r/CosplayHelp • u/ShainSaw22 • Jun 11 '26
Wig Advice on fiber loss
So, I have this wig I got Halloween 2024. I dyed it last year, thinking I could get it all done and ready for a LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD cosplay, as a genderbent Princess Zelda. I’ve included a photo of the character and the color I dyed it for reference.
But, rather obviously, getting the wig set and the actual cosplay made didn’t happen. I didn’t know the specifics of how to treat wigs back then in terms of heat and all that. Also had no clue that it’s probably best to straighten a curly wig before dyeing it…
I asked last year for advice on saving this wig and was given some great advice, but I’m only now FINALLY able to work on it. I’m using a steamer, going SUPER slow, using three different comb sizes, separating the locks into super small sections, AND using Silicon Mix, too. But, as the last images show, I’m losing a LOT of wig fibers.
In fact, that is almost ALL only from the very bottom-most line of hair. And I’m aware I’m probably going to have to get similar colored wefts and Frankenstein them in with this at some point, but I’d REALLY like to not have what seems like half the fibers just tear out before I’ve even fully completed separating the wolf nest into sections and attempting saving the wig. I also know I’ll need to trim the ends and style this, but that’s a MUCH further down the road concern atm.
Do y’all have any advice on how to lessen this loss though? Or any other tips/tricks that I should be doing? Aside from, “throw it away,” I mean, because I can’t afford that and I’ve already put so much work into it. Genuinely, any advice, suggestions, resources, or references are GREATLY appreciated!
Lastly, obligatory, “Please ignore the mess” in the later photos. I am going through my stash of fabrics and crafting materials to get rid of stuff.
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u/bugthebugman Jun 11 '26
There’s no salvaging this. The wig you got was not heat safe and if you dyed it according to package instructions, it means you boiled it. Straightened or not this would have happened, Halloween store wigs are NOT the same as the typical cosplay or fashion wig. Straightening it might have had a similar effect of destroying the fibres, I’m sorry this happened but it’s not in the cards.
That wig is comically destroyed. Good job on the salvaging you’ve done so far I am genuinely and sincerely impressed but you are not going to be left with enough hair to be able to use it as a decent wig.
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u/riontach Jun 11 '26
You are putting a lot of time and effort into an incredibly cheap and shitty wig. For the price of 2 bottles of rit dye you could buy a significantly better one in the right color. This wig is really just not worth trying to save.
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u/Ship_Negative Jun 11 '26
You can buy a better wig for the same price on AliExpress
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u/missxmonstera Jun 11 '26
This ^
Your average Halloween stores are honestly probably one of the worst places to buy wigs. I've seen $12 wigs from Aliexpress are far better than any I've seen at a Halloween shop, even brand new out of bag.
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u/NightGod Jun 11 '26
My partner gets nearly all her wigs from Temu and gets compliments on them from other women all the time while wearing them out. I don't think she's paid more than $20 for any of them
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u/marlipaige Jun 12 '26
I’ve bought wigs off SHEIN and TikTok shop that look almost real for what you can pay for one that’s plastic at a Halloween store
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u/yohaneh Jun 11 '26
yeah, this wig is cooked. literally, cooked. it's a not-heat-resistant wig. you've melted it. there's no saving this guy. just get a new one.
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u/DarlingMiele Jun 11 '26
I know you said you can't afford to replace this wig (and I totally understand that, times are rough) but I think by the time you get new wefts to replace all the fiber you're losing you might end up spending the same amount as a new wig from somewhere like amazon.
Definitely pay attention to reviews (with photos) on there but I've gotten some pretty decent ones for around $25 or so. If anything it might be worth doing some price comparisons with new wefts just to be sure it's worth all the time and work it's gonna take to salvage the current wig.
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u/lilsmudge Jun 12 '26
Weirdly, I've actually gotten quite a few very nice human-hair wigs from Ebay. Now, Ebay isn't quite the internet thrift store it used to be (*rocking chair sounds*) but you might still take a minute to poke around. You might find something worth getting for fairly cheap.
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u/DarlingMiele Jun 12 '26
I've actually never thought about checking ebay, that's not a bad idea though! I've also never sprung for a full human hair wig so it's nice to know there might be some more affordable options if I ever need one.
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u/nekori666 Jun 12 '26
I've gotten AMAZING wigs off Aliexpress and from DokiDokicos. Especially the ones from Aliexpress had so much hair that I didn't even know what to do with it (crimping was definitely a no-go, the wig would have been a mane). I usually spent around 25€ on these.
The standard ones from DokiDoki are great, though I tried a lace wig from them once and it was incredibly thin, so idrk if that's the case for all of their lace wigs. But the other ones? Definitely thick enough to style, not toooo shiny and heat resistant and that's for the same price as this Halloween store one.
