Wigs are crafted to empower your self-expression and enhance your natural beauty. To achieve this, it’s essential to keep your wigs looking healthy and beautiful while ensuring they’re easy and enjoyable to style.
However, just like your natural hair, human hair wigs need proper care to maintain their health. Even the highest-quality wigs can become dry and frizzy without the right maintenance. If your human hair wig is starting to look dry, frizzy, or damaged, read on to discover the reasons behind these issues, how to restore your wig’s former beauty, and tips to prevent future frizz.
Why is My Human Hair Wig Dry and Frizzy?
Several factors can contribute to a human hair wig becoming dry and frizzy, often resulting from a combination of issues. Below are some common causes:
- Low-Quality Hair Material Human hair wigs are delicate products, and purchasing from a non-reputable source can result in receiving a wig made from inferior hair. Such wigs are more prone to frizz and require extra care to prevent dryness and damage.
- Excessive Washing Washing your human hair wig too frequently can strip moisture from the strands, leading to dryness. Ideally, you should wash your wig after every 7-8 uses. If you wear your wig daily, aim to wash it once a week; otherwise, every 6-8 weeks is a suitable timeframe.
- Using the Wrong Shampoo Harsh shampoos can easily damage the delicate strands of a human hair wig. It’s advisable to use products specifically designed for wigs. Investing in high-quality wig shampoos, conditioners, and styling products can help preserve your wig’s quality.
- Frequent Heat Styling While heat styling is necessary to maintain your wig’s style, overdoing it can cause damage. Try to limit heat styling to wash days and touch up the style only as needed between washes.
- Excessively High Styling Temperatures Using too low a temperature while styling can lead to ineffective results, making it hard to achieve your desired look. However, using excessively high temperatures can cause dryness and even permanent heat damage. The ideal temperature for styling a human hair wig is around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Neglecting Your Wig If you haven’t worn your wig in a while, the frizz might simply be due to lack of care. Show your wig some love by following the care steps outlined in the next section.
How to Restore Dry and Frizzy Wigs: A Step-by-Step Guide
The great news is that even if your wig has become dry, frizzy, or tangled, you can restore it with a little effort. Follow the steps below to detangle, wash, condition, and heat style your wig, bringing it back to life.
Tools and Products You Might Need
- Wig stand
- Clips
- Wide-tooth comb or paddle brush
- Detangling spray
- Human hair wig shampoo
- Human hair wig conditioner
- Human hair wig deep conditioner
- Shower cap
- Round brush
- Blow dryer with a concentrator nozzle attachment
- Other heat styling tools of your choice
Step 1: Detangling Your Wig
- Position the Wig: Place your wig on the wig stand.
- Section the Hair: Divide the wig’s hair into smaller sections and clip away the parts you aren’t currently detangling.
- Gently Detangle: Using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers, carefully detangle the hair, starting from the ends and working your way up. Take your time to avoid breakage.
- Avoid Sensitive Areas: Be cautious around the cap and hand-tied areas to prevent shedding.
- Continue Until Smooth: Work through all sections until the hair is smooth and free of knots.
Tip: If necessary, use a gentle detangling mist or conditioner to assist with detangling, especially if the hair has become matted. For effective detangling techniques, refer to our guide.
Step 2: Washing Your Wig
- Rinse the Wig: Remove the wig from the stand and rinse it in cool or lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, as it can dry out and damage the wig.
- Shampoo the Hair: Use a wig shampoo to wash the hair, gently applying it to both the strands and the wig cap.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Make sure to rinse the wig thoroughly.
- Condition: Apply a wig-friendly conditioner to the ends of the hair, steering clear of the base to avoid weakening the strands and causing hair fallout.
- Final Rinse: Rinse the wig thoroughly again.
Learn more about how to properly wash your wig for the best results.
Step 3: Deep Conditioning
- Prep the Wig: Place your damp wig back on the stand and gently brush it with a paddle brush or wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles.
- Apply Deep Conditioner: Use a wig-approved deep conditioning treatment on the ends of the hair, avoiding the base.
