Lesson 6: Build New Wig Routines | Wig Mastery

Updated by Encelia Support Team

At Encelia® Hair, our mission is to help make your wig life a breeze! We achieve this by offering your products that are comfortable, realistic and secure but we didn't stop there. Wig life can be tricky, overwhelming and frustrating at times and many of us manage this alone! Well, we want to help support you so that you have the knowledge and tools necessary to enjoy wig life.

Some of my worst wig moments were a result of poor planning on my part so the easiest way to make your wig life a breeze is to build new routines or rituals. Below I am sharing my weekly wig life routines/rituals, which have helped make my wig life easier. Please use this as a guide and to build your own wig routines.

WEEKLY WIG LIFE

Note: Everyday I follow my AM and PM routines, which are listed below
  • Friday PM: My alopecia date night | weekly wash + prep eyelashes + precut eyebrow transfers (temporary eyebrow tattoos) + give myself a little facial
  • Saturday AM: Prep wigs for the week - if I want to curl or style my wigs this is when I do it.
  • Monday PM: Apply hair oil
  • Wednesday PM: Apply hair oil or do a conditioner wash
  • Thursday PM: Casual look - I will often do a french braid, high pony or something fun

WEEKLY ROUTINE BREAKDOWN

You will need: petite mannequin head, sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo and conditioner, wig brush, teasing brush, hair oil, heat protector, water bottle, t-pins, hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron and a little bit of personal time!
  • Weekly Wash Day or Your Alopecia-Date Night - Washing your wigs from end to end will take about 1.5 to 2 hours but you are only working for about 30-45 minutes so with that in mind think about your week and pick a day when your are home in the evening and that tends to be low-key for you. The best way to ensure that your hair will look amazing and that wig life will be a breeze is to build a weekly wash routine so do you absolute best to commit to that day! If you don't, then, I promise, your wig life will be stressful and your wigs won't look as good as they could! Wigs definitely tell us that they need some love, the problem is that we don't want to listen - we get lazy, life gets crazy and we push the limits and that is when wig life hurts so pick a day to find some ways to make it special for you! Light a special candle, call some friends, put on a face mask because this is your night to celebrate your wig and yourself!
  • Find a backup stylist. Life gets crazy, your kids will be sick, you will be sick, work life will be crazy, family visits, and so the list goes on. Set yourself up for success and find a stylist that you trust and ask them if they can "occasionally" help you out. Bonus tip, DryBar will wash and style wigs so see if you have one in your area. I personally love every once and awhile dropping love wig off and having her styled. I have a place that has a nail salon right next door so I drop my wig off and I go and get my nails done! How amazing is that!
  • Review our detailed wash tutorial here but the morning after you wash your wig, you will need about 20 minutes of prep to style your wig for the week so keep that in mind. For me, I wash my wigs on Friday night because I am usually tired from the week so I'm always home and I always have 20 extra minutes on Saturday morning to style my wig. Depending on the look you are going for that week, your wig might need a bit of love the morning after the wash so be prepared and plan for that. Also, keep in mind, but you only have to do this once a week!
  • Use caution when using heat tools: Remember that human hair wigs tend to be dryer than normal healthy hair and heat tools dry hair out even more. Below are some helpful tips when using heat tools:
    • Apply 1-2 drops oil to the end and distribute oil using a boar brush.
    • Use a heat protector; this will keep the moisture in the hair.
    • If your wig is still damp, please, wait for it to dry before applying heat to the hair.
    • If you curled your wig, allow the curl to cool or set for about 5-10 mins before you put on your wig
    • To help keep the curl all week, wrap your wig in a hair net when you are not wearing it.
    • When curling or flat ironing your wig remember to work:
      • SMALL: 1/2" inch sections
      • LOW: 280 to 300 degrees
      • SLOW: Take your time and work slow so the curl takes and you don't have to redo your work
      • If curled, wrap hair in the hair net and allow the hair to cool so the curl sets.

PM ROUTINE

You will need: a petite mannequin head, wig brush, teasing brush, wig pins, rubbing alcohol, hair oil, conditioner, hair dryer

In the evening, always prep your wigs - that way when you wake up, you can just put it on and go! Mornings are crazy for everyone and the last thing everyone wants to deal with is a wig so take 5-10 mins in the evening to prep your wig; you be will setting yourself up for success.

