Wishing for longer mer-hair?

[Mermaasai]

Ok so... in light of the recent interest in longer mermaid hair and what not I decided to do a little research and post up some useful, informative, tutorial type things I found to making or buying a swimmable wig.

I have med-short curly hair and I want long black or copperbrown tresses.

I also want to save my poor still growing hair from the damage of highly chlorinated pools and damaging sun.
What better way to do that than with a swimmable wig?

I thought about doing just clip in hair extensions but it would negate the ability to protect my hair as best as possible.

If you are about to swim, after conditioning the CRAP out of your hair and letting it dry, just before swimming/getting in the pool, get it wet. This will fill your hair with clean unchlorinated/salted water (salted isnt nearly as bad imo) and will ensure minimal chemical absorption.

I dont see why a swimmable wig isnt a viable solution/option to the hair damage/short hair issue.
Of course, I wouldnt use pricey hair, Id stick with inexpensive or even synthetic hair.
You're a mermaid! Get creative with your colors!
Hunt around online by searching in google and google shopping.
Check ebay and amazon.

From what I've seen the best bet is to cut bangs into the wig if it doesn't come with bangs to be sure of blending best and hiding the swimcap edge.
Probably using a skin tone color, to match your ethnicity, (swim cap tucked behind your ears not resting over them) is best as well.
I dont have a lot of experience with spirit gum but maybe you could glue the swim cap down around the edges of your face to keep it more natural and stop the water from seeping in as much?
I might even suggest gluing those hair clips into the inner edge of the swim cap to attach to your hair for maximum stayputtage!

Of course... its not going to look perfect.. meaning.. don't expect people to believe you have a mass of bright purple or red hair etc.. but everything looks nicer under water and i think it would look perfectly ok in videos and pictures, especially after photoshopping it a little.
And think of the hair damage you will be averting so you can grow out your own natural long hair!

This video is a tutorial on how to sew tracks/wefts into a regular wigcap.. I think it can apply to a swim cap as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e85eH2wX3PI&feature=related

These are a few nice, inexpensive full wigs I found online that could potentially be sewn or glued onto the cap:

Natural goldish brown, long: http://www.amazon.com/Female-Synthetic-Personal-Mannequin-Display/dp/B007EGHSV2

Dark Brown, Long: http://www.overstock.com/Health-Beauty/Merrylight-Premium-Quality-Light-Ash-Brown-Fashion-style-Wig/4386480/product.html?rcmndsrc=2

Blonde, Long: http://www.amazon.com/Female-Synthetic-Personal-Mannequin-Display/dp/B007EGF94K

Light purple/lavender, long (I LOVE this one): http://www.amazon.com/Cosplay-ladies-PURPLE-Synthetic-jf010127/dp/B005VM8ATA

Aqua, straight, LONG (omg sooo cute): http://www.amazon.com/Delivery-Vocaloid-straight-Cosplay-jf010078/dp/B005O54YEY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_bt_4

Dark purple, straight, LONG: http://www.amazon.com/Cosplay-Frederica-Bernkastel-straight-jf010071/dp/B005N3DP6U/ref=pd_sim_bt_3

White and black, straight, LONG (this might be my favorite) :http://www.amazon.com/Nurarihyon-black-Cosplay-COSTUME-jf010081/dp/B006OUG3C4/ref=sr_1_76?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1333397340&sr=1-76

Orange, straight, LONG (i could see this with an orange koi mer): http://www.amazon.com/Delivery-Orange-Blonde-Cosplay-jf010122/dp/B005V9WW1K/ref=sr_1_21?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1333397287&sr=1-21

( basically this shop has a ton of long pretty cosplay wigs... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_beauty?_encoding=UTF8&node=3760911&field-brandtextbin=cool2day#/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A3760911%2Cp_4%3Acool2day&ie=UTF8&qid=1333397543 )

oooo just found this red wig, very little mermaid-esque ^.^: http://cosplaywigsusa.com/cosplay-wigs-usa/90cm-36-extra-long-wavy-curly-jessica-rabbit-look-true-red-wig/

There are so many options out there, lets play dress up!

I'm hoping to get a long black wig with maybe some copper and gold streaks in it, I'm still hunting for the perfect wig though..

Of course, wearing a wig is going to heavier than what you are used to, create drag, and remember- long hair is ANNOYING some times. It gets all up in your business, wraps around your arms and face and neck, and gets twisted up in necklaces and jewelry.
But it is what it is.. Maybe you can find a way to bind it loosely away from your face with clips and hair ties, and keep it fairly separate from your jewelry. Either way, expect long hair to have its downs as well as its ups.
At least with a wig you can take it off if its driving you nuts!

I hope this has been helpful or at least inspirational.
If you have any ideas share them, and remember to keep your imagination alive!

[Mermaid Dottie]

YUSS! I am not alone! I love... no... ADORE wigs. So loving this.
btw, some of those videos are private, Msai.

[BlueMermaid]

thank u for sharing this! I always wear wigs when performing, due to my chronic illness I have lost alot of hair. I love doing a blue wig to match my tail, and red for Ariel.

[Spindrift]

This is a really interesting idea! I personally love big hair, like the how MeduSirena's is. I wonder if a wig could make me look good with that much hair?

[Mermaasai]

YUSS! I am not alone! I love... no... ADORE wigs. So loving this.
btw, some of those videos are private, Msai.

augh I just saw that, the vid must have become private after I linked it.. it showed up fine before.. I deleted it from the thread any way.
^.^

[Bellasea]

Of course, wearing a wig is going to heavier than what you are used to, create drag, and remember- long hair is ANNOYING some times. It gets all up in your business, wraps around your arms and face and neck, and gets twisted up in necklaces and jewelry.
But it is what it is.. Maybe you can find a way to bind it loosely away from your face with clips and hair ties, and keep it fairly separate from your jewelry. Either way, expect long hair to have its downs as well as its ups.
At least with a wig you can take it off if its driving you nuts!