- Cover with a Shower Cap: Gather the hair and place it inside a shower cap.
- Add Gentle Heat: Optionally, apply a small amount of heat to the cap using a blow dryer on a low setting for 1-2 minutes to enhance the treatment.
- Rinse Thoroughly: After removing the shower cap, rinse the hair thoroughly.
Tip: Consider incorporating a deep conditioning treatment into your wig care routine every 3-5 washes. While deep conditioning is vital for maintenance, overdoing it can leave your wig limp and overly moisturized.
Step 4: Blow Dry Your Wig
After washing and deep conditioning your wig, blow-drying may be essential to restore its texture. Allowing a straight human hair wig to air dry can result in stiffness and difficulty in styling.
To achieve a silky straight look, use a blow dryer equipped with a concentrator nozzle and a round brush for a smooth blowout. Once you’ve dried the wig, feel free to style it further with a straightener or curling iron as desired.
>> See more: How To Make Your Human Hair Wigs Soft Again
Tips to Prevent Your Wig From Becoming Frizzy and Dry
To avoid ending up with a frizzy wig, investing in high-quality human hair wigs is essential. A superior wig will make styling easier and enhance your overall experience. Here are additional steps to maintain your human hair wigs and prevent frizz and dryness:
- Wash Your Wig Regularly: Neglecting to wash and style your wig can lead to a loss of shape, resulting in unruly, frizzy hair. Over time, this can cause tangling, matting, and damage. Aim to wash your wig every 7-8 uses to keep it in optimal condition.
- Use Cool Water When Washing Your Wig: Hot water can dry out your wig and may even loosen the hand-tied knots in the lace, leading to shedding and diminishing the wig’s quality and lifespan. To protect your wig, always wash it in cool or lukewarm water.
- Use Wig Shampoo or Low pH Hair Shampoo: While specialized wig shampoos are available, you can also use your regular shampoo as long as it’s gentle. Pay attention to the pH level: shampoos with a pH between 5 and 7 are ideal, with lower pH products being particularly beneficial for preventing dryness and frizz. Acidic shampoos help seal the hair cuticles, retaining moisture and reducing static.
- Condition Your Wig When Washing: Regular conditioning is crucial for maintaining moisture in your wig. Conditioning helps balance the hair’s moisture levels with the surrounding air, preventing frizz and brittleness. Never skip conditioner on wash day!
- Towel Dry First, Then Blow Dry Your Wig: To minimize heat damage, start by towel drying your wig before blow-drying. Set your blow dryer to a medium or low temperature. Using high-quality heat styling tools can enhance efficiency and reduce the time your wig is exposed to heat.
- Use Heat Styling Less Often: Limit heat styling to when it’s necessary, such as after washing or for touch-ups. If you properly wash, moisturize, and style your wig on wash days, it should maintain its style for several wears between washes. If not, reassess your wig care routine for potential improvements.
- Use Lower Heat Settings: Avoid setting your heat styling tools too high. A temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for styling without causing excessive damage.
- Use Heat Protection Products: When heat styling, always use a heat protectant spray to shield your wig from damage and extend its lifespan.
- Use Natural Hair Oils: While natural oils from your scalp keep your hair healthy, human hair wigs require regular application of natural oils to stay moisturized. These oils seal the hair’s cuticle to lock in moisture. Apply a few drops after styling on wash day.
- Don’t Wear Your Wig in the Shower: Although it might seem convenient, wearing your wig while showering can be detrimental. Properly washing your wig separately will maximize its longevity and maintain its quality.
- Restore Your Wig When It Is Not in Use: When you’re not wearing your wig, proper storage is crucial. Before storing it long-term, cleanse and condition the wig, ensuring it’s tangle-free and completely dry. This will help preserve its condition.
Human hair wigs are stunning and versatile additions to your beauty collection. However, like natural hair, they need a consistent care routine. This routine can help restore dry and frizzy wigs while also preventing frizz from reappearing. Once you discover the right routine for your human hair wigs, maintaining them will be effortless, allowing you to confidently showcase your favourite styles!