It’s easy to spot a bad wig from a mile away. But celebrity wigs are so well-designed that it can be impossible to tell whether a star is wearing their own hair or not, and surprisingly, it doesn’t come down to the price tag. There are several factors that contribute to whether they’re undetectable or not, including coloring, style, and density, and they’re surprisingly easy to achieve. Here are the top celebrity wig tips that you can ask your hairstylist to implement that don’t have anything to do with the hair itself.
Why do celebs wear wigs?
For one, they’re a quick way to switch up looks compared to recoloring or getting highlights, which can take hours and be hard to reverse. Another thing is continuity, as films often shoot scenes out of order. Additionally, wigs protect hair from the damage that dyeing, bleaching, and heat can cause for roles.
What makes a celebrity wig look real?
Hairline
The hairline is the starting point. Normally, the lace on a wig is cut in a smooth arc, with each hair starting at the same density, but no human hairline has this shape. For maximum realism, a stylist will pluck the hairline at the perimeter by hand so it looks more natural and uneven, with some baby hairs loose at the front.
Knots
The next factor is knots. On a lace front, each hair is tied to the mesh via a knot, and on dark hair those knots appear as a field of dots running along the part. When they’re lightened, they make the part appear as though it’s naturally part of the scalp. The tradeoff here is durability: bleach weakens knots, so heavily bleached wigs will shed sooner and at a faster rate.
Density
Here’s where most wigs fall short—on a regular person, natural hair density starts at 100-120%, but most wig manufacturers build them at 150% or 180% because a denser wig looks better on a shelf. But it creates a bulkier look, so ask a stylist to thin a wig closer to 130% before the first wear, but go slowly, as this can’t be reversed.
Color
For depth, add a root shadow a couple of shades darker to give a part depth. When it’s one flat shade root to tip, it looks like fiber. This can easily be done on virgin hair that hasn’t been chemically processed and still has its cuticle intact.
Celebs who have admitted to wearing wigs
Keira Knightly
Knightly told a magazine in 2016 that dyeing her hair for roles all the time led to hair loss, which led her to wear wigs for the past five years—a common way to preserve actors’ hair health!
Gwen Stefani
Although platinum blonde is her signature look, it is not her natural hair colour, and she has openly acknowledged this fact! Dark human hair gets damaged when the regrowth is bleached so often, hence, wigs!
Zendaya
This star swaps both shades and silhouettes to express her personal style, from a blond pixie to a blunt red bob. Short to long in an instant—that’s the magic of a good wig.
Yara Shahidi
Though she usually wears her natural hair, when she rocked a curly lob at the 2018 VMAs, it was revealed it was a wig. Finding a unit that matches your own curly texture is a tough feat!
Katy Perry
We’ve seen this celeb wear every color under the sun, from Hollywood glam black waves to bright purple with bangs, and even multiple looks in an evening—no dye process required!
Katie Holmes
Suri’s mom wore a wig to the 2017 Met Gala, and the only tell was that the following day, her length magically returned.
Lady Gaga
This pop queen has often changed the color and shape of her hair over the years and has always been open about wearing wigs, an integral part of her persona and costumes.
Emilia Clarke
Did you know that this “Game of Thrones” star has natural dark hair despite being known for her character, whose platinum waves were a wig that lasted throughout the series?
Salma Hayek
Hayek has been known to go blonde for an appearance, then return to dark hair right after. The ultimate wig signature is going blonde on Friday and dark on Monday, since you can’t do that in a weekend.
Selma Blair
Blair was more transparent than many celebs, posting a photo of herself in a long wig with blunt bangs, with the caption, “This is a wig.” Well, there you go!
Emily Ratajowski
Ratajowski’s luscious hair looks aren’t natural—nope, that’s all the power of a wig. Fun fact: rotating wigs is a great way to make them last, as giving the lace a day to rest extends its life.
