3) And now ?

The commission arrived safe at your home. And now ? How do you take care of your hairpieces ? Like a car, that needs fuel and carwashes, you need to maintain your wigs. Depending the circumstances I would have the pleasure to help with potential repairs.

! If you need personal quidance also after the commission is finished, contact me via the same way we concluded our commission (p.ex. facebook).
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FASTEN THE HAIRPIECES :

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PIN : PREPARATION :
  • The thing for a good fastening of the hairpieces is not repeating to add bobbypins to the wig, but the preparation underneath
  • Avoid washing your hair the day of wearing it or even the day before and avoid using hair conditioner or other smoothening products. Best would be to avoid these products weeks ahead in order to have maximum grip on your hair !
PIN : FASTENING :
  • Make braids, ‘snails’, add spray or gel etc to put the hair out of the way (check the tutorials in the Cohaku magazine English issues or my upcoming book !)
  • Very fine hair can be teased for maximal fixation and secured with hairgluespray, for example got2be spray
  • A professionnal special make-up advice : the main thing are cross-pins ! Bobbypins are pinned, crossing, like a hairband from ear to ear, so that they hold each other. Add them systematically or get help to remove the mess, because the order is important to remove the pins without pain
  • This gives you a stable basis on which the hairpiece can be fastened with just a few big pins at specific places (normal Haarneedles, bend Christa hair-arrows…)
    More about all this in detail in my Make-up-/Wig book… I’m working on it !!
    ADDITIONNAL TIPS :
    – “Weave” the pins into the hair for additionnal fixation
    – Pins can be added in the middle of the wig. “Weave” the hairpins inbetween the wefts and pin the wig to the braided/’snailed’ hair underneath
    – Hair close to the face looks more authentic. Fixate the hair with hairspray or pins in front of the ears and temples
    – I will explain more in my Make-up-/Wig book soon

Another possibility for simple and fast hold is a gripping velvet bandage closing with velcro.

GLUE  :  ADHESIVES :

I sell adhesive-kits with every commission if desired. See Wig Options.

– Spirit gum is easy to use, traditionnally shiny and unflexible though. I offer matte adhesive, as well as a mattefier, if you wish to use your own, shiny skin adhesive. Just PM me on facebook. This adhesive exists eudermic (Hydro Mastix), extreme adherent (Mastix P) and also matt (Mastix TV).
– ProsAide is flexible, therefore more comfortable and is also longer lasting, as it stays tacky and resists better to sweat. But is is acrylic-based and will stick liek chewing gum to your lace. Solvents are oily, ergo complicate re-adhering the lace. Instead, it is advised to add this adhesive to the skin in two layers and simply push the lace into the mostly cured adhesive to not damage the lace.
– Silicone adhesive is strong and usually for adhering prosthetics appliances to skin, but due to it’s stickyness, useful for lace hairpieces as well. It is very strong and the solvent used is very safe and slow drying.

GLUE  :  FIXATE THE PIECES :

Be careful to glue the lace only, avoid sticking on the hair of the hairpiece. It is easier to stick the lace into the adhesive with a spatula for example and not the fingers. In some casesm, as a very even hairline, flat pressing on is possible, but should be done with a cotton ball (wadding knotted in a stocking) or a damp leather cloth.

Authentic knotted hairline, ergo tulle / lace : Stick on only the lace, avoid glueing the hairs of the piece. This is easier if you use a spatula instead of flatening the hair with your fingers. Sometimes, with flat hairlines, flatening is alright and should be done with a ball (synthetic cotton wool in a elastical tulle) or a damp leather cloth.
Dynamic glued hairline, ergo Latex etc : A glued hairlineis easy to maintain (see Haaransätze) and can be glued on withall adhesives. ATTENTION when cleaning with alcohol if your hairline is tinted (“contouring”) !  The remover will dissolve the tint and stain your skin ! This goes also for every Mastix remover and general removers containing alcohol ! ALSO hairspay and gels !

And if you’re sweating a lot, try something like “Sweat Stop” or “Kryolan Pro Shield” and tell me your experience with these produce via facebook..


CLEAN AND MAINTAIN HAIRPIECES :

Lace / tulle :

Be careful when cleaning the lace : Don’t rub it off the lace, it will fringe ! Let the remover sink in until the glue gets gooey and dap dap dap with fresh kitchen papers or towels (nothing fuzzy!) until it’s clean. Be careful to never touch the hair with the solvant/remover when the hair has been tinted with a certain method, the tint will go off.

Styled wigs :

Extremly styled wigs are waterproof, but shouldn’t be washed. If you know you’re sweating a lot, you can put on thicker or more wig caps (not the nets, the sock-ish ones!) in matchig colours or, if you really want nothing touching the wig, use a bald cap on top. Freeze the wig (without electronics, headpieces etc) to kill bacterias. Don’t spray alcohol to desinfect the wig on the  hair if the hair is tinted with a certain method, you will decolor the fibers.
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If there are questions left, PM me on facebook, I will help you with further information.
More about all this and much much more will be explained in my upcoming book about wigs.

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Voilà. Enjoy !
bakka cosplay  / Florence Heyer FX

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