HOME | DD
FireLilyCosplay β Sharpie Wig Dyeing Tutorial
Published: 2010-03-04 07:24:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 240034; Favourites: 4075; Downloads: 1570
Redirect to original
Description
I know there are a few others out there, but here is my tutorial for Sharpie dyeing a wig! This works best with Kanekalon and other premium synthetic wigs. Eleora and cheaper synthetic wigs may not dye evenly. Make sure to check your wig fiber content before attempting to dye!I've had a lot of practice with this method, and this is the formula that works best for me, so I hope it can help you dye your wig the custom color you are looking for!
Many thanks to my friend Envel who helped me with my first Sharpie dyeing experience. Tutorial and all images therein are Copyright Fire Lily and FireLilyCosplay.com.
EDIT: Since so many people ask this question, I'm addressing it here. "How do I dye a wig black?" Since Black Sharpies are concentrated purple, you will have to use FW Ink, India Ink, or another Artists Ink and follow the FW Ink Dyeing Method: [link]
Another method is to color/sharpie the wig by hand using a black Sharpie. This will give it a slightly purple sheen, but it will come out black.
Related content
Comments: 1392
Can this work also for just "tinting" a wig? I have a reddish wig I need to get to a red-brown
π: 0 β©: 1
Yes, it can tint a wig to a slightly different color.
π: 0 β©: 0
Hey! Great tutorial. But let's say I want to go from a orange wig to a dark blueish? Would that work or be a little bit harder?
π: 0 β©: 1
It needs to be in the same color family. Mixing orange and blue would likely turn brown or green. You can always try on a swatch of wig hair, but to make it blue I recommend starting with a light blue or pale wig.
π: 0 β©: 1
Oooh okay. Thanks! That;s too bad, hahaΒ
π: 0 β©: 0
can i dye it in black, if its originally...blonde-ish white-ish colored?
π: 0 β©: 1
Yes, but it may take multiple dyeings to get it truly black.
π: 0 β©: 1
oke, thank you.
π: 0 β©: 0
Is it possible to get the wig lighter instead of darker? Like just soaking it up in plain rubbing alcohol for a good moment?
π: 0 β©: 1
No. Not unless you are stripping the ink/dye out of a previously dyed wig, then soaking it in rubbing alcohol will remove some of the dyed color.
π: 0 β©: 1
Aww, bummer! Thank you very much for the answer!
π: 0 β©: 0
Will the dye bleed into human hair?
π: 0 β©: 1
It's not actual dye. It's ink. Even if it rubs off on your hair or skin you can just wash it off. It can stain clothing, though.
π: 0 β©: 0
This is so awesome!! Will this remove curls from a wig? The wig I want to purchase is super curly and I like it that way, but they don't make it in the color I need. What do you think?
π: 0 β©: 1
It shouldn't do anything to the condition of the wig fiber except to color it.Β The state of the fiber (curly, straight, etc) should remain unaffected.Β I have dyed a curly wig before and it remained just as curly when I was finished.Β
π: 0 β©: 0
honeeey D: i have a question, if iwant to UNDYE it later, with this method i'll can?
i mean, i tried with permanent markers and it worked out the "undye" thingie >-< with this one will work too?
π: 0 β©: 1
You can generally strip the dye out using plain rubbing alcohol without problems
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh i lav chu so mucho (?
thanks!!
π: 0 β©: 0
Will it work using wigs that already have color (brown, blonde, red, etc.) or does it blend the colors together/not get dyed well. How saturated is the color and how well does the wig sustain it (or does it depend on the kind of fiber the wig uses)? Is this a better method compared to using others (like the FW Ink and such).
I'm actually a bit hesitant to try since I draw often and use Sharpies to ink, and seeing them used this way kinda makes my inner artist scream in horror at all the wasted drawings. 
π: 0 β©: 1
You have to think of it as staining the plastic wig fibers rather then "dyeing."Β If you have red plastic, lighter colors won't show up at all, and darker colors will only affect the red but not necessarily completely re-color the red.Β As long as you let the ink stain the fibers for long enough at a high enough concentration, you should be able to obtain a good color.Β And as long as you was our the excess thoroughly, the wig won't bleed everywhere (though some run-off is to be expected with red-based colors).
I haven't tried the other methods, but this one works fine for me.Β Some others prefer FW inks due to the different colors available.
