How to fix synthetic wig

Whether it be a synthetic or human hair wig, wigs are an important part of a wig-wearers daily life. However, with this daily wear can come a little unwanted damage to your lovely wig. Just like natural hair, taking proper care of your wig is essential to keep it looking fresh! Sadly, damages can and do still occur, but don’t worry if this has happened. In this blog post, we discuss how to fix a wig with wig damage.

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How to Fix a Synthetic Wig
Wig damage from dryness

This guide was written by one of our clients and will give you useful tips for how to fix a wig and give it a new lease of life, as well as giving you some tips for how to prevent your wig from wig damage.

How to Fix a Synthetic Wig

Synthetic wigs are a popular choice for many as they are generally a cheaper option compared with real hair wigs. However, there are a few common problems with synthetic hair wigs that require a little repair. Below, we explore how to fix a synthetic wig.

Tori wig Rene of Paris

Wig damage from dryness

After a lot of wear, some wig wearers find their synthetic wig begins to lose some of its shape and style, as a result of the strands becoming dry. This can occur because synthetic wigs lack the moisture of real human hair, and the chemicals in the hair change and cause a static cling, resulting in losing the style of the wig.

FIX– To repair a synthetic wig that has become dry, some of our wig wearers try using fabric softener as a conditioner. This isn’t a method we actively recommend, but it’s a technique used by many. Fabric softener contains chemicals that have a positive charge that rebalances the hair electricity, causing it to feel softer. As the fabric softener softens the hair it also makes it much easier to comb. We would always recommend using a product designed specifically for this, such as good quality conditioner and balsam.

Kinks

Unwanted bends or curls are another common problem in synthetic hair wigs. As the wig is made from synthetic fibres, you cannot simply straighten these kinks out as they are sensitive to high temperatures (unless you have a heat resistant synthetic wig). If this has happened to your hair piece, take a look at the following tip on how to fix a synthetic wig.

FIX – Using steam for gentle straightening

1. Put a wig stand in the bathroom and close any windows, with the aim to trap as much steam as possible.
2. Run hot water in the shower until the room is steamy.
3. Gently brush the wig with a wide toothed comb or wire wig brush. Be sure to start at the ends of the wig first, then work your way up to the roots. The steam will heat the fibres and cause them to loosen.
4. Remove the wig from the room once condensation starts to build, transferring the wig to a cool, dry place.

Heat-Friendly Synthetic Hair Wig: Straighten the way you usually would with regular hair, tying it up in a bun and straightening in small sections. The only difference is that you should use a low heat!

Dry Ends

Similar to normal hair, a tell-tale sign that your wig is in need of some TLC is the ends. Dry ends can be the result of brushing, styling and heavy wear, and repairing this issue will improve the look and longevity of your wig.

FIX- repair your synthetic wig with a little trim, added moisture, and detangling!

• Trim the ends of the wig – as wig hair doesn’t grow back, this can only be done a few times. Take it to a hairdresser if you’re not confident in doing it yourself!
• Apply an anti-staic spray. It acts like a protective coat to seal and separate the ends whilst also adding a shine.
• Detangle the ends. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to gently work through the tangles at the end of the wig. Hair tip liquid may be required if the knots are very difficult to untangle. This will reduce the appearance of a dry and frizzy wig.
• If you have a heat-friendly wig, use a heat styling tool after applying your product to reduce the frayed look and smooth the dry ends. Only use a low heat.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to fix a synthetic wig, here are a few tips on how to prevent these damages from occurring:

• Only use cold water on your synthetic wig. • When your wig is wet, avoid using a brush or comb. • Allow your wig to air dry, avoid using a blow-dryer. • Do not apply heat i.e. straighteners or curling tongs on your synthetic wig (unless it is heat-friendly). • Take your wig off before going to bed. • Use synthetic hair products when styling and caring for your wig. • Use your fingers to untangle knots from your synthetic curly wig.

• Use fabric softener as a conditioner to make the wig softer and easier to comb.

With synthetic wigs being in now, we thought we’d give you some useful tips on how to keep them looking fresh and anything but matted, knotted and dry! It’s important to remember that synthetic (and virgin hair for that matter) do not have a ‘blood supply, minerals’ or the lovely nutrients our natural hair does. So, we have to actively feed our wigs with what they need. Read on, let’s create some magic with your wig!

1. Brush it Out

Most of the knotty, matted ends can actually be brushed out with help of a great brush. We’d suggest using a sturdy detangling brush or a wire brush. You’ll usually find the majority of matted hair at the back, so start there first. Gently work out the matted hair on your wig until you see fit.

Image | Synthetic Wig Being Brushed Out

2. Some Good Ol’ Cleansing

Next, it's time to wash the hair. A lot of the time, our synthetic wigs become overly matted due to the ‘friction, makeup, oils or hair product buildup’. We would recommend filling your sink with lukewarm water and throwing in some shampoo. Ensure the water is not hot, as you don’t want to damage the existing fibres. You can opt in for a hydration shampoo, such as Herbal Essence's 'Hello Hydration' shampoo. Submerge the wig into the shampoo-filled water and start removing the buildup. Next, rinse the wig with water and squeeze the water out from top to bottom.

Image | Herbal Essences' Hello Hydration Shampoo

3. Don’t Neglect the Conditioner

Nourish your synthetic wig with a rich conditioner such as Olaplex to counteract any dryness. Olaplex No.5 in particular ‘repairs damaged hair...and frizz by re-linking broken bonds, making it stronger with each wash'... How can you say no to that?! Leave this on for three minutes then rinse away!

Image | Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner

4. Dry it Out

You can let your newly-washed-and-conditioned wig air dry by pinning it onto a wig stand and letting it sit for a while. If you opt in to use a blow dryer, just be sure to use it on the coolest setting.

Image | Synthetic Wig on Wig Stand

5. Can I Wear it Now?!

Now that your wig is dry and full of the moisture and nutrients it needs, use a detangling brush to gently brush out the hair. Tip: brush from bottom to top. To keep your synthetic wig looking shiny and soft, you’ll want to finish with a wig-shine spray. A synthetic-wig community favourtie is Insert Name Here's 'Emergency Revival Spray' which has been said to 'detangle hair in minutes and leave hair shiny and soft'. For added security, we’d recommend using The Wig Fix, to keep your wig in place, no matter whether Storm Eunice attempts to make a return or not.

Image | Insert Name Here Emergency Revival Spray

Let's not get disheartened when our synthetic wigs get knotty and matted. it's most likely just product build up and a huge sign that your wig needs some TLC. We hope these tips help, and as always, feel free to add suggestions in the comments below!