#WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorial: How to Make Tight Curls into Voluminous Loose Curls

It's Wednesday!! You know what that means... This week's edition of... drum roll please....
WIG WEDNESDAY!!!
If you've missed the previous #WigWednesday Tutorials, you can check them out here:

How to Brush a Wig
How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs
How to Brush and Restore Curly Wigs
How to Store Wigs

& this week I bring you...

How to Make Tight Curls into Voluminous Loose Curls

This may be the most terrifying restyling method that I've tried, but it easy, effective, and very fast. Much to my surprise, the results were exactly what I had hoped for. I probably would have never tried it if I just read about it somewhere on the internet (like this blog haha), but it was recommended and demoed to me personally by the designer of Gothic Lolita Wigs and RockStar Wigs himself, Charles Reger.

Take a wig with super tight curls, like the Sweetheart Collection from Gothic Lolita Wigs.

Here it is straight out of the bag. So perfect and beautiful! 

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After I shot the Sweetheart in Auburn for the Gothic Lolita Wigs site, I wanted to poooooooof it out! So, here is how you do it.

Flip the wig inside out. Violently shake the wig around. Sling it up and down. Pretty much do everything you feel like you should never do to your beloved wig. Get crazy.

When you flip it back the right direction, you have looser curls and way more volume!

Just smooth out any curls that need your attention, you're good to go!

You can do this with pretty much any style! If you want the Rhapsody to be fluffier like the Prima Donna, flip it inside out and shake it all around!

What do you think? Will you try this daring method??

Until next week...

xoxox

#WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorial: How to Store Wigs

Hi everyone! It's that time again... #WigWednesday!! This Wednesday we are going to discuss how to store your wigs! If you have missed the previous posts in this series, you can check them out there:

How to Brush a Wig

How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs

How to Brush and Restore Curly Wigs

So let's get to it!

How to Store Wigs

People always ask me, 

"You have so many wigs. How do you store them all???" 

Well, whether you have a lot or a little, you store them the same way! The best way to store wigs is in the package they come in. Once you have them back in their bag, you can store them just about anywhere, as long as it's a dry place with a reasonable room temperature. 

Most people I know store them in drawers or baskets. I just have so many that I have a whole dresser dedicated to living the wig life. XD

Post by Alexa Poletti.

So, wigs are wild and crazy. How do you get them back in the package they came in?

Wigs come with a hair net and a bag. Sometimes they come with tissue paper and a cardboard lining. For the sake of this guide, we are going to pretend your wig came with all of these things. If your wig didn't, just skip that step. ;D

Start by putting the ball of tissue paper into the wig cap. The idea is that it helps keep the base rounded out (like a head) so that it doesn't lay completely flat & look totally whack when you put it on again later. To be honest, I hardly ever use the tissue paper when packing my wigs and I have never had an issue with them not fitting my head when I pull them out of the bag later. So, if your wig didn't come with a ball of tissue paper, I really wouldn't sweat it. But in the spirit of a thorough tutorial, I am going to pack it with the tissue paper anyway. (OvO)

Then you want to wrap your wig back up in a wig net. This will help keep your wig contained and help it keep its style. If you just shove it back into it's bag without a net, you'll increase the risk of frizziness and total chaos when you pull it back out later. Sometimes you can get away with not using a net on short bobs or boy style wigs. I'm convinced that little wig fairies come in and steal wig nets, so if you are short a few nets, use them on your longer curlier wigs instead of short boy style. Got it?

There are lots of different ways to get them back in the net, but I usually just like to gather the longest parts of the wig and carefully tuck them up into the cap. Some people do it other ways, but I find it easier to put the net on if all the curls, longer pieces, etc., are contained inside the base of the wig. 

Once your wig is tucked into a cute little ball, just stretch the net over the wig. Simple as that!

Next, it's time to pack it up! I always label my bags so that I can keep my wigs organized. This is the Gothic Lolita Wigs NeoClassic in Turquoise.

