Wigs Long wig without using synthetic fibers?

I can only speak to synthetic!

You could try Arda Wigs synthetic wefts, which come in a ton of colors and two hair types. They offer samples for 25 cents a piece, so you could test out both color and thickness/texture for fairly cheap. The wefts are a TON of hair, and the short size is 19" long, so it's a really good deal if you decide you like the hair:

Search: 10 results found for "wefts"

I've also bought from TheDollPlanetHair on Etsy, specifically their "TDP Nylon", and it's very fine but prone to static, so if you go with it, be sure to soak it in some watered-down fabric softener to make it more manageable. I believe they offer samples as well:

TheDollPlanetHair | Etsy

 

If you're interested in natural fibers, look for Lincoln, Teeswater, or Wendslydale fibers. You can find them raw or processed, and they're not usually badly priced. These can grow crazy long. Easy 13 or 15 inches. Lincoln, at least what I've bought, needed conditioner and could be a bit coarse, but teeswater is usually really soft! I've also read others flat ironing teeswater with good results.

 

For syntheti fibres you might try looking at plalces that sell "rerooting" supplies for non-BJD dolls and My Little Pony customisations.

Some of them offer a variety of synthetic fibres so you could get a little pck of each to determine which one(s) you prefer the feel and managability of beofre commiting to a whole wig's worth,

I can't offer any recommendations as I'm based in the UK so haven't used any of these suppliers from other countries like the US, but I'm sure there must be some.

Teddy

 

In terms of long hair fur wigs, I had the best luck with alpaca fibers, though its a bit expensive. I found that it looks very natural when long and styles very easily. However, I moved away from them because they don't hold style for very long. (Here's a old photo of a long alpaca wig I still own somewhere) You will need to restyle quite frequently, for which I don't have the time. I've had pretty good luck with synthetic wigs on Etsy, but I honestly do like having thicker fibers so I can position them as stray hairs for photos.

 

Angora Mohtique is based in the USA and occasionally has fibers which are 13” long (more commonly 11-12”) but they are expensive. They’re the smoothest and best processed hair I’ve seen

Doll Hair Emporium based in the UK is the only international seller of synthetic mohair (doll grade kanekalon) that I’ve been able to find since Monique Trading closed). This fiber feels very similar to alpaca and angora. It is a bit expensive.

You can also find synthetic mohair-like fiber (no guarantee it’s identical—from the little I ordered it’s more like Jusun’s than Monique) on Taobao by searching something like “milk silk imitation” or “milk mohair imitation” (I think this is the phrase: 发丝 牛奶丝 仿).

I personally use either nylon (kiwi nylon is my favorite due to the tensile strength) or monofiber for my wigs dye to the method (ventilation) I use to make my wigs. Kiwi nylon especially can have a particularly synthetic appearance however due to its shine (Doll Planet nonmetallic nylon is particularly matte however). I find RetroDolls and Doll Planet on Etsy are the cheapest options for nylon. Doctored Locks is my cheapest monofiber source and you can get it default (no custom order) up to 48.” I prefer nylon and monofiber to Saran for synthetic fiber due to the way Saran absorbs the oil from my fingers, leaving it stringy. Saran is also comparatively much weaker and is not as easily ventilated (which may not be a concern for you)

 

Look at dollmores shipping options, they have several. I only use the ems option when I've bought a doll from them. I usually use the RINCOS option for smaller stuff. It's based on weight and starts at like $6

 

I cannot recommend silk roving highly enough. It's soft, the fibers are literally as long as you want them to be (as long as the length of roving you order) and it takes dye beautifully. Silk is also surprisingly strong.

https://www.amazon.com/silk-roving/s?k=silk+roving

Silk roving | Etsy

You can also find it on ebay very reasonably priced. Don't buy the sari silk roving though, it's made from recycled saris, and while it's fine for chunky spinning it won't do for doll hair.

 

Ooh, I am in the UK and would love to know some local sellers just started to experiment with making hard cap wigs myself thank you

 

For normal wigs (like Cosplay wigs for example) I like Kanekalon. You can buy it in form of weave (sorry if the word isn't correct)
You can form it very well by heating.

In Germany we have some Cosplay shops that sell it in different length and colors.
(mycostumes.de - for example, maybe it could be a place to buy it)

Update: They call them Wefts ^^

 

I think if you prefer the feeling of natural materials, you can look through offers of thin human hair. I once saw a thread with bjd wig made from Light human hair, but its on you. I'm not comfortable with thinking that they belonged to someone

 

A note on teeswater- Even after I've flatironed the daylights out of it, it's stayed very very fluffy! Just as a heads up, it doesn't get as beautiful and silky smooth as alpaca or high quality synthetic. I bought a good bit of it and am now stuck with the purples and reds I have on hand because I'm not a fan of the POOF! It's cute though, just not what I was looking for.

 

Coming to this old thread because I've been wondering the exact same thing! I've only ever used alpaca and yarn for my wigs, but lately I've been feeling limited with both. Alpaca can get pricey and I'm not interested in dyeing it so I'm limited with colors, whereas with yarn I can get it in any color but I'm very limited with length. (I want to make a long pink wig, so...)

Recently, I saw a wig in some doll product photos that I fell in love with. I have no idea what material it's made of, but the fiber looks very fine and shiny. I suppose it could be alpaca or mohair with product in it that makes it look a lot shinier than normal? I'm just not sure. So far, the closest synthetic fiber I've seen is milk silk, which I hear is supposed to be like synthetic mohair. I'm curious if/how it's different from nylon or saran. If anyone knows about this type of hair I'd love to hear about it! If it works well for doll wigs, it would be perfect for me because it comes in so many colors and it's cheap (not to mention, super long length).

I couldn't agree more. If I'm not mistaken, Leekeworld wigs are made with heat resistant fiber (at least the ones I own are). I've owned doll wigs and a human wig made of it and I also feel like the fibers are way too thick. It doesn't look realistic in pictures and it's so stiff that it doesn't drape naturally either. This is one reason I'm looking into alternatives...

 

I am a strong fan of silk and ramie roving. Good long fibers, easy to dye, both react well to all the things you would do with human hair. I've used it for rooting off-topic dolls and it looks fabulous and stays fabulous. Ramie, if you are not familiar with it, comes from nettles, and is lovely and soft. You can find silk and ramie roving on etsy or shops that sell spinning supplies.

 

I'm really curious about the process of using roving for doll hair... I always thought it looked like one big ball of fibers and had no idea they could be long enough for a wig!

 

Silk roving and raimie roving are long, long skeins of fibers. Cut them as long as you want them. This is what undyed silk roving looks like:



This is what undyed ramie roving looks like





I just picked a spot in the skein and started cutting!

 

Most of the roving can be pulled apart. The actual fibers (at least for ramie) are only maybe 6", but in my experience quite brittle.
You can just find a spot and cut, but if you try and brush it or put tension on it, you'll find the fibers separate and pull apart.

 

Silk is one long continuous fiber. It's literally unwound from the coccoon onto a spindle.