# sparse hair wig/baldcap



## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I'm wanting to put together a costume (it's a clown, actually) with hair loss... but not the classical hair fringe/baldpate. I'm wanting that patchy, wispy, radiation/chemotherapy hair look. I've never worked with baldcaps before as part of the finished costume (just as part of the casting process), and wondering how to make one that would be reusable but have that sparse and thinning hair look. I kno0w at least some of the hair will have to be punched in to make it look right. I understand the theory of hairpieces, I'd really like to hear from anyone who DOES or HAS done hair work to give me some pointers. The hair would make or break the costume; if what I have envisioned won't work out, I'll have to do some redesigning.


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## skeletonowl (Aug 8, 2006)

can you draw a concept sketch maybe?


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## Doomsday Cult Leader (Mar 21, 2007)

I've tried the same thing before. A typical bald cap is just too thin to punch.

I achieved good results by painting a few layers of latex onto the inside of the cap, to reinforce it, where I wanted hair.
The extra latex keeps the cap from stretching, so keep it away from the edges or you'll never get a decent fit.

Good luck Rev!


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

How about a gelatin cap?


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Do you need a bald cap, or would a soap-out work?


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Could you....after you put the bald cap on cut slits in it and pull your hair through the slits or would your hair not work?


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

1- gelatin, no good (I want something reusable)
2- soap-out, no good (same as above)
3- slits, no good (this hair needs to be long, mine is short)

I guess I need to think in terms of DCL's idea and reinforce a rubber baldcap to punch it in. *sigh* I was hoping this costume would be fairly easy to put together but it may be a major project after all. Oh well... it'll be the first costume I've made for myself in about 8 years or so so I may as well put some time into it.


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## Undeadvoodoomonkey (Aug 4, 2007)

What about a normal bald cap with a lace backed hair piece cut up and glued in patches? A beard or chest hair piece would work, you could reuse the cap or reglue the hair piece on a new cap later.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn...untbeauty.com/media/garlandchecthairchest.jpg

http://www.adiscountbeauty.com/media/garlandbeardrabbi.jpg


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

If you wanted to go all out, you could create a thinnish prosthetic, punch it with hair, and treat it much as a bald cap. Savini did this in the early Friday the thirteenth films in Jason's make-up.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

UVM, those are great suggestions but not applicable in my particular framework because they'd be too natural-looking. I'm actually not doing a human character but a clown character, so the hair I'll be using will be long and some unnatural neon color. I need that sparse, patchy, diseased look, but it'll have to be done with long crazy colored hair so I don't think any off-the-rack solutions would be available. *sigh* why can't I eever come up with simple workable ideas....


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## Undeadvoodoomonkey (Aug 4, 2007)

Unless you buy synthetic hair wigs it will be real human hair which accepts dye and temporary colors. Or you could knot patches yourself on lace, but I personaly hate doing wig work so I'd go the dying route myself. What exactly is your design anyways, infected clown, P.T. Barnum regect?


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Just going for a Bad Klown character, but instead of the monstrous and demonic sort I'm going for a more degenerate, unwholesome look. Imagine if Heckles and Twitch had an unsavory uncle they never talked about or wanted to see that lived alone in an old junked trailer or clapboard shack behind a dump somewhere. Scoliosis, bad skin, nasty rotten teeth (like Clown's from _Spawn_), stained dirty clothing... Unsound body/unsound mind association. I'm wanting hair that's long and neon colored but instead of the classic fringe/baldpate, to have that unhealthy look. It's more disturbing. So I want to get some long neon clowny hair and make a patchy, sparse, chemo-looking cap. One I can wear more than once that doesn't involve a makeup artist to apply it or a 6-hour buildup.


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## Undeadvoodoomonkey (Aug 4, 2007)

You mean to tell me Heckles and Twitch DON'T have an illigitamit unknown backwoods son? You just burst my bubble. Well my idea would work fine for this, but it would take some prep on your end. Or you could buy a cheap clown wig and a sheet of something smooth like a mirror/glass/laminate and brush a few layers of latex on that in patches then add hair with more latex, when it's dry powder them and peel up your hair pieces and glue them on to your bald cap. Cheap easy re-useable and you could work the patches into some skin disorder as well.


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

Rev, get your bald cap, place it on a headpiece, perferably one clse to your own head size, do a cotton/latex build up on the bald cap, using thin layers, and being sure to STIPPLE the latex in order to create some sort of skintexture. now add your sparotic hair.....l. On a sidenote, I know exactly the look you are going for and even have some long strands of colored hair that have been set aside for this Project!, go to a beauty supply house and you shall find every color of the rainbow hair hair for weaves, I have electric blue, shocking red, emerald green....... anyway the above way is how i intend on doing mine.


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

Speaking of Baldcaps, LOL there are THREE dang segments on the DVD that utilize BaldCaps......... I sure like the good ole days when we just used Bald GUYS!


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

REV, I just reread your last post saying that you dont want to do a 6 hour buildup...... FORSHAME! Quality FX takes time, and to be original, well that takes even MORETIME! BUILD your ROTTED clown hairpiece, and be PROUD knowing that you put the time into it!


