Can I Dye My Wig?
Wig hair is already processed, so it doesn't behave like hair on a head. Tell us its colour, the colour you want and how it's holding up, and see whether it's safe, risky, or cheaper to buy in that colour.
What wig hair can and can't do
- Going darker: low risk
- Depositing colour is the safest process: a semi- or demi-permanent dye adds tone without lifting. Black to brown-black, brown to darker brown, red or burgundy over a dark base.
- Toning: the useful one
- Toning doesn't lift; it neutralises warmth. Purple cancels yellow on pale blonde, blue cancels orange on light brown and dark blonde, green cancels red.
- Going lighter: high risk
- Lifting needs bleach, and bleaching already-processed hair is where wigs die. Buying the colour is almost always cheaper than making it.
- Leave it alone if
- It already feels dry, sheds noticeably, has been bleached before by someone else, or feels stretchy or gummy when wet.
Pick the wig's colour and what you want above for a verdict on yours.
Where the advice comes from
From our guides to colouring and toning a wig, 613 blonde wigs and the chemical safety checklist. Almost all "natural black" wig hair has already been stripped and dyed back, so it's more porous than it looks: it takes colour faster and less evenly than hair on a head, and it can't repair itself. Every verdict here leans towards keeping the wig.
Questions people ask
Can you dye a human hair wig?
Yes, with care. Going darker or adding red over a dark base is low risk, because it only deposits colour. Going lighter needs bleach, and bleaching already-processed wig hair is where wigs are ruined, so buying the colour is usually cheaper.
Can you dye a 613 wig?
Yes: 613 is light enough to take pink, blue, purple or red. It is porous, so it can take colour unevenly; strand test first, keep colour off the lace and knots, and deep condition afterwards. It cannot go any lighter.
How do I get the brassiness out of a blonde wig?
Tone it. Purple neutralises yellow and blue neutralises orange. A purple shampoo every few washes is the gentlest fix; a toner with a 10 volume developer corrects more, but stop early, as over-toned blonde turns lilac or grey.