How ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Gets Its Gravity-Defying Hair

The entire glam team is specially trained in stage makeup, wig applications, and proper setting of hair. When working on dancers, it’s crucial that you utilize proper setting techniques so the hair doesn’t move or fall out. This starts with usuing a good volumizing mousse or spray, and then blow drying the hair in direction it will be set. Texturizing sprays and powders also help with grip when we’re adding bobby pins and rubber bands, so that they don’t slip.

Every size of curling iron is used and available on set, and they’re usually used before an updo is placed. Simple tricks of the trade are key: things like crisscrossing bobby pins for anchors, or making a large ponytail out of multiple small, hidden ponytails. This hair goes through a lot, regardless of how gentle we are, because of the frequency of the styling. But we typically tell our dancers to not to style their hair with heat when they don’t absolutely have to.

Because we’re a live show, we get dress rehearsals to see how all the wigs, all the clip-ins, and hairstyles will hold up through the dances. We’ve definitely had wigs fall off and styles come loose in rehearsals, but I’ve never seen it happen on air. You genuinely learn from being on set and watching dress rehearsal to what needs to be changed or edited to make a look sturdier. Monitors are our best friends, and we watch them closely all through the show.

A strong foundation is key, but when do you squeeze in treatment and recovery throughout each week?

After shows, I make sure that they’re just rinsing all that product out with water—no brushing with gel or intense hairspray in—and then going straight into a treatment. I also take advantage of every little opportunity between show days and press days. Usually the day after the show, if they don’t have anything, or if they are in rehearsals with no cameras. I’ll put a treatment in their hair and wrap it up in a bun while they are in rehearsal.