When somebody says wig, one may immediately think that you do not need to style it. After all, you just place it over your head and then you are done. But just like regular hair, wigs do need some styling especially if you want it to go undetected. There are two main types of wigs – the synthetic ones and the natural ones. This article will discuss how to style both types of wigs since they have some slightly different limitations and strengths.
•Styling synthetic wigs – prepping the hairpiece. Before putting on your wig, it is best to brush it already so that you can see all sides of it. Shake out the wig so that air will be incorporated through it, making it feel more lifelike. If you have your own wig stand then this is the best place for you to prep your wig.
•No-nos in styling synthetic wigs. There are a couple of things you need to remember when you are handling wigs. For one, you should never ever use a curling iron or any form of heat when manipulating synthetic wigs. As the name states, it is not made from human hair and will not be able to handle the heat applied to it. It will most likely burn or melt with the heat. Also, if ever you have moistened or wet your synthetic wig, do not run a comb through it. This will pull out the wig from the roots and damage it. And lastly, if your wig is of a curly or wavy style, do not comb through it since it will also damage the styling of the hairpiece. Remember how the dolls that are curly lose their hair’s vibrance when you comb through it? That is exactly what will happen to your synthetic hairpiece.
•Working with natural hair wigs. If you are working with natural hair wigs (which are often more expensive than the synthetic ones), there is not much adjustment regarding how you style it as you normally would style your hair. This is because natural hair wigs are made from actual human hair and can be treated like one. This means it can tolerate heat (but not too close to the “scalp” since it might damage the glue) and other hair application products.
•Dos and don’ts in styling natural hair wigs. You can use water to help evenly spread out product that is already on the wig. If you want to remove the product and re-apply it, just wash it out with regular shampoo then gently squeeze it dry to remove the excess water. Towel dry it or blow dry it and then reapply the product. You can also activate older products by slightly wetting the hair and then combing through it again. Just make sure you regularly wash the natural wig hair at least once a week so that it won’t smell bad. For storing, just place it on the wig stand and let it get fresh air once in a while, especially if you are just storing it in the closet.
As a general rule, shorter wigs are much easier to maintain than longer ones so depending on the main purpose of your wig in your life, factor in these tips to see what type of wig you would want to maintain.
