Wigs with Bangs

Hi Everyone! This post is a completely different subject matter than my usual craft related tips and tricks. First of all, I have terrible hair (and skin for that matter haha). My hair has always been either fine and limp, or, as I got older and colored my hair, frizzy and very often both together. I definitely do NOT have weather friendly hair! So at some point, while trying to grow out a short hair style, I purchased a wig and that was such a great discovery! I wear them often and once again I am wearing them as I try to grow out my blonde color to my now natural gray. My favorite hair stylist is hours away, and so I do not have him close by to help me through the transition. So my hair looks AWFUL right now, haha. Anyway, after another round of frustration trying to find wigs that would work well with bangs (because I can NOT wear my air off my face), I decided to document the ones that have worked well (or not) for me. I’m opening this subject with an Intro video on why I’m doing it, and an example of how I fixed a wig that I had ruined by cutting bangs and trying to straighten them using steam.

If you are new to wigs then I would suggest you watch some other wig reviews first because they explain cap construction and color, sometimes doing color comparisons, etc. Those channels are wonderful and helpful. However if you are like me and absolutely need a bang, usually that is not covered. Most wig reviewers focus on getting the wig hair to curve off their face, and unfortunately it seems like many wig companies are listening to them and creating the newer styles with that in mind. So, let us bang wearers unite LOL! This post and video, and others to come, will  hopefully help those of you in the same boat as I am, with determining whether a particular wig will work with bangs- or not.

This first into is rather long and there is a tip near the end. Future ones will be shorter with just a quick statement about which wig it was and whether or not it is heat friendly (meaning you can use styling tools on it) or not heat friendly (meaning you need to use steam-not an easy task- to alter the style). And then I will give my opinion on how easy it was to cut a bang. Some will be easier than others and maybe this series will help you, in some small way, to find the hair of your dreams!

One note of caution- I would HIGHLY recommend you get a professional to cut your wig hair! Wig hair, if it isn’t obvious, does NOT grow back! However, if you are experienced, and or have old wigs that you are ready to toss anyway, and you decide “why not try cutting them myself” then there is a video by Patti’s Pearls Wig store that gives you an idea on how to do it. There are other videos out there on how to use steam to alter wig styles, and all sorts of additional wig styling info.

If you are super new to wigs, then my suggestion is to search on youTube for wig analysis from a wide variety of reviewers. If you are older, then Patti’s Pearls is great. If you are looking for super helpful wig store then WigStudio1 and Mimi’s Wig Closet and Frannie’s Hair are all great. And if you are younger and can look good in just about anything, then Taz’sWig Closet or SugarPuffAndFluff will get you buying most every wig they try on, haha. In general if you see a wig style you like and search on the name you will find several different reviews of each wig. Again, my videos are specifically describing how easy/hard it was for me to modify a wig to cut/add bangs. I’ve had good luck with most online wig companies, but pay careful attention to the return policy since many of them charge a (steep IMO) restocking fee.

Earlier in my wig journey I used hand held steamers to try to straighten bangs. I was never satisfied with that method, and switched most of my wig purchases to Belle Tress styles and the Raquel Welch styles that use heat friendly fibers. However, this past year I discovered a styling tool that has helped tremendously with my bang cutting/straightening adventures. It is a heated brush- not the hot air brush that is more like a blow dryer of sorts. This is more like a curling wand, but with a brush rather than a smooth cylindrical or cone shape. I use MiroPure and it works not only on my bio hair, but also on my wigs! I was able to even rescue an old ratty wig using this tool as I explained in my intro video. Note that this heated brush has temperature control which is critical for using on wigs. Even with heat-friendly styles, you don’t want to have a tool that is too hot. I generally err on the side of less heat and more passes. I also use a combination straightening iron/curling iron (actually more for waves) on low for straightening hair or adding waves to heat friendly fiber wigs. It is the Infinity Pro by Conair.

I add roots to my bangs with Boldify fibers in the appropriate color. I usually use black from my Belletress wigs in the color Chrome. I may add them to the wigs itself or more often to my bangs to help them blend in.

