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HALLOWEEN WIGS & HAIR COLOR |
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As
part of your Halloween costume you may need to change the color and
style of
your hair. Doing so can add that extra something to your total
Halloween look. Whether you are a vampire, witch or Elvira, Mistress of
the Dark, the most common Halloween hair color is black.
The two easiest
methods to change your hair color for a short period of time are to
either wear a wig or use temporary hair color. Below are some tips to
help you make a decision as to which will suit your Halloween costume
needs the best.
Halloween
Wigs
 A wig can change the whole look of your
costume and Halloween persona. They come in a multitude of styles and
colors to fit every need. You can change the length, style and color
using a wig, transforming yourself into a completely
different person for a single night.
Maybe you
are dressing as Morticia Addams this Halloween and need long, straight black hair. Or you may want a little something more vampire-like. Have short hair and
need it long or the other way around? A wig can solve the problem!
However,
since most wigs sold for use as part of a Halloween costume are usually
expected to be worn just once, they tend to be cheaply made and often
don't fit or look very good. The old adage that "you get what you pay
for", certainly applies here.
If you decide to use a wig as part of your
Halloween costume, buy the best one you can afford. We highly recommend
that you wear a "wig cap" underneath your wig. It will keep you own
hair in place and make it easier to put the wig on.
Styling a Costume Wig
 Don't
expect a costume wig to look how you want it to straight out of the
package. Some styling of the wig will probably be necessary for the
particular look you want. The first step is to place your wig on a
Styrofoam wig stand, these can be purchased at your local beauty supply
store for only a few dollars.
Next you will want to use a soft brush and
comb to carefully shape the wig's hair into the style that you want.
This may also require rollers, cutting or reshaping the wig. Once you have the look, use hair spray to set the style.
Storing a Costume Wig
 Keeping your wigs on
Styrofoam wig stands
is the preferred method for storing your wigs. Keep them in a cool, dry place out of the
sun, and away from humidity and dust. If you'll be storing them for any
length of time between
uses, spray them with a light coat of revitalizing treatment so the wig fibers will have a
protective shield on them.
If you must store your wigs in boxes, be sure to place a soft
round object inside the crown of the wig to prevent the wig from getting smashed inside
the box. A fresh, rolled-up pair of tube socks will work. You may also use a small
"air pocket," a small plastic bag filled with air, sold by packing supply
companies. Or blow up a zip-lock bag.
Cleaning a Costume Wig
 You
can clean a costume wig using a specially formulated wig shampoo to
wash and clean your wigs. The ingredients in regular shampoo may contain harsh detergents
that will strip away some of the color and beauty of the wig fibers. Almost all synthetic
and human hair wigs are color-treated, so it is best to use a shampoo that is designed to
be used on the specific type of wig that you have. The same
goes with hair sprays.
Use only specially formulated wig sprays on wigs. You can purchase
a wig treatment kit from Awesome Wigs that contains a full size bottle of wig shampoo, wig
spray, and wig conditioning treatment for only $30 with your wig order or $40 if you are
not ordering any wigs.
Temporary Hair Color
We have found that temporary hair color, when used properly, will
usually look better than wearing a cheap wig. But your real hair will
need to be the length and the general style that you are looking for in
your Halloween persona.
Temporary hair color works by a process of
coating the hair shaft, rather than penetrating it. Generally, you can
remove the coating of hair color by simply shampooing you hair. In
addition to being temporary, another advantage for using this type
of hair coloring over semi-permanent and permanent dyes, is that they do
not use harsh chemicals such as ammonia or peroxide to make the color change.
Temporary hair color is available in a variety of application including
sprays, rinses and gels. If you have blonde hair, you should do a strand
test before using any type of hair color just to make sure that it will
not stain or damage your hair.
 Manic
Panic DYEHARD - This thick opaque temporary hair color styling
"gel" is available in easy to use squeeze tubes and comes in eleven colors. This
hard holding formula may be used for styling as well as coloring. Just
place gel on fingertips and apply to hair.
It dries hard and holds hair
in place. The gel can be used for spiking, tipping, adding a streak, dash
or splash of color or coloring an entire head. The non-staining
formula will shampoo right out of your hair with ease.
 Jerome Russell's Temp'ry
Natural Color Highlights "True Black" is a spray-on
product that can be used to cover your current
hair color with fairly natural looking results. It dries almost instantly, producing a
consistent color and
shine with no damage to the hair. These come in natural shades, as well
as theatrical, for that simple touch of color or a complete change to
compliment a costume. Washes out with shampoo. Just spray on in short bursts from
approximately twelve inches away.
Permanent Hair Dye
Unless you are willing to make a
long term commitment you should not use a permanent hair color.
Permanent hair color is just that, permanent. Although it can be removed
through stripping or bleaching, which is extremely hard on hair, you
should think long and hard about changing your natural hair color unless
you plan on staying that way long after Halloween is past.
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