How to cut a wig, make bangs, and remove excess volume

The question "how to cut a wig?" arises in two cases:

1. When you want to tailor the hairstyle to yourself, shorten the bangs, change the length, or create a new haircut.
2. When the ends of an old wig start to fray, ruining the appearance of the wig.

If you have ever cut a doll's hair or made bangs for yourself in front of a mirror, you know that the result is often unpredictable. It doesn't matter much for a doll, and your hair will grow back, but this approach won't work with a wig. A wig is expensive, so any experiments should be carefully considered.

Before cutting a wig, keep the following in mind:

• Only cut wigs made from natural human hair. Synthetic wigs give a too coarse cut that looks unnatural. Kanekalon and heat-resistant fibers can only be slightly adjusted – shorten the length, thin the ends. It’s best to stop there to avoid ruining the wig.

• The result of the haircut may be far from perfect. Not only that, but you can also irreversibly ruin the wig. Therefore, it is better to entrust the haircut to professionals. The only thing you can do with your inexperienced hands is trim the frayed ends. All other changes to the hairstyle should be left to the experts.

• The hair should be clean. Before heading to the salon, wash and comb the wig. Natural hair is best cut wet, whereas synthetic hair should be cut dry.

If you have little experience wearing wigs, it's better to make the cut longer than you want initially. You might like the look. Plus, you'll have more room for future experiments.

Where to cut a wig?

If you don't have the appropriate experience and a set of hairdressing tools, it's better to go straight to a salon. Saving money on cutting a natural hair wig is not advisable, as the wig itself is not cheap.

In a salon, the wig can be cut directly on you, based on your natural hair type. This is much more convenient because it’s impossible to determine the necessary length of bangs and strands around the face on a mannequin head.

If you do the haircut yourself, the process will be almost blind. First, you cut the strands on the mannequin, then you wear the wig and check the result. Inconvenient, right? When you just trim the frayed ends or adjust the overall length of the hair, that’s one thing, but if you need to change the hairstyle or cut bangs, it’s better not to take risks and go to the salon with the wig.

For those who still decide to cut the wig themselves, here is a detailed guide on how to do it with minimal risk.

How to Cut a Wig at Home

1. Secure the wig on a mannequin head with regular pins. Make sure it is level and not tilted.
2. Thoroughly comb the locks. Spend a few minutes on this to avoid tangled strands.
3. Moisten natural hair with water; synthetic hair should remain dry. Take one strand, run your fingers down, and mark the desired length.
4. Now cut all the hair until the ends are the same length as the first (control) strand.
5. Check the length of the strands from all sides to ensure the hair is even. Use a thinning razor to thin the ends, making them more flexible and natural-looking.

Before cutting a natural hair wig, weigh all the risks, as bangs and locks won't grow back. Usually, this decision comes when the wig has become quite tiresome and you want some changes.

Besides cutting, natural human hair can be dyed or toned, which also helps to refresh the hairstyle and look. Synthetic locks, however, cannot be dyed in the usual way.

How to Cut Bangs on a Wig

It’s best to do this on your head to see the length and control the process. First, hide your own hair under a wig cap to avoid accidentally cutting it. When the wig is on your head, comb the locks and pull back all unnecessary strands. Leave only the strands in the frontal zone that will become bangs. First, determine the final length of the bangs. We do not recommend making them short, as it will be impossible to fix the situation later. Cut the length to the chin – it suits almost everyone. Now start thinning the hair. Move the thinning scissors from top to bottom along all the strands. Do not make a straight cut on synthetic hair – it will look unnatural.

Before cutting a synthetic wig with bangs, watch a video on YouTube. There are many interesting options for natural hair, but if you avoid straight cuts, they can be adapted for kanekalon and heat-resistant fibers.

How to Thin a Wig

Excessive hair density sometimes looks unnatural. Wigs on weft bases often suffer from this flaw. The wefts form the wig cap in such a way that each subsequent row covers the seam of the previous one. This creates an overly voluminous hairstyle. This is especially noticeable in men's models.

There are two ways to thin a wig and remove excess volume:

• Remove the top section of hair (gather the strands and pin them on the crown) and cut the hair underneath. Just don’t thin, but cut “to the root.” When thinning, short hairs will support the long ones, making the hairstyle voluminous. Cut the hair evenly over the entire surface of the cap.
• Hair from a handmade wig can be plucked to make the volume more natural. A regular tweezers will do, but work very carefully. Pluck one hair at a time, otherwise, you risk damaging the base.

What Haircuts Can Be Done on a Wig

Let's note right away that these haircuts can only be done on natural hair. You can't change the hairstyle on synthetic wigs; you will only ruin the product. And they aren't very expensive, so you can buy a couple of models with different haircuts for fashionable experiments.

Any hairstyles can be done on natural hair, but the most winning ones are:

• Bob. Straight or elongated, with bangs or without. Never goes out of fashion and is one of the most sophisticated and sexy. A neat or tousled bob suits both business looks and youth parties equally well.
• Layered cut. Due to the combination of locks of different lengths, the haircut is considered universal and suits almost any woman. It makes the look elegant but also adds playfulness.
• Graduated cut. An excellent option for wigs, as the hair looks very natural and is easy to style.
• Pixie. This hairstyle is rarely done, as it’s easier to buy an inexpensive short wig and not bother with cutting. But if your old wig has lost its attractiveness, you can experiment with length and even color.
• Asymmetry. Such hairstyles look very interesting and unusual, adding charm to the look. Different hair lengths allow you to highlight cheekbones and the neck. But again, it’s always worth considering that even the best stylist’s work result may be unpredictable.

Now you know how to cut a natural and synthetic wig, make bangs, and remove excess volume. We hope our article was helpful, and if you have any questions, you can always consult our specialists at your online wig store Wigsxhair.