Stop throwing your old wigs away and spend that precious money elsewhere. Today, I’m going to share with you a quick way to breathe new life into your old wig - even if it seems beyond repair. This process will soften the hair and make your wig look gorgeous again!
Brush Out Matted Hair
What you need:
The easiest way to begin is by bringing out your wig head. Pin your wig in place. You’ll be able to see where the trouble spots are – particularly in the back. Using your wig brush, gently work out the matted hair in small sections from the bottom up. Do this for the whole wig.
Now, let’s fix the hair stiffness.
Cleanse Away Hair Stiffness
What you need:
- Sink/Basin
- Mild Soap
- Water
- Towel
Having stiff hair happens to the best of us and there are a lot of reasons why. Over time, your wigs hair stiffness is caused by friction, makeup, oils or hair product buildup. To begin fixing it, we need to give it a good cleaning. Fortunately, synthetic wigs don’t require a specialty shampoo. In fact, a mild soap will work wonders!
1: Fill your sink with lukewarm water and mix in your soap.
2: Place the wig inside of your sink – being careful to keep the hair out of the center of the wig. Submerge the wig by pushing it into the water.
3: Begin cleaning by pulling your hands over the hair to remove any buildup. Try not to work the hair too much by running your fingers through it while it’s wet. Be sure to remove any makeup around the part line.
4: Remove the wig and drain the water. Refill the sink with cold water and insert the wig. Rinse it out by gently pushing it into the water. Work the clean water throughout the wig.
5: Remove the wig once you are satisfied it is completely rinsed. Gently squeeze the water out of the hair - working from top to bottom. Place the wig onto your towel to allow excess water to drip out.
Bring Back the Softness
What you need:
- Wig head
- Hair clip
- Medium round brush
- Hair dryer
Now it’s time to really bring back the softness! Place the wig onto your wig head and clip most of the hair on top - except for the very back bottom.
Work with small sections of hair and lightly brush out the ends. Place the round brush under the section of hair and begin drying by pulling the brush in a downward fashion toward you.
Pro Tip: Dry on the medium or low setting - even if your wig is heat safe.
Pro Tip: If your hair dryer is not strong enough, then you can use a higher heat but begin by keeping the hair dryer a few inches away from the hair to prevent any burning.
If you want that playful curly look, simply roll the brush from the bottom of the hair back toward the top while drying. Apply this method throughout the rest of the wig.
Once it’s completely dry, go back through the hair to see if there are any spots where the hair still seems stiff. If there are, simply apply more heat with the hair dryer and work it out with the round brush until it is soft and supple.
That’s it! Now you have a wig that looks great and you’ve saved money. For more great DIY tips on synthetic wig care click here.
What mild soap do you recommend and can I use fabric softener and how much to soften it?