This step is pretty self explanatory in the graphic above, but in case you can't see it for whatever reason, I'll explain.

Take your netted wig and put it inside the cardboard. Put the cardboard in the bag.

I guess that wasn't much of an explanation XD

So, that's it!!! Then I put the wig back into its corresponding drawer. In the case of the NeoClassic Turquoise, its home is the "Bright" drawer.

Now that I've teased you with a glimpse into the "Bright" drawer, I know you're curious about all of the other drawers.

Blonde:

Brown/Burgundy:

Black:

Pastel:

Bright:

Hahahah, okay. I know. I'm ridiculous and excessive.

Oh, and I definitely want to touch on this reallllllly quick.

I know a TON of you LOVE to display your wigs as storage. And why wouldn't you?? They are beautiful!

This is a fine way to store them, but there are two main things to beware of when doing this, especially if you don't wear them very often~

1. If your wig is sitting out on display, it is likely that it will collect dust while sitting out. Who wants dusty hair? Storing it in its bag will keep dust out of it.

2. IF YOUR WIG IS CURLY: If you keep your curly wig out on display, keep in mind that gravity is a thing. When there is a constant pull of gravity on the curls, they will start to lose their shape over time. Think about it. It makes sense. Straight wigs are a better choice for display wigs ;D

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That's it!!!!

I hope you learned something from today's #WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorial! Check back next week for

How to Restyle Tight Curls into Voluminous Loose Curls

xoxoxo

#WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorial: How to Brush and Restore Curly Wigs

Happy #WigWednesday!! Are you ready for Week 3 of #WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorials? In case you've missed the previous two weeks, you can read them here:
How to Brush a Wig
How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs

& now, on to Week 3:

How to Brush and Restore Curly Wigs

Curly wigs can be a little more difficult to maintain than straight wigs. My preferred method for brushing curly wigs is finger-combing. Finger-combing just means using your fingers to brush through hair. It is a much more gentle way to handle hair and can extend the life of curls. You may still need to use a comb in areas that are badly tangled.

This demo wig is Gothic Lolita Wigs NeoClassic in Turquoise.

When finger-combing curls, the best way to do it is to section off the curls. You want to handle each curl individually, so again, patience is key! As you run your fingers through the curls, you want to go in the direction of the curl. This means spinning your hand as you work down the curl. After the curl is detangled, you may need to reshape the curl a little bit. 

There are a few ways to reshape curls. The quickest and easiest way is to wrap the curl around your finger and hold. I think you will be surprised how much this helps the curl bounce back. If that's not enough to restore your curls, apply heat. Again, like with straightening, you should check the max temp your wig can handle.

 A curling wand (no clamp) is ideal for curling wigs. If you don't have one, just be sure not to use the clamp of your styling tool. The clamp will make creases & could burn the hair, eww! Wrap the curl around the curling iron the same way you did your finger, hold for just a few seconds, then gently slide the curl off. 

If your wig has tight curls (ex. GLW Ringlet Redux), you should wrap the hair tighter. If it has loose curls (ex. GLW Duchess Elodie), then wrap the hair loosely. Simple as that!

There is no guarantee that you can restore curls exactly to their original state, but I hope these tips help!

Good luck!

Check back next Wednesday for:
How to Store Wigs

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#WigWednesday: How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs - Wig Care Tutorial

Hi everyone! Welcome to the second week of #WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorials! If you missed last week's quick tip, you can check it out here: How to Brush a Wig.

This week, we will be talking straight wigs! Ready? Here we go!

How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs

My preferred method for taking care of straight wigs is with a wide-toothed comb. Because there are no curls to worry about ruining, it's much faster and easier to brush it with a comb as opposed to finger combing. The longer the wig, the easier it will tangle, so if you are trying to brush a very long straight wig, please be patient!! If you get frustrated and pull too hard on the hair, you can damage it, make the tangles worse, or pull the hair out.

This demo wig is Gothic Lolita Wigs Straight Classic in Burgundy.