My hair is long. When I have it down, it rests just on top of my belt. It is so annoying when I swim with it. It gets wrapped all arnd my arms and neck; sometimes, I feel like I am going to drown because my hair will be so wrapped around me I won't be able to swim.

Something else- I hope this is still on the topic. My hair is pin straight; it will only take a curl if I braid it when wet and let it dry. Then, once it gets wet it flattens. Does anyone have any ideas to keep a curl while in the water?

[laamberry]

You guys should check out Arda-wigs.com . They have beautiful, thick, synthetic wigs that can be styled with heat (i.e.won't melt like a lot of wigs do). The fibers are also blended so they aren't as fake looking as most wigs.

[Mermaid Sirena]

How would you feel about this article being slightly reworked and placed in the Tail Flip magazine?

[Mermaasai]

How would you feel about this article being slightly reworked and placed in the Tail Flip magazine?

Absolutely! :D
Please do ;)

[Mermaid Marissa]

My hair is long. When I have it down, it rests just on top of my belt. It is so annoying when I swim with it. It gets wrapped all arnd my arms and neck; sometimes, I feel like I am going to drown because my hair will be so wrapped around me I won't be able to swim.

Something else- I hope this is still on the topic. My hair is pin straight; it will only take a curl if I braid it when wet and let it dry. Then, once it gets wet it flattens. Does anyone have any ideas to keep a curl while in the water?

It's going to sound awful but the only thing I kind think of is heavy hair products which aren't good for the environment :( I'm a gymnast and we tend to use hair mousse or heavy duty hair spray to keep the hair out of our faces. :p If you want to go product free then I suggest pretty french braids or water fall braids might work for you too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FElGSmYPjWM

[Mermaasai]

This is true, also using hair products with a wig that you are about to swim in seems a little pointless to me. But hair braiding, ties, pearls, and things of that nature just make more sense.
But to each his own, just be aware of our planet ^.^

[Bellasea]

I usually french braid my hair when I swim. I just wish I could be one of those people that get to complain about frizzy hair when it rains. :(

[Tasha Mermaid]

I suppose I'm lucky in that department i have dead straight long light blonde hair (goes down to my butt, this comes from never cutting my hair lol) as for the unique colours, I'm not sure if any of you are natural blonde like i am but chlorine ALWAYS turns my hair green, its part of being a blonde....the rule goes proper real blonde changes to a green tint and fake blonde doesn't, so be aware if you buy a wig made from proper real blonde hair and you go into chlorine your wig WILL turn green, and you don't need more then a few hours either. I spent nearly every school holidays with green hair growing up so i got used to it and being teased back at school (it takes ages to go back to blonde) Oh and another thing...i notice the nice combination of going in both the beach and a pool allowed for a more greeny tint that seems to last longer, i would say because the salt water opens the pores of the hair allowing more chlorine to get in..... as for it damaging your hair, well my hair is my best feature always soft, shiny and vibrant without anything at all (also i don't use conditioner it leaves my hair too oily) :) just a little knowledge on blonde hair for you all :P

[Lois]

I know this is an old threat but I had to get my hair cut cos it got too damaged and ive been looking at getting a mermaid wig what do u think of this one (its free delivery!)

http://parties.pghcommerce.co.uk/Search.aspx?name=long-wigs-for-women

[Taniira]

I don't have a ton of experience with wigs as I don't really like to wear them (too hot), but I use them occasionally with my cosplay (especially the cheap synthetic ones).

I did want to point out that my experience is that they get TANGLED. I wore one at at a Con for a few hours last year and between the heat and people around and moving around it was crazy hard trying to comb it out -- and that wasn't even swimming.

Does anyone have actual swimming experience in a wig to shed their $0.02 on the tangling topic?

[Mermaid Fenicia]

I use a silicon-spray on my wig. First time when the wig is still new, and then after each time using it before untangling. It doesn't keep your wigfromgetting tangled but it makes it easier to untangle. ;)

[Mermaid Pickles]

You guys should check out Arda-wigs.com . They have beautiful, thick, synthetic wigs that can be styled with heat (i.e.won't melt like a lot of wigs do). The fibers are also blended so they aren't as fake looking as most wigs.
Oh, I have one wig from there. (it's for two different cosplays, but I love it.) I recently bought another from there and it'll go towards a Pinkie Pie (possible mermaid too) cosplay, since I don't really care TOO much if that one gets a bit tangled. I LOVE their wigs! They first one I got, I wore it to work the day after it arrived. (Kind of a joke, because it's almost the exact same color as my natural hair, just longer.) Some of the people who came in thought it WAS my natural hair. Their wigs aren't overly shiny like many synthetic wigs are. :D i would definitely say that if you want a wig that looks good, will last, is pretty darn good quality, and will work for mermaiding, GO THERE. >,O They're really nice wigs. >< I love mine to death. AND YES. THE WIG CONDITIONER. ANd detangling spray stuff. (I use the detangler immediately after a convention or festival, and I ALWAYS have it in my bag(with a comb) when I'm wearing my wig. Very handy stuff.)

[Bernardo]

You can get strong and thick hair by making some effort for it i mean u need some proper thing for better growth,Use raw aloe vera gel and massage gently for a while directly in your scalp.And apply olive oil in a little warm form that will boost your hair strength.

[MermaidMermeron(Cameron)]

i used to have hair 4 feet long (on me a 6'9 person) and recently ive gotten it cut into a pixie and im kinda missing it