π: 0 β©: 0
do you know if going from light purple to grey, what colour sharpie should i use? :3 i was thinking maybe black but i don't want it to turn out dark, (or more purple) should i use like silver or grey? idk if those would just wash out...sorry so many questions >.<
π: 0 β©: 0
THANK YOU FOR THIS TUTORIAL *0*!!! Should I style a wig (with heat) BEFORE coloring it, or color it and THEN style it? Thanks!
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for this awesome tutorial!! I'm hoping to get that light pink like you've got showing (bottom left), and I'm wondering how many sharpie's you used? I'm debating between using the sharpies or the FW ink, but it'll basically come down to which option is cheaper. The wig will be about chest length, for a goddess Madoka cosplay :3
π: 0 β©: 0
Hi! I'm dying a wig and I want it to be a dark brown... what would I use to get that color?
π: 0 β©: 1
You'll probably have to use artist inks or FW inks in dark brown. Sharpies can't do a dark brown as the browns are red based and the black is concentrated purple.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks much!
π: 0 β©: 0
Can you heat set the colors into the wig so they dont run everywhere?
π: 0 β©: 1
Not that I am aware of, but you can try...?
π: 0 β©: 0
I have a question, do you know if this will also work with highlighters?Β
π: 0 β©: 1
Not that I'm aware of.Β Highlighter ink is very light and may not make much difference.
π: 0 β©: 0
Hey, I was wondering if it is possible to dye half of a wig using this method. Β I've got a wig that I want to dye half bright pink, half bright blue, and I was wondering if this would work for that case. Β Thanks!
π: 0 β©: 2
Yes - just separate the wig fibers for the different colors.Β It's easier to spray dye them.
π: 0 β©: 1
Awesome, thank you! Β
π: 0 β©: 0
For specific colors, I'm looking for the electric blue in the picture where you're wearing glasses and a more bright, neon-y pink in the picture with the yellow glove. Β
π: 0 β©: 0
Could this possibly work to dye parts of a Black wig blue?
π: 0 β©: 1
No.Β You have to use a lighter color wig and dye to dark.Β You cannot dye a dark wig a lighter color.Β That's common sense
π: 0 β©: 0
I have a question. I coloured my wig with shades of black, but after washing the wig two times it still gives off colour when I run my hands through it. How many times should I wash the wig to get rid of this? I washed them both till the water was clear. I did wash them both times with shampoo, could this be the reason why it doesn't stick to the wig that well?
π: 0 β©: 1
Wash as many times as it takes until the wig doesn't run anymore.Β However, there will still be residual color on the wig that will come off with your body oils and with styling products.Β So don't touch it unless necessary and go easy on the styling products.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you for the reply!! I'll keep it in mind
π: 0 β©: 0
I have a few questions.
Will the wig come out rough once it is rinsed, dried and brushed after dyed with the sharpie coloring?
Will I be able to style the wig using heat sources (i.e. Curling irons, straighteners, etc.) without the chance of the wig catching on fire or destroying the wig?
Is there any chance that I could rinse the wig enough to guarantee there is no running of the colors onto my costume what-so-ever?
If not, how often/bad does a properly rinsed wig tend to leave behind color?
π: 0 β©: 1
i've not done any of this, but i will point out that you cannot use heat to style a synthetic wig, period. Β this is a method to dye synthetic hair because you cannot use hair dye on synthetics, it will just wash out. if you have a human hair wig, just use regular dye.
π: 0 β©: 1
Can this method be used to dye a wig a bunch of different colors? Like making it blue, pink, yellow, and orange? Cause I have a display where the girl has all those colors in her hair and I was wondering if it would work or not??
π: 0 β©: 1
Yes it will work 
π: 0 β©: 0
Is the light blue colour achieved with the same blue dye as the dark blue, only with more layers of dye?
π: 0 β©: 0
Do you have to use 70%? I can only find 50% and I've gone to several places.
π: 0 β©: 0
Can I use this sharpie? ;O;
www.penstore.se/art/sharpie-fiβ¦
π: 0 β©: 0
This I shall save for later.
π: 0 β©: 0
Have you had any problems with the colour rubbing off the wig after dying?
π: 0 β©: 1
Yes, it will rub off when exposed to sweat, moisture, and body oils (like your hands). Can also rub off on clothing. The more you rinse out the excess "dye," the less it will rub off. Red bases (red, pink, brown) bleed more than blue bases and take more effort to rinse out.
π: 0 β©: 1
<= Prev | | Next =>