Wigs can change our hairstyle or increase our natural hair volume, but it can make our head itchy and irritated. That's where the wig cap comes in, a nylon or mesh hat that protects our hair and makes us feel more comfortable with the wig on. It's easy to look pretty with a wig on, but it's also easy to mess up if we don't put the wig cap on properly. So here are some simple and helpful tips to perfectly put on a wig cap.
Steps to put on a wig cap perfectly
Step1: Styling your hair underneath the wig cap
Apply gel to your hair to make it easier to tuck under the cap
This is especially helpful if you have short hair or a lot of baby hair. Apply a palm-sized amount of hairspray to your hair and use a comb or your fingers to run the spray down the strands. Once the hair is sprayed, you can braid it or twist it around the top of your head and hold it in place. If you don't have hairspray, you can wet your hair with water, but not too wet.
Braid your hair and flatten it on your scalp
You can tie your hair in cornrows. A corn braid is a very tight braid that will lay flat on your scalp. Part your hair evenly from front to back. The more sections you make, the smaller your braids will be and the flatter they will snugly against your head. Then braid each row of hair and secure the braid with small rubber bands or bobby pins so that the braid can be attached to the scalp.
If you have long hair, tie two braids around your head. Part your hair in the middle and braid it on each side. Secure each braid with a headband, then comb it crisscross the back of your head. Pull the braid behind your ear and use bobby pins to secure the braid to your scalp.
If you have extra thick hair, you can divide the hair into more sections before braiding it. For example, if you do 4 braids, they will fit your head better.
If you have thin hair or if your hair is shoulder-length or short, you can just wear it in a bun at the nape of your neck. Pull all of your hair back into a low, tight bun and secure it with bobby pins at the base of your head. If your hair is short and will slide out of the bun, you can spray some hairspray on the strands to hold them in place.
Step 2: Put the wig cap over your hair
If you have sensitive skin, spray your head with scalp protector. While a wig cap can protect your scalp from the wig itself, it can still make it itchy for the very sensitive. To prevent any irritation, you can spray your head with scalp protector and let it dry completely before putting on a wig cap.
Put the wig cap on. Starting at the back of the head, lengthen the opening of the wig cap and cover it from the back of the head to the front. Make sure the hair inside the wig cap and sideburns stay in place. Don't forget to align your hairline with the garter or elastic side of the wig cap. If it is a mesh wig cap, start at the bottom and pull the mesh cap over the top of your head to keep your hair together. Make sure your hairline lines up with the garter on the wig cap. If any bits of hair fall out of the side, tie the hair back under the cap.
Insert bobby pins around the edges of the wig cap to secure it. To prevent the wig cap from slipping off, you can secure the wig cap to your hair by inserting bobby pins under the edge of the cap. Insert any number of pins into the hat, using at least 1 or 2 individual stitches in the front and back of your head. If you have thick hair, you'll need more bobby pins than someone with thinning hair.
And that's it! Now that you've put on the wig cap correctly, you can safely wear the wig!