If you’ve recently got into the curly wig trend, you may be overwhelmed on how to keep it in the best condition possible.
To keep your wig feeling fresh, you should aim to wash it after ten to twelve wearings. But how do you wash your wig without damaging it?
We all know that wigs are an investment piece and many people have several different styles of them. A curly wig will help protect your natural hair, especially if you are growing it out.
Choosing a curly wig will also add a lot more fun and flirtiness to your look. Oh, and the other fact that they look stunning!
Now, there are two different types of wigs available to buy. You can either opt for a synthetic or human hair wig.
A lot of people would argue that one is better than the other but there are some positives and disadvantages for both.
If you haven’t bought your wig yet, it is always a great idea to weigh up which product would suit your needs best.
Synthetic Vs. Human Hair Wigs
We are going to kick things off by taking a look into synthetic hair wigs. Many synthetic hair wigs now look identical to human hair.
The technical improvements that have been made have not been unnoticed! If you decide that synthetic hair is the right option for you, you don’t need to worry about receiving a bad quality wig.
What’s the best thing about synthetic hair wigs? You can legitimately take the wig out of the box and wear it straight away. If you want to save some time getting ready, you should think about synthetic wigs.
Thanks to the material it is made from it remembers the curl pattern and will dry back into the given style straight after washing.
You can get synthetic wigs that are either heat-friendly or not suited for heat. On average a heat-friendly synthetic wig will have a lifespan of two to three months. Whereas, a synthetic wig not suited for heat could end up lasting you a tad longer at around four to six months.
What about human hair wigs? How do they differ? Well, as you may have already guessed, human hair wigs can be washed and styled numerous times. The top hair type which is used for making these wigs is Asian as it is the best-looking hair on this planet!
Human hair wigs do require a lot more maintenance than synthetic and that is because normally, human hair is replenished by the oils produced on our scalp.
Without these oils, you will need to make sure your wig is kept hydrated daily by using creams and oils. This will also keep the hair looking silky smooth and reduce the frizz.
After washing your human hair wig, you will need to restyle it. Just like our own hair, it needs some love. To keep your wig hair looking soft, shiny and the curl pattern still be in check, there are certain methods you should follow.
If you follow these steps correctly, your human hair wig will last you between one and three years.
How to Wash a Curly Wig
Step 1: Wash
To begin with, grab yourself a wide-toothed comb and brush through your curly wig. You ideally want to start at the bottom and work your way up to the roots. Once you have successfully detangled your wig, you can head to the sink basin.
Fill your sink with some warm water and squeeze your preferred shampoo into it. Use your hand to mix the water and shampoo to create some foam on the surface of the water.
Take your wig and begin to dip the ends of your wig into the water/shampoo mixture. Gently place the wig cap into the water to get rid of the majority of oils.
Now that your wig is fully submerged in the shampoo mix, you can use your hands to tousle the hair under the water. This action will ensure that the full wig is washed.
Try to avoid any motions which could leave the wig tangled as this could damage the hair. Keep washing the wig underwater for five minutes.
Next, get rid of the dirty water and run fresh warm water through your wig to get rid of the shampoo. Use your favorite conditioner to replenish the shine back into the hair.
Once you have covered the wig in the conditioner, leave it for five minutes to deep condition. When this time has passed, run cold water through the wig to wash out the remaining conditioner.
Step 2: Dry
So you have now successfully washed your curly wig. The next step is to dry it. Like all curly hair, there is a certain way to do this without damaging the curl pattern and to keep frizz at bay.
First, place your wig onto a wig stand. This will help you get a better view of the full wig.
Use a towel to absorb and excess water from the hair. Do this by gently pressing the towel into the hair. Once the wig is slightly drier, use a leave-in conditioner spray to help detangle any strands of hair that may have become misplaced.
Depending on what you prefer, this would be the step to add any other products into the wig such as mousse.
Our top tip is to leave the wig to fully air dry as this will avoid any further heat damage. However, if you’ve got somewhere you need to be, feel free to use a diffuser attachment on your hairdryer. Make sure that it is set onto a low heat setting.
Step 3: Style
The last step is to style your wig the way you want. For synthetic wigs, all you need to do is brush through the hair with a wide-toothed comb and add some additional conditioning products if you feel it needs some extra shine.
If you have a human hair wig, this would be the stage where you can use a curling iron to perfect any lost curls from the wash. Finish with hair oil to keep your wig manageable and looking fresh!