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‘Little House on the Prairie’: This Character’s Wig Made Their Scalp Bleed

One of the prominent cast members on “Little House on the Prairie” had quite the bad hair day while filming the beloved series.

When Alison Arngrim booked “Little House on the Prairie” in Nellie’s role, she had no idea she— or her hair— was signing up for.

To achieve Nellie’s blonde curls, Arngrim had to go through a long process that included an old-fashioned curling iron. However, despite spending hours on the look, her curls would fall due to her thin hair.

In her autobiography, Angrim revealed that her signature blonde curls weren’t her natural hair but instead were part of a wig.

Since her hair was too fine to hold a curl, the hairstylists would have to pin wigs to her head before they even began filming.

To keep the wig secured, they had to pin it extra tight — so tight that her scalp would bleed.

Although the wig was less time-consuming for the hairstylists on set, Arngrim kept it in place with a metal comb. However, the comb also caused the actor’s scalp to bleed.

‘Little House On The Prairie’ Stars Endure Intense, California Heat While Filming

However, some days on set, her hair was the least of her problems. Arngrim also had to endure the intense heat when they shot in Calfornia’s Simi Valley instead of the sound stage.

The wight of the costumes made it almost unbearable to film for Arngrim. During her first day of shooting, Arngrim fainted due to the heat coupled with her costume.

An assistant director on the show also passed out during a hot day.

“I must admit, I was not a fan of Simi Valley,” she said. “

“With all the kids on the show, we filmed a lot during the summer – (during the school year, we all had to have our California law mandated ‘three hours school’ onset) – and in Simi Valley in the summer, temperatures often reach 110 degrees or more.”

Though Arngrim originally auditioned for Laura Ingalls’ role, it’s clear casting made the right decision when they chose her as the resident pest.

“I would be totally wiped out from being a bi*ch all day as Nellie,” Arngrim admitted. “I had to go home and take a nap. But it would put me in a really good mood. It was very Zen. People would ask my mother, ‘What is she like around the house?’ She would say, ‘She’s really calm. I guess all the evil is drained out of her.’ It felt good to scream and act like a maniac on set. I had the lowest blood pressure of the cast.”