Maintaining your wig properly starts from day one, and knowing some best practices will prevent any mishaps down the road.

Proper maintenance is key in order to keep your natural hair wig in its best condition and ensure the longest life possible for your wig. But just because your wig is made of human hair doesn’t mean it should be treated like human hair! Maintaining your wig properly starts from day one, and knowing some best practices will prevent any mishaps down the road.

Before You Get Started

Remember that although natural hair wigs are made from real human hair, they go through extensive chemical processing to achieve the desired texture. These chemicals can be absorbed through the scalp, so washing your wig before wearing is an absolute must! Another thing to keep in mind is that human hair wigs do not come pre-styled like their synthetic counterparts. You will need to take your wig to a professional stylist who has experience styling natural hair wigs before it is ready to wear.

Washing Your Human Hair Wig

Knowing the proper way to wash and condition your wig is crucial to keeping it in tip-top shape. Washing a wig is very different than washing hair that grows from the scalp. Before beginning, gently brush your wig to get any snags out. Fill your sink with cool, clean water and add a small amount of shampoo to the water. It is important to note here that you should only use wig-safe shampoos that are free of parabens and sulfates. After swirling the shampoo into the water, submerge your wig and swish it around gently in the water. Let soak for five minutes. Empty the sink and fill again with cool, clean water and swish your wig to rinse. Do this process twice to make sure all shampoo is rinsed out.

Conditioning Your Human Hair Wig

Conditioning your wig is the single most important step in maintaining your wig. Remember that natural hair oils are not distributed by brushing your wig like they would be on biological hair. Again, choose a wig-safe formula that is paraben- and sulfate-free. Apply conditioner liberally, avoiding the roots. Leave the conditioner on for at least two minutes before rinsing. For more intense conditioning, leave on overnight. Rinse your wig the same way you did when rinsing the shampoo out. After rinsing, wrap your wig in a towel. DO NOT SQUEEZE OR WRING THE HAIR! Instead, gently pat the wig dry with the towel. Spray your wig with a high-quality leave-in conditioner, place on a wig stand, and allow to air-dry. Once dry, gently comb the wig to remove any tangles. If you feel it needs more moisture, you can add more leave-in conditioner.

Following these tips will help you keep your wig in its best possible condition and will allow you to wear it for as long as possible. So be sure to protect your investment and keep your human hair wig clean and pristine!