Top Tips to Extend the Life of Your Wigs

As a wig wearer, you’ll know that finding the perfect wig is the Holy Grail. It makes you look great and feel great, leaving you more confident than ever before. But because the average wig only lasts between 3 and 12 months (depending on the type of wig you choose and how regularly you wear it) your perfect wig simply won’t last forever. However, there are things that you can do to extend the life of your wig. Proper wig maintenance is essential for helping you to keep wearing your favourite wig for as long as possible. Here are our top tips for getting it right:

Washing Your Wig

Your wig won’t need to be washed as often as your own natural hair, but it should still be washed regularly. This is true of both human hair and synthetic wigs. If you wear your wig everyday then experts suggest that you should wash it once or twice a week. The water you use to wash your wig should be lukewarm: water than it too cold won’t help to remove the dirt whilst water that is too hot could loosen the fibers of the wig and cause permanent damage to it.

Once you’ve washed your wig you should leave it to dry naturally. Although human hair wigs can be heat treated, heat treating your wig will leave it feeling more brittle and more prone to breakages. Heat treating a synthetic wig could cause the fibers to melt. Leaving your wig to dry naturally is the best way to extend the lifespan of your wig. If you’ve found a wig that you love, why not consider buying two versions of it? That way you will still have one to wear whilst you are leaving the other to dry naturally, and this will also half your wig wearage, prolonging their life.

Invest in a Wig Stand

No matter how much you love your favourite wig, you can’t wear it 24 hours a day! When you’re not wearing a wig, you should be sure that you store it properly. Wigs should be kept out of direct sunlight, and they should never be stored flat, unless it can’t be avoided. If you store your wig flat then creases, kinks and ridges could form, meaning that you wig will look less natural when it’s placed on your head.

The best way to store your wig is to invest in a wig stand. This will help it to hold its shape, and prevent any accidental damage from being caused to your wig when you’re not wearing it. Wig stands are inexpensive, and won’t take up too much room in your home, so they are an essential piece of equipment for all wig owners.

Remove Your Wig at Night

Many women don’t like to be seen without their wig on, and would like to wear their wig at night, particularly if they are sharing their bed with a partner. Unfortunately, wearing your wig in bed will dramatically decrease its lifespan. As you move your head during your sleep it will cause friction with your pillowcase or bedhead, and this will increase the amount of wear and tear your wig experiences.

It’s a simple maths game: when you take your wig off at night, you are only wear it for 12 hours a day, rather than 24 hours a day. This will double its lifespan. Why not consider swapping your wig for a glamorous head wrap or turban at night instead? These will be much softer and easier to sleep in too.

Use the Right Products

In order to treat your wig with the best possible care, you should ensure that you use the right products. You can’t simply wash your wig with Head and Shoulders or spritz it with your normal hairspray. Instead, you should wash your wig with a gentle, wig-friendly shampoo that is free of sulphates and won’t stip it of its colour or cause any damage to the fibres. This same rule should be applied to hairspray and hair mousse. Certain products, such as baby shampoo, are often advertised as being gentle to hair, but in reality these products will strip your hair of its colour and cause irreparable damage.

On the subject of treating your hair correctly, hairbrushes with nylon bristles should be avoided, and instead you should use a wooden brush with soft bristles that will treat your wig as gently as possible.