As a professional singer and actor, I’ve been around the block a time or two when it comes to wearing wigs. And thanks to my thick, dark hair and pale skin, I need every trick in the book to cover up my hair. That’s why I’ve put together this guide (with a video tutorial) on how to wear a wig for a costume when you have long hair. I’m by no means an expert. This guide is NOT designed to encompass medical or religious wigs, but rather costume wigs. Actors and cosplayers: read on!

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. I do not recommend products I wouldn’t use myself! Read my affiliate policy.

Tools You’ll Need

Wig Cap

You CAN put a wig on plain hair, but I do not recommend it. Your wig will not sit securely, and it will not look good. A wig cap covers and secures your natural hair while providing friction to help the wig stay in place. You can buy “pantyhose” or “fishnet” wig caps. I recommend pantyhose style for maximum grip and hair smushing. Sweatier heads with finer hair may prefer fishnet. Choose a color closest to your SKIN color, not your hair color.

Bobby Pins and Hair Pins

For both styling and security, bobby pins are your best friend. I use them to secure the hair under my head (more on that later) and to make minor adjustments to the wig’s styling. Make sure you have bobby pin colors to suit your wig. It doesn’t need to be perfect – blonde bobby pins will work on poison green wigs, for example. Just pick the color that will blend best into your wig.

Hair pins are different from bobby pins. They’re similarly thin, but they’re wider. You want straight hair pins with no protective nubbins, as they’re the most discrete to go through the cap of the wig without damaging it (just don’t scrape the bejesus out of your head). I like the MetaGrip bronze hair pins as they’re the most “neutral” for most different wigs.

Optional Tools:

These items aren’t strictly necessary for a good wig install. However, if you plan to wear them a lot, or need a little extra in the reality department, consider these things.

• Strong Hair Gel – A good hair gel helps in two ways. First, you can use it to slick down the edges of your hair so they don’t escape from the cap. Second, you can use it to glue lace edges to your skin for a natural blend.
• Wig Clips – Many wigs have these interlocking clips pre-installed to help grip the wig to your cap or band. I find bobby pins easier to use, but if you can get the hang of them, your wig will hold on TIGHT.
• Dermaplane Razor – For the more…hirsute among us, dark black hair by your ears and along the nape of your neck can really ruin the vibe when you’re treading the boards as a white-haired snow queen multiple times per week. A razor designed for the baby hairs on your face can help clean up those areas and add to the wig’s realism.

Wig prep shopping list:

• Wig Cap
• Bobby Pins
• Hair Pins
• Strong Hold Hair Gel
• Wig Clips
• Dermaplane Razor

Preparing Your Hair

You cannot simply stuff your hair into a wig cap and call it a day. The outcome of this is a deeply unattractive lump at the base of your skill. Especially if you have long hair and are trying to wear a short wig, distributing your hair evenly across your head is crucial to make the wig look good (and stay on securely). There are two main methods which I mix and match based on the wig: braids and pin curls.

How to Braid Your Hair for Under a Wig

Step 1: Brush your hair. Part your hair down the middle

Step 2: Divide your hair into 3 (or 4) sections on each side, depending on the length and thickness of your hair

Step 3: Braid each section across your head so the top of the braid lies flat

Step 4: Swirl the braid like a cinnamon roll onto your head and pin into place.

How to Pin Curls for Under a Wig

Step 1: Detangle your hair. Using a comb, section off a portion of your hair approximately 2-inches square.

Step 2: Put two fingers near the base of your scalp, and wrap the hair around your fingers tightly, but still comfortably.

Step 3: Pull out your fingers and pin the swirled hair to your scalp with a T of bobby pins).

Step 4: Repeat until all of your hair is in pin curls.

Details Before You Put on a Wig

Once your hair is flat and secure to your head, pull the wig cap over your hair. A new wig cap will be tight; don’t be worried to stuff and pull as needed. If this is your first time, get a friend to help you!

After the wig cap is on, use strong hold hair gel to glue the edges of your hairline down. This will prevent them from escaping the wig, as well as act as a mild glue. If desired, use a dermaplane razor to gently shave any hair along your hairline that might show under the wig.

Putting on the Wig

In movies, people like to dramatically fling on a wig upside-down. While that makes for a great shot, it does not make for good wig stewardship. You’ll want to put it on more like a very delicate hat.

Optional step: If it’s a wig you can tighten, put the clips in place before you put it on your head.

Step 1: Position the wig over your head in approximately the way it will sit on your head, then put it over the wig cap.

