How To Thin Out a Wig

Sometimes when you see wig in the store or online you immediately fall in love with its style or color and it seems just perfect for you all together. So you decide to buy it and can’t wait to try it on. But do that finally take it out of its packaging and put it on, it just doesn’t look like what you had imagined. It looks and feels way too thick and just very bulky and unnatural. Therefore, what you want to do is thin out your newly-bought wig a little bit to give it a more natural and sleek look. By doing so, you will make it seem like it was custom made for you.

There a couple different ways and tools to use to thin out your wig and make it look like you have paid your hairdresser a very good amount of cash. The first way is to thin out your wig with thinning shears. It’s probably the most obvious tool to use to get the job done. You could also use regular scissors or even razors but these take a little more effort and extra caution or else you will ruin your wig. And since wigs can be pretty expensive you need to be really careful not to take off too much hair. What seems like a small strand may, in fact, be too big of a chunk and cutting it will make your wig look like a complete hot mess.

Thinning shears are special scissors with notches on one side and a sharp smooth blade on the other. They are made to take out large pieces of hair with just a few cuts.
When you thin out your wig, it’s easier to put it on. That way you can actually see where it needs thinning and it will be easier to frame and shape the wig to your face.

Start by sectioning off the wig and combing or brushing the hair to take out all the knots and tangles. Starting at the back section of the weave, thin the hair by cutting the ends. When you cut the ends, your wig will be shorter and already have a much thinner and lighter look to it. It is recommended to trim the ends a quarter of an inch at a time, so you won’t end up with too short of a look for your taste.
Thin your weave with the shears in a downward motion, one layer at a time and make sure to comb the wig as you go. That way you are making sure all the layers are even and lay flat on top of each other. Also, keep in mind that the hairs in the back should always be longer than those in the front.

If you can’t get your hands on thinning scissors, you could also use regular ones. Just make sure they are very sharp otherwise you will end up with a very uneven look if you use blunt scissors.
There are a couple of techniques to thin your wig with regular scissors. The first one is called Point Cutting. By holding the hair perpendicular to the head and cut inwards at a steep angle, you can create a softer looking cut. It is best used on mid-length to longer curly hair.

Another method is notching. It pretty much works the same as Point Cutting, but I used for shorter and straight hairstyles. Notching will give your wig more movement and will add a lot more texture. If you want to create a more playful and wild look, then you should definitely learn the notching technique.

The third technique is slithering. It is most often used to thin out longer wigs with a straight to wavy style. Slithering removes bulkiness from the ends and gives the wig an overall softer finish. When using the slithering technique to thin out your wig, you also hold out the hairs perpendicular to your scalp. But instead of actually cutting you hold the scissors slightly open and slid them along the length of the hair, going in a downward motion away from the scalp.
Each one of these techniques can be used to create similar looks like those you would get from using actual thinning shears, but they take a little bit more time and effort for them look as good.

Another way to thin out your wig is with a razor, which works pretty much the same as Slithering. It might sound a little scary to use a razor but when you get the hang of it and master the art it’s actually not that hard to do. You might even find that you don’t have anything to be afraid of.
For this technique, you need a straight razor, which you can buy at any beauty supply store and won’t cost you more than two bucks. If you wear those higher quality wigs, you might want to invest in a more expensive razor that can also be heated. A hot razor blade is a little bit trickier to use but will give your wig an even smoother look. But keep in mind it can only be used on a wig made from human hair. Not the synthetic ones!