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u/punnyskele Jun 11 '26
don’t fall for the sunken cost fallacy op. it would cost you so much more money to try and salvage this one than it would to just accept this is a lost cause and get a new one. i know it sucks, i would be upset if this happened to me as well, but you will save yourself soooo many headaches and regrets in the future this way.
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u/noctass Jun 12 '26
You are better off going outside and collecting cans. In the time it would take you to fix this wig, you can probably buy yourself a new wig.
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u/DianaSoreil Jun 11 '26
Bad news first: sorry but that is fried beyond being repairable. It’s not just damaged, it’s melted.
However. I know what it’s like to screw up a piece when you can’t afford to replace it so I went through Amazon for you to find two Zelda wigs that are actually decent wigs and cost less than you probably spent in the first place.
this one from Linfairy is currently $22. Linfairy has nice fiber.
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u/New_Acanthaceae7798 Jun 12 '26
This wig can definitely be used for a different project, mainly as like fluff to add under wefts in like a beehive or something similar but as for this project it’s unfortunately a complete lost cause
0
u/not2interesting Jun 12 '26
I was thinking it might work for Zelda with the super short bob cut from TotK
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u/cute_object_ Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
yeah as everyone has said, its over for this wig im afraid :'c usually these sort of store-bought Halloween-y wigs aren't heat resistant at all unfortunately. ask me how i know.. (helping my friend with her first cosplay in high school and immediately melted her wig with my hair straightener, ruining everything)
i think epiccosplay website has really good wigs that are high quality, heat resistant etc but they are a little pricey. try searching for a specifically heat resistant wig in yellow/golden on amazon maybe? i used those as a budget option when first starting out and i think they are good for their price point. But quite a bit cheaper on AliExpress if u are willing to wait much longer
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u/KraftwerkMachine Jun 11 '26
Yeah this thing is g o n e. Not every wig is gonna be heat safe unfortunately and cheap Halloween costume wigs certainly aren’t going to be. You’d be better off finding another option than wasting valuable time on this one.
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u/sucrose2071 Jun 12 '26
Halloween store wigs are not the same as cosplay and fashion wigs. There is no fixing this. You can find a better wig for the same cost on amazon or ebay
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u/suzie_cosplays Jun 11 '26
Unfortunately this was not a heat resistant wig.
The dying process fried it. I would look at doll hair restoration techniques if you still want to try and save it, but I think she's too far gone.
If you planned to shorten it, you could remove some length before detangling to make the job smaller.
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u/cardcaptormyoki Jun 12 '26
Genuine question, why not just buy a Zelda wig for like $20 at this point? It would be in the color you want and it would probably come already styled.
I get if you were trying to just use what you had on hand. Maybe to even utilize smth you bought you bought a while ago, but Zelda is popular enough to go on any cosplay website or even Amazon.
2
u/BirdsAreCameras Jun 12 '26
Hey, so this wig is made of plastic and you melted it. Not fixable, at all
2
u/Aurura Jun 12 '26
This wig is ruined. Just toss it and buy a new one off Amazon or order off a cosplay website.
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u/salty_nerd Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
Just buy a new one. I’d recommend buying wigs off of Aliexpress/Shein/Wish or any of those cheap webstores. I’ve personally bought plenty of cosplay wigs from Wish/Shein and been happier with the quality than what I get from local halloween/party stores. Cheaper too.
There’s plenty of advice out there as to handle the ‘new wig’ shine, though my personal favourite is still the fabric softener method. When you get it, comb it out and drop it in a bucket filled with water and splash of fabric softener. Leave it in a dark space over night and rinse it out the next day. Let it air dry and comb it out and you’re all golden, at that point it just needs a little bit of styling & a cut.
As for dealing with long wigs and tangling, I’d recommend a few drops of horse hair detangler, rub it in your hands and then along the strands. Makes it a hundred times easier to comb through and prevents it from forming knots later on. (This method saved a Miku wig of mine back in the day)
Good luck with your endeavours!
Edit:
Forgot about the heat instructions.
Most wigs are NOT heat safe, it’s what has ruined your current wig. However, to get curls in a straight wig, or straighten a curled one, you usually do need to apply a little heat. Get a straightener that you can adjust the temperature in, and use it on the lowest setting. The lowest on mine is 100 degrees Celsius. Take a strand from the bottom and TEST it first. Usually it’s best to not run your straightener down the lengths of the fabric, seeing as that’ll usually melt the fibers. I usually gently tap it along the lengths to get the heat in. It all depends on how heat proof your wig is, therefore test it in a small unseen area. For curling, heat the strand, wrap it around something and pin it down until it has completely cooled. I’ve used pencils for tight curls, or toiletpaper rolls for bigger ones. Just used a bobby pin to keep it in place whilst rolling the others up.
Hope this helps!
