If you have decided to invest in human hair wigs, it’s very important to learn how to care for them to ensure longevity and a flawless look. Just like your own bio hair will start to look limp, frizzy, and unkempt if it’s not maintained properly, human hair wigs also require very specific TLC to keep them looking their best. As one of the many wig stores in Miami, Paulas Wig Boutique has spent countless hours perfecting the maintenance of human hair wigs. Please refer to our instructional video tutorial to follow along in real time.
Step #1: De-tangle
Brushing out your wig after each wear is a great habit to get into, and this is how we recommend starting the process of washing your human hair wigs. Begin by brushing your wig from tip to root using a paddle brush. Brushing from tip to root will ensure a minimal amount of tearing and hair loss. This will also help to minimise split ends. Once you’ve finished detangling, place your wig on a Styrofoam wig form and secure it with t-pins at the sides and nape of the neck.
Step #2: Shampoo
Before shampooing your human hair wig, thoroughly soak the hair using a showerhead or extendible kitchen vegetable washer. The water should be warm to lukewarm and should flow in one direction (from top to bottom). Once your wig is thoroughly wet, place a small amount of shampoo in your hands and gently stroke it through the hair in one direction (from top to bottom). Take care not to massage or agitate the hair but rather adopt a stroking movement to thoroughly cover the shampoo throughout the hair. Thoroughly rinse the shampoo from your wig using the same technique as you did when originally soaking it in preparation for shampooing. The shampooing process can be repeated if your human hair wig is particularly dirty or has picked up a strong scent you wish to eliminate.
When choosing a quality shampoo for your human hair wigs, we strongly recommend sulphate-free products, as they will have less of a drying effect on natural hair.
Step 3: Condition
After all the shampoo is thoroughly rinsed from your wig, place a small amount of conditioner in your hands, and using the same technique as you did to apply the shampoo, apply the conditioner. We recommend focusing the majority of conditioner on the bottom half of your human hair wigs, as this is the driest part of the hair and requires the most TLC. Leaving the conditioner or mask on the hair for a minimum of five minutes will result in super-silky hair. Predictably, rinsing the conditioner out of the wig is the same as rinsing out the shampoo. Always remember to have the water flowing from top to bottom.
We know that there are many wig stores in Miami and probably just as many methods for washing wigs; however, our experience working with high-end human hair wigs for over 27 years has resulted in this very specific method, which ensures the most safe and effective way to clean human hair wigs.
Step #4: Drying
Before removing your human hair wig from the Styrofoam head, gently squeeze out the majority of the water using your hands, followed by a gentle patting through using an absorbent towel (Life Hack!—skipping the fabric softener when washing your towels makes them much more absorbent). After this step, it’s your choice to apply serum, mousse, gel, or any styling products you wish. We generally brush out our human hair wigs directly on the Styrofoam head before removing them. In fact, in our wig store in Miami and our wig store in Toronto, we allow the human hair wigs to dry directly on the Styrofoam head. Depending on the specific style of wig, you may not even need to use any hot tools after the wig is dried.
How often should you wash your human hair wigs?
There are many things to consider when calculating the frequency of washing your human hair wigs.
The first thing to consider is the type of activity you are doing regularly while wearing your human hair wig. If you are in a hot climate or tend to perspire a lot, you will need to wash your wig more frequently. Conversely, if you are sedentary and tend not to perspire, you can probably push off washing your wig for longer. A general rule of thumb is that if you work an office job and remove your wig before cooking, sleeping, or being involved in physical activity, you can probably get away with 100 to 120 hours of wear, or every 2 weeks. You have to consider several variables when deciding to wash your human hair wigs; most are common sense. Clearly, if you engage in aerobic activity and perspire a lot, you will likely need to wash your wig after each workout (we highly recommend designating a wig of lesser value for exercise). If you are a smoker, you will also need to wash your human hair wigs frequently (at least weekly).
If you are looking for more information about wig maintenance and are looking for wig stores in Miami, please feel free to take advantage of Paula’s Wig Boutique’s free, no-obligation consultation. We are always happy to answer your questions related to human hair wigs.
