Natural or synthetic strands require regular care. During wear, dust, remnants of styling products, sweat, and cosmetics accumulate on the curls.
Even with careful handling, wigs need to be cleaned and washed several times a year.
We will tell you in this article how to properly wash a wig made from natural and synthetic hair at home.
Is it possible?
A wig made from synthetic or human hair can be washed by hand. Machine washable, even in a special mesh bag, is prohibited .
Several factors influence how often the strands need to be processed:
- Hair type : Natural curls get dirty faster.
- Humidity: the higher it is, the faster the wig gets dirty.
- Length: Short strands need to be processed less frequently than long strands.
Experts recommend washing your wig after 10–12 uses, but paying attention to the condition of your hair. If they are visually clean, without an unpleasant odor, you can wait a while with washing. At the same time, it is not recommended to wash the pads more than once every 45 days.
Preparing a synthetic product for washing
You should not wash the accessory more often than once every one or two months. To wash your wig, you need to select suitable household chemicals. Do not use detergents for natural hair, as they may damage the integrity of synthetic materials.
Before you put your wig in order, you need to prepare it. Before you wet your hair, you need to comb it properly and untangle the tangles, securely fastening the product to the holder. You should carefully comb each strand without tugging, otherwise they can be damaged. When all the knots are untangled, you need to go through your hair with a comb again. This will return them to their original condition.
How to clean at home?
The rules of care and the algorithm for cleaning a wig at home depend on the material from which it is made.
From natural hair
The rules for washing natural hair extensions are similar to the principles of caring for your own hair:
Before washing, curls should be carefully combed with a wide-tooth comb.- Prepare warm water.
- Wet the wig and lather it with mild shampoo.
- Wash carefully, paying special attention to the areas of the forehead, temples, and back of the head.
- Rinse off the foam with low pressure of water from the shower head, moving from the roots to the ends of the hair.
- Apply balm. Its use is necessary to soften, remove static electricity, and restore hair structure.
- Leave for 10–15 minutes, rinse.
- Dry the wig with a towel. You cannot twist, pull, or rub the strands!
- Dry flat on a dry towel. To speed up the process, you can use a warm hairdryer. But it can damage the original styling.
It is advisable to wash the wig in soft water. To do this, you can boil it or add a little baking soda.
Natural hair can be styled with a hairdryer or curling iron, working at the ends of the hair. It is also acceptable to recolor the strands, use a variety of care products, and corrective haircuts.
From artificial
Caring for a synthetic wig depends on the quality of the material used.
Vinyl, acrylic, polyamide
Such curls are very capricious, quickly get dirty, tangled, and split at the ends. The head in such a wig quickly sweats, which causes an unpleasant odor.
You need to wash such curls in the same way as natural ones:
- gently moisten in warm water;
- lather, rinse well;
- rinse under running water;
- treat with conditioner, squeeze, dry well.
The use of a hairdryer, curling iron, or straightener is prohibited.
Kanekalon and thermal fiber
These are higher quality materials. The hair looks natural and retains its shape and volume well. They are elastic, easy to comb, and do not tangle.
It is better to process such products in boiled water:
- You need to dilute a little shampoo for dry hair in a basin.
- Soak the pad for 10 minutes.
- Carefully process the strands along the entire length, paying attention to the frontal, temporal and occipital areas.
- Rinse under cold running water.
- Dilute conditioner for brittle hair in a bowl of water. Leave the wig for 20 minutes.
- Gently pat hair dry with a soft towel. The balm does not need to be washed off.
- Dry.
Blow drying is acceptable, but only with cold air. Thermal fiber wig is not afraid of high temperatures. Curls can be styled using an iron or curling iron.
Natural or artificial?
A human hair extension looks very natural, which justifies its high cost. It is very difficult to recognize such a wig with the naked eye. Natural products are made from human hair, supplemented with horsetail hair, Tibetan goat or yak hair, as well as flax or hemp fibers.
Handmade overlays are considered the most valuable. The hairs are attached to a cap (monture) made of a special material in such a way as to replicate their natural growth. In addition to aesthetics, natural extensions have other advantages: they can be cut, curled and dyed with regular hair dye (but you cannot do these procedures frequently). This allows you to change your look without spending money.
Inexpensive overlays are made from artificial materials such as vinyl, polyamide, acrylic. The head sweats under them, which makes wearing them unbearable (especially in summer). This product feels hard and unnatural to the touch. It has an unnatural “doll-like” shine. The ends of your hair quickly become tangled and split. The strands are sewn in large pieces; manufacturers do not imitate the natural growth of hairs.
