Wig care and styling tips – taking good care of your wig

It is really important to wash your wig in a way that will maintain the condition and help your wig remain fresh and keep you looking good.

01 - Washing and styling – synthetic hair

It is well worth handling the washing of you wig with great care as rough washing may make the wig frizz, become matted, lose hair and generally disturb the style. You should be given advice from your supplier how to best wash and style your wig. But here are some general tips:

Step by step – how to shampoo, condition and dry a synthetic wig or hairpiece

•Synthetic wigs don’t need to be washed as often as your own natural hair – most people wash theirs around every three weeks

•Its best advised to wash your wig at the end of the day as you will need to leave it to dry naturally (not heated appliances or it may melt) which will take around six to eight hours

•Brush your wig gently to loosen any tangles and product

•Fill a basin or wash bowl with cold or lukewarm (but not hot) water and add a few drops of your shampoo for synthetic hair (or a fabric wash) then mix into the water

•Swish your wig gently into the water – DO NOT RUB, swish the wig backwards and forwards a few times and leave to soak for five minutes

•Then holding your wig out of the way empty the wash water and fill the bowl with clean water

•Once again swish your wig through the water to rinse off any shampoo (holding under a very gentle running tap is fine)

•Now, with a fresh bowl of water add your synthetic hair conditioner and mix – now swish your wig through a few times and gently use your fingertips to glide the conditioner through – do not comb, tug, squeeze or brush

•You don’t need to rinse the conditoner out as you have diluted it within the water – a bit like a fabric softener. However if the wig feels to full of conditioner then rinse of gently.

•Gently wrap and pat and blot your wig in a towel to remove excess water – do not rub or roll up/squeeze

•Hang your wig to dry over a narrow cylinder such as a hairspray bottle or vase, on a wig stand that your supplier has recommended for drying, or peg onto a piece of string or washing line (it is not normally recommended to place the wig onto a head-sized wig stand as this may stretch it) – you may have some pins to fix it or it may just hang

•You may have some other products such as leave in conditioner or styling products – check whether these are applied wet or dry and do so accordingly

•Do not brush or comb until dry – your wig will reform its texture and shape

•When styling remember to do so when the wig is completely dry

•Adding styling products can help to enhance the style and make the wig look more real – use those designed specially for synthetic hair or you may also try products for natural hair

•Remember never use a hair dryer or heated appliance as it may melt the wig (although some of the newer synthetic wigs have a special new type of hair fibre that can take some gentle heat but always check on the wig label)

02 - Washing and styling – human hair

Generally speaking washing and styling human hair does not need the same amount of caution as washing synthetic hair, for example human hair can be washed and styled without any risk from heat.

It is worth noting that some wig suppliers offer a washing and styling service.

Washing and styling a human hair wig or hairpiece can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Follow the tips below:

Step by step – how to shampoo, condition and dry a human hair wig or hairpiece

•Human hair wigs and hairpieces don’t need to be washed as often as your own natural hair – most people wash theirs around every three weeks

•Its best advised to wash your wig at the end of the day so that you have time to dry and style

•Brush your wig gently to loosen any tangles and product

•Fill a basin or wash bowl with warm water and add a few drops of your shampoo into the water and mix – do not rub directly onto the wig unless there is a lot of product

•Swish your wig gently into the water – DO NOT RUB, swish the wig backwards and forwards a few times and leave to soak for five minutes

•Then holding your wig out of the way empty the wash water and fill the bowl with clean water

•Once again swish your wig through the water to rinse off any shampoo (holding under a very gentle running tap is fine)

•Now, with a fresh bowl of water add your conditioner and mix – now swish your wig through a few times and gently use your fingertips to glide the conditioner through – do not comb, tug, squeeze or brush

•You don’t need to rinse the conditoner out as you have diluted it within the water – a bit like a fabric softener. However if the wig feels to full of conditioner then rinse of gently.

•Gently wrap and pat and blot your wig in a towel to remove excess water – do not rub or roll up/squeeze

•Hang your wig to dry over a narrow cylinder such as a hairspray bottle or vase, on a wig stand that your supplier has recommended for drying, or peg onto a piece of string or washing line (it is not normally recommended to place the wig onto a head-sized wig stand as this may stretch it) – you may have some pins to fix it or it may just hang

•You may have some other products such as leave in conditioner or styling products – check whether these are applied wet or dry and do so accordingly

•Follow the manufacturing guidelines for drying and styling

•Do not excessively brush or comb until fully dry as the hair is more fragile when wet

•You may need to pin the wig onto a head style wig stand to dry the hair or set in rollers/use heated appliances for styling

•Adding styling products can help to enhance the style and make the wig look more real

•Remember to always check on the wig label for instructions