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The Proper Care Of Wigs And Hair Weave

Updated on March 29, 2013

The Do's And Don'ts

Wigs and hair extensions date as far back as ancient times. Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians wore hairpieces and wigs to denote someone of their rank. Soldiers shaved their heads and sometimes wore wigs to protect their scalp from the the sun.

Today the evolution of wearing wigs and hair pieces has become so common that people that never wore wigs or hair extensions are wearing them more and more. Wigs and hair pieces have changed so much that they look and feel more natural and people are learning to style them as though they would their natural hair.

There are times when people become so comfortable with wearing hair pieces that they do not take the time to take proper care of the alternative hair or the real hair. The idea of being able to quickly wear a hair style especially wigs makes some feel they can just throw a wig on, comb it, and go. Some that wear hair weaves seem to feel they can just comb the hair every day and go.

If the hair is not properly taken care of then there is a strong chance that the natural hair will be left unhealthy and the alternative hair won't look as natural as it should and last as long as it can. You will find that there are similarities is caring for hair weave and wigs.


Caring For The Wig

How to store your wig

When you purchase your wig chances are your wig came in a plastic bag. If you purchase a synthetic wig it is perfectly alright to store that wig in the bag it came in. If you purchase a human hair wig however, you should store that wig in a cloth bag or net or use a mannequin head. If you choose to use the same bag it came in, I suggest you cut large holes in the bag. Wigs may also be hung on hooks. Human hair wigs if left in a position where they get too hot in plastic can rot.

How to shampoo your wig

Try not to be too rough when you shampoo your wig. You can use shampoos specifically for wigs or you can use your regular shampoo. Make sure you condition the wig. To dry your wig towel blot it to remove excess water and hang it on a wig stand. Never put a wet wig on a mannequin head. Never twist a wig to squeeze excess water because this will cause the wig to be out of shape.Try to remove any tangles with a large comb before the wig dries. You can use leave in conditioners on human and synthetic wigs both. Try to use leave in conditioners that are liquid instead of creamy. Keep your wigs washed and conditioned about as much as you would your real hair. This varies for different types of hair. You should not go weeks at a time without washing your hair.

How To Style Your Wig

Human

Shampoo and setting-When you shampoo and set human wigs. Use a hair stand to set the hair and set it the same way using setting lotion as you would your real hair. You can allow it to air dry or to be set under low heat. You could use a broom to prop your wig under a dryer.

Hot Curling-Hot curling human wigs is no different than hot curling your real hair. You can not use too much heat too often. This will vary from person to person depending upon how long a person wants to keep the hair weave looking healthy and natural.

Hair Sprays-You can use hair sprays that are not too drying. Try not to use spray that contains alcohol or heavy build-ups like spritz. Remember not to use hair spray every day maybe twice a week because too much hair spray can take away from the natural look of the wig.

Synthetic

When styling the synthetic wig you can not put heat on the hair because it is made of synthetic fibers and it will melt. You can use hair sprays if you like a little bit more than you would use on human hair because you can not damage synthetic hair. However try not to use sprays with a heavy build-ups like spritz. Remember not to use hair spray every day maybe twice a week because too much hair spray can take away from the natural look of the wig.

Combing And Brushing

Synthetic

If you have purchased a very curly synthetic wig do not comb it or it will get frizzy. The curls are permanent and if you comb or brush the wig you will change the look. If you need to remove tangles or adjust curls take your fingers and do so. If you need to comb or brush synthetic wigs that are straight hair or the curls are very loose, you can but try not to comb or brush to hard or too much because remember the hair is made on a weft and you may cause some unwanted shedding causing your wig to look too thin.

Human

When combing and brushing human wigs you can pretty much care for the wig in the same manner as the synthetic wig with the exception that you can comb tight curls because the hair is real.

How often should you wear a wig?

A person should not wear a wig everyday but if you do, make sure you give your real hair a chance to breathe as much as possible. People that sweat under their wigs cause their real hair believe it or not to rot. The hair underneath will have an oily build-up and need washing more often.

If you go to the grocery store, take the wig off when you get home. I strongly suggest not making wearing wigs as a daily routine but if you do extra precautions must be given to the hair beneath.

Caring For Hair Weave

How to store your hair weave

If you have a small amount of human hair weave, you can store it in its original packaging. If you want to store a large amount of human hair weave then I suggest you store it the same way as the human wig. In the original packaging with air holes, in a cloth bag or on hooks. Synthetic hair weave can be stored in it's original packaging, in a cloth bag or on a hook.

How to shampoo hair weave

if the hair is weaved onto your scalp then you can shampoo the hair as you would your own. Try not to shampoo too hard. This will cause the hair weave to loosen. Pay close attention to not only cleaning the hair weave but also cleaning your scalp. If you want to wash and reuse hair weave, simply wash and condition it in a sink. Use a large comb or weave brush to remove any tangles before the hair dries. You can lay it on a large towel to air dry. I do not recommend reusing hair weave if you have excessive dandruff. If you do make sure you are using dandruff shampoo.

How To Style Your Hair Weave

Human

You can style your human hair weave the same way you would your real hair. You can use hair sprays that are not too harsh or drying. You can hot curl your human hair weave just as long as you do not curl it too much too often. This will vary from person to person depending upon how long a person wants to keep the hair weave looking healthy and natural.

Synthetic

Unlike human hair weave, synthetic hair weave can not be hot curled because the synthetic fibers will melt. You can use styling sprays as long as the sprays are not used too often, you can also use sprays on synthetic hair a little bit more and often than you would on human hair.

Combing and Brushing

Human

You can comb and brush your synthetic hair weave in the same manner you would your real hair. Try not to brush too much too often to prevent shedding. You should not brush too hard as this may cause your hair weave to loosen.

Synthetic

You can comb and brush synthetic hair pieces just as you would your real hair. Try not to brush too often to prevent shedding or stretching since synthetic hair has a plastic feel. If the hair you purchase is very curly do not comb or brush. To style use your fingers. If the hair is purchased with loose curls then comb the hair as you would your real hair.

How long should you wear a hair weave?

I feel the same way about hair weave as I do wearing wigs. Your real hair can stand a break. Wearing hair weave too long can cause breakage. When your hair weave gets loose you can take it out and wear your real hair for a little while or when it is time to get a retouch on a perm or hair color I can't see anything wrong with allowing your hair a little time to rest.

Wigs and hair weave are used daily as an alternative hair styling method that defines how people want their hair to feel and look. Often with the fast paced convenience of wearing these alternatives people seem to lose sight of the fact that proper care should be taken if the quality of the hair should last. People don't seem to think about the fact that one day they may want to wear their own hair again. Maintaining healthy hair should always be taken into consideration no matter what your choice of hair styling methods are.



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