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Oh, don't get me wrong.... I'm expecting it to take a LOT longer than 6 hours... when I say BUILDUP I'm talking in reference to a one-off makeup effect that's built up onto the skin (as opposed to an appliance that's created and then, uh, applied.) . I want a cap that becomes a costume piece that I can use over and over... I would consider that a construction, not a buildup. Big difference.

You mean you don't have a copy of Revenant's Thesaurus near your computer? Tsk tsk... wait til I start letting loose with the seriously made-up words...


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I already make up my own words!


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Just an FYI, not all bald caps are the same.
You'll find that latex doesn't adhere to some of them.


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

Ive never ran across a bald cap that latex did not adhere to, Ive used latex and Non latex bald caps, plastic bald caps, vinyl bald caps.......... what type are you referring to frightener?


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## gorn7 (Sep 20, 2006)

Here's a picture of my zombie costume last year. I used a cheap bald cap, then brushed latex on it and then just laid stands of wig hair across it to give it the thinning, sickly look. I know it's not the most professional look but it really freaked people out. It is very quick to do and I used it three times(adult party,kid's party and halloween night) and it's still in good shape.

It's probably not exactly what you're looking for but it might give you some ideas.










Gorn


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

well Crap since we are posting pics, if you look closely to this piece youll see very sparce hair coming thru the bald cap.....









Great job Gorn......


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

and I looked everywhere trying to find a decent pic of this zombie makeup with sparce hair to no avail.....soooooooooo


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

That ain't half bad, gorn... I was wanting a wispy look but if I can't get the hair punched in well Ill probably just lay it flat like you did. It would definitely be less hassle.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Bodybagging said:


> Ive never ran across a bald cap that latex did not adhere to, Ive used latex and Non latex bald caps, plastic bald caps, vinyl bald caps.......... what type are you referring to frightener?


I think I know what he's talking about, BB. Latex will stick, but on latex caps (plastic?), it can also be rubbed/pulled off without any problem. Basically any smooth object, doesn't allow latex to bond permanently, I've found.

On the other hand, cloth baldcaps take latex well and it won't come off. Basically you're rubberizing it.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Thanks for the catch Sickie, I've fallen behind on my posting...! Believe that? LoL


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## Undeadvoodoomonkey (Aug 4, 2007)

With a little prosaide or makeup glue you can get almost anything to stick to baldcaps.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

It's not so much to get it to stick, it's to keep it on after it's applied.


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## Bodybagging (May 8, 2006)

Hmmmmmm, guess Im just blessed with the ability to have multiple uses with the ones that I have used thus far. what a way to start my day on such a postive feeling!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

LOL Sounds like you found the perfect cap for latexing!


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## schwanz9000 (Aug 29, 2008)

I hope this is the right place for this. Some of the comments above talk about bulking up a bald cap with liquid latex. Would this work to pull off the Jason Voorhees under the mask make up/prosthetics?

Would it be possible to make this...










...look like this...










I'm trying to stay away from having to buy a $60 mask. It just needs to be something to cover the back of my head, ears, and neck. I want my costume to be as authentic as I can for this year's haunted yard that I'm in. I'd like to make this a pull over sort of thing so I can take it off when/if I get hot. Just wanted to get some other input as far as how to do it. Thanks! :voorhees:


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Hey schwanz, Welcome to the board, I think you could pull it off just fine, I would find out what their made from first before i started latexing them to see if its going to work or not, if its latex you shoul be fine. You may not need to latex it at all, just color it and slime it and let your hair under the cap act as the lumps on the head, or put polyfill under the cap for the lumps.


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## schwanz9000 (Aug 29, 2008)

How would you go about sliming it? I'm thinking Vasiline or a coat of watered down white glue maybe?


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

You could use KY, no not the state, the jelly, LOL, or you could just spray some crystal clear on it and not worry about the slime, it would give it a shine and protect the paint at the same time, walmart has it and they make an ultra shine also.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Depends if you are going to have anyone touch it or not. KY is great to work with and looks slimy, while shiny gloss acrylic spray dries completely.


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## englundisgod (Jul 3, 2008)

Rev, ive used lots of bald caps before, somethinnner than paper ive had one thicker than usual and the inside is rough.
will yourclown makeup be flesh or white etc

I had something similar, I took a bald cap and put something in it, etc A wigheadis good

get a tube of silicone caul it can be painted etc, but if your makeup will be white just buy white caulk

- start rubbing it on with your finger as messy as you want, for a really secure hairing just buy a wig, and start cutting of some of the hair starnds with the fabric it laced onto

- put those on with any adhesive even sewing it to the cap, keep coverin for a rough texture add some sawdust to the wet caulk

- for good skin texture like an orange peel, wait until its kind tack still wet and tap it with your finger, this will make the caulk look like a porcupine or something

- wait until its gets a little more tacky, then keep tapping it this flatted out the pinty surface it will stik to itself and creates a wicked orange peel texture.

so-on so forth this will take no more than 2 days, depends on how much hair you want and the ammount of caulk you use for drying times

really you could do all this first, then utilize the texture cause it looks cool, then use the extra thichknedd and try punching the hair, depends on which way you do it, i only do a skin a skim coat

- Aaron


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