Wig Guide

~*~ Wig Types ~*~ 

Full Wig

A full wig is worn over the whole head has both bangs and a back-portion. This is the type that most people wear with their costumes. Of all the wigs, this is the most basic and the only one that is commonly used on its own.

Half Wig

Half wigs have no bangs or sidelocks. They're partial wigs that cover only from the crown of the head back, These can be worn under full wigs to create a color gradient or more radical color change.

Vance

Vances are bundles of hair gathered onto clips to use with full wigs. With these wig pieces, you can create ponytails and twintails (pigtails).


Extension

Most extensions are designed to fit into the mesh of a full wig. They often have a small comb at the end designed to hold the hair in place.

~*~ Wig Design ~*~ 

Straight

This is the most standard wig design and as a result, has the most colors and variations. It's easy to alter and can be set into many different styles.
 
Layer

This pre-cut wig has several different tiers of length. Compared to a straight wig, layers are lighter and tend to be easier to style without cutting.

Curl

This wig design comes with loose curls pre-set. The curls are usually pretty strong but most types have bangs and head portions that are left straight.

Roll

Roll wigs are curled in spirals much tighter that a "curl." But be careful, brushing the spirals is likely to get you a horrible frizzy mess.

~*~ Wig Parting ~*~

Line Type

This type of part has an I-shaped line in the center where the hair is rooted. It's similar in appearance to a wanren but usually has bangs.

Scalp Type

The center portion of this style is the base of a circular rooting pattern meant to mimic the fall of real hair before parting. Hair flows to all sides from the center point, so arranging and cutting bangs of any style or length is easy.


HF Type

This type of wig has more fake skin at the crown of the head than either the line type or the scalp type, giving you a bit more room to play with interesting parts without exposing your wig cap or looking too unnatural. No matter how you look at it, your part will appear the most natural with an HF.

Wanren

The wanren is parted from the very front so that the bangs fall long to the right and left as well at the sides. Since a wanren is designed to be parted this way, it's often the best choice to cleanly accomplish a look for characters without short bangs.

Twintail

This type of wig is cleanly parted from top to bottom for a perfectly-portioned pigtail look. If you part a regular wig this way, your wig net will definitely show though, but with this type, you're good to go.

~*~ Wig Material ~*~

Human Hair

These wigs are made of real human hair. Because of that, they can be treated in exactly the same way you would treat your own hair. They can be permed, dyed, heat treated, etc. Compared to artificial hair, these wigs are rather expensive.

Heat Resistant

Though these wigs are also synthetic, they're designed to handle higher temperatures than standard wigs. Thanks to their resistance to heat, they can be styled with hot irons, dryers, curlers, etc. Just be careful, heat-resistant wigs frizz more easily than non.

Non-Heat Resistant

These wigs are made of chemically-produced synthetic fiber. They're cheap and light. The only catch is that they don't tolerate high temperatures. When styling wigs of this material, be very careful to only use low heat settings.

Is there a color difference between heat resistant or not?

Heat Resistant

Though the wigs are the same color in name, heat resistant and non-heat resistant types have subtle color differences. Comparing the two, heat resistant wigs have a more natural, almost matte finish.

Non-heat Resistant

On the other hand, non-resistant wigs have more luster and brighter colors more appropriate for many animated characters. It's best to choose between the types on the basis of your character's look.

~*~ Special Wigs ~*~

Check out some of the special wigs that you can use.

For styles that are difficult to accomplish on your own, or materials that are particularly difficult to work with, these special wigs might be just the support you need. Cosplayers going for this sort of style get special points for impact and devotion.

Punk Style

This style is designed to stick up toward the heavens. People who have trouble creating spikes in regular wigs may want to opt for one of these.

All Back Style

Even if you comb all of the hair in your wig back away from the front, your wig net is bound to be exposed. This style gives you combed-back look with a clean hairline.

All Long Style

Those who want to begin cutting and styling their wigs from square 1 will find these wigs very useful. They're the same length 360 degrees around.

Chonmage Style

Looking for something to fit a period character? This will give you the illusion of a bald pate without the commitment required for a razor.

Random Style

Even without using wax or spray, these wigs can be set with nothing but a finger-comb. You can spike them or set them as all-backs too.

Good luck in your wig hunting =)