Lesson 6: How To Wash A Wig?

If you are new to wearing wigs then caring for one might seem daunting. At Encelia® Hair, our mission is to help make your wig life a breeze. We do this by offering you the best wigs at affordable prices and by providing you with the guidance needed to help make your wig life easy. Step-by-step, throughout your wig journey, we are here for you! In this tutorial, we will not only show you how to wash a wig but we will also explain why it is important follow these eight easy steps.

We offer three kinds hair types 1) Remy human hair 2) Luxury synthetic 3) Heat-Friendly synthetic. This wash guide can be applied to all three hair types. The heat-friendly synthetic requires specific products and some minor nuances which are mentioned below.

In general, the only difference between "real hair" and "wig hair" is that your biological hair produces natural oils, which help maintain moisture. Wig hair doesn't, so it is important that we add moisture to the hair to keep it soft and tangle-free.

WIG CARE FAQ

How Often Should Wigs Be Cleaned?

As a general rule, the less you wash your wigs, the longer they will last, but, if you wear your wig all day and everyday, you should wash your wig once a week to restore the moisture. Pick a day that works best for you and put it on your calendar and set that as your weekly wash date night!

How To Know When Its Time To Wash Your Wig?

Wig hair lacks moisture so the hair will start to feel dry, especially on the ends so the hair will tangle more than it normally does. When the hair starts to feel like this, it is time to wash it. It's also important to note that if the wig starts looking flat or heavy, the hair might be oily and it needs to be washed.

How To Use Extend Your Wash Day?

Apply oil, every other day to human hair wigs. You don't need apply oil to synthetic wigs. Argan oil or Kerasilk Brilliance oil by Goldwell are my two favorite oils because they have a nice subtle scent, they are lightweight so it won't weigh the hair down. Apply 1-2 drops to the ends of your hair and then use a boar brush to distribute the oil throughout the wig.

Pro Tip: Synthetic Care: A synthetic wigs best friend is water. If the ends feel dry, simply apply water to the hair, this will help eliminate frizz and will immediately calm the hair down. If that doesn't work, try a conditioner wash: simply wet the ends, apply normal conditioner to our luxury synthetic and the synthetic leave in conditioner to our heat resistant synthetic or any other synthetic hair, then rinse the hair with cold water (don't let it the conditioner sit on the hair like human hair), and let the hair air dry. This will help restore the ends and prevent the hair from tangling.

Remember That Sweat & Salt Will Dry Your Wig Hair Out Faster

Just like normal hair, salt and sweat causes the hair to get very dry causing it to tangle, which can lead to breakage or split ends. If you have been sweating a lot or if you have been near salty air/water, you may need to wash the wig sooner than expected and you should consider doing a conditioner wash. A conditioner wash, just means that you wet the ends of the hair, apply conditioner, let it sit for 15 minutes, rinse in cold water and then let the wig air dry.

Please note, that all Encelia Hair wigs are made with a cooling mesh that is double-lined, which helps keep you cool and prevents salt and sweat from absorbing into the hair.

PRODUCTS NEEDED TO WASH YOUR HUMAN HAIR WIG

For Human Hair or our Luxury Synthetic hair, Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner - sulfate-free, color-safe, silicone-free hydrating shampoo and conditioner that will restore the moisture your human hair wig needs to feel soft, move naturally, and prevent breakage. Other brands that work well on our human hair wigs are Goldwell Rich Repair or Milbon's Moisture line. For our Heat-Friendly Synthetic hair, use synthetic products like Jon Renau's Synthetic Care Travel Kit.
Petite rubber mannequin head - aka home base, this mannequin is petite, so it won't stretch out your wig; the rubber base allows you to easily secure your wig in place with wig pins, and the hairline outline will help you "set" your wig to maintain the "dome-like" shape of the head.
Wig Pins - unlike t-pins, these pins won't pull the hair when you brush your wig
Wig Brush - The Flexible design of this brush will help you quickly and gently brush your wig without pulling on the hair and knots, which can cause shedding.

