Playing with beauty and hair is so much fun. I have always enjoyed trying new colors and different techniques, but a lack of bio-hair left me with few options... until I found synthetic wigs!
A few years ago, I was on YouTube and stumbled across a tutorial on how to dye a synthetic wig. Now, this excited me. By this time, I had plenty of wigs in my closet that I wasn’t wearing very often - either because the color is not my favorite anymore, or the style is not for me - and maybe this could resurrect my unused wigs.
How To Dye A Synthetic Wig
PLEASE NOTE: I would not recommend dying wigs unless you are willing to risk ruining them, which in this case, I was! Detailed below is the technique that I learned that can help you on your journey to wig resurrection!
Dying a Synthetic Wig
What you need:
- Synthetic Wig that is heat resistant
- Fabric dye of your choice
- Pot and stove
- Probably wear some old clothes you don’t like and other protective items just to be sure all you are dyeing is the wig.
Start by bringing water to boil in a pot - large size is best but if it is a smaller wig you may be able to fluctuate a little on size - and mix in the dye. Then before you drop in your wig, get it a little damp by running it under the sink just so it is already a bit saturated and this will help the process of actual dyeing.
Remove the pot from the stove, and quickly dunk the wig in! The lighter you want the color, the less time you leave it in, the darker you want it, the longer you leave it in. Basically, this process is not one you can walk away from. You can also control the tint by putting less or more dye in the actual mixture. Once you have reached a point of color tint you like, remove the wig and rinse it in cold water. Rinse well until the water runs clear and then allow your hair piece to dry naturally.
This is a risky process, but has worked for me and many others! Remember that this process can EASILY ruin a wig, so you must be very careful and only try this on wigs that you have no emotional attachments to!
Please note*: Our Wigs.com guest writers share their opinions and experiences and we appreciate them! Synthetic wigs are versatile and inexpensive. Synthetic wigs and hair comes in so many colors, it is much easier to find the color you want instead of risking ruining one if your color attempt does not work out. We DO NOT recommend dying synthetic wigs.
Have you ever tried dying a synthetic wig?
4 comments
To deposit color on your own hair, you would use less developer. To lighten you would use more developer. When changing the color of a wig it’s important to know if it’s synthetic or human hair. Snip test hair to see how it reacts. When depositing color you would use a lower volume peroxide – cut the typical 20% volume in half by using ex: 10% h2o + 10% developer. You can walk into many supply stores & purchase small bottles of color & the developer separately. However, keep in mind a good majority of stylists are not accomplished using hair color. It could cost more to try to have a professional fix your end result…
Hey,just tried putting some reddish permanent coloring on a synthetic clip on pony tail,been using color years also…put it on just like I would my hair,left it on about 2 hrs….it didn’t take,but didn’t hurt it either..so I am guessing the boiling part u have to use on the other comments is to get rid of a permanent colored covering,so it doesn’t fade….just my guess…Hope this helps…sheri
Hi Sheri,
Thanks for reaching out!
Please be advised only human hair which is porous can be dyed which is one of the many benefits of investing in Human Hair is that it can have color deposited. You can deposit color up to 2-3 levels of color successfully in most cases and recommend never bleaching your piece as most are highly processed.
We always recommend consulting an experienced professional when altering your wig or topper.
As always, if you need further assistance, please feel free to contact our customer service team Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 6:30 pm CST. Call TOLL FREE 1-800-581-2001 or email customerservice@beautyandhair.com.
This looks like fun! However, I am wanting to add some natural looking color warmth to a plain medium brown with blond highlights, high end, new, monofilament wig that I found for a reduced price… Clearence color deal. I’m very experienced using box permanent color at home for decades, mixing just the right amounts of medium golden brunette, and auburn brunette to get the unique color that I want. So now, I’m wondering if the ‘semi-permanent’ hair color would be safe to use on this wig. It’s NATURAL, with no bleach, chemicals etc. It washes out in 6 weeks, made by Revlon, Natural Instincts, and others. I think the dye deposits on top of natural hair strands, then gradually washes out. I would probably use a medium golden or strawberry blond to add warmth, but not darken the brown. Does anyone have any knowledge or advice about this?
Thanks very much, Sheri