Fight The Frizz...How Do I Care For My New Wig?
There is a lot to it but once you are ‘in the know’ it will become second nature. Here at Valentine Wigs want to make sure you are armed with all the info to make sure you are getting the maximum time for the money you spend on each item.
DO NOT USE FRICTION WHEN WASHING!
Whether you wear Human Hair or Synthetic wigs the same rule applies! Please DO NOT put your wig in water and start scrubbing it the way you would your natural hair!! When you do this, it causes friction frizz! this is something that cannot be avoided, with longer wigs especially but, there are ways to limit it.
Here are some simple steps to follow when washing your wig;
- Fill your sink with tepid water and add the shampoo, give it a swirl and pop your wig in!
- Leave for 10 minutes, the active ingredients in wig shampoos will start getting to work on any oils or dirt the cap has collected over the week.
- Go back and give it a little swirl round and repeat if necessary.
- Rinse your wig with warm water to remove any shampoo.
- Get some conditioner and with your fingertips start to work from the ends up and using a wide tooth-comb or your fingers working up to the roots with the conditioner. Be careful not to pull or tug as the knots made in the cap are loosened while wet and can cause the hair to shed. So be very mindful of this when conditioning your wig. Using tepid water will make it less likely for the knots in the cap to expand.
- Then leave your conditioner to do its magic, rinse out with warm water and repeat if necessary.
- Leave to dry on a collapsible wig stand for all round airflow. Putting your wet wig on a poly head can take longer to dry and leave your hair smelling a little damp!
- Have some leave in conditioner spray at the ready, give it a light spray while it dries. It is always wise to give your wig a light spray with a leave in conditioner spray every other day to keep those fibres or hair nice and moisturised!
Top Tips
- Do not brush your wig while it is wet!!!!
- Warm water will make the knots in the cap expand and loosen; Avoid brushing your wig after washing! Leave it to dry or if you are wearing human hair give the cap a good blast with the hair drier before attempting to brush!
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Always use a wide tooth comb to brush through the ends gently and never from the top!!
Treat it well!!
- It is always a good idea to use an intense moisture treatment on your wig once a month or even every other week if you feel it necessary!
- It is always better to stick to products designed for wigs!!
- The human hair used for wigs go through some heavy chemical processes before being made into a wig, so we would suggest only using products designed specifically for wigs, the same goes for synthetic wigs!! It’s a myth that the more you wash your wig the shorter it’s life. You should be washing weekly with the right products to keep your wig on top form!!!
Be conscious of the fabrics you wear
- The fibres on both human hair and synthetic wigs will rub on the clothes you wear, especially the longer styles. Fabric can draw the moisture out of your wigs! They cause the fibres to become static and rub together, causing friction frizz… what a nightmare.
- Silk is the best, but not always possible, let’s be honest!
- We suggest you tie your hair into a low bun when you are active or even when driving to avoid the fibres rubbing on fabrics. Spray your leave in conditioner on daily to keep your wig gorgeous and moisturised.
Hot weather hack
Take your spray conditioner out with you in hot weather to stop fibres drying, we recommend a spray a day in any weather and a little extra when needed.
Baby shampoo and Fabric Conditioner
Please stop using baby shampoo!!! This is something we hear a lot!! The problem with baby shampoo is that although it is gentle for babies it is not right for wigs! Baby shampoo has no moisturising properties and will damage your wig and the colour.
The reason we know this is because we have used baby shampoo to strip a packet dye from our own hair. The chemicals used for the “no tears” in baby shampoo are not ok on wigs. PUT THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON DOWN!! PLEASE!!
Some wig wearers may be tempted to use fabric conditioner, a staple in laundry routines, on their synthetic wigs. After all, if it can leave our clothes soft and fragrant, wouldn't it do the same for our wigs? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding NO. Read this article for more information on the dangers of using fabric conditioner.
Things to remember
Like our own human hair, we are all very different!! Although the human hair used in wigs are treated heavily giving you the same product each wig you order, there are always going to be variations from wig to wig. That is a risk you take when buying human hair so please treat each one with as much care as possible.
Check out our ranges of Wig Care Accessories, if you have any feedback, just get in touch!