How to Dye a Synthetic Wig for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, you may be wondering how you can refresh an old synthetic wig for the occasion. Although we wouldn’t normally recommend dying a wig you wear often, we can make an exception for the spookiest time of the year. If you’re up for a DIY project and are looking for a way to dye a synthetic wig at home, keep scrolling below for all the details.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

There are several methods you can use to dye a synthetic wig, but we’ll provide you with the simplest way. Keep in mind, synthetic wigs can’t be bleached or lightened, only dyed to a darker color. That being said, this will only work if you have a wig that’s white, blonde, silver or another extremely light color.

Once again, we want to reiterate that it’s not recommended to dye a wig you use regularly, but it can still be a fun DIY project for Halloween using an old, cheap wig. Another thing to note is that human hair dye won’t work well on synthetic hair. For this DIY, you’ll need to use acrylic ink and rubbing alcohol. Now that we’ve gotten the precautions out of the way, let’s roll on in to the fun part.

The Steps: How to Dye a Synthetic Wig

Step 1: Prep

To create your dye, start by mixing together one bottle of acrylic link with 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol. How much rubbing alcohol you put into the mixture will depend on how light you want the color to be. If you’re going for a darker, sultry look (I see you my DIY Mia Wallace babes), you won’t want to add too much rubbing alcohol. If you’re going for a lighter hue, increase the amount of alcohol. One part ink and one part alcohol is a good general ratio to start with.

Step 2: Spray Evenly

Pour your mixture into a small spray bottle and shake up the dye mixture to make sure it’s evenly mixed. Using latex gloves, begin spraying your wig in sections and rubbing the mixture into the wig with your (gloved) hands. This will ensure that the dye is evenly saturated and won’t look patchy or messy. Be sure to get the under layers of the wig, too.

Step 3: Comb Through

After spraying the entire wig with dye, use a comb to brush it through evenly. Once you’ve brushed it and checked for any uneven patches, let it air dry for at least an hour or so. It may need a bit longer, depending on how long and thick your wig is. When you can touch it without getting dye all over your hands, you’ll know it’s fully dry.

Step 4: Rinse Out Dye

Once it’s completely dry, rinse the dye out with cold water until the water runs clear. Get as much of the dye out as you can so there’s less of a risk of color transfer.

Step 5: Dry

After you’ve thoroughly washed it, lay it out to dry on a towel. Post second dry, brush it out and voilà! You have yourself a freshly dyed synthetic wig.