HOW TO WASH YOUR WIG | STEP BY STEP

Be gentle, like you're washing a baby. All Encelia Hair pieces are hand-tied. Excessive pulling on the hair can cause the knots to loosen.

Step 1: Brush your wig. Starting at the bottom and working your way up to the top of the wig.
Step 2: Flip wig inside out so the inside of the cap is facing outward.
- Water pressure is heavy and can cause the hair to invert or come back into the cap, which can be itchy and can cause lumps in the wig. Because we want the the wig maintain the natural "dome" shape of the head it is important for water pressure to be forced in the direction that you want the hair to go and always put your wig on "home base", which is the mannequin head.
Step 3: Using lukewarm water, wet the hair. Add 2-3 dollops of shampoo, and swish the shampoo around in your hands so it's nice and soapy and then apply the shampoo to the wig, always going in downward position while applying gentle pressure. Avoid rubbing because it can cause the hair to tangle. Rinse the wig in lukewarm water.

If your wig has silicone or polyupolyurethane tabs (sections), water and shampoo can't absorb through the cap so you will have to apply shampoo to the hair on the side that the hair is on the wig.

Step 4: Apply conditioner. Hold the top of the wig with one hand. Starting halfway up the wig, apply the conditioner or hydrating mask to the hair. Let the conditioner set for 15-20 minutes (if the hair is really dry, allow the conditioner or mask to sit in the hair overnight). Rinse with cold water.
- If you have a heat-friendly wig or a traditional synthetic, skip this step.

Keep the conditioner away from the base or the cap of the wig, as it can cause the knots to swell and loosen over time.

Step 5: Wrap your wig in a towel, massaging the hair in a downward motion for one to two minutes.

I like to take a moment and give "thanks" to the wig. I know it sounds strange but we spend a lot of time in our wigs and I like to take a moment and reflect back on the week. Did you get a compliment? Did you do something in the wig that you were afraid to do? What was your life like in the wig?

Set 6: Place your wig on mannequin head, and allow it to air-dry for about 45-60 mins. Set your phone alarm and come back to the wig.

It's important to not brush the wig when the hair is super wet because wet hair is 75% more elastic so brushing the hair can cause breakage and split ends but it can means more pulling on the knots and this pulling can and will cause the hair to shed.

Step 7: Set your wig.

Place t-pins in the PU tabs and then using your wig brush, gently brush the hair starting at the bottom and working your way to the top.
- If you have a heat-friendly wig or a traditional synthetic, spray on the leave in conditioner.
Set your part. Put the wig on your head and take your teasing brush or a comb and set your part line.
- Please review the top of your wig. Wigs are not limitless so take a moment to review the top of your wig. If it's a skin top, where does it end? For example, if you part the wig close to the end of a skin top the hair will be thin and the wig won't look right. In general, with wigs we can only really do a slight left or right part or a middle part. If you try to do a deep part your wig really might not look right after it drys.

In general, look at the arch (highest peak) of your eyebrow, that is the furthest side part that I would recommend on wigs.

Redirect the knots. Push the hair and knots in the direction that you want the hair to fall. It is really important to make sure the wig is sitting on the mannequin the way you want it to sit on your head. Allow the wig to air-dry overnight.
- Check to see if inside the cap by running your index finger inside and along the perimeter of the wig
- Check and see if lace front is sitting flat
- Check and feel the wig, make sure the cap is sitting flat
Step 8: AM routine. In the morning, apply the argan oil to the ends and style your wig how you want (curls, flat iron). If you use heat tools, please use heat protector spray. This will lock the moisture in and prevent the hair from overheating which can damage the hair.

All Encelia Hair wigs are low-maintenance because they air-dry beautifully. The hair will air-dry straight and smooth, resulting in very natural-looking wig that has a bit of movement, so it really doesn't need any additional styling.

Lesson 6: How To Wash A Wig?Updated 21 days ago