Currently my favorite brands are Belletress (heat friendly), Raquel Welch (heat friendly), with smatterings of Jon Renau and Noriko. The wig I am wearing in the featured image is one of my all time favorites- White Out by Hair You Wear. It’s a basic, kind of inexpensive, wig that I always wear in a braid because it is crazy looking wearing it down, but the color works well on me and the bangs were super easy to cut!

In one of my newer videos I mention hair clips if you are going to try to style your hair, and a wig stand/head. Do not get the Styrofoam kind- they are too lightweight. The one I use is heavy and is covered in a cloth material with a little bit of padding so you can eve stick T-pins in it to hold the wig on.

If you are in the market for a wig grip, the best one I have used so far is sold on Frannie’s Hair or directly on the manufacturer, The Hair Grip. They have versions wish and without Lace (if you have monofiliment tops) or with or without silicone (I love the silicone strip but some folks don’t). Nothing else I have owned has even come close to this one! I use the one with lace and silicone.

I’ve just posted several of the wigs that I’ve cut bangs/fringe in on my youTube channel. So far they are:

• Belle Tress Kushikamana in Chrome
• Belle Tress Single Origin in Chrome
• BelleTress Peppermint in Roca Margarita Blond and Honey with Chai Latte
• Raquel Welch On Point in Shaded Biscuit and Silver
• Jon Renau Camilla in Palms Springs Blonde
• Jon Renau Kendall in Palms Springs Blonde
• Jon Renau Alexis in Palms Springs Blonde
• Noriko Taylor in Illumina-R
• Belletress Caliente (hand-tied) in Chrome
• Envy Madison in Shaded Platinum
• Raquel Welch Show Stopper in Shaded Biscuit
• Estetica Avalon in SilverSunRt8
• Belletress Dalgona 16 in Chrome
• Belletress Spyhouse in Chrome
• Raquel Welch Star Quality in Shaded Biscuit
• Belletress Americana in Roca Margarita Blonde
• Whiteout by Hair U Wear
• Belletress Bona Vita in Chrome this one is not really my style, but I got it on clearance at WigStudio1 😉
• Belletress London High Tea in Chrome this one already has a bang, but I cut it further. 
• Belletress Caliente 16 in Chrome 
• Estetica James in SilverSunRt8
• Raquel Welch Belle Vida in SS Sweet Cream
• Raquel Welch Wavy Day in Shaded Biscuit
• Belletress Peerless 18 in Chrome
• Belletress Biscotti Babe in Chrome
• Belletress Lady Latte in Champagne with Apple Pie
• Belletress Rose Ella in Champagne with Apple Pie
• Raquel Welch Editor’s Pick in Iced Granita and Shaded Biscuit
•  

Note that I discuss cutting the bangs in the video about Spyhouse by Belletress. I reference the Whiteout wig in that video, but I ended up making a separate video for Whiteout rather than adding it to the end. I talk about the Boldify root powder in the Belletress Americana video. I talk about the Infinity Pro Straightening/Waving iron in the video about Bona Vita. 

I am working on a video about fixing ratty wigs so look for that in the near future! And I will update this post with that information.

Also, I am in the process of figuring out sister styles- mostly a wavy and straight style that are same color and similar lengths. That way if I bring them along on vacation, I can wear either one and it seems like I did my own hair straight one day and wavy/curly the next. Although, quite frankly I’ve learned over the years that most people don’t realize I wear wigs unless I tell them- which I usually do! Even wearing longer hair at my age, people will ask who my stylist is etc 🙂 . I discuss the topic of sister wigs in the London High Tea video because I am leaning towards getting another one and straightening it. Right now I usually use either Kushikimana or Sugar Rush or Tea Leaf Layer (sorry no videos of the last two yet yet).

I will upload more videos in the future and include them in a separate playlist for those of you non-crafty folks, LOL. And I will update my blog with other tips and trick and styles that I like (or don’t). For now, please enjoy my Wigs with Bangs Intro video…