Step 2: Pull gently around the edges so it completely covers the wig cap.

Step 3: Move the wig around to where you want it to sit (lower is better).

Step 4: Pin the wig in place; use smaller pins for around your hairline and larger pins for the weft in the middle. Use at least one pin at the crown of your head, and pin it forward (towards your face).

Tips for a Good-Looking Wig

Pull it Down Low

This feels counter-intuitive, put pull the wig down at least 3/4 of an inch below your hairline (lower if you have a big forehead). Wig hair is usually styled back, while head hair falls forward. Pull your wig forward so it looks more natural.

Cover Your Ears

While we are used to keeping our ears free under our hair, covering at least the tops of your ears can help a lot in hiding your hair. For fair, brunette folks like me, the hair in front of our ears is difficult to hide. Pulling the wig to hide the tops of your ears can help disguise it while allowing you to hear and wear earrings.

Glue Your Lace Down

Lace-front wigs look more natural than hard-front, but not if you’ve got visible mesh flapping off of your face! This is where STRONG hair gel is your BFF. Take a tiny dab of glue and put it over the mesh so it seamlessly blends into your skin.

Tighter Is Better

If you are tenderheaded I am very sorry to tell you this, but, the tighter your wig is, the better. It’s less likely to slip and slide around or, God forbid, fall off. Much like well-fitting shoes, if you wear the wig as tight as is comfortable, it will be less likely to rub as you move around.

Wig Vocabulary

For the purposes of this tutorial, popping online and buying a $30 wig that looks like it fits your purposes is generally sufficient. The better-made, more durable, and more natural wigs are, the more you will pay. But even for inexpensive wigs, you’ll see some terms thrown around that may stump you.

Types of Wigs

For most wigs, wefts (or locks) of hair are sewn onto a base that fits onto your head like a tight cap. However, the sewing techniques and cap types make for different types of wigs.

• Hardfront/Cap – The most basic and inexpensive type of wig. Large wefts of hair are sewn in rows onto a synthetic cap. The hair stops abruptly at the line of the cap (and is usually styled).
• Lacefront – Made like a hardfront wig, but a narrow strip of mesh is attached, so the wig blends more naturally into your forehead.
• Full Lace – Smaller wefts of hair are sewn onto a base made up entirely of fine mesh. This means the wig moves and looks more like real hair (it can be parted like real hair) but they don’t fit as snugly as other types.
• Monofilament – Think of these like a combination of full lace and traditional cap wigs. Wefts are sewn in a natural pattern, and the cap is transparent (at least at the crown) to allow for natural parting. However, monofilament wigs tend to have more structure in the cap to sit more securely than full lace wigs.

Other Wig Terms

Once you’ve figured out your wig construction style, you’ll need to consider a few other things with your wig vocabulary.

• Hair Type – Wigs can be made of natural hair or synthetic hair. Synthetic hair is less expensive, and is often more durable. Natural hair wigs work well for fashion or medical purposes.
• Heat Tolerance – Contrary to popular opinion, synthetic wigs CAN tolerate heat. However – make sure you read the wig specs to make sure you’re styling within the heat range your wig can tolerate. Especially if they get a lot of use, wigs need periodic re-styling.
• Tightening Options – Most wigs – even inexpensive ones – offer ways to adjust them to your head. Elastic pull straps sit around the outside of the cap, so you can tighten the wig to your head. Wig clips may be attached at key spots so you can clip the wig to your hairline or wig cap.

Wig Maintenance Tips

Just like your hair, wigs require maintenance to keep them looking pretty! Here’s what you need to do to keep your wig looking nice between wears.

1. Store it properly! Keep wigs in the net they came in to keep the hair from frizzing out. For cheaper wigs, I store them in small plastic shoe boxes to stay dust free, and I store more expensive and elaborate wigs on a foam mannequin heads. Use a few long pins to keep your wig in place on the foam head.
2. Brush it properly! You can’t take any ol’ brush to a synthetic wig, as if you pull out hair, you can’t put it back. A wide bristle brush with no balls at the end will do. And spray it with wig conditioner before brushing to assist in detangling.
3. Restyle it properly! Despite claims to the contrary, most synthetic wigs CAN have hot tools used on them – just check the manufacturer’s instructions for how high the heat can go.

Once you know what you’re doing, wearing wigs is a fun way to pop on a persona without too much fuss! And if you do it right, you can dance all night while maintaining your fun and sassy persona.