This was my first wig dyeing experience, and I know how worried I was about finding the right technique to use that would work! I originally was going to use Rit fabric dye, as I read that it works. However, I heard over and over again, "Rit dye doesn't work on synthetic wigs!" since it is designed for natural fibers. In a controlled panic, I searched for another method, as I did not want to buy expensive wig dye (It's a long wig for crying out loud!), and again, it's way to long to even attempt to use the hand Sharpie method! I was in need of some other way! So, I read up on several people's similar technique of using pen ink as dye with alcohol as the solvent, and doing the usual spray/rinse method. However, I had yet to see a photo tutorial online, so I figured I could try making one to help ease the frustrations of fellow cosplayers! So, here we go! This wig is going to be transformed into a Yoruichi wig (from Bleach). I've seen far too many people get her hair color wrong (or cop out by using her manga black hair! ^_~) Okay, so her hair is purple. Yes. But not just any kind of purple. Her hair leaning towards a red-violet, not the blue-violet that most people assume. Therefore, I took the unconventional route and started with a Merlot Enchantment wig from Amphigory.com (rather than the bright and bluish "Izzy" color). This color is more of a burgundy, which I thought would give me more of the result I wanted. Note: The base color you start with is very important to the outcome! The starting color will greatly affect the results, so think about it first!

Left photo= w/out flash, Right photo= with flash

Materials! (w/ approx. prices) - 1 bottle (16 oz.) 91% Isopropyl Alcohol ($1.25) - 1 bottle (3/4 oz.) Koh-i-noor Trans-Mix Media Brilliant Ink ($2.95) - 1 wig head/form ($6.00) - 1 wig clamp ($14.00) - 1 spray bottle - 1 pair of latex plastic gloves - 1 wide-tooth comb ($1.50) - 4+ sewing pins/T-pins - various combs and clips may be of use as well.

You will use at least 8 oz. of the rubbing alcohol, and all 16 oz. for longer wigs. As for the ink, someone suggested it and it works very well. You can buy it online at DickBlick.com, and it comes in lots of colors. I used a combination of Blue-Violet and Black for my dye, but as long was you don't need to do any color mixing, one bottle should be enough. A wig head is a must, but since wig clamps are expensive, you can try placing your wig head on a 2 liter bottle of soda filled with some water for stablity. (If you are planning to get into dyeing and styling wigs, a wig clamp is worth the buy. It makes everything easier.) When pinning your wig to the wig head, 4 pins is the minimum. Put one on each temple and one on each of the sides. More are welcomed if you like!

Set up your workspace somewhere with decent ventilation and lighting. Also be aware of the length of your wig. If it's long, make sure it's placed high enough. I set up my wig clamp and covered everything in the area with trash bags. (Don't mind my messy basement ;) ) Also, keep all important things out of the way (I accidently got purple dots on my brother's expensive dress shirt -_-; So just make sure everything is safely far away). Next comb out your wig to make it knot-free from the start. When combing, I like to alternate a stroke with the comb and a stroke with my hand (especially for long wigs). Also, it's always best to begin comb the ends and then work your way upward. If you just stroke from top to bottom, you'll end up with creating more knots than you get rid of!

Next is the mixing of the dye. I didn't use exact proportions-- you can kind of just estimate depending on how rich you want the color to be and the length of the wig. I started off using 8 oz of the rubbing alcohol, but in the end used all 16 oz (I barely made it, but I dyed the whole wig and a set of extensions.) So, fill the spray bottle with the rubbing alcohol and add in drops of the ink. Swirl it around a little to mix it up. For 8 oz. you should only need 1/4 to 1/2 of the bottle of ink, but test it out for yourself. And when I say test, I mean it!

Yes, test the dye on a hidden part of the wig, on extensions, etc. If you are planning to cut the wig, dye it first and test the dye on a part you are going to cut off. I tested the dye on the bottom half of a section of the front since I am planning to cut bangs into the wig, so that part will not neccesarily be used. (I plan to use the extra from this part as wefts, but that's besides the point!) Remember to wear your gloves! You WILL get dye on your hands otherwise- but it should come off your hands fairly easily (your nails are a different story, however.) So now, spray the dye thoroughly onto the wig, making sure to include the underside of the hair as well. Comb through the hair and spray any parts that were missed. In the bottom left picture you can see the part that was dyed and where I stopped. To test the dye properly, I did the whole process-- I let it dry (for about 30 mins) and then rinsed the dyed part in water. The bottom right picture is a comparison of the dyed color and the original color. The difference may not seem extraordinary, but it was enough for what I wanted. (A greater difference may have been achieved with more ink in the dye?)

Now that the testing was over, I decided to go for it and continue the dyeing process (What did I have to lose?) So, I continued to spray and comb, spray and comb until the whole wig was covered. Be careful if your wig has a skin top, as you want to avoid staining it. You should be able to remove mistakes with nail polish remover, but I have yet to test that out. Also, be sure to get ALL the wig fibers-- wigs have a lot of hair and a lot of it is hidden by the outmost layer. Be sure to check underneath the top layer.

So here are the wig and wig extensions completely covered with the dye. (You can see the color of the dye on the plastic bag that is covering the wig head. See how much the base color of your wig affects the outcome?) Once you're done with the dyeing, leave your wig to completely dry. This should take at least an hour or two for short and medium wigs. I let mine dry for four hours before it was ready to proceed.

Below are simiply pictures of the color while wet (left) and after it dried (right). Once your wig is completely dry you're ready for the next step.

Okay, now you have to rinse the entire wig in water in order to rinse off the excess dye. Fill up your sink or a bucket and dunk your wig under the water and swish it around a little. Get new, clean water and do it again, to see if there's any dye left. Once the water runs clean with your wig in it, you know it's completely rinsed out and you can put it back on the wig head to dry completely again.

Here is the finished product. It's kind of hard to get a good picture of the color, but you get the general idea. The orginal color was a reddish burgundy-- the new color is more of a dark raspberry color, much bluer in hue than the original.

Yay! It's me in the unstyled, but dyed Yoruichi wig. I think it's a much more natural color for her hair then most cosplayers use, so I'm happy with the results. The technique is a little streaky (or it could be my inexperience), but not overly noticeable. In fact, I think it adds a nice texturing effect. However, shorter wigs shouldn't be as difficult. Why did I choose a long wig for my first wig to dye? ^_^; Oh. I ended up rinsing the wig in water once more. Nothing really came out of it, but dye was rubbing off onto my fingers when I was taking these pictures. I'll see if it's made any better or if there is anything that will keep the little bit of dye from rubbing off.

This tutorial is copyright (c) Erin Witzel.
This tutorial was completed in May 2007.
This tutorial is a combination of techniques passed on by other cosplayers,
so I do not take credit for the great dyeing method. I just wanted
to make a picture tutorial of my experience. So, thanks for all you who
made this tutorial (and my wig!) possible.

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