How I Added Roots to My Synthetic Topper (or Wig!)

One of the things I love about alot of the synthetic topper and wigs options these days is that many colors come rooted. While this is most important for blondes (don’t blondes always naturally have some sort of roots showing?), it also lends realism to us brunettes, too.

I’ve seen a few tutorials online on how to add roots to synthetic toppers and wigs; most of them involve using a sort of craft/pen marker that you can get at places like Michael’s or Joann’s. I always wanted to try this method, but I was nervous to do so for a few reasons. One, I wasn’t sure what color to try and I got nervous thinking I’d be faced with a few dozen options to choose from. One tutorial suggested bringing my topper into the store and testing a few strands.

Um, no.

I also was nervous that if I picked the wrong color, it could very well be permanent. The goal for most people rooting a synthetic wig or topper is to have it be permanent, I’m sure, but what if I screwed up?

So, I turned to one product I use every day, that I already had on hand. Enter my liquid eyeliner! I use L’Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner, and I’ve tried it in both Carbon Black and Black Mica. Both of these options have a wet look when applied to your eyelid; it doesn’t look matte but rather has a sheen. I thought this would be fitting for hair since hair naturally has shine to it.

Here is what my synthetic topper looked like before I added roots:

I like this topper without the roots, I really do. But I feel adding just a small root really makes a synthetic topper look more real.

(And yes, I know, the lighting is different here. It always is. I suck at photography. I’d like to say I’ll get better, but I know I won’t. Besides, this is in my bathroom at work.)

See the subtle roots?

Here, I’ve altered the pic a bit so you can see exactly where they are.

What do you think? Kind of cool, right? You can’t tell too much on the parts that were already brunette, but you can see the difference when you look closely at the blond highlights.

Here’s another look:

How to Add Roots to a Synthetic Topper or Wig

Step 1: Use the side of the eyeliner brush (I used L’Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner, rather than the tip, to paint roots on either side of your part. It doesn’t have to be perfect — real roots never are. This step took me about two minutes.

Step 2: After you have the roots applied with the side of the brush, use the tip to gently draw over your new roots. Do it messily; the point of this step is to use the tip to extend the roots a bit in a few different places. Unless your hair is super-thick, roots are never in a perfectly straight line since they grow out at different rates. Use the tip to help make your rooting look imprecise.

Step 3: Take a step back and admire your work. 🙂 If you need to add any additional rooting, do so after taking in the big picture.

[Update: Check out my video on how I add roots to synthetic wigs and toppers!]

That’s all there is to it! I never thought adding roots to a synthetic topper would be so easy, but it took me literally three minutes. It’s definitely a subtle change. That works for me since I don’t want people to think my hair grew out a few inches overnight. It’s just one of those things that if anyone were to ever wonder about my helper hair, they’d think, “nah, that can’t be fake hair, she’s got roots”. I consider it insurance, ha!

So, if you’re feeling like doing a little DIY work, try adding some roots to your pieces. It was fun to make my already-real-looking-piece look even more so.

I’ll update this post after I wash my topper. I’m presuming that most of it is going to wash out (no biggie since it took no time at all), but we’ll see!

UPDATE: If they washed out, it was only slightly. Still there! 🙂