Question about wig making, dyeing, and shine

Hello everyone! This question is a bit off-topic, but ultimately for a Dollfie.

Essentially, the character I'm making has hair that's described as "starlight;" her hair is black with a purple sheen, and shimmers with shiny flecks that remind someone of stars. Strange, yes, but it's a concept I came up with a long time ago. Short of defying the laws of nature, it isn't possible to get exactly what I envisioned, but I may have come up with a good alternative.

I've found a shop that makes Dollfie wigs, and I might be able to provide the hair weft(s) for them to use.

I was planning on purchasing a platinum blonde weft made of human hair, since that will most vibrantly show the dye I found. Unfortunately, I'll have to purchase human hair, since the dye will melt synthetic materials (RIP my poor wallet). The dye is found here, and has a holographic quality that makes the color switch between purple and blue based on the lighting. It also has flecks of mica in it, which is almost a dead-on match for the stars in her hair.

My question now is this:

Does anyone have a good method of making their hair super shiny? I tried looking up some tutorials and salon products, but all I really found was how to make it less shiny. Part of her concept design was that her hair was so shiny/shimmery that it wasn't supposed to look natural. Does anyone have any recommended hair treatment products that they know of/use? I'm not as knowledgeable on hair stuff (I spend less than five minutes on mine) so I have no idea what products to use.

I don't have any tips or recommendations on dying wigs, but the shimmery parts your mentions, I immediately pictured hair tinsel. It was a big thing here in my state about 15 years ago, but you can easily find it on ebay. You could also get hair tinsel in the dark purple and blue that will mimic the hair shine. Can't wait to see how your doll turns out! I'm interested!

Edited July 26, 2020 by Deyja

30 minutes ago, Deyja said:

You could also get hair tinsel in the dark purple and blue that will mimic the hair shine. Can't wait to see how your doll turns out! I'm interested!

Tinsel would make great highlights!

Unfortunately, it'll probably be a long while before she's completed. I'm planning on commissioning her face, dress, wig, etc. and I can already tell she'll end up costing me a fortune.

It's okay though. This character got me through some pretty dark times, as strange as it sounds.

5 minutes ago, NanoNaanoi said:

Tinsel would make great highlights!

Unfortunately, it'll probably be a long while before she's completed. I'm planning on commissioning her face, dress, wig, etc. and I can already tell she'll end up costing me a fortune.

It's okay though. This character got me through some pretty dark times, as strange as it sounds.

If it makes you feel better, hair tinsel isn't expensive at all. And it might not be a fad now, but I'm sure it will be around for a long time. If you have pets though, make sure to keep it away from them. It can kill them if they eat it.

I have zero experience with human hair wigs, but I second the addition of hair tinsel, especially if you decide to have a synthetic wig made instead. While you won't get the same "holo" look, it will still add a surreal sparkle. As for making the fibres shiny in general... Certain kinds of synthetic fibres are simply very shiny right out of the gate, so to speak. However, the extremely shiny fibres are often lower quality - think of the difference in the fibres of $5 costume wigs for people VS Volks wigs VS matte heat-resistant fibres that are significantly less prone to tangling. Lighting can also make a significant difference in how shiny fibres can look.

As for things that can be done to synthetic fibres to add additional shine and sparkle, I will admit I have less experience. I do spikes, not shine😅 I also do not know how these products will react when in contact with vinyl, so please be cautious. That said, for my human size cosplay wigs, I use a silicone-based detangling spray that can add a bit of shine if used sparingly. I suspect that there are similar finishing sprays that also have mica added, so that you are not relying on dyeing human hair.

Oh! And another thing I have learned from cosplay - A shiny, pure black wig (as opposed to one with subtle brown tones that is a bit more matte) tends to look very unnatural in the first place and does not ever read as "believably real" hair, though I imagine the effect is lessened on dolls. Some things to think about, at least!

If your character's hair is curly or fluffy, maybe you could try using mohair instead of human hair?  Since it's not synthetic fibers, it might be able to work with the dye. I know a friend of mine uses sharpies to "dye"/recolor wigs for cosplay purposes, but I'm not 100% sure it wouldn't run the risk of staining your doll. (Though it was colorfast enough not to stain costumes.)

I vaguely remember from several years ago that Ersa Flora used to have group orders for custom wigs, but I don't remember anything about the company that actually made them.

Do you happen to have a link to the wig shop you mentioned, by the way?

Edited July 26, 2020 by Tira

2 hours ago, Deyja said:

If it makes you feel better, hair tinsel isn't expensive at all. And it might not be a fad now, but I'm sure it will be around for a long time. If you have pets though, make sure to keep it away from them. It can kill them if they eat it.

 

59 minutes ago, RainbowNanaki said:

I have zero experience with human hair wigs, but I second the addition of hair tinsel, especially if you decide to have a synthetic wig made instead. While you won't get the same "holo" look, it will still add a surreal sparkle. As for making the fibres shiny in general... Certain kinds of synthetic fibres are simply very shiny right out of the gate, so to speak. However, the extremely shiny fibres are often lower quality - think of the difference in the fibres of $5 costume wigs for people VS Volks wigs VS matte heat-resistant fibres that are significantly less prone to tangling. Lighting can also make a significant difference in how shiny fibres can look.

As for things that can be done to synthetic fibres to add additional shine and sparkle, I will admit I have less experience. I do spikes, not shine😅 I also do not know how these products will react when in contact with vinyl, so please be cautious. That said, for my human size cosplay wigs, I use a silicone-based detangling spray that can add a bit of shine if used sparingly. I suspect that there are similar finishing sprays that also have mica added, so that you are not relying on dyeing human hair.

Oh! And another thing I have learned from cosplay - A shiny, pure black wig (as opposed to one with subtle brown tones that is a bit more matte) tends to look very unnatural in the first place and does not ever read as "believably real" hair, though I imagine the effect is lessened on dolls. Some things to think about, at least!

Admittedly, this was one of my concerns regarding tinsel. I have three cats (one of which is paralyzed from the waist down), and they loooove shiny things. My paraplegic boy in particular like to collect things in his fur as he waddles around the house, especially shiny things. He'll later chew on his collection if I'm not careful, so I'll have to be super cautious if I go with this option.

52 minutes ago, Tira said:

If your character's hair is curly or fluffy, maybe you could try using mohair instead of human hair?  Since it's not synthetic fibers, it might be able to work with the dye. I know a friend of mine uses sharpies to "dye"/recolor wigs for cosplay purposes, but I'm not 100% sure it wouldn't run the risk of staining your doll. (Though it was colorfast enough not to stain costumes.)

I vaguely remember from several years ago that Ersa Flora used to have group orders for custom wigs, but I don't remember anything about the company that actually made them.

Do you happen to have a link to the wig shop you mentioned, by the way?

This link offers custom wigs for Dollfies. Prices begin at $48, and you'll have to contact them before-hand about the style/color you would like. They have yet to reply about providing my own hair wefts, but I don't see why they wouldn't, since I'm willing to pay for my own materials and shipping. They have really good ratings, though their shipping may be a bit slow at times, if the reviews are anything to go off of. You can find their available colors here. From the user-provided photos, they make excellent custom wigs, and will work with you to make the perfect style for your doll.

I can't sew to save my life, but I can make great material. From my understanding, they use sewn wefts to make their wigs, so if you want to treat your own hair wefts with dye/gloss, you can inquire about providing it. :)