The Wear and Care of your Fashion Wig

The Wear and Care of your Fashion Wig

Holding a Wig in Place - Wig Caps, Clips & Tape

• Although most fashion wigs can be slipped on like a hat, there are some things that can help a wig to fit better.
• If you have medium length or long hair, it helps to braid your hair in 2 or 3 braids and wrap them around your head (use a few clips to hold them in place). This helps prevent a wig from being dislodged by the weight of your hair (Braids are better than pony tails because a pony tail creates a bump.)

• Besides this, in case you have not worn a wig before, a wig cap is usually worn underneath the wig (unless you have very short hair). 
  
• The purpose of a wig cap is to help tuck your hair in, and keep your hair from showing. This also helps prevent a wig from slipping off. 
• This also protects the wig from your hair and scalp, keeping it cleaner longer.
• If you don't have a wig cap, you might try using a piece cut out of the panty part (so you have elastic to hold your hair back from your face) of a clean pair of small panty-hose instead - and clip it in place.

• You can also use special wig clips to help hold a wig in place.
• For people who have hair loss, there is also double sided tape to help hold a wig in place.
• Most fashion wigs I sell have adjustable tabs (like a bra hook) at both sides of the back of the wig.
• These tabs can be clipped into the bottom of the back of the band to change the fit of the wig.
• These tabs are prone to slip out. So once you know roughly the best place for them to be, so the wig fit is most comfortable, I would suggest that you sew the tabs into place on each side.

Positioning the Wig

• After you braid your hair, or otherwise tuck it away, preferable under a wig cap - its time to put your wig on.
• You can easily tell where the front of a wig is if it has a fringe. If it doesn't - to get you oriented:
  

• The frontwards top of a fashion wig (versus cheap wigs which just have a stretchy net) has a relatively solid lacy structure

• The back of the top of the wig, the sides and back have an open network of webbing on which the hair is fixed. This helps air circulate through modern wigs. 

• The bottom of the back of the wig usually has what look like bra adjustment straps. These can be hooked into the narrow grooves in the band in the lower part of the webbing so you can make the wig smaller if necessary. (Once you know what the right size is, its a good idea to sew these in place.)

• Wigs are generally designed so that the solid part of the front of the wig just covers the front of your natural hairline.
  

• The wig tends to feel more comfortable and generally look more natural if it is worn like that - but if it feels more comfortable for you to wear it differently, go for it.

Wig Brushing or Combing

• If you don't have a specific wig brush or comb, don't worry.
• Generally, your fingers are the best way to comb or smooth a wig. Any brush or comb that has fairly wide rounded teeth, will also do. 
  
• The less you style a wig the longer it lasts. 
• This is because it is made of fiber (imagine it as an angora sweater with very long fibers, the less you handle the fibers of a sweater, the less likely it is to matt and pill). 
• The hairs of a fashion wig are glued and/or tied in. Each time you comb or brush it, inevitably some hairs will come out, and like all fibers the fibers will matt with repeated rubbing or if exposed to perspiration or sticky fingers.
• Wigs should only be brushed or combed when completely dry to reduce damage to the hairs.
• Tangles should be brushed out starting from the bottom of the hair and moving towards the top. If you get tangles that are hard to get out, do your best and then snip any tough to manage parts out with a scissors.
• It is best to avoid brushing very tightly curled wigs; and to limit the amount of brushing through the wave part of wavy or loose curl wigs. Fingers are best for these styles.
• Sweating directly onto the hair (which commonly occurs behind the  neck especially when there is very thick long hair) can cause tangling or matting of the hairs right against your neck. This is a normal reaction of the wet fibers to the rubbing action as the hair moves against your neck. You deal with this as above.

Trimming a Wig

• If you would like your wig styled (eg a fringe shortened or thinned etc) you can do it yourself, but most people would find this challenging.
• Although many hairdressers seem to dislike wigs on principle; they are the experts at styling hair.
• If necessary, it would generally be better to have your wig trimmed by your regular hair-dresser (or a skilled friend) while you are wearing the wig, so that he/she and you know exactly where the wig fits on your head.
• Most wigs with fringes have relatively long fringes. This is because the length of people's foreheads vary, and this allows wigs to fit people with longer foreheads - though others may need to trim the fringe.
  

• Most people wear wigs only intermittently eg on "bad hair" days or to special events etc and your hair dresser should understand this.
• People with serious hair loss who have to wear wigs regularly for medical reasons should let their hair-dresser know before they go in to get their wig trimmed. Their hair-dresser will almost certainly be happy that they leave their wig on while trimming it.
• It goes without saying that once the hair on a wig is trimmed, it cannot grow back. 
• Here are a couple of guides on how to trim your own fringe (hair dressers may faint on seeing these techniques; and there is no guarantee that this will go as planned. It really is better to have someone who is competent do this while you are wearing the wig.)

http://www.hairdarling.com/2012/11/29/if-you-have-to-cut-your-fringe/http://www.athriftymrs.com/2012/03/how-to-cut-your-own-fringe.html

Washing a Wig

• This is a dress/day wig (not a cheap nylon cartoon wig). 
• You can hand wash it (carefully) in cold water, though this does risk tangling. (Remember the angora sweater)
• It's generally recommended that you not wash a wig more than after every 7-10 wearings. (Mind you if the cat decides to roost in it or you have decided to use a lot of hair products to make a fancy up-do; or there is any other reason to do so - just go for it.)
• Before washing the wig, brush it gently (preferably with your fingers).
• Although ideally wigs should be washed in wig shampoo, wig shampoo is usually hard to find, and tends to be expensive. 
• Woolite (think cashmere sweaters again) is said to be OK; as is baby shampoo - the one that says "No more tangles" apparently is better. 
• Let the wig just soak in the cold water with the shampoo for no more than 5 minutes; then rinse by gently swishing thoroughly from the crown (top) down. 
• Do not rub the fibers. (Think of the sweater). 
• You can then use a mild conditioner. 

