Tips for Curling Wigs: What You Need to Know
Many clients often ask me: “Can you create curls or waves for this wig? What types of curls can it have? How long will the curl last?”
In the past, questions about curl patterns mostly came from clients buying wigs for Black hair styles. But now, as the market for European and Caucasian-style wigs grows, more clients focusing on these products are also paying close attention to curl results.
Actually, the curling techniques for Black hair wigs are already quite advanced, but many of these methods don’t apply well to European or Caucasian-style wigs. In fact, many wig makers who switched from Black hair to European-style wigs often run into problems in this area. So I decided to put together a post summarizing the key points clearly.
When it comes to curling a wig—or creating a specific curl pattern—you need to consider four main aspects:
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Curl style and appearance
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Curl longevity
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Hair color effects
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Hair quality
Next, I’ll break down these four aspects and share the essential things you need to know before curling a wig, helping you avoid common mistakes.
Curl and Wave Results
Since we’re talking about curling, the first thing is to decide what type of curl you want. Here’s a reference chart that shows some of the most common curl patterns.
How Hair Color Affects Curling
When looking for curl reference charts, you’ll notice that most of the curl examples are shown on black or dark-colored hair. In reality, the color of the wig has a big impact on both the curl result and the difficulty of curling—especially for lighter shades.
Light-colored wigs are usually bleached or dyed, and to achieve a clean, beautiful color, the hair cuticles are repeatedly opened and closed. This reduces the hair’s strength, so after curling, the strands can become dry, rough, and prone to tangling.
Therefore, if clients take their wig to a salon for curling, it’s important to remind them to give the hair extra care afterward, allowing it to absorb as much nourishment as possible.
How Hair Quality Impacts Curls
Many people, when curling wigs, use dark-colored hair but overlook the crucial impact of hair quality on the curl. This often leads to curls that won’t form properly or fall out quickly after styling.
In fact, whether it’s curling or creating waves, 80% of the time, short-lived curls are due to the hair quality rather than the technique.
The principle is similar to light-colored wigs: high-quality wig hair is strong, resilient, and elastic. Curls created on such hair look natural and last much longer. Even after wearing the wig all day or combing it repeatedly, the curl holds. This is why premium European-style wigs are the preferred choice for durable, natural-looking curls.
Important Details & Tips
Sometimes, right after curling a wig, the result may look slightly different from what the client had imagined. This is completely normal, and there are two main reasons for it:
First, when following a reference chart or picture, some variation is inevitable. Even if you use the same curling iron size and follow the same curl reference, each batch may turn out slightly differently—100% identical results are rarely possible.
Second, freshly curled hair is usually tighter than the final look. After letting the hair relax naturally for a while, the curls gradually ‘open up,’ becoming softer, fuller, and more natural—closer to the intended final appearance.
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