Putting a Wig On

Putting a Wig On:

To Prepare the Head for a Wig:

Any length of the hair should be pin curled down into flat curls, not big twisted knots. Usually five around the front hairline is good plus two at the nape of the neck; the rest in small sections to lay flat. If the hair is short, try to make at least a twist at each temple and two twists at the top of the head near the crown. You may want to use hair spray, at least round the front hair line, to keep the wisps back while wrapping.

Using tulle as a wrap, make a strip of tulle 4" wide and long enough to wrap around the head at least three times. Anchor the end of the tulle to either the front pin curl or on of the curls at the temple using a small hairpin through the tulle and into the curl.

Wrap the head fairly tightly, scooping the hair back as you wrap. Anchor the end of the tulle into the band with another hairpin.

Using pop-clips, clip the back down twice and also at the front near the temple. These pins are going from the inside of the band toward the hairline - this will help keep the band from riding up.

At the receding points on a man’s hairline, pinch the tulle back and anchor it with a hairpin. Using both prongs of the hairpin poke through the tulle, turning the pin back toward the face and under the band, into the hairline.

Receiving the Wig (This takes two people):

The assistant cradles the wig in their hands, fingers to the inside behind the ears, thumbs holding the hair back and out of the way.

The actor takes the lace front of the wig gently pinched in their fingers and thumbs and guides the hairline to just in front of where it needs to be. The assistant lowers the wig onto the head, gently pulling the back of the wig into place. The actor or assistant checks alignment at the front of the hairline, the temples and at the top of the sideburn. The front lace may be very gently tugged into place to align the wig.

Pining and Gluing the Wig:

First anchor the wig close to the temples where the tulle band wraps around the head using 3" black pins. Then pin down the back
of the wig with 3" pins using the same method as pinning back the recede. Placing your fingers between the actors scalp and the wig, push the pin down through the base of the wig structure at the nape. When you have pierced the cap, turn the pin back up toward the hairline and pin up under the wig into the tulle band.

Small 1 ¾" black hairpins, only, in the front lace at the hairline will anchor the wig from slipping back.

Spirit gum requires only a small amount. More glue is only more glue - not more adhesion. Put a small thumbnails side dot of glue under the lace in the center of the forehead. Outline the area around the sideburn with a slight amount of glue. Let these set for a moment, there is no rush. Using a cotton powder puff and a quick stippling motion, pat each glued section into place starting with the forehead. When adhering the sideburns, have the actor smile real big so when the face is relaxed the lace will remain taught. The wig should feel secure at this point.

revised: December 19, 1999