Wigs are lovely, transformative, and can give you amazing confidence in an instant.
But unless you are spending thousands on a wig, you will need to do a little preparation of your wig to get the best from them.
I’m Bianca, and I love wearing wigs, hair extensions, and doing anything to do with big hair or hair transformations sets my soul on fire.
I’ve been wearing extensions and wigs since 2006, so I’ve learned a few things along the way!
In this article, we will discuss the best methods to bleach your wig knots. Bleaching wig knots is one of the best ways to get a seamless blend and a good skin match on your hairline.
Excited to learn how to bleach your wig knots – well, let’s get started!
Step-by-step Guide to Bleach Wig Knots
Here are the detailed steps of my best processes to comb a wig.
Get these tools prepared before you start bleaching your wig knots.
Tools Needed
- A wide-toothed wet brush or comb
- Hair Oil (Moroccan or Argan Oil), or hair protector (even Vaseline will do)
- Bleach powder, 40% volume developer, tray and brush
- Purple shampoo
- Mannequin head and pins
- Your usual wig shampoo and conditioner
- Tweezers
Detailed Steps
Follow the steps below, and you will bleach your wig knots beautifully:
Step 1: You first want to cover the wig hair with argan oil, serum, or Vaseline so that you can protect your wig hair from the bleach.
Step 2: Turn your wig inside out and pin it to the mannequin head with the lace cap facing upwards.
Step 3: Mix up 2 parts bleach powder to 1 part 40% volume developer. Make sure that it has an even consistency and that no powder lumps remain.
It should look like buttercream icing (but don’t lick the spoon!).
Step 4: Take your flat bleaching brush and gently coat the wig cap with bleach, paying close attention to the edges and the parts where you are likely to part your hair.
Top Tip: Be very gentle when applying the bleach, as you don’t want to accidentally push the bleach through to the hair and bleach the roots!
Step 5: Leave the bleach on for about 15 – 20 minutes. Run the cap under cold water to rinse, making sure that the bleach doesn’t run onto the hair when you do.
You may notice that the wig cap lace and knots have a slightly orange tint – this is totally normal and part of the bleaching process.
Step 6: Once the bleach is rinsed out and the water is running clear, grab the purple shampoo and apply it generously to the wig cap. The purple will tone down the orange on the wig cap and help it blend with your skin.
Some purple shampoos are violent magenta and only need to be left on for a minute. Others are much lighter and can be left on for 20 minutes. Do a patch test to see what works for your wig, to get the best results
Step 7: A minute or two before you want to rinse your purple toning shampoo off, take your regular shampoo and wash the wig hair as you normally would.
Condition the hair and rinse the whole wig thoroughly until the water runs clear.
Step 8: Turn the wig the right way round and pin the wig to your mannequin head so that it can air dry.
Top Tip: I like to run some serum through the ends when the wig is wet, so the hair feels gorgeous and soft when it dries.
Step 9: Once the wig is dry, look at the lace. You should be able to see that you have most of the wig knots bleached, but, likely, the bigger knots will still be obvious.
The bigger knots take longer to bleach, but you don’t want to bleach again or leave the bleach on too long. If you do, it may cause shedding as you can do some damage if you aren’t careful.
A better plan is to bleach most of the wig knots (as we have already done), and then pull the more obvious, large knots out with tweezers.
This will ensure you get a seamless blend no matter where you part your wig!
FAQs
Check out the below sections on some frequently asked questions regarding bleaching your wig knots.
Do I Have to Bleach Wig Knots?
If you have a lighter colored wig, then no, you don’t.
Or even if you don’t mind covering your wig knots with concealer when you wear your wig, then you don’t have to worry about covering your wig knots.
In fact, if you don’t bleach your wig knots, your lace and wig may last a little longer.
I only bleach the wig knots on my wigs with darker hair, as I like to flip them on and go.
I also like having the freedom of parting my hair wherever I fancy and having a seamless blend.
Can I Bleach the Knots on a Synthetic Wig?
No, unfortunately, synthetic hair doesn’t bleach. But you can tweeze the larger knots out, use concealer, and cut baby hairs, so all is not lost!
Can I Bleach the Knots More than Once?
Well, yes and no.
If your wig is Virgin hair or a Natural Black, then yes, you could probably get away with a second round of bleaching (although I wouldn’t recommend it.
If your wig hair has been processed at all, I would strongly advise against a second round of bleaching as you can do massive damage to the lace and, therefore, the hair’s join.
This means horrible shedding, and nobody wants that.
Wrapping Up
Bleaching your wig knots, when done correctly, can make your wig-wearing experience wholly seamless and your overall look so natural. It takes the blending work out of wearing a wig, and once the hairpiece is styled, you can go from half-asleep to out-the-door ready in 10 minutes flat!
It really has been a game-changer for me. I know bleaching your wig knots isn’t for everyone, but I would highly recommend it. If you are a little nervous, do a patch test on a tiny area and see what a difference it makes.
You won’t be sorry, and you will go into the experience knowing exactly what you are in for! I hope this article has helped alleviate any concerns you may have about bleaching your wig knots.
If I haven’t answered all your questions, or if you want to chat about something else, let me know in the comments below! I love talking about all things hair, wig, and extension related.
Drop and comment and let me know if you have any products you would like me to review!!