Our beautiful synthetic wigs possess wig styles, cuts, and colours that can look wonderfully natural. However, sometimes the infamous shine of a synthetic wig can be a giveaway that it isn’t your natural hair. Lustrous, shiny locks are a must-have for many women styling their hair, but the shine on synthetic wigs can sometimes be a little too much. If you’re looking to achieve a more natural and realistic look, here are our customer top tips on how to remove the shine from a synthetic wig
SEE IF you agree? Remember to leave your own tips in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Customer Top Tips Special – How to Remove Shine from Synthetic Hair
Spray the Shine Away
“I got the idea of using dry shampoo from YouTube. It is one of the most widely used methods for removing shine from synthetic hair; a great quick-fix solution! There are loads of dry shampoo products on the market, and while most work to do the same thing, I find that some work better than others. I have found that many dry shampoos produce a white powder that can taint darker wigs. So use a dry shampoo product that is meant specifically for darker hair colours, or one that doesn’t produce a white substance. Blonde and white-coloured wigs camouflage a light powder, so most dry shampoos are suitable for these wigs.”
“I apply a quick spritz of the spray and watch the shine fade! Then I spray small amounts at a time and gradually build it up until I’ve achieved the look I’ve wanted.”
Powder Your Synthetic Wig
“An effective method that I use to remove shine from a synthetic wig is to apply talc powder or a baby powder. I sometimes find this a bit messy as powder sometimes goes everywhere. But I find by using a spare makeup brush or wig brush to apply the powder can make the process a lot easier. Be careful not to apply too much product as this can dull your wig to the extreme! Once you have applied the powder, take your wig outside or hold it over the sink and give it a shimmy ‘n shake to remove any excess powder.”
Wash Away the Shine
“I have always used a fabric softener as the product to remove shine from synthetic hair. It must be the chemicals from the fabric softener that are great at removing a little shine from a wig, without removing it altogether. I find to get the best result, fill a sink or large bowl with water and add a couple of tablespoons of your fabric softener. Give the wig a few minutes to soak in the solution and then gently comb through the wig using your fingers. Remove the wig from the water and allow it to dry as you normally would.”
(SW does not recommend this method, but a lot of our clients still use fabric conditioner!)
Give it Time
“The easiest way I find to remove the shine from a wig is to allow it to naturally dull throughout wear. Just wash as normal to start to minimise the unnatural shine to your wig, it’s important to be aware that this isn’t a quick fix!”
Tactical Styling
“I simply find that wig shine is often more obvious when a wig is straight and the style is perfect. Creating a wispier look is much more natural, and styling your wig with waves or curls helps to hide the shine of your synthetic wig.”
Simply Wigs says – As mentioned in a How to Make a Wig Look Natural guide, aside from learning how to remove shine from a synthetic wig, there are other ways of ensuring that your wig looks more natural. These include experimenting with your style, perhaps creating an up-do or experimenting with accessories. Refer to our guide for more tips on helping your wig to look natural
And there you have it, some of our customer tricks on how to remove the shine from your synthetic wig! Have you tried any of these tactics? Let us know below what your favourite method is!
All of you guys are amazing ! Thanks for all of the suggestions and tips
Thanks to all Your ideas are so helpful I just got a new wig today and feel much better
I read all and appreciate all Thank you so much I am 55 years and was so sick of my thin hair on top and back This will make a difference I feel so much better
kurt
I am so pleased I read these tips, quite by chance I tried baby powder as my short wig has one longer side which seems to part into sections. I used the powder, just a little applied by hand, then i shook it over the basin. It really helps and smells nice too.
I will try the fabric softener to take down the shine
Wow. Will try
Low heat will take out curl giving a more natural look a!so help with shine
I’m hesitant to use talc on my shiny wig because of health concerns. I’ve tried corn starch (alternative baby power), but not overly happy with how it looks. Has anybody tried talc and corn starch side by side and can report on which gets the job done better or if they are equal?
Remove your wig from it’s box as soon as you get it. Then, comb it through with a wig comb, or gently run your fingers through it.
The heat from your hands is often enough to take some of the curl out. It can, also, be used for defining where you want your parting to stay.
Grooming and gravity will make the curls drop out a bit.
Washing your wig before wearing it can take out some of the shine and curl.
However, don’t be tempted to wash your wig in warm/hot water.
If possible, keep your wig on a wig stand, or wig head, when not in use. These can be purchased quite cheaply. Wig heads and pins are great to use for styling your own wig.
Good Luck.
