Caring for Your Hairpiece
Once you decide to get and wear a hairpiece, it can be exhilarating, exciting and relieving. You may feel like you are back to looking like your old self, or maybe you’ve kicked up your style a notch and are ready to show off your new look. Whatever the case may be, what you do with the wig between wears is just as important as how you wear it. The right care and products for your wig can keep it looking like new and keep your style as long as possible. An experienced salon like Wig-A-Do can help you wear and care for your new hairpiece.
Type of Hairpiece
The type of hairpiece and construction will directly affect how long it will last and how you should take care of it. Usually the more natural looking hairpieces, such as those with a lace base, will not last as long because the base is more delicate than a monofilament base.
Human hair is more durable than synthetic hair, so a human hair hairpiece will last longer if it’s cared for properly. A human hair wig can last from four months to a year, depending on how often you wear it, what activities you do while wearing it (like swimming, working out, etc.) and how well you care for it. A synthetic hair hairpiece lasts for around half that time frame.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Once again, the type of hairpiece you have will dictate how you care for it. For all wigs, detangle the wig before and after each wear using a wide tooth comb. Always work from the tips to the roots. You don’t need to wash the wig every time you wear it, but if you wear it almost everyday, aim for every few weeks.
When you wash the hairpiece, wet it gently with cool water. Use shampoo made for hairpieces. While human hair wigs can stand up to more gentle, toxin-free standard hair products, the wig will last longer if you use products made especially for hairpieces. Work the shampoo evenly throughout the hairpiece, but be careful around the roots. To rinse, let cool water flow through the hair. Apply conditioner in the same manner.
Styling that will Stand Up
After washing, pat your hairpiece dry. NEVER twist, wring or scrunch the hairpiece, as this could lead to shedding and deterioration of the wig. Unless you have a human hair wig or a synthetic wig that is made for heat tools, let your hairpiece air dry. Set it on a something like a can of hairspray with a towel draped over the can, so that a head form does not stretch the wet base of the hairpiece.
With synthetic hairpieces, that’s pretty much it. One of the benefits to synthetic hair is its ease of wear and care, plus its style bounce-back. But you cannot use heat tools. Even wearing the hairpiece when opening a hot oven could damage the fibers and the entire piece. If you want to style your hair every day, choose a synthetic hairpiece that is processed to use with heat tools or a human hair hairpiece. Synthetic wigs that can be styled do need special styling tools. For human hair hairpieces, you can use a standard blow dryer and iron.
Full Service for You and Your Hairpiece
At Wig-A-Do, we’re a full service wig salon with professional, experienced stylists. Not only do we help you find the hairpiece that you’re looking for, but we also show you how to wear it and care for it. We’ll teach you how to maintain the style once you get home and start wearing the wig, and we carry all the products necessary to help keep your wig in top condition.
