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Wig Color Guide
How to Choose a Wig Color
Most people can choose their color on their own. This guide will get you there. If you want help or feel unsure at any point, our cosmetologist is here to step in before anything ships.
Most people can choose their wig color on their own. This guide will get you there.
If you're doing this for the first time, or doing it for a reason you didn't choose, it can feel like a lot. That's completely normal. Choosing a wig color online is genuinely hard: small swatches, shifting lighting, hundreds of options. Most people feel unsure at first. Most find their way through. There's no wrong way to move through this.
If you get stuck at any point, we will step in.
You're not expected to get this perfect. You're looking for something that reads naturally on you, and that's usually closer than people think.
Close is what looks natural.
When you're ready, here's where to start.
Choose it yourself
Use the steps below to narrow it down. Most customers find their color this way. You don't need to get it exactly right. You need something close enough to look like you.
Want help? This is where we step in.
If you're not sure where to start, or you want a precise match, our cosmetologist handles it personally before anything ships. Many customers go straight to this, especially if they're buying their first wig. See how it works →
Start Here
Pick Your Color Last
Color feels like the most personal part of this decision. That impulse is completely understandable. But each wig style comes in anywhere from 15 to 30 colors depending on the style, and there are thousands across our full catalog. If you start with a color and go looking for it in the style you want, the color you love often simply won't be available. You end up searching for something that doesn't exist in the wig you wanted.
Start with the style first. Once you have found one you like, the color decision becomes real and manageable. Come back here and we will help you find it.
Haven't chosen your style yet?
Start with our Wig Buying Guide to narrow it down first. Come back here once you have a style you like.
At Your Own Pace
Find Your Wig Color
Your natural color is your starting point. From there, these steps will help you narrow it down to the right shade in the wig you have chosen.
1
Start with your natural hair color
Your natural color already works with your skin tone and features, it's the most reliable reference point you have. A wig in a similar shade or one shade lighter or darker will read as natural. When torn between two colors, go lighter. This is especially worth keeping in mind if your hair or skin tone has softened with age, a slightly lighter shade often reads fresher and more natural than trying to match hair color exactly as it used to be.
If you're going through chemotherapy
The goal is still to match your hair as closely as possible. But chemotherapy can cause pallor that makes slightly darker shades look heavier than they used to. When you're torn between two close options, choose the lighter one.
If you still have your hair and know you'll be losing it
Save a hair swatch for color matching. Cut a small section from the top front of your head before your hair falls out. That section is usually the lightest and most accurate representation of your overall color. Tape it to a plain white sheet of paper. It's the single most useful reference you can send us.
2
Consider your undertone
Undertone is the subtle warm or cool quality beneath your skin. A color that clashes with your undertone can wash you out even when the shade is otherwise close. Worth a quick check before you narrow down.
Warm undertones
- Vein check: veins on your inner wrist look greenish in natural light
- Jewelry check: gold looks more natural on you than silver
- Skin: golden, peachy, or yellow hues
Look for: golden browns, honeys, chestnuts, auburns, warm blondes
Cool undertones
- Vein check: veins look blue or purple in natural light
- Jewelry check: silver looks more natural on you than gold
- Skin: pink, red, or bluish hues
Look for: ash blondes, cool browns, champagne, platinum, espresso
Neutral undertones
- Vein check: veins look neither clearly green nor blue, a mix of both
- Jewelry check: both gold and silver look natural on you
- Skin: a balanced mix of warm and cool
Look for: most shades work. Focus on closeness to your natural color and depth.
Use this as direction, not a rule
Undertone points you toward a general range. Once you are in that range, how closely a shade matches your natural color matters more than warm versus cool alone. And if you already use words like "I don't want red in it" or "I prefer something ashy," that is your undertone talking. You already know more than you think.
One exception worth knowing: natural redheads aren't always warm. Women with red hair and very fair skin often have cool undertones, even though red hair reads as warm. Want to explore undertones further? Our color season guide goes deeper.
One exception worth knowing: natural redheads aren't always warm. Women with red hair and very fair skin often have cool undertones, even though red hair reads as warm. Want to explore undertones further? Our color season guide goes deeper.
