Wig styling and maintenance
All the wigs we sell are synthetic wigs made from 100% polychloride or 100% polyester. Like real hair, synthetic hair can tangle and get frizzy, so it’s necessary to regularly do some maintenance on your wigs to keep them looking good. It is also possible to style synthetic wigs differently than how you bought them.
Detangling synthetic hair
Things like friction and wind can cause your wig to tangle. Like with regular hair, you can brush or comb out these knots, but you need the right tools. Not all combs and brushes are good for synthetic hair.
A wide tooth comb is the preferred type of comb. The wide teeth can detangle the wig without breaking too many hairs, which a narrow tooth comb will do. Similarly, if you prefer to use a brush, take a brush with plenty of space between the bristles.
Brush the wig out layer by layer, working your way from the end of a strand to the root.
Never brush or comb your wig while it’s wet! This will damage the fibers of the wig.
Washing synthetic hair
Before you go and wash your synthetic wig, brush the wig fully and make sure there are no tangles in it.
The best cleaning agent to use for synthetic wigs is a special shampoo for synthetic wigs. If you are on a budget, a mild laundry detergent is a great alternative.
Fill a basin with lukewarm water and add in a tablespoon of shampoo or laundry detergent. Gently lower the wig in the basin until it’s fully under water. Leave the wig in for about 10 minutes. Rinse with clear, cool water until the shampoo or detergent is fully rinsed from the hair.
Squeeze out the excess water, but do NOT wring.
Additionally, you can give the wig a quick soak in lukewarm water and fabric softener, but this is not a necessity. Use a tablespoon of fabric softener and only let the wig soak for 2 to 3 minutes. Again rinse the wig with clear, cool water and squeeze out the excess water.
You can either lay the wig on a clean towel to dry or put it on a narrow stand. Don’t place it on a mannequin head while wet as this can stretch the wig cap.
Once the wig is dry, you can give it another brush if needed. A curly or wavy wig should retain its curls and waves after washing, but there are also ways to re-curl a synthetic wig if the wig does lose some curl.
Defrizzing or straightening synthetic hair
The more often you wear and handle a wig, the higher the chance that the hair will start frizzing. However, there’s no need to throw away a frizzy wig, as this problem can be solved.
Steam is a wonderful medium for synthetic wigs. Some people just put a pan filled with water on the stove and hold their wig in the rising steam for a while. This is a good method when you’re tight on money. Do watch out for your hands and arms, as steam can burn you. It’s safer to place the wig on a wooden spoon or something like that instead of holding it with your hands.
A more sophisticated way to use steam on your wig is by using a handheld clothing steamer. Place your wig on a stand or mannequin head and divide the hair in sections, starting from the bottom layer. Take a section of hair and slowly drag the steamer over the hair. Watch out for your finger when you reach the ends of the hair. You can do this multiple times on a strand if the wig is very frizzy. If the wig isn’t too damp from the steam, you can carefully comb through the strand with a wide tooth comb as well.
Work your way through each layer of the wig using this method. Afterwards you can brush or comb the wig as explained earlier.
Steaming a synthetic wig can cause the wig to lose some of its curl, but this can be remedied afterwards.
If you have a curly or wavy wig which you want to straighten, you can use this same method for that as well. You just need to go over each strand of hair more often, until it’s straight enough for your liking. Don’t use a straightening iron on a synthetic wig! Heated hair styling tools are too hot for the synthetic fibers and will melt the hair!
Click here for our collection of wigs.