Kanekalon wigs belong to the group of artificial wigs, although this material is made from algae. The hair looks “alive” and elastic, the product has a natural look. It retains its shape well in humid weather, but is afraid of sudden temperature changes. Only a thermal fiber wig can withstand high temperatures.
How to remove shine from synthetic strands?
The cheap shine of synthetic strands spoils the entire impression of the image . This drawback is typical for curls made of acrylic, vinyl or polyamide, but it also occurs in more expensive products made of thermal fiber or kanekalon.
Shine is given to hair by a special impregnation, which manufacturers use to add volume, fix hairstyles, and protect against tangling.
To remove it:
Strands must be soaked for 12 hours in a solution with any conditioner for delicate laundry (Lenor, Meine Liebe, BioMio). Then squeeze out (without rinsing) and dry well.- A more gentle method is treatment with dry shampoo, powder or powder. Using a large brush, apply the product to the entire length of the hair, comb through, and shake off excess. This method is suitable for both white or blond and dark hair.
To remove shine from an artificial wig, you can use professional care products: shampoos, foams, mousses, balms.
How to dry?
It is better to dry artificial or natural strands naturally, placing them horizontally on a soft, dry towel.
To speed up the process, you can use a hairdryer with a weak, cold air flow. You should only process the ends of the strands, otherwise you can damage not only the styling, but also the base to which the hair is attached.
After the water has drained, to maintain its shape, the wig must be placed on a special stand or on a jar. Drying curls in the wind, frost or open sun is prohibited .
You can use the pad after washing no earlier than 10–12 hours later. This is exactly the amount of time needed for proper drying.
If your curls become deformed during washing or drying, you should not try to style them yourself. It is better to seek help from specialist hairdressers.
Product care
The good thing about a synthetic lining is that it is easier to care for, it does not cause allergic reactions, and its cost is much lower than the natural one. Synthetic curls do not lose their shape even when exposed to strong winds or precipitation. Before caring for your wig, you should familiarize yourself with the following recommendations:
- You should carefully comb the strands and untangle the knots and only then proceed to the washing procedure.
- A special shampoo is used to wash artificial extensions.
- To comb your curls as best as possible, it is recommended to purchase a comb with large, sparse teeth.
- If the strands are curled, then just untangle them with your fingers. You should not comb them completely at once. It is better to divide it into several parts and work on each separately.
- You need to dry the accessory using a special stand. It is under no circumstances recommended to use a hair dryer, straightening iron or curling iron, as heat treatment can damage the product. Artificial extensions need to be combed daily and washed once every two to three months.
- Proper care of your wig prevents it from being dyed.
- If the product is not used for more than a week, it should be placed in a box to protect it from dust.
Important! Do not store the pad near heating appliances or in the open sun.
How to comb and style after washing?
You can only comb dry hair . Wet curls are easily deformed, stretched, and styling gets ruined.
For combing, you should choose a wooden comb with sparse teeth (distance 4–5 mm). You can restore the fullness of short hair with a massage brush.
It is better to handle curls and tight curls with your hands: carefully run your fingers along the entire length.
If all rules are followed, the styling on artificial or natural hair will remain intact after washing.
To curl straight strands, do not use a curling iron or flat iron. To avoid damaging the hair structure, you can use regular curlers:
- you need to wet your hair, divide it into strands, curl it;
- let dry naturally, without a hair dryer;
- lay and secure with varnish.
If your hair is deformed or you decide to change your look, you should entrust styling to professionals.
Drying your wig
If this step is performed incorrectly, the product will lose its attractive appearance and it will be difficult to restore it.
Natural hair should be blotted with a towel, placed on a dry cloth and left to dry naturally.
Tip: try not to use a hair dryer. You won't damage the hair, but you will disrupt the original styling of the wig.
Acrylic should dry naturally, but first put it on the jar to shape it. The use of heaters and curling irons is prohibited.
It is better not to blow thermal fiber with a hairdryer, it destroys the areas where the hairs are attached, but you can curl the curls with a curling iron or straighten them with an iron; they can withstand high temperatures.
Canicalon should be dried with a hairdryer, but using cold air.
Tips and tricks
In order not to damage the strands, you should follow simple recommendations:
- Wash in cold or lukewarm water (at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees).
- Use quality shampoo.
- Rinse under weak running water.
- Don't forget about the air conditioner.
- Do not squeeze, twist, or rub.
- Dry naturally, in a well-ventilated area. Place the wig on a special stand or on a jar.
- Do not use a hot hairdryer.
You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products here.
