- Unless your hair is really long, it’s actually pretty difficult to simulate that Goku look and you’re probably better off getting a wig.
- So long as you have four larger spikes on the right side near the front and two slightly smaller spikes near the back on the left, it should read visually like Goku’s hair.
- If you’re styling actual hair, use hairspray as the base product and holding gel for the tips of each spike to keep them from falling down over time.
- Goku’s bangs look really big in the anime, but you don’t want to totally cover your forehead up IRL or it will just look like regular spiky hair.
Creating the Base
Print out reference images. You should have one of Goku's hair from the front, side, and back. One taken at an angle would also help. Make sure that the images are nice and clear. Keep these images handy; you will need to refer to them throughout the wig styling process. If you don't have a printer, have the images readily available on your computer, tablet, phone, etc.
Get a short, black wig. Look for a short, black wig with finger-length hair that is easily spike-able. Something with "J-rock" in the name and lots of layers would be ideal.
Pin the wig to a Styrofoam wig head. You can do this with regular sewing pins or T-pins. Next, place the wig head onto a stand. You can easily make your own by sticking a thick dowel into a bucket filled with sand or pebbles, then placing the wig head on top. If you are using a dowel, make sure that it is thin enough to fit into the hole at the bottom of the wig head.
Sculpt the bangs into large, triangular spikes. You will need two large spikes to either side of the forehead, and two smaller ones on each temple. The bangs need to lay flat across the forehead. Refer to your reference pictures for a clearer image. To make the spikes, do the following: Gather a section of hair from the bangs. Pinch the bottom of the section so that it tapers into a triangle. Mist the section with hairspray. Set the triangle with a hair drier.
Touch up the spikes. Use a small pair of scissors to trim off any unruly or stray hairs. If the spikes are separating at the tips, you can apply a little bit of hair gel or a clear-drying glue to the points. This will help them hold together.
Making the Spikes
Make five cones out of craft form for the spikes. Cut five, large triangles out of craft foam. Roll each one into a cone, then secure it with hot glue. The cones need to be about the same height as your face. Don't worry if they look too big; you will trim them down later. Trace the triangles onto black felt before gluing them together. Save the triangles for the next step.
Cover the craft foam with black felt. This will help the hair blend in better. Wrap the felt triangles around the craft foam cones, and secure the edges with hot glue. If you did not cut the triangles out of black felt earlier, simply cover the cones with the felt, then trim off the excess felt off the sides.
Form the cone bases into oval shapes. The spikes will look more realistic if they have an oval base rather than a round one. Draw a ring of hot glue around the base of your first cone, then squash it into an oval while it dries. Do this for all of the cones; work one cone at a time, otherwise the glue will set up too fast.
Secure the spikes to the wig to test them out. Place two spikes on the left side of the head, with the bottom and top edges touching. Next, place two spikes on the right side of the head, and a third spike directly above. Make sure that their edges are touching as well. Orient the spikes vertically, with the narrow ends of the ovals facing up/down, and the long edges facing front/back. Place the spikes behind the ears.
Check the spikes against your reference image. Make sure that they are in the right position. If one of the spikes appears too big, take it off and cut down the bottom edge. Keep doing this until you are satisfied with the size. Once you are happy, remove the spikes, and label them on the inside with a black marker. If you used black foam, use a white, silver, or gold marker instead.
Covering the Spikes with Wig Hair
Get some black wig hair. You can buy a hank of loose hair or wefted wig hair extensions. Make sure that you get the same shade of black as your wig. There will be a difference between black-black and soft-black. Do not get braiding hair or "Jumbo Braid" kanekalon; it is too crinkly. Plan on getting three packs. Alternatively, you can cut the wefts off of a long wig instead.
Cut the hair until it is a little longer than the cones. If you bought the hair in hanks, separate it into pencil-thin bundles first, then tie it around the middle with twist ties. If you bought wefted hair, cut the wefts down to 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) wide. Measure the hair against the cones, then cut it down until it is about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) longer than the cones.
Glue the weft to the cone with fabric glue or tacky glue. Spread some glue onto the cone, then press the wig hair into the glue, with the tied/wefted edge facing down. Use your fingers to spread the hairs as thinly as you can across the glue. You want the bottom tied/wefted edge of the hair extending past the bottom edge of the cone by about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
Secure the bottom edge of the hair to the inside of the cone. Draw a line of hot glue inside the cone, close to the edge. Fold the bottom of the hair over the edge of the cone and press it into the glue. You can do this with a pen or paintbrush handle if the glue is too hot. If you tied your hair at the bottom, cut the hair apart and remove the twist tie before you glue it down. Use a low-temp hot glue gun so that you don't burn yourself.
Set the hair with hairspray and a hair drier. Holding the hair down, lightly mist it with a strong hold hairspray. Heat the hair with a hair drier until the glue and hairspray dry.
Repeat the process for the rest of the cone. A single weft or bundle wouldn't be enough to cover the entire cone. You'll have to repeat the last couple of steps a few times until you have the entire cone covered.
Trim and glue the tip of the cone. Apply a generous amount of glue to the tip of the cone, then smooth the hair down so that it sticks. Once the glue has dried, you can trim the hair into a finer point. Be careful not to cut away the foam, however!
Repeat the process for the other cone. It would be a good idea to keep the cones labeled. You can do this by placing them onto a sheet of paper with their position on the wig written underneath.
Finishing and Securing the Spikes
Put your hair under a wig cap, then put the wig on. Most Styrofoam wig heads are much smaller than human heads. Unless you know that your head is the same size as the wig head, you will need to do the next step directly on your head.
Hot glue the spikes to the wig. Do this in front of a mirror with your reference pictures on hand. Remember, you will need three spikes on the right and two on the left. Position them vertically up the sides of your head, behind your ears. Keep in mind that things are reversed in the mirror. If this is too scary for you, drape a thin towel over the wig head, cover it with the wig cap, then put the wig on top.
Remove the wig and sew the spikes on. Once you have the spikes glued on, pull the wig off. Thread a curved needle with black thread, then sew the spikes on. Make sure that you are sewing the spikes right into the wig's cap. If you sew just to the hair, the spikes will fall off.
Blend the spikes into the wig. Pin the wig onto the Styrofoam wig head. Take a few strands of hair from the wig, and smooth them onto the first spike. Set the hair with hairspray and a hair drier. Do this down the front side of all the spikes, then the top and back.
Set the style with hairspray. Once you are happy with your wig, mist it all over one last time with hairspray. Remember to keep the wig on the wig head when you are not wearing it.
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