• Generally if you are not using wig conditioner; it is recommended that this be mixed 1 part conditioner to 4 parts water; sprayed on (don't rub it in), then rinsed off. 

• If you do decide to use a leave in conditioner be sure the wig is completely dry before you comb it. 

• Remember, the more products you use on the wig and the more it is handled, the shorter the life of the wig due to matting, tangling etc 

• If the hair on your wig is sticking out with static, try wetting your hands and then smoothing the hair first - rather than using conditioner, because the less product you use the better.
• Do not use a hair dryer or curling iron etc on a synthetic wig. 
• The fibers of most fashion wigs are not able to take direct heat. (Only completely hand knotted wigs that are made of special heat resistant fibers or human hair can handle direct heat. These usually cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.)
• To dry the wig, it would be ideal if you had a collapsible plastic wig stand (but you don't have to have that.)
• If it is a short wig and you do not have a wig stand; you can prop a facecloth or hand towel on top of a tall can or large water bottle or equivalent, and place the wig on top of the towel. (Make sure the position of the towel etc does not result in the hair drying at odd angles.)
• Otherwise, to dry the wig; take it from the sink, and lay it indoors flat on a towel, making sure no hair is lying at an odd angle. 
• Because I have been asked this, I think I should add the advice that you

• Do not lay the wig out in the sun to dry;

• Do not dry the wig by hanging it with clothes pegs on a clothesline (whether outdoors or indoors).

• Gently blot (don't rub) the hair with the towel to get rid of most of the water.
• Change to a dryer towel and leave the wig to dry on the towel.
• Don't brush your wig until it is completely dried.
• Never brush your wig when it is wet.

Changing the color of a wig made of synthetic hair

• Natural hair wigs can be dyed. Real natural hair wigs (versus those untruthfully claimed to be made of natural hair) can cost up to $1,000 because the hair is sourced from human beings whose hair had to be long enough to sell, and natural human hair wigs are hand knotted). If you intend to buy a wig from a seller who claims the wig is made of natural hair - and you intend to dye it - you should let the seller know before you pay for it - because you cannot successfully dye synthetic hair with human hair dye.

• Neither bleach or human hair dye work on synthetic wigs because the synthetic fibers and construction are not porous like human hair. The chemicals will not be absorbed; and exposure to the chemicals in bleach and human hair dye is likely to weaken the fibers. However, just because human hair dye does not work, it doesn't mean that the color of the wig cannot be changed - but there are major limitations. 

• Ink, not dye is used when changing the color of a wig made from synthetic hair fibers. Permanent ink from Sharpie markers, acrylic ink (or other inks that can be bought at a craft shop) are what is used. But, the color choices are limited to colors of ink, and the process is reasonably long, and generally associated with unpredictable outcomes. You cannot make a dark synthetic wig a lighter color. (And it would seem to be a major waste of time and expense to do this with a cheap nylon wig from a $2 shop.)

• Here are are 2 links that describe the method to do this (though I make no guarantees whatever as to the likely outcome). Remember you can't recolor a dark wig to a lighter color.

http://www.wikihow.com/Dye-a-Synthetic-Wig

http://therabbittales.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/dying-wigs-with-ink/comment-page-1/

Storage

• Theoretically, the dried wig should be kept on a mannequin head.
• Homes can be surprisingly dusty; readily visible wigs very tempting to children and visitors, and most people don't own a mannequin head (or 2 or 3 heads as might be necessary)
• I have acquired quite a few wigs over the years and this is what I do :

1. I keep the wig inside a clear plastic bag (so I can easily see and decide which one I want to wear)
2. I put the bags in a big box that has a cover on it so nothing very heavy or sharp should land on the wig. All the wigs should fit in the box and the cover should fit on it; otherwise, who knows, your partner or child may leave their weight set on top of it, or the cat take a fancy to it. 
3. You can rumple up a little white tissue paper or a light hand towel in a ball inside the wig (just in case something heavy winds up on the wig; as this might help prevent a crease from appearing). 

How long will a synthetic Wig last?

• The answer to this is - It varies. (Think of that angora sweater.)
• Unlike cheap nylon wigs bought at a $2 shop (which are often disposed of after one wear), wigs made of synthetic monofilaments can be re-worn.
• Longevity mainly depends upon wear and tear, and that largely depends on the wearer.
• The more exposure to heat from the sun or anything else; (tangling with wind etc, especially in the case of long hair), perspiration, handling especially with sticky fingers which will cause matting), washing and the use of styling products - the harder it is on the hair, and the shorter its life span.
• Even wigs made with the very expensive heat resistant fibers and human hair are affected by frequent wearing and the factors noted above. Even they will not cope with a lot of rough handling, especially with sticky fingers.
• Wigs that are worn for long periods of time on a daily basis - will deteriorate from wear and tear, much as would an angora sweater worn frequently under the same conditions. (That is why people who wear wigs regularly due to hair loss tend to have to replace them fairly often.)
• In my personal experience, fashion wigs wigs worn occasionally, treated reasonably, brushed carefully (preferably gently with fingers), and stored as above - can last for years. But they are an accessory, better worn and enjoyed to the full rather than stuffed away in a closet.

For the price of ~ one trip to the hair-dresser or the cost of a top; modern fashion wigs are a fabulous clothing accessory; and well worth owning. 

I hope you enjoy your new look.

Thank you for shopping with us.

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