How often to wash it
Most women who wear a wig every day wash it every 10 to 14 wears. Wash it sooner if it feels heavy with product, smells of cooking or smoke, or has stopped holding its style. Washing more often than you need dries out the hair, because a wig does not get natural oil from your scalp.
What you need
- A sulfate-free shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner
- A wide-tooth comb or a wig brush
- A clean towel
- A wig stand or a canvas head, plus T-pins if you use a canvas head
Step by step
- Detangle first. Brush the hair gently while it is dry, starting at the ends and working up to the roots. Knots get tighter when they get wet.
- Use cool water. Hot water loosens the knots that hold each hair to the cap. Lukewarm to cool is safest.
- Shampoo from the top down. Rinse the wig so the water runs from the roots to the ends. Smooth a small amount of shampoo down the hair. Do not scrub, twist, or pile the hair up on itself.
- Clean the cap gently. Turn the wig inside out and wipe the inside of the cap with a little shampoo on your fingertips. This is where skin oil and makeup collect.
- Condition the lengths only. Keep conditioner off the cap and the knots near the roots, where it can loosen them. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse until the water runs clear.
- Press, don't wring. Lay the wig in a towel and press the water out. Wringing it stretches the cap and tangles the hair.
- Dry on a stand. Put the wig on a stand away from heaters and direct sun. Let it dry most of the way before you style it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Regular shampoos with sulfates, which strip the hair
- Rubbing the hair between your hands like a sweater
- Brushing it hard while it is soaking wet
- Sleeping in a damp wig, or storing it before it is fully dry
When to let us do it
If the hair has lost its body, the color looks dull, or the style won't come back after a wash, it may need more than a home wash. Our Refresh & Repair service washes and conditions the hair properly, restyles it, and checks the cap at the same time.