I’m sure you can tame the curls with styling the wig on low heat no more than 150° that’s what my new wig instructions have suggested
I just received my synthetic wig today and it is very shiny and un-natural looking so I’m glad I came here to try get an answer to reduce the shine. Does anyone use part of your own hair to disguise the fact its a wig and how do i go about doing this as my own hair is quite long
I just received my Whisperlite Casey wig yesterday and have had some time to play with it. It was so shiny, I first tried the dry shampoo. That did nothing. So I tried baby powder–it worked perfectly! I ran my fingers through the bangs and crown to pull it up and out for a wispier look. Also perfect. It’s a shade or two lighter than I wanted, but it does look quite natural, so I’m keeping it. I got it for my thinning hair because of chemo, but I have decided, whether I lose all of my hair or not, I will be wearing it to a wedding at the end of August when it is going to be very hot. My own hair would melt in the sweat and heat, so I am expecting my new Casey to last all day. Love it!
haaa will do 3 times. I do once not enough.
seems just about 1 month before wig is ready to be tossed it looks great for about 3 weeks
I get 10 weeks at most out of a wig. I wear dark blonde and that is the problem looks more fake than the darker colors or gray it seems. blondes are very hard to look natural
I am 68 nice to meet you.
I have used the talcom powder and it works really well. If you are middle aged, it goes kind of grey which blends in. I live in rural area in the UK, so having a shiny wig would look ridiculous.! is really nice to have a wig and carpet bomb my hair with chemicals.
Recently bought a new wig with way too much shine, and curlier then what the pictures portrayed. Really do like some of these suggestions. Thank you for sharing. Does anyone know how to tame the curls?
Thank you kindly for your time and help in advance.
I always heard that the way fabric softener works to soften fabric fibers is because it has pumice powder in it that actually damages the fibers in the dryer. So that powder is probably what works.
If you have a darker wig would temporary spray hair color that is a shade that would not contrast too much, and applied sparingly, work to dull it I wonder?
Using pure silicone will help maintain the shine as well as help with smoothness. I use Simply Stylin’ pure silk silicone spray. Get the unscented one, the scented one smells like chemically-floral death. I’m not allowed to use it in the house. I head there’s a brand of pure silicone spray you can get however I can’t remember the name of it and using a different one will ruin the wig. You can google it if you care, but you’ll save a bit of money going with the industrial spray than the fancy pink bottle.
I always wash wigs before wearing them to take off some of the shine.
I have also spent quiet a lot of money on products to thicken my hair . My hair loss is quiet extreme on the crown and this is the first hair topper I have bought . Could you tell me what shampoo you use to wash your hair piece please as this will probably calm the spring in the topper . Thank you .
Thank u il try that .x
Hi i used talcum powder so happy it really works a treat no more shiny wigs.
Apple cider vinegar works a treat. Put a couple of capfuls in half a basin of water and leave in soak for about 20 mins… If u wash with wig shampoo after, it will get rid of the smell. Xx
I’ve not tried my topper as yet as I need it to be styled as it looks a little to thick . The shine is a little to much so I will try the dry shampoo trick first as I use one for dark hair . It is great to hear from other people and what they have tried .
I wish I could maintain the shine. I love it.
All these tips are great! I have only tried the talcum power one and it’s very effective.
I always use fabric conditioner in my final rinse and it keeps the shine down and the wig looking natural. Specifically, I use Comfort Pure as it is gentle and not heavily perfumed.
I love the shine on a new wig. It’s looks like you just returned fromantic the hairdresser.
However I do appreciate that we don’t want to look like that every day. It does gradually fade and I’m glad I read above that shine spray actally dulls it!!. I bought some recently to try and bring back a shine!!!
Also I tend to save a new wig for going out and special occasions and then gradually bring it into everyday use as it looks more ‘everyday’. Then get another new one.
There’s nothing like your hair looking nice when you go out for boosting your confidence.
And even if you’re not feeling 100% just the opportunity to have your hair instantly looking good is great. I never have a had hair day now.
Can’t the manufacturers invent something to bring back the shine a bit for those of us who think shiny hair is healthy hair.
I found these tips enlightening. I have often steered clear of some nice wigs because they appear too shinny and, yes, to me artificial looking. But armed with these wearer’s tips I might be more adventurous in future.
I have been wearing wigs for some 10 years now. (I’m now 76 – Yikes!) I just gave up the fight of spending too much time over the years titivating; too much money on hair dressers who knew nothing about hair loss/ shampoos/ thickeners/, Minoxidil, / Rogaine etc etc. for my increasingly thinning hair.
My goodness, the freedom of wearing a wig transformed my life, and transformed my meagre savings might I add. Yes, the excitement of wearing a new wig was tempered by the worry of “Does it look natural? Not with this shine it doesn’t!” It felt like the shine could be picked up by orbiting satellites at times! I have learned, the hard way, that what works for me – is – when a new wig arrives, I immediately wash and dry it 3 times, before wearing it – and it’s good to go. And as time goes on, it looks better and better. “Simples” as the meerkats would say.
So pleased to have read this. I have a new wig which I haven’t worn yet because it is too shiny. I will try one of these tips today. Thank you so much.
I wash my wig, using shampoo and then leave in conditioner, both from The T Range and then maybe use a little bit of Elnett flexible hair spray. When this is brushed out the synthetic shine goes. I always find that wigs need a bit of settling in time, they can be springy and unnatural looking at first but regular washing and conditioning makes a big difference and extends the life.