You might think your custom human hair wig already looks amazing every time you pluck the hairline or restyle your piece. However, there are many ways you can level up the customization of your wig to create something even more natural-looking and beautiful. If you’re interested in more intensive wig customization, it’s time to take a look at what it takes to get the job done at home or with a stylist. Check out this overview of the process and follow these steps to get started.
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Choose Your Wig
There’s a lot you need to know before buying a wig, so we don’t recommend skipping out on the research. From length and texture to color and base, there are a lot of ways you can personalize your look.
For starters, we always recommend choosing natural human hair (preferably Remy hair) as opposed to synthetic wigs. You’ll also want to shop with a specific style in mind, something close to what you want your final wig customization to look like. You’ll also need to consider whether you want a full or partial lace front or a U-front wig. For the purpose of this styling guide, we recommend starting with a full lace wig.
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Work the Hairline
Your custom human hair wig has arrived, and it’s time to get styling. Place the wig on a stand and start plucking the hairline. While you can start your wig customization process by bleaching the knots, we like to deal with the hairline first to explore the fullness of the hair. You can pluck the hairline to mimic your own or check out pictures of celebrities, friends, and models with your preferred hairline to better imitate a natural look.
Use a rat-tail comb to part the hair precisely as you pluck with fine-point tweezers to ensure even shapes and lines. You should also note that straight-textured wigs will need more plucking and shaping than curly wigs.
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Bleach the Knots
This is one of the hardest parts. Bleaching the knots during wig customization helps create an illusion of a natural scalp. You’ve thinned out the density of your wig a bit during the plucking, so it’s essential to match the base surface to the skin tone of your scalp.
Use protective gloves during this process and apply a blend of developer and color to the inner lace of your custom human hair wig. Start at the hairline and use a brush to gently apply the solution all the way to the middle of the lace. You don’t want to be too heavy-handed because then the mixture may seep through the lace and onto the actual wig hair. You should also spray the roots of the wig with a protective spray to ensure they don’t get bleached with the base.
Once applied, the color lifter needs to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing. As it’s sitting, you’ll want to check the hairline to ensure you’re getting the right tone for your wig customization. You don’t want the color lifting too much!
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Wash it Out
When your timer dings, it’s time to wash and condition your custom human hair wig. Start with a purple conditioner for rinsing out the bleaching shampoo. Then, we recommend using your normal wash day routine here, using shampoo and conditioner to rinse away the color lifter residue along with any loose fibers and extra strands of plucked hair.
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Work the Hairline (Again)
You might think we’re pretty much done with our wig customization, but we’re only about halfway through! Now it’s time to pluck the hairline again, repeating the same process from the beginning. It’s pretty rare for anyone to be satisfied with the first round of plucking. The second round will help you achieve an even more realistic hairline – especially since you’ve lightened the knots at the base of the wig.
Also, wet hair looks different than dry hair, and it’s a little easier to manipulate. If you plan on parting the hair in different ways and styling unique looks, you’ll need to pluck at multiple angles to ensure the wig looks natural from every perspective.
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Let it Dry
Take a break, get some coffee, and let that wig dry out completely. Lay your wig totally flat on a towel and let it dry all the way through. Keep the wig out of direct sunlight or extreme heat as it’s drying.
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Use Lace Tint Spray
For the final natural touch, lace tint spray is a must for wig customization. Holding the can about six inches away from the hair, you can use this spray after every time you shampoo to ensure that the base really looks like a natural scalp. Your tint spray will need a few minutes to dry, so let the wig sit before putting it on.
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Test it Out
Throw a wig cap over your natural hair and test out the look and feel of your new wig. You want a snug fit that won’t shift as you move your head. If you love the way it looks, you can move on to securing your wig with tape and adhesive. Think a few more plucks and tints are calling your name? Remove the wig and make those last-minute edits before trying it on again.
Once your wig is truly and finally ready, you can use wig tape for short-term wear of five days or less and glue application for long-term wear of up to three weeks.
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Set the Line
Lace front wigs come with extra lace fabric at the front, so you have complete control over wig customization from your forehead back. Lightly mark a line where you want the lace to end and use scissors to remove an appropriate amount. Make sure you mark the wig on a curve to follow a more natural hairline instead of a straight edge. Now, use a little makeup to disguise the lace along your hairline and part.
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Final Styling
Finally, you’re almost done with your wig customization! At this point, you can use some hot tools and styling products to create the look you want. Whether it’s big, bouncy curls or luscious waves, treat your wig as if it was your real hair.
Explore More with Posh Hair Company
All these extra details may seem like a lot of work, but they’re worth it for a wig that moves naturally and looks amazing. If you feel like wig customization may not be worth the effort, we recommend you try our hair extensions to add volume and length in minutes instead of hours.