Weaves, wigs, these things cost a pretty penny. So, it really doesn’t make any sense to buy them, without knowing how to care for your human hair, right? With the current state of affairs in the world’s economy today, what you want is for your hair to last as long as they can. We would have preferred that they last forever but we know that forever isn’t possible, right?
We want you to enjoy your weaves and wigs forever and that’s why we have sourced all the industry’s best kept secrets on how to care for your human hair. Now, first things first…
It’s Called Human Hair because It Is Actually Human Hair
Many don’t realize this but this should be the very foundation upon which you interact with your wigs and weaves. The human hair weave or extension you’re rocking is not chemically synthesized in the lab. It is actually sourced from a human’s scalp and should be treated as such. You can learn more about human hair weaves from our crash course on hair extensions here.
In other words, treat it the way you’d treat your own hair. This understanding should affect the kind of products you use on the hair, how you wash your hair and the regularity of the washing too, the kinds of treatment you use on the hair. In fact, everything you do to your human hair weave or wig must stem from the understanding that you’re interacting with human hair. That said…
Here are Our 8 Top Tips For Caring For Human Hair Wigs and Extensions
1. Detangle Your Hair Correctly
Just like you’d comb your own natural hair, comb your human hair extension and wigs with the utmost care. Never comb from the root of the hair. Instead, always begin from the tip. As you untangle that bit, gradually work your way up to the very top of the hair till you get all the tangles out.
Also, while untangling your weave or wig, always make sure you support the weave or wig with your free hand, some distance away from the section you’re untangling. This way, you won’t pull off some strands of the hair due to forceful combing.
On the other hand, if your hair or wig is curly, then don’t use a comb. Instead, use your fingers to gently detangle the hair.
2. Wash Your Hair… But Not Too Much
It’s great, in fact important, to wash your hair. However, be very careful about washing every opportunity you get. You must understand that with each wash, you shorten the lifespan of your wig or weave. It’s a fact of weaves and there’s really nothing you can do about it.
If you ask us, we’d say to limit washing your hair to once in two weeks, or once a week if you absolutely must. Washing the hair too often not only decreases the lifespan of the hair, it also makes your hair appear dry and unattractive.
But, all that said, washing your hair is very important. As you continue to apply products on your hair to give it its shine, these products will build up. There’s also the dust and dirt that you come in contact with every day just by moving about. You need to get rid of these by washing.
In the next section of this article, we will walk you through the correct procedure for washing your hair. But for now, keep in mind that the shampoo and conditioner you use on your weaves and wigs matter. Preferably, go for something that does not contain sulfate or alcohol and wash with cool water. No matter how dirty, never use hot water.
3. Air-Dry Only Please, Ladies
If you want your hair to last and retain its beauty, then how you dry your hair is also important. The correct way to do that would be to pat the hair dry. Pat dry, don’t rub the hair with your towel, else your hair would mat and suffer breakage.
After this, leave your weave or wig to air dry. Don’t use a hair dryer except you really (must be a big really) cannot avoid it. It’s important because excessive use of heat on your weave or wig can damage the hair by making it brittle which eventually causes breakage.
If you must use your hair dryer, you must set the dryer to cool, comb the hair gently with a wide-toothed comb, and be really sad and repentant about your actions.
4. Use The Right Hair Products Moderately
As with your choice of shampoo and conditioner, you want to go for hair products (from your mousse to your hairspray to your gel) that are free from chemicals and alcohol. Stay away from products that are too oily or greasy as they attract dirt. Also, as the oils from such products build up in the hair, it often leads to tangling.
5. Heat is Your Mortal Enemy
Avoid it like you avoid someone with the coronavirus. We already explained why heat is bad for your hair. However, sure enough, there are times where heat styling cannot be avoided. In such cases, always use a heat protectant on your hair first before going on to apply heat. And whatever you do, however unavoidable the use of heat, do not ever use a flat iron.
6. Yes, Even Sleeping Has Rules Now Too
You should never go to bed with your weave rough or wet. It’s a recipe for disaster. You’ll wake up in the morning with your hair in a tangled mess. Instead, braid the hair, pin it up, or roll it with bendy rollers, and then secure with a satin cap before you catch those zzzs. If you don’t have a satin cap, then you can slip on a satin-covered pillow. The reason for the satin barrier is to prevent the hair-pillow friction which is also bad for your hair.
7. Wigs Deserves Breaks Too
If you want your wig to stay snatched for a long time, then wear it a little less often. With constant exposure to sunlight, styling manipulations, hair products, and more, your wig’s lifespan would shorten faster than it should.
8. Store Properly
Don’t just toss your wig or weaves when you’re not using them. For wigs, get a mannequin, hook, or wig stand to properly store them when you’re not wearing them. If push comes to shove, then, at least, put it back in the package from where it came.
