The Right Way To Wash Your Wig

If you don't regularly wash your wig, you might as well forget getting the best out of it. Washing your wig keeps it clean and also helps extend the life of your wig. But what is the right way to wash your wig? Keep reading to find out how to wash your wig without damaging it. 

How Often Should I Wash My Wig? 

 

Human Hair Wigs: 

This depends on how often you wear your wig and also which products (if any) you apply to it. If it's an 'everyday' wig that you wear at least 4 days every week and you don't apply styling products to it on a daily basis, or every time you wear it, washing it every two weeks is enough. 

If you regularly apply styling products to your human hair wig, you should wash it more often. Try not to go longer than 10 days without washing it. 

Your environment and where you live can also affect how often you should wash your human hair wig. If you live in a large, busy city with high levels of pollution, and wear your wig most days out of the week, it will get dirtier quicker so consider washing it every week. 

If you wear your wig to the gym, washing it at least once every week is key–you may even need to wash it twice a week if you do a lot of cardio-based exercise. Think of all the dirt and sweat that can accumulate on your wig when you wear it regularly while living an active lifestyle! Not washing your wigs between wears can lead to build-up of bacteria that can damage your natural hair and your wig.

If you only wear your wig every so often (for example wigs that you keep for special occasions or events), you should wash them every 7-10 wears.

Synthetic Wigs: 

When it comes to how often you should wash your synthetic wig, the general rules apply as they do with human hair wigs. Your lifestyle, environment and how often you wear your synthetic wigs will impact how often synthetic wigs should be washed. 

The key difference is that due to the nature of synthetic wigs, washing them decreases their lifespans so before washing your synthetic wig, make sure it really needs it. 

For synthetic wigs, washing is generally recommended every 15-20 wears so take your lifestyle into consideration and adjust this number accordingly.

What Are The Best Shampoos And Conditioners For Wigs? 

Human Hair:

Human hair wigs are reasonably resilient and can handle most mainstream shampoos and conditioners available on the market today. However, even the mots high quality human hair wig is unlikely to last forever. This is why it's important to use gentle products that don't leave your wig overloaded or stripped of its lustre. 

Although you might be tempted to use a clarifying shampoo on your wig with the thought that it will work better at getting rid of dirt and product buildup, this isn't always the case. A good shampoo with a gentle formulation can still leave your wig nicely clean without leaving it feeling stripped. Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration range are an affordable and cult favourite. If you want something more luxurious, Bumble & Bumble's Gentle Shampoo is the one for you. 

Synthetic Hair:

With synthetic wigs, choosing the right shampoo and conditioner is even more important than it is for their human hair counterparts. While you might think opting for a moisturising shampoo is best for synthetic wigs, these can actually cause the hair to tangle. 

You'll want to go for a gentle, neutral shampoo; something simply designed to gently clean the hair. Better yet, go for an option specifically formulated for synthetic hair like Hairobics' All Day Synthetic Wig Shampoo. The line also carries a leave in spray to help detangle, prevent dryness and give your synthetic wigs a fresh feeling.

If your synthetic wig is looking especially tired and even a wash can't seem to revive it, you can try steaming it. This can also help revert it back to its original style.

How Do I Wash My Wig Without Damaging The Lace Or The Hair? 

Whether it's made from human hair or synthetic fibres, always keep the following tips in mind when washing your wigs in order to keep the delicate lace and hair intact:

• Always direct any product down the hair–never haphazardly 'scrunch' it through the hair as this can encourage tangles
• Always thoroughly detangle your dry wig before washing
• Ensure your wig is completely dry after washing before wearing it again 

Whats The Best Way To Dry My Wig After Washing It?

Air dry! For synthetic wigs, even if they're advertised as being able to handle heat styling, always try to air dry them to prevent any heat damage. Just laying it flat on a towel (make sure to change the towel once wet) can help effectively dry your wig. 

Alternatively, you can hang them up to dry. This is especially great for human hair wigs when dried outside on a warm day. 

While air drying your wigs is nice, we know this isn't always possible, especially if you're in a rush. So before blow drying your human hair wig remember to:

• Thoroughly detangle it–the Tangle Teezer or Denman's Tangle Tamers are great for this 
• Apply heat protectant–we love products like Design Essentials' Weightless Thermal Protectant, Keracare's Thermal Wonder and TRESmmé's Care & Protect Heat Defence Spray 
• Don't over dry–in wigs, the actual hair itself can dry relatively quickly. It's often the cap on which the wig is constructed that can take longer to dry. If you can, try to concentrate the heat there before working your way to the lengths of the hair to minimise the chances of applying too much heat to all areas of the wig.

What are your top tips for washing your wigs? Let us know in the comments!

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Photo in cover image | Sensationnel