How to Dye Wigs

If you’re bored with your usual hairstyle or are planning to dress up a character with vibrant hair, you might be thinking about dyeing a wig. While you can’t dye your wig with regular hair dye, it’s doable. First, you will mix hair dye, then dye and rinse your hair. You will quickly get a new look.

Table of Contents

Dye preparation

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Mix alcohol-based ink with water in the ratio 1:1. Buy original ink at your local craft store in the color you want to dye. Empty the ink bottle into the spray bottle. ^{[1] X Research Source} Then pour the same amount of water into a spray bottle, screw the cap on, and shake the bottle to mix the two ingredients well. ^{[2] X Research Source}

With a normal wig, you will use 1 ink bottle with a capacity of 30 ml. For very long and/or thick wigs, use 2 30 ml ink bottles.

Add water to create a pastel color. A 1:1 ratio will produce vibrant and opaque colors, very similar to your chosen ink color. If you want to create a translucent pastel like mint green, you can purchase ink with a lighter green color and dilute the ink bottle with about 8 cups (2 liters) of water. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Use Sharpie pen ink instead of alcohol-based ink. If you don’t want to buy alcohol-based ink and have a Sharpie marker in the right color, you can use it. Open the cap and remove the pen with pliers. Take out the ink tube inside and use a knife to cut the ink tube open. Then, put the ink cartridge in the spray bottle, add the right amount of water and let it soak overnight. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Start dyeing your hair

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Use a light colored synthetic resin wig. Choose any wig you want, as long as it is light in color, like white, pale gold, silver or pastel. Thus, you will start with a blank background, which will allow you to dye the wig to the desired color. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

You can’t bleach wigs with bleach like you can with real hair.

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Workspace layout. First, choose an outdoor spot to dye your hair. The dyeing process will stain, so you should choose a location away from valuables. Place a table in the chosen place, covering the table with newspaper or an old tablecloth. Finally, put the hair on the rack and place it on the table.

If you can’t dye your hair outdoors, choose a garage or basement.

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Wear old clothes and latex gloves. Choose an old piece of clothing that you’re not afraid of getting dirty with the dye. You’ll put on latex gloves before working with the dye to keep your hands clean and help limit contamination. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Spray the medicine on a strand of hair and smooth it through with your hands. Start dyeing the top layer of hair that is visible when separated naturally. Take a spray bottle and spray 3-5 sprays on a curl of hair about 5-8 cm wide. Run your fingers up to the roots of your hair and rub it back and forth so that the dye evenly adheres to the hair. Run your hand through the curl 2-3 times to ensure even coverage. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Repeat this process for each curl. After dyeing the first curl, take the next curl about 5-8 cm wide, spray the dye on and apply it evenly with your hands. Continue to dye the hair around the head and focus the spray near the roots and the top half of the hair. Then flip the top curls up as you dye around your head again, and continue to dye the layers underneath. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Use a wide tooth comb to comb your hair. After you have sprayed all parts of your hair and applied it with your hands as much as possible, the color may still not be completely uniform. In order for the dye to evenly cover your hair, you should use a wide-tooth comb to comb your hair from root to tip. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Dye your hair by putting the wig and dye in a plastic bag. If you don’t have the time and/or don’t want to get the dye all over the place, empty the ink tank and water into a plastic bag such as a garbage bag. Put the wig in the bag and tie the mouth of the bag. If you want a colorful wig, shake the bag for a few minutes. If you want a light pastel color, just dip your hair in the dye for about 5 minutes. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Consider nesting two bags together to reduce the risk of spills.

Rinse and style your hair

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Dry the wig outdoors. After dyeing your hair, you will dry it in the sun and let it dry completely. The drying time is about an hour, but it may take longer if the hair is very long or thick. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you don’t know if the hair is completely dry, you can run your hand through the hair to check. If the dye gets on your hands, you will need to let it dry longer.

Rinse the hair with water until the water is clear. When the hair is completely dry, put it in the sink and turn on the faucet. Rinse the hair rinse until the water in the tub is completely clear, and there is no trace of the ink color. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Use a wide tooth comb to detangle. You can put the wig on a rack or on your head. Use wig conditioner to spray on the hair, you can buy this hair conditioner at the cosmetic store. Separate each strand of hair and comb it with a wide-tooth comb from root to tip. Continue brushing until the entire hair is untangled. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Do not use a regular comb for wigs to avoid damaging the hair.

Set the lowest heat setting on the styling tools. Use the “cool” setting if you want to use a blow dryer to dry your hair. If you don’t use a dryer and want to use other heat styling tools, let the wig dry completely and set the heat setting to the lowest setting on that tool. Set the straightener and curling iron to a maximum temperature of about 95-120 degrees Celsius ^{. [14] X Research Source}

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Complete.

Warning

Make sure the wig is free from oil or other hair products, as it will interfere with the dyeing process.
Always work in a well-ventilated area to avoid overexposure to vapors from alcohol-based inks.

Things you need

Dye preparation

Alcohol-based ink
Aerosol
Water
Sharpie marker pen (optional)
Pliers (optional)
Knife (optional)

Start dyeing your hair

Synthetic plastic wig with light color
Table
Newspaper or tablecloth
Wig holder
Old clothes
Latex Gloves
Dye spray
Wide tooth comb

Rinse and style your hair

Sink
Wig holder (optional)
wig conditioner
Wide tooth comb
Heat styler (optional)

Steps

Dye preparation

Start dyeing your hair

Rinse and style your hair

Warning

Things you need

Dye preparation

Start dyeing your hair

Rinse and style your hair

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