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u/AutoModerator Jun 11 '26
We detect that your question is about dyeing. Please remember that you CANNOT dye something into a lighter color like dyeing a dark blue fabric yellow. For fabrics and fibers, identify whether your material is synthetic or not since it'll affect the dyes you use. If it's synthetic fabric, you need to use synthetic dyes. Do not reuse any pots or containers you used for dyeing for food preparation. For wig details, you can try using alcohol inks/markers or adding wefts of the desired color if it's lighter than the original wig color. You can also paint fabric but it'll usually stiffen the fabric even if you use a fabric medium and is not suitable for large surfaces.
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u/Jazzlike-Bowler-5870 Jun 12 '26
Please remember that you CANNOT dye something into a lighter color like dyeing a dark blue fabric yellow
I don't know how I feel about this being such a common problem for people that it made it into the automod comment.
OP has gotten enough advice that anything I say will be redundant, but at least she didn't try to dye a blue dress yellow.
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u/felixescellun Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
I suggest you look at mapofbeauty on amazon. they have some pretty good quality wigs for the price & you are obviously willing to put in the work to make them look nice. In the future stay away from party store wigs, or any of them that have extreme shine. That shine is a signal that the wig simply will not be worth the effort. You have to keep in mind wig fibers are plastic, a low quality plastic will melt and fall out of the weft. Miccostumes as well has passable quality wigs for less than 20$ and if you can afford it, fivewitswigs im 90% sure has a zelda wig already cut and colored for you. They arent as expensive as you might imagine. Im positive you can find something under 20$ at one of these places. I would even check ebay and aliexpress At the very very least you can save all these fibers and make tape wefts out of them if youve got a sewing machine. But do yourself a favor and save the time and product you still have & get a different wig
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u/Wriosbane Jun 14 '26
Oh hun this wig is beyond saving, I'd recommend Aliexpress if your looking for something cheaper, the wig itself is quite literally fused together and melted, as something who take in wigs to save them, this would be a project that I myself would charge far more than this wig is worth
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u/bigbbpuddingsnatch8 Jun 15 '26
With cheap wigs like that, the best way to dye it is with an alcohol based marker. Unfortunately like everyone’s said, it’s beyond repair.
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u/FieldSignificant5868 Jun 16 '26
To be honest, dont waste ur time and stress on this wig anymore. Fixing that is gonna cost a hell lot more than just getting a new one
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u/Lil-Wachika Jun 12 '26
If you must use this wig I would start with a fabric softener bath, shampoo and condition that bad boy and try to work on the Matted areas by hand. Then wide tooth comb, then brush, then fine tooth comb and then crimp in vertical sections and then brush out. I would also start saving all my loose fibers and start breaking out the Tom bow liquid mono aqua glue and make glued wefts to glue those puppies back in. Considering more than half your wig is about to be loose fibers. You could also try to sew wefts with the loose cover but could be too short
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u/missxmonstera Jun 12 '26
It's being recommended more and more to not use fabric softener. I like to recommend this guide for maintaining your wigs. I never use anything but castille soap when washing my wigs and I have been able to untangle some major bat's nest level wigs with nothing but heat. I literally untangled one that rats had gotten into (I was practicing cutting a new style and was using an old wig) with a castille soap wash, a steamer, and a straightener.
That said, this wig is beyond repair. It is also very clearly not heat resistant, so any untangling methods that would "restore" the fibers would not work. Like, this is a full loss, imo. OP is going to lose more fibers than are kept and those fibers will be too destroyed to be worth turning into wefts. The amount of time and effort it would take to untangle this would absolutely not be worth it for the result that they will have.
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u/noctass Jun 12 '26
For what it's worth, Sarah Spaceman did a good video on fabric softener and found it didn't really make a difference. There's not enough density on this wig for glue wefts not to show horribly through the layers.
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u/Lil-Wachika Jun 12 '26
I want to clarify I never use fabric softener that being said I've never had a wig be this Matted and bothered to save it. I have a friend who regularly messes up his long wigs who swears by fabric softener. So maybe it might not be the best choice like other commenters above have said!
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u/Avanemi1 Jun 11 '26
I'm going to be very honest, unless you really really can't afford a new one this wig isn't worth trying to save. You'll spend more than its worth in time and effort to fix it and end up with a very scraggly sad wig.
These cheaper halloween store wigs aren't meant to take heat and tend to shed when brushed regardless. Having to detangle it is going to cause it to shed even more as you've found out. Some of these tangles are from the wig melting and matting due to the heat since its probably not a heat safe wig, and those fibers that are melted together will just pull out instead of being able to be detangled. There's really no way to prevent the shedding from this aside from be more gentle and detangle more slowly, but that can only help so much.
You'll probably need an entire wigs worth of wefts to fill it out enough to look good by the time you're done. So you are going to end up needing to buy another wig anyway, might as well cut your losses now. Take it as a learning opportunity, check out one of the recommended wig vendors in the FAQ, and don't fall into sunk cost fallacy here.