  • If needed, remove wig tape and wipe the wig down with rubbing alcohol, and pre-apply your wig tape
  • If needed, wipe any silicone or PU tabs down with alcohol, facial toner, or just soap and water. If you want to step it up a notch, baby wipes are great to have on hand.
  • Brush your wig using a boar brush, wig brush or a flexible paddle brush - starting at the bottom and working your way to the top
  • If the ends feel dry:
    • Human Hair | Apply 1-2 drops of oil to the palms of your hands and then apply the oil to the ends of the hair then using a boar brush distribute the oil through the hair.
    • Luxury Synthetic | Using a water bottle wet the ends of the hair with water. If the hair is really dry, wet the ends, apply a little bit of normal lightweight conditioner then rinse it out and let the hair air dry.
    • Heat-Friendly Synthetic | Using a water bottle, mist the hair with water and spray in some leave-in conditioner that is specifically made for synthetic fibers.

WHENEVER, YOU ARE NOT WEARING YOUR WIG, ALWAYS PUT YOUR WIG ON HOME BASE (aka the mannequin head)

  • The the single best "routine" that you do that will dramatically approve your wig life is to always put your wig on home base. The mannequin head not only helps to maintain the dome shape of your head, which will prevent your wig from looking "wiggy" but it is also a safe place for your wig. Getting into the habit of putting your head back on it's "home base" will not only prolong the lifespan of your wigs but it will make your wig life a breeze because your wig will continue to amazing great all week, which will make your wig life a total breeze!

Pro Tip: Make sure your mannequin head is smaller than the circumference of your head. If your mannequin head is larger than your head, it will stretch out your wig and nothing is worse than a loose-fitting wig.

  • How to place your wig on the mannequin head:
    • Step 1: Take a moment to position the wig, place the front of the wig (lace front/hairline) so that it sits on the outline of hairline on the mannequin head. Basically, if your wig doesn't look good on a mannequin, then it won't look good on you.
    • Step 2: Hairline | Keep Hair Out Of The Cap. Make sure the lace front doesn't tuck under or inside the cap. The easiest way to do this is to just place one finger inside the wig and run your finger along the perimeter of the wig adjusting the lace front and removing any hair that is inside the cap. This will ensure that the lace front will sit flat and that your wig won't be itchy from hairs that have come inside the cap
    • Step 3: If your wig slides around on the mannequin, take some t-pins and place them in the PU tabs which are typically located in the ear tab & nape sections of the wig. If you do not have a PU section, please be careful because the pins can do a hole in lace, which can cause the lace to fray or tear.
    Pro tip | Never place t-pins in the lace front section of the wig. Doing so, means that your lace front will have a hole and because the lace front is delicate, this small hole can easily become a big hole which can cause the hair to shed and it can also change the fit/shape of the lace front preventing your lace front from siting flat and snug. In general, I try not to only mess with the front and top of my wigs too much because it is the most delicate part of the wig.
  • Prep The Hairline:
    • Wigs have a tendency to fall forward and into our face. It's one of the most annoying parts about wig life. The hairline is often the part of the wig that we feel the most self conscious about so let's spend some time in the evening prepping it so we aren't worried about it in the morning.
      • If your wig looks flat and the hair is falling into my face:
        • Your wig should already be secured to the mannequin with t-pins. Set your hair dryer on cool and then lightly mist the hair with a lightweight hairspray, then using a teasing brush and redirect or push the hair so that it goes away from you for 30 second or so.
      • Prep bangs. Bangs have a tendency to not hold up well so spend some time prepping them.
        • Your wig should already be secured to the mannequin with t-pins. Set your flat iron to 280 to 300 degrees. Spray some heat protector on the hair, then using a teasing brush, brush the bangs and position them. Then take your flat iron to smooth and redirect the hair.

AM ROUTINE

You will need: wig brush, teasing brush, and hair perfume
  • Spray your wig with your favorite hair perfume! Because we only need to wash our wigs once a week, I personally love spraying a bit of hair perfume on my wig in the morning; this hair perfume is my favorite! It's a great start my day knowing that my wig looks and smells amazing!
  • Remove t-pins, push in your stays, put your wig on and your good to go!
If you need additional support, please book a private wig consultation with us, and we would be happy to help. Book Here

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