3
Down to two or three colors? Here's how to choose
This is the point where most people get stuck. It's also the point where the right approach makes it straightforward.
You're not choosing from hundreds of colors anymore. You're choosing between a few good options. That's a much more manageable place to be.
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1
Find each color on a full wig. If your style doesn't show the color you're considering, search for it on other wigs in our catalog. The same color code appears across many styles. A full head of hair tells you far more than a swatch.
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2
Look at it across more than one photo. Lighting and photography change how color reads. If you still like it after seeing it in a few different images, it's a real contender.
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3
Stay close to your natural color. You aren't looking for an exact match. You're looking for something that reads naturally on you. Within a shade or so is usually where that happens.
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4
If you are between two, go lighter. Slightly lighter shades tend to be more forgiving, especially if your skin tone has shifted or you are unsure.
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5
If one has more dimension and the other is flatter, choose the one with dimension. A color with highlights or tonal variation will usually look more like real hair than a single solid tone.
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6
If one keeps pulling you back, trust that. That instinct is usually right.
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7
If they still feel completely equal, check them against your eye color. A wig color that reads harmoniously with your eyes will look intentional. One that creates a strong contrast can feel slightly off even when the shade is otherwise right. It's not a formula, just a useful gut check at the very end.
4
How to read wig color photos and descriptions
You may not have everything you need to feel completely certain. That is okay. Here's how to get as close as you can with what is available, and what to look for when the information is limited.
When a model photo exists, use it
A full head of hair tells you far more than a swatch. Look at how the color distributes across length, whether it reads warm or cool, how it photographs. If that color appears on another style on our site, look at those photos too. Same color, more information.
Always read the written description
The description tells you what the swatch can't: whether the color is warm or cool, how highlights are distributed, how much depth it has, whether it reads differently in person than on screen. Even when a model photo exists, the description often reveals subtleties the photo doesn't show. Never skip it.
Look for dimension, not flat single tones
Real hair has tonal variation. A color with some depth or movement built in reads more naturally than a completely flat single shade. Most brands we carry already build this in. It's less a rule and more something to notice when comparing two close options.
Your eyebrows are a reference point
A wig color within one shade of your natural brow color tends to read as natural and intentional. A strong contrast between brow and hair can look off even when both colors are individually attractive. A useful gut check when deciding between two close options.
Not sure what the color codes mean?
Numbers like 8/30, RL29/25, or FS4/33 follow a specific system. Our Decoding Wig Colors guide explains what each part means, how rooted and frosted shades work, and how to read a color name accurately.
Still not sure? Our cosmetologist can take it from here.
Some color decisions are genuinely hard to make from a screen. If you are matching to hair you still have, choosing your very first wig, or deciding between two very close shades, this is exactly what the consultation is for. She has tools no amount of browsing can replicate.
The White Glove Service
What a Wig Color Consultation Includes
Most online retailers point you toward a swatch and wish you luck. We do something different.
Imagine sending a strand of your actual hair in an envelope, and having someone hold it next to every possible match until she finds the closest one.
That's what the hair swatch service is. Our cosmetologist holds your hair next to physical swatches in real light and makes the call with her own eyes. No screen. No lighting variables. No algorithm. Just someone who knows color looking at your actual hair.
When you send photos, she studies them the way a professional studies a reference, looking at how your color reads across different lighting conditions, finding the thread that runs through all of them, and translating that into the best options available in your chosen wig.
Most customers leave with two strong options, a clear explanation of the difference, and the confidence to make the final call themselves.
Select Consultation Requested from the color dropdown at checkout instead of choosing a color. Your purchase holds your place. Nothing ships until you have confirmed a color you're happy with. Not happy at the end? You can cancel for a full refund. No obligation.
Watch: How the consultation works
What to bring her
She can only match what she can see. One reference is enough to get started. The more you bring, the more precise her recommendation.
Wondering why a purchase is required to access this service? See our FAQ below for the full explanation.
Easiest of All
A Wig Color You Already Love
Give her the brand name and color code of a wig you currently wear and she cross-references it immediately to your chosen style. No mail, no photos, no guesswork.
For example: "I wear Jon Renau color 8." That's enough. She has the actual color in hand and can find the closest equivalent in any brand we carry.