Remember to start combing at the bottom! It is important to detangle the ends first or it's possible to make the tangles much worse than they were to begin with.

If after wearing or storing your wig it is not as straight as you like it to be, fear not! Wigs can be straightened! 

*All the wigs I use in my tutorials are by Gothic Lolita Wigs or RockStar Wigs, so this information is all based off of GLW/RSW quality and fibers. Cheaper quality wigs (eBay, etc.) may not react the same way.

For straightening wigs for the first time (or as many times as you want!), I recommend using the hot water method for a quick and easy way to get the wig uniformly straight. See my straightening tuturial here: 

http://alexapoletti.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-straighten-synthetic-wig-using.html

But for touch ups after my straight wigs have been stored for a while, I use a hair straightener/flat iron on them. Make sure you read the product page from where ever you bought your wig to see the maximum temperature you should use on your wig. Most of the time, you can use the LOWEST setting on your straightener on synthetic hair. PLEASE do a test patch first on an underneath layer to test if your wig can handle the heat. If the hair burns or frays, do not continue with the straightener. 

Use a low temp! 140-180 degrees F.

Once you've done a heat test and found that your synthetic wig can handle a little bit of heat, you are ready to straighten! So pretty! *u*

Have fun! :)

Tune in for next week's #WigWednesday quick tip: How to Brush and Restore Curly Wigs!

xoxo

#WigWednesday Wig Care Tutorial: How to Brush a Wig

Hello wig lovers!!! Today I am here to kick off a brand new series on my blog for #WigWednesday. I'd like to help you with caring for your wigs to get the longest life out of them as possible. This is a topic I get asked about on my Facebook page so often that I felt it deserved not just a tutorial post, but a tutorial series, so I hope you find it informative! Check back every Wednesday for the duration of the series for more wig care quick tips!

So, you love your Gothic Lolita Wig or RockStar Wig. I get it. We all do.

Even though the quality is top notch, you wear it all the time (through high winds and summer humidity and an accidental rain storm) and it's starting to look a little beat up. Can you restore it or is it trash?

Before you toss your perfectly good wig, try taking a few steps to restore it to its former beauty.

For the launch of the series, we are going to start with one of the most basic tips of wig care: How to Brush a Wig. I know it may seem simple to you seasoned pros of wig care, but for many, this is a quick way to ruin a wig. Lots of people don't even know that there is a wrong way to brush a wig! Each Wednesday with cover a different topic, and after today, they will be much more specific! So let's get to it!

How to Brush a Wig

There are a few ways to properly and safely brush your wig. First of all, let's start with the basics. Your tools!

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER brush your wig with a standard hair brush that you would brush your natural hair with. It will damage the fibers and can completely ruin your wig. Only use a wig brush or a wide-toothed comb.

There are many ways to brush wigs, but my favorite ways are to brush with a wide-toothed comb and finger-combing. I like using a wide-toothed comb over a wig brush because it gives you more control and they are very inexpensive and readily available at lots of stores. Finger-combing (brushing with your fingers) is nice for daily upkeep because it's easy, you always having your fingers with you, and you can style and finger comb at the same time. The downside of finger-combing is that it is harder to get out larger and tougher tangles.

The best way to brush a wig is from the bottom up. Start with detangling the ends of the hair, and SLOWLY work your way up to the top of the wig (brushing downwards- NO BACKCOMBING! unless you want your wig to be forever a poof ball). Detangling a badly knotted wig requires a lot of patience. You can also use wig conditioner to help detangle wigs. I don't have experience with wig conditioner, so I'm not going to talk about that, but just know that such a product exists for you to experiment with. Buying a bottle of wig conditioner is cheaper than replacing your entire wig.

I like to lightly brush & care for my wig after EACH WEAR before storing it. This helps them keeping nice and prevents build up of tangles that become harder and harder to get out.

And that's it! I told you they were QUICK tips! Check back next Wednesday for:
How to Brush and Restore Straight Wigs

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