Here’s an introduction on how to style wigs for a drag queen. If you’re just starting out in drag, eventually you’re going to have to get some good wigs – why not do it yourself?

So now that you’ve decided that you want to do drag, you’re going to need to have wigs. There are some options for this. You can buy some cheap “pre-styled wigs” off Party City, or Amazon, that come in popular styles such as “Elvira,” a classic black bob cut, or wavy blonde curls.

You can pay a wig designer to style you a wig, for anywhere from $85 on Facebook Marketplace or $250+ for a popular designer.

Or, you can learn how to style your own drag queen wigs. And I promise it’s easier than you think.

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What you’ll need to do it yourself

Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend $200 and up for a good wig. You can style a drag queen wig yourself for cheap, and it’ll cost you less than $100. Here’s how.

1. Get a base synthetic wig.
2. Get some styling tools.
3. Straighten your wig with steam, and then curl your wig with curlers.
4. Tease.
5. Style, and then set it in place.

Sound simple enough? Now let’s go in-depth on how to style these wigs for drag queens.

Getting a Lacefront Wig

Get a base synthetic lace front wig, and it doesn’t have to be a special brand. Most wigs are made from the same manufacturers in China, but brands will charge more for a specific color or style. Some of the well-advertised branded wigs can even be kind of disappointing, (sorry Wigs and Grace.) The only “higher-end” synthetics I’ve heard people recommend are Webster Wigs and Rockstar Wigs, but I’ve never used them.

I’ve done very well with generic Amazon brands, especially K’ryssma and Sapphire Wigs. If you pay more than $50 for a lace front wig, you’re paying for extra.

I would start off with something that looks good and has lots of positive reviews and pictures like this. Remember, if it looks good on your typical Amazon reviewer, it will look even better on you when you’re done with it.

Invest in Styling Tools for your Wig

Buy some styling tools to style your drag wig. Go to your local beauty shop for curlers, t-pins, bobby pins, teasing combs, gator clips, and hair spray. Here are some of my supplies here, not including a wig head and stand.

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I’ve had to restock many times but my first batch of supplies probably cost under $50. You need at least a styrofoam head for $5, but I strongly recommend getting a canvas or wood blockhead in your head circumference size. You wanna aim for curlers with metal coils inside that heat up when you heat them. And the golden standard for hairspray or freezing spray is Got2B Glued, though Tresemme Extra Hold works well too.

Having a wig stand will be helpful for longer wigs. You can even make one yourself by gluing a wooden dowel to a piece of wood. I was able to make one by spending less than $10 at Home Depot.

Also great is wig conditioning spray, twill tape, and sectioning clips. Also, try buying curlers in various sizes.

Steam & Reset your Drag Wig

If your drag wig came with light waves, it’s better to straighten them out completely before curling. This is so you have more control over the wig. For this step and the next, you’ll want to have a clothing steamer. Even a small one will work, though eventually, it’s nice to invest in a full-size clothing steamer so you don’t have to keep refilling it.

Straighten your drag wig with steam and a comb, and then proceed with the curling.

Curl & Heat the Wig

To do your bouncy big hair drag queen waves, you’re going to want to use wire mesh rollers. There are also straight styles that are very nice, (in which you can proceed to the next step,) but I included this step because every queen will need to know how to make a big and curly wig at one point.

This part can be challenging at first, but soon you’ll be watching Netflix and curling at the same time. Make sure you have at least two packets of curlers, (I use this brand here in 7/8 or 11/16) and plenty of pins to stick your wire mesh rollers. You want to carefully and evenly roll the entire head until it is completely even. Depending on how the original wig is parted, and what style you would like, you can roll the hair in opposite directions for the front and straight down the back, or straight down all the way through.

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Here is a great tutorial from YouTuber Online Kyne on how to do this process for drag queen wigs.

After rolling everything, you want to start steaming the coils until they feel hot to the touch. Make sure to get every part so that the curl sticks to all parts of your wig. Nothing sucks more than unraveling the wig to find out some parts are curly and some parts are limp.

Once the wig is properly steamed for several minutes, you want to “bake” the wig by taking a large plastic bag and wrapping it over the wig and coils. Continue steaming into the opening of the bag until the bag is very very hot. It should take about a minute. Then quickly when you remove the steamer, close and twist the bag so it “traps” the steam and tie it or take it together around your wig head or stand.

Leave the wig wrapped for two hours or overnight. The heat will eventually seep out through a small opening, which is fine. Just to be safe, I wouldn’t start unrolling until at least 45 minutes, to make sure the curls set.

Now you have a slightly damp wig with twisty, ramen-like curls.

Tease the wig

To get your hair to have volume and lift, you’re going to have to tease it. This part can be scary if you’re afraid that you’re making your hair ugly. Trust me, it’s part of the process and it’s similar to makeup. It’s going to have to be ugly and frizzy before it looks pretty.

To tease, take your teasing brush and backcomb the hair quickly with a “flicking motion” until it can stand up by itself. You want to backcomb the “wrong” side, or the side that won’t be visible when you mold the hair. Then freeze the tease by spraying it with a little hairspray.

YouTuber Online Kyne recommends backcombing the entire wig. I recommend focusing on the areas that are carefully molded and then giving several strokes for the rest of the wig to make sure it also has a bit of volume. We want the wig to look shaped, but naturally curly or wavy from the back.

Style your Drag Wig!

This is the part that takes the most creativity and what separates the amateurs from the pros. Each wigmaker has a unique style and their own thumbprint on their wigs, to the point some can recognize a wigmaker’s style from a single glance. But to get started, all you need is a vision.

What are you trying to create? A 60s bouffant? 40s Victory Curls? Or maybe a pretty updo? Visualize the silhouette. This is also a good moment to reference some videos, to see how women from history styled their hair, or study how movie & stage hair designers recreate wigs for your own drag queen wig.

With a lot of practice and even more hairspray, you’ll be able to make your vision come to life. For something like a side-swept drag curls look, you can start by brushing the hair out from their original curls to “soften them up.”

Then for the deeply styled parts, carefully mold the wig with your hands, the side of your brush, and hairspray. You’d be surprised by how powerful a hit of Got2B Glued can be, once the tease is already holding it in place. For more deliberate curls, like finger waves, use gator clips in alternating directions to hold the curls in place before blasting them with freezing spray. To hold hair in place, use bobby pins in an “X” formation for extra stability. Also, make sure to hide the bobby pins as best as you can. Use black pins for dark hair and blond pins for light hair. For colored hair, some people even go to the trouble of painting their pins a primary color!

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What I recommend is trying to follow a hair tutorial for a deliberate style and recreating it the best you can. Then, you can start to experiment with other looks and add your own style to your drag queen wig as well.

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Did this help with learning how to style drag queen wigs? Let me know if you have thoughts or anything to add. I’d love to see your hair creations as well! Don’t forget to check out our amazing interviews with fellow drag performers!

Shoutouts to folks that I’ve learned from over the years: Online Kyne, Jaymes Mansfield, Nia Politan, and amazing wigmakers that have shared tips and tutorials on their Instagram pages!

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Note, this blog post contains affiliate links from Amazon. However, I only recommend items that I have used myself and believe in, such as Kryssma and Sapphire Wigs. I did not get compensated for my purchases and am not being paid to write about any brands. However, I do get a small commission if any items are purchased through Amazon links, at no cost to the buyer. Regardless, I encourage you all to purchase your items at local beauty supply stores or wherever it is most convenient for you all to find them.