What to bring
Brand name and exact color code of a wig you wear or have loved in the past.
Highly Reliable
A Hair Swatch
Your actual hair held against the color range by someone who has been doing this for years. No screen, no photography, no lighting variables.
The spot matters. Hair from underneath is often darker than your overall color. Cut from the section you actually want to match.
How to prepare your swatch
- Cut a section at least 1.25" long by 1/4" wide.
- Cut from the area you want to match, not from underneath.
- Tape to a plain unlined white sheet of paper.
- Write your name, phone, email, order number, and wig style.
Mail to: Headcovers Unlimited, Attn. Wig Consultant
214 S. Iowa Avenue, League City, TX 77573
Your order is held until the swatch arrives.
Photos of Your Hair
Send several photos across different lighting conditions. Hair reads very differently under fluorescent light versus afternoon sun, and variety helps her compensate for what she can't see in person.
- Include at least one photo taken outdoors in natural light
- Add photos indoors in different rooms
- If you want a color other than your own, send a photo of someone whose color you love
Combine with a swatch when you can
Photos plus a swatch give her more to work from than either alone.
Colors You Found While Browsing
Once you have your style, browse the catalog for color, not style. Scroll without focusing on cuts or lengths, and note colors that stop you.
The same color code often appears across multiple wigs. If you find a color you like on a different style, note the wig name and color name. Even if it doesn't come in your chosen style, it gives her a concrete reference to pull swatches from and cross-reference to what is available in yours.
Two or three colors you kept returning to is enough. A color you come back to repeatedly is one you genuinely like.
What to bring
"I loved the color on the Raquel Welch Voltage in Gilded Ivory" is a perfect reference.
What you may receive
What Your Wig Color Consultation Delivers
Every consultation is different depending on what you bring her. This is the range of what she may send back.
Your hair swatch next to the wig color swatch
When you send a hair swatch, she photographs it alongside the closest wig color swatches so you can see the comparison directly. Your actual hair next to the actual options, side by side. There's no more accurate way to see how close the match is before anything ships.
Side-by-side wig swatch photos
When you're considering more than one color, she pulls the actual physical swatches and photographs them together so you can see exactly how they differ before anything ships.
Photos of the color on a full wig
A swatch only shows you an individual strand of hair. Where possible she pulls a photo of the color on an actual full wig, or worn on another style, so you can see how it distributes across length and movement in real life.
A detailed comparison of your options
She doesn't just send you swatches and leave you to figure it out. She explains what she's seeing in plain language, so you can make a confident final call. A real comparison might look like this:
Color A is slightly lighter than your hair, but the undertones and highlighting are a very close match.
Color B is the same intensity as your hair, but slightly cooler in tone.
Color C is the closest overall match. The color intensity, undertones, and dimension are all a strong fit.
An honest answer if the color isn't right
Sometimes the color you have in mind simply doesn't work in the wig you chose. When that happens she will tell you directly and suggest the best path forward. You will never be left guessing.
★
One reference gets us started. More gets you a better match.
She can only match what she can see, so the more you bring, the more precise her recommendation. The effort you put in comes back to you in the accuracy of the match.
To book your consultation: choose your style, then select Consultation Requested from the color dropdown at checkout instead of choosing a color. No charge for her time.
- You can change the color during the consultation
- You can change the style if you're not sure about your choice
- Your order is held until you're satisfied with your color
- Not happy with your options? You can cancel for a full refund
Questions We Hear Often
Your Wig Color Questions, Answered
Can you just answer my color questions over the phone, without a consultation?
For quick, general questions, yes. Call us at 281-334-4287 and we'll help point you in the right direction.
For specific color matching, that isn't something we handle on live calls. Getting it right means pulling the actual swatches for your wig and comparing them in natural light against your references. That process takes time and focus, and it's done outside of a call so it can be done carefully. A quick answer on something this specific usually isn't an accurate one.
The consultation is designed for exactly this. She does the preparation ahead of time, so when you hear from her, the work is already done. No hold time, no rushed answer. Just a recommendation you can feel confident in.
Why do I have to purchase first to get a consultation?
A real color match takes preparation.
