Setting The Wig For My First Assessment

The wigs that we had to buy for this unit are acrylic, and we had to steam and set for our informal assessment that we have next week. The period that I chose to do is the 1950's which means I had to put in rollers before steaming. That way I will have the hair prepped for next week. 

I used medium sized plastic rollers and pinned each roller with a metal pin to keep it in place. The wig has very strong individual sections which narrows down your options of the direction of the rollers and sectioning. Personally, I think that it is a lot easier to work with real hair as it is not as slippery. I sectioned the front with sectioning clips and started to put rollers at the crown of the head, working my way to the back, doing the front bit last.I tried my best to put the rollers in as neatly and tight as possible. The front section was a bit too wide for my rollers so I used hair grips to prevent the hair from falling out.

Wig before setting

Wig before setting

Wig before setting

Wig before setting + steamer

Putting the plastic rollers in + sectioning 

Putting the plastic rollers in

Putting the plastic rollers in

Putting the plastic rollers in - brickwork

Back of the wig completed, all the rollers in

Putting the plastic rollers at the front

Putting the plastic rollers -side

Final look - front

Final look from above

Final look - side

Close up

To steam the hair, you put the water in the steamer, turn it on and wait for the water to boil. It works on the same principle as a kettle and you have to be very careful as it is boiling hot and don't turn it towards your face. 

You can hold it as closely to the hair as you want. Make sure you steam every angle of the wig otherwise you will not get the curl that you want.

I went with the steamer twice around the entire wig, just to be safe.

Steaming the wig

Nov 11 2015

When you set the wig you have to keep it in a dry room to allow the hair to completely dry. It the room is humid it could develop a weird smell, and you definitelly don't want that. I've set my wig 10 days before my assessment but 2,3 days before would be fine.

After the informal assessment next week, we have another one the following week, so the wig will have to be set and steamed again.