For your extensions and weaves, do not let go of those boxes in which they came. Once you take them off, replace them in the boxes and your extensions will continue to look as good as new.
Wherever you store your hair, though, ensure that it is not exposed to direct sunlight as that could damage the weave or wig.
Here’s How to Wash Your Human Hair Weaves and Wigs
1. Make sure you use the right products to wash your weaves and wigs. If in doubt, please, consult with your hair stylist.
2. Detangle the wig or weave first before washing. We’ve shown you how.
3. Don’t wash your weave or wig like you’d wash your own natural hair. So, don’t scrub the hair, and for wigs, don’t scrub the scalp. Simply comb through the hair with the shampoo using gentle downward strokes. Do it one section at a time.
4. For wigs, apply the soapy water to the cap as well, that is, the part that sits on your scalp. But rub, don’t scrub.
5. Rinse the hair with cool water from the root to the tips. For wigs, also rinse the inside of the cap as well.
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To Condition Your Weaves and Wigs, Follow These Steps
1. Pat dry with a towel and then apply some conditioner to the still damp hair. If you’re conditioning your wigs, then avoid the scalp area so the conditioner doesn’t loosen the bond of the hair to the cap.
2. While the conditioner is still in your hair, try detangling the hair with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb gently beginning from the tips as usual.
3. Rinse off under running water afterward, and apply a leave-in conditioner if you have one. Or don’t rinse off the conditioner you applied completely if you don’t have leave-in conditioner.
4. When removing excess water from your hair, squeeze the hair gently. Please avoid wringing or rubbing. After gently squeezing out the excess water, blot the hair dry lightly with a towel.
How to Revive Your Dry, Stiff Lace Front Wig
We understand that wigs and weaves will get dry and stiff for different reasons, sometimes, in obedience to the natural law of depreciation, other times due to negligence. Don’t worry. No judgement. Here are some tips to help rescue your wigs when they begin to lose their shine after a while.
There are a number of reasons that wigs lose their shine and bounce.
First off, it’s the circle of life. Your wigs won’t always be shiny and bouncy. However, there are factors that contribute to make your wigs deteriorate faster including lack of natural oils, exposure to hard and chlorinated water, exposure to seawater, and prolonged exposure to the sun.
The good news is that, with proper attention and care, you can restore your wig’s attractiveness.
1. Pre-Wash Your Wig
Before washing your wig, give it a conditioning treatment. Do this by applying some natural oils to the hair along the length of the hair. You can use oils like Moroccan Argan oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
After doing that, apply a moisturizing conditioner to your wig and leave it to sit for about 30 minutes inside a shower cap.
2. Wash Your Wig
Use an appropriate moisturizing shampoo to wash the wig and then rinse thoroughly. We already showed you how.
3. Moisturize Your Wig
Next, moisturize the wig using a moisturizing conditioner. Apply it along the lengths of the hair but especially at the tip. Detangle using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb.
4. Deep Condition
After this, apply a deep conditioner on your wig and let that sit for about 15 minutes or more inside a shower cap. After this, rinse your wig thoroughly, and then dry your wig like we showed you before now.
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Other Tips You Should Know About Maintaining and Styling Your Human Hair Weave and Wig
1. Don’t Neglect Your Natural Hair Under Your Weave/Wig
While installing your weaves, make sure your stylist is not negligent with your natural hair. Before installing a weave, ensure that your hair is well moisturized with the right hair products and oils. Make sure you’ve also been observing the routine of washing and conditioning your hair accordingly.
2. Use a Rod Set Instead of Heat Styling
Rather than using heat, you might want to use a rod set instead of using heating tools. Because your wig or weave has a human source, it will react to prolonged exposure to heat the same way your natural hair would. Keep that in mind.
A rod set will help to stretch out the cuticles of your hair. This will make your hair look nice and shiny and also give your hair volume.
3. When Doing a Leave Out, Leave Only Little Hair Out
If you’re using your weaves to make a leave-out style, then don’t make the common mistake of leaving out too much hair. You will end up damaging your natural hair because you’re constantly manipulating the hair to blend it in with your weave.
So, when installing your weave for a leave-out style, only leave as little hair as necessary to cover the tracks of the weave. Here’s the trick: the less hair you leave out, the easier it is to blend into your weave and the more natural the blend looks. Plus, it’s healthier for your hair.
4. Get Professional Touch Ups from Time to Time
After the first install of your weave, you want to go back to your stylist for a touch-up, at least, four or five weeks after. Your stylist will help to rebraid parts of the hair that have overgrown, as well as trim the dead ends of the weave. If you’re regular with your hair touch-ups, you will have stronger natural hair and your weave will also last longer and retain its shine.
It’s a Wrap, Ladies!
There you have it! All the industry’s best kept secrets for maintaining your weave’s and wig’s health and shine. If you have any question concerning maintaining and caring for your hair, you can always reach out to us in the comment section. Until next time, keep slaying!
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