Before she ever contacts you, our cosmetologist pulls the actual swatches for your specific wig, the colors it truly comes in, and carries them outside to study in natural light against your photos or hair swatch. She narrows it down to the best options before you ever have to make a decision. That work takes at least 30 minutes and often considerably more, and it can only be done once we know exactly which wig we're working with.
The purchase is what makes that possible. It gives her a specific starting point, confirms you're ready to move forward, and puts you in her queue for focused, dedicated time. Without it, there's nothing concrete to pull swatches for, and no way to ensure every customer gets the same level of preparation.
It's also not a risk. Your order is held the entire time. Nothing ships until you've confirmed a color you're happy with. You can change the color, change the style, or cancel for a full refund if it's not right.
We'd rather take the time to get it right than give you a fast answer that misses.
Why can't you just send me a color swatch?
Because a swatch doesn't show you how the color actually looks once it's made into a wig.
Most swatches display the individual colors that go into the blend, laid next to each other but not fully integrated. On the wig itself, those colors are woven together and distributed across the length, which changes how the color reads overall. A swatch shows you what's in the color. It doesn't show you how it comes together.
That's why the same color can look quite different on a swatch than it does on a full wig. We'd rather work from your actual references than send you something that might point you in the wrong direction.
A swatch shows you the ingredients. The wig shows you the result.
How accurate are the color swatches on your website?
They are a starting point, not a final answer. What you see depends on your monitor, your lighting, and the photography. Written descriptions are often more reliable than the images. Use swatches to narrow your direction, then bring a concrete reference to the consultation.
What if the color I want doesn't come in the wig I chose?
She will find a comparable style that has a strong color option for you. Sometimes the right answer is a slightly different wig that comes in the color you love, rather than compromising on color in your original choice. She will present your options honestly and help you decide.
Is the color consultation really free?
Yes. There's no charge for our cosmetologist's time or her recommendation. To get started, choose your style and select Consultation Requested from the color dropdown at checkout instead of choosing a color. She will reach out personally before your order ships.
Can I cancel my order after the consultation?
Yes, at any point during the consultation process. Your order is held while we work through your color options together, and nothing moves forward without your approval.
The one exception: once you have reviewed your options, confirmed a color, and given us the go-ahead, the order is placed at that point and can't be canceled. But we won't finalize anything without your explicit approval first. You're in control of when that happens.
Color Rings
Color rings can be a useful reference, particularly if you want to see the full range of colors a designer offers before committing. We're happy to order one for you.
A few things worth knowing before you decide. Color rings are full designer rings, not individual swatches, which means they tend to be expensive. They are a special order item and aren't returnable, so this is a considered purchase rather than a casual add-on. We order them at close to cost, but we want you to go in with clear expectations.
The other limitation: most rings show each color as an individual unblended strand of hair, which isn't always how it reads on a finished wig. Colors on a color ring are often not blended the way they are on a full wig, which means they can be deceiving. A color that looks one way on the ring can read quite differently once it is woven through, highlighted, and worn across the full length of a wig.
If you can't find your color shown on a full wig anywhere in our catalog, call or email us first. We can often pull examples for you to compare. That may save you the cost of a ring entirely.
If you would still like to order one, please call us first at 281-334-4287. Color rings are organized by line within a designer's collection, not by individual wig, so ordering by brand alone may not get you the right ring for the specific wig you're considering. We want to make sure you get the one that's actually useful to you before you commit to a non-returnable purchase.
The right color is the one that makes people notice you, not your wig.
We have been helping women find the right wig color for over 30 years. Whatever it takes to get you there, we're in your corner.
Let's find your color, without second-guessing.
Questions before you order? Call 281-334-4287. Ready to buy? Select Consultation Requested at checkout and she will handle your color personally.
Keep Learning
Free Wig Color Consultation
Not sure which color is right? Our cosmetologist reviews your references, pulls physical swatches, and recommends your best match before anything ships.
See how it works →
Decoding Wig Colors
What color codes actually mean: base shades, highlights, rooted colors, and how to read a color name accurately before you order.
Read the guide →
Wig Buying Guide
Head size, hair type, cap construction, and style, the steps to finding the right wig before you get to color.
Read the guide →
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