ask for wig conditioner. It's cheap ($6US) and works like a dream.

[Seiko]

Question about the Volks spray: is it scented at all?

I tried using the Elfdoll Essence spray, but unfortunately severe sensitivity to perfumes of most kind meant I had to immediately toss it. What a shame.

I'd love to give the Volks a try, but there's no point in buying it if I'll just have to waste it...

I have both, and the Elfdoll one is way more potent. It's too bad you're so sensitive to it, because it's really great. My friend gave me a bottle of oil spray and it smelled really bad (like stale beer) :o! But I recently got a FCS order and a brush and more oil spray and this one smells much better. It does have a distinct smell to it, but it's not overpowering. Still, I'd be careful ><

[GothicKDM]

I have a kstarr curly wig and i put the wig conditioner on it from volks, but it really didnt come with any instructions, and i didnt notice a difference at all...the poor wig i think is going to die soon >_>....problem is her hair is a blue color that i had custom ordered >_<

I will try though the oil on my other wigs and see how it works

[LadyCrow]

Is it ok to brush the wigs? If so is there a better brush?

[Evil Kimba]

There are brushes for wigs, but you need to be careful when using them. They're good for smoothing fibers, but not really for using all the time. With human wigs, I just use a brush to get rid of loose fibers as I'm cutting them.

[Karhys]

The Volks FCS dolls come with hairbrushes (or they used to, anyway) so I've always tended to use those, they're quite small and fairly gentle on the hair.

Another great suggestion that came from a friend is using a toothbrush. They're really great on the wigs! You need to get one with stiff bristles though, as soft bristles are too soft to work properly with the weight of synthetic hair.

[LadyCrow]

Thanks y'all. I didn't buy a Volks,so I don't know if they still come with the doll.I'll try the tooth brush.

[manaswam]

I agree that the Volks wig spray is amazing. Are there other products that are easier to get that would accomplish the same thing, e.g. from a wig shop? Also, would any of the sprays damage the face-up? Thank you

[PonySky]

There's a chemist in Maine who developed a line of products called Twin Pines for dolls. There might be something for wigs too. I've used his products with fantastic results. One even removed deep purple marker stains on a vintage Barbie doll's arms that had soaked into the vinyl. Truly amazing results.

[TheFontBandit]

Uh, has no one ever heard of wig conditioner? Doll wigs are just like human wigs (except for the fur wigs). You can go into any beauty supply shop and ask for wig conditioner. It's cheap ($6US) and works like a dream.

I agree that the Volks wig spray is amazing. Are there other products that are easier to get that would accomplish the same thing, e.g. from a wig shop? Also, would any of the sprays damage the face-up? Thank you


I have a bottle of Revlon Wig Conditioner and it works amazingly well. I picked it up at Sally's Beauty Supply. ^_^ I originally bought it to use with my cosplay wigs, but it works great on doll wigs too. I'm not sure about whether it would damage a faceup... I always condition wigs while they are not on a doll. When it's time for one of my dolls to get a new faceup and I have to remove it anyway, I'll run an experiment and post the results here.

I haven't used the Volks conditioner though, so I can't offer a comparison.

[Carolyn.S]

For long wigs I sometimes store them on soda pop bottle wig stands in a cabinet. Make sure the bottle is clean and dry then ball up aluminum foil on top (smaller than the head size so the wig can drop on easily). A soda pop bottle stand is also handy for drying a wig that you washed or straightened.

Carolyn

[Nineivre]

do the sprays and stuff "soften" the feeling of the wigs as well other than tidying it up? i've got a wig that looks pretty, but feels like straw :/

[Karhys]

do the sprays and stuff "soften" the feeling of the wigs as well other than tidying it up? i've got a wig that looks pretty, but feels like straw :/

Yes, definitely! I have a couple of wigs that if you leave them just don't feel that nice at all to touch, but once I spray the Volks Oil Spray on them they feel sooooo much better. I use mine really regularly to keep them feeling nice to play with. (As well as looking shiny. :D)

[Illves]

I have used mostly fabric conditioner, and it has worked wonders. It really smoothens the wig fibres and takes away the electricity.

[a88_angel]

Thanks for all the tips! This is enormously helpful especially since I bought five wigs today and have to that I need to refurbish. If any one out there has any new tips or products to use that haven't been posted already, I would love to hear them. thx. :)

[thepeachpeddler]

I had no idea there was a Spray condition from Volks! I'll have to check it out! Thanks for the info! :)