If you've ever tried to dye a synthetic wig using regular, store-bought hair dye, then you've probably experienced that disappointing moment when the dye you just spent an hour putting in your wig washes straight out.
But don't lose hope just yet— there are a few ways to dye a synthetic wig using basic materials like craft store ink, or even sharpies. In this post, I will teach you how to use my preferred method: the FW ink method.
Here are some of the results I've gotten using this method:
With this easy method you can dye your old synthetic wigs with just a few simple materials. You will need:
FW Ink in your desired color (avoid pearlescent colors as these will wash out.)
Spray bottles (recommend 1 per color)
70% Rubbing Alcohol (about 1 cup or 8 oz. per color mixture)
Gloves
Hair clips or hair ties to section off the hair
Recommended: Newspaper or trash bags to cover your work space
Note that this ink will dye anything else it comes into contact with, so be sure to protect your work space, hands and clothing!
The amount of ink and rubbing alcohol you will need depends on how long/thick your wig is, and how many colors you want to use. One ink-alcohol mixture should be enough for a short wig, but you may need to double or even triple the concoction for a longer wig.
If you want to dye your wig a light color, you'll have to start with a white or very blonde wig. Keep in mind that the original color of the wig will affect the final result.
Step 1: Wash your wig and let dry.
Step 2: Add 1-cup 70% rubbing alcohol to your spray bottle.
Step 3: Add 8 full droppers full of FW ink to the rubbing alcohol in the spray bottle. If you want to lighten or darken the dye, add 1 or 2 droppers of white or black FW ink to the mixture.
For very pastel colors, use a higher ratio of white to color, and use less ink altogether (this may need a little trial and error).
Step 4: Close up the spray bottle and shake to combine the mixture.
Step 5: (optional) If you have a lace front wig, you may want to cover the lace front to protect it from getting dyed using gentle masking tape. Be careful not to get the tape caught in the hair.
Step 6: Section off the part of the wig you would like to dye. This depends on how you want to colors to come out. If you are dyeing a wig all one color, I suggest sectioning off the different layers of hair so that the dye can evenly coat the hair. When I dyed my Harley Quinn wig for Halloween in 2016, I simply put my wig in pigtails.
Step 7: Spray the ink mixture into the hair. Be sure to evenly coat all the strands.
Step 8: Let the dye sit for a while. I suggest letting it sit for a minimum of 8 hours, or overnight.
Step 9: Thoroughly rinse the dye out of the hair. Be careful not to let the dye leak onto any parts you do NOT want to dye (like the lace front, for example).
For my Harley Quinn wig, I washed each pigtail separately to ensure that the dye did not mix.
Step 10: Thoroughly wash your wig with shampoo and conditioner. I personally feel that regular shampoo/conditioner designed for human hair did a better job of getting all the dye out, rather than wig shampoo/conditioner. Use LOTS of conditioner!
Note: If your wig still feels a little stiff after washing it, you probably didn't get all the dye out. Go ahead and give it another wash. After a few washes, the hair texture should go back to normal!
For more info, check out my video tutorial here: