How To : Wash a Human Hair Wig

Caring for your wig correctly is essential to maintaining its quality, appearance and style. Using wig maintenance products specifically made for human hair wigs regularly can maximise your human hair wigs’ lifespan and preserve its soft, silky glow. Washing your wigs properly is also good for maintaining good general hygiene.

Follow this step-by-step process to ensure your wig stays smooth, soft and maintains its high-quality, real-life look.

How to Wash a Human Hair Wig

What You'll Need:

Human hair wig care set – includes shampoo, conditioner and a human hair wig brush
A Bowl
A running tap for rinsing
Clean towel
Suction wig clamp holder
Polystyrene styling head or wig tree stand

1. De-tangle

Firstly, de-tangle your human hair wig using either your fingers, a normal brush or a comb. Avoid using wire wig brushes as these can damage the wig.

2. Shampoo Your Human Hair Wig

Once your wig is knot-free, squeeze human hair wig shampoo into a bowl of lukewarm water and mix it in with your hands to ensure the solution has dissolved.

Then place the wig in the bowl and rub the shampoo into the crown of the wig and inside the wig cap. Let the wig soak in the water for a couple of minutes. You can also soak and wash your wig in a sink following the same techniques.

3. Rinse Away the Shampoo

Gently rinse the product off of your human hair wig by running it under the tap keeping the hair all running in the same direction. To encourage the solution to come off, use your fingers to manoeuvre the hairs so that the water reaches all parts of the wig but try not to create any tangles.

Once rinsed we suggest holding a towel under the wig to avoid water droplets. Then lay your wig on top of half the towel and dab it softly to encourage excess moisture to leave the wig and be absorbed by the towel.

4. Condition Your Human Hair Wig

Make sure you refill your bowl with clean lukewarm water before you begin the conditioning process. Once refilled, pour the conditioner into the bowl and mix the water with your hands until the conditioner solution has dissolved. Once ready, put your wig into the bowl and rub the conditioner into the ends of the hair strands. Then, let the wig soak for a couple of minutes.

5. Rinse the Conditioner Off

Just like you did with the shampoo, return your wig to under the tap and allow the water to rinse off any remaining conditioner. The water tends to do most of the work, so you don’t have to fiddle with the wig itself too much.

6. Dry Your Human Hair Wig

Once rinsed, again dab your wig softly with the towel until it’s slightly drier and no longer dripping. Then secure your wig onto a wig stand or polystyrene head and begin gently brushing the hair with a comb to get rid of all the knots. Start from the bottom upwards. Once finished, leave it to dry naturally until damp and then use styling tools on the coolest setting to achieve the desired style. Also, make sure it stays out of direct sunlight to avoid damage.

We find by using a suction wig clamp holder and a polystyrene styling head, or wig stand makes drying your wig much easier as it ensures the wig stays in one place and encourages it to dry back to its original style.

How Often Should I Wash My Human Hair Wig?

The number of times you wash your human hair wig within a certain period will depend on how often you wear the wig and also the season; hotter weather may require more frequent washes whereas in cooler weather you can get away with fewer washes. On the whole, we recommend washing your wig every 7-10 wears.

Get in Touch with Joseph’s Wigs

If you still have questions about washing your wig or would like to speak to someone, get in touch with Claire or Stuart at Joseph’s Wigs who’ll be more than happy to help. Email sales@josephs-wigs.com or call 020 8648 5541.

Alternatively, browse our site with useful wig advice and information, or explore our broad selection of stunning human hair wigs.

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