Summer may not officially be here for a few more days, but summer weather definitely is.
That means pool parties, beach barbecues, and, yes, deciding whether or not it’s too hot out to wear our favorite wigs.
On the one hand, rocking a wig during summer can be great. Synthetic and heat-friendly synthetic styles come pre-styled and don’t lose their look when things get sticky.
On the other hand, wearing a wig in August can feel just as good as putting on a ski helmet in the dessert: manageable for some, intolerable for others.
Especially for women who are going through chemotherapy and absolutely need to stay cool, it can feel like wearing a wig in the summer isn’t an option.
But not wearing a wig can be just as difficult a choice. Wigs can help women who have experienced hair loss feel whole again after going through an illness. Choosing to go bare can feel like giving up a part of ourselves.
So what do you do if you want to wear a wig in the summer and need to stay cool?
You follow these tips (and thank us later).
Tip #1: Switch out your human hair wig for a synthetic wig
Human hair wigs might look more natural than synthetic wigs, but that natural look comes with a price. And no, we’re not talking about dollar amounts here.
Staying cool in your wig in the summer is all about having the least amount of weight possible on your head, and human hair wigs are much, much heavier than synthetic wigs.
Synthetic wigs are made of a lightweight fiber that is two to three times lighter than human hair wigs. If staying cool is your goal, go for a synthetic or heat-friendly synthetic wig.
For those of you that have always worn human hair wigs and feel like you absolutely can’t consider anything else because human hair wigs look SO much better than synthetic wigs, we’ve got something to tell you: humidity and sweat come for us all.
And once your human hair wig gets sweaty or frizzy, the style will fall and you’ll regret not having worn a synthetic wig with style memory.
Want to look good in the summer AND stay cool?
Wear a synthetic wig.
Tip #2: Say goodbye to your hairdryer/curling wand/straightening iron
Putting a warm, freshly styled wig on your head in 90-degree heat isn’t a good idea. It’s such a bad idea that we recommend staying away from styling tools entirely during the summer, and not just because a styled wig can make you overheat.
Wig hair doesn’t generate natural oils to moisturize itself as bio hair does, so wig hair - synthetic and human - dries out and gets brittle over time.
Heat, even humid heat, will dry out your wig or extension hair. Avoid heating tools in the summer to increase the longevity of your wig.
Besides, not having to pack a curling iron in your suitcase means extra wedges on your next beach trip.
How bad could that be?
Tip #3: Store your styling products with your winter clothes and buy some anti-humidity spray
The heavier your hair, the hotter your head will be. That can be a good thing in January and not such a good thing in July.
Unfortunately, products like wig mousse, hairspray, and leave-in conditioners will weigh your wig down and heat things up even more.
Try using very-little-to-no styling products on your hair during the summer months (hey, have we talked about how great pre-styled synthetic wigs are yet?).
If anything, spray some anti-humidity spray on your wig. Not only will it help you eliminate frizz, but it will also act like deodorant and discourage sweat from forming around the wig cap.
Tip #4: Experiment with updos
If ever there was a time to settle your own personal left side braid vs. right side braid debate, it’s summer.
Pulling your hair up off your neck and back can help you stay cool because it takes the weight off your neck.
Ideally, you want to go for a braid or a bun, not a ponytail. Ponytail hair tends to whip back and forth against the backs of our necks, picking up the sweat.
Need help figuring out how to put your hair in an updo? Read our Summertime Wig Updo Guide.
Tip #5: Keep 👏🏻 your 👏🏻 hands 👏🏻 out 👏🏻 of 👏🏻 your 👏🏻 wig
We all love to touch our hair.
It’s fun. It makes us feel sexy. It gives us something to do when we’re bored. And, honestly, it’s just nice to play with truly soft hair.
But when the weather warms up, you really need to stop touching your hair.
Our hands get sweaty, too, and when you add that sweat to your wig hair, it weighs down the hair and heats things up.
Want to stay cool this summer? Keep your hands out of your hair.
Tip #6: Buy a no sweat/stop sweat liner
Not all wig liners are created equal.
Some people don’t even wear wig liners at all.
Some people, even, have never heard of no-sweat liners (who are these people and where have they been for the past ten years?).
A no-sweat liner does what the name implies: they have extra ventilation, allowing air to circulate under your wig. No-sweat liners stop the formation of sweat and collect any sweat that does form. And they stop any sweat that does form from getting into your wig cap.
Not sure if a stop sweat liner is really worth it? If ever there was a time to buy one and try it out, it’s now.
Tip #7: Switch to a lighter color.
We’ve got some bad news for all of our ebony-hued wig wearers out there. That dark brown or sleek black wig you love? It’s soaking up a ton of heat in the summer.
We don’t start wearing white in the summer just because it looks good (although it definitely does) we start wearing white because lighter colors don’t soak up the heat in the same way that darker colors do.
Lighter colored wigs absorb less heat and therefore stay cooler during the summer.
If you’ve ever wondered if blondes really do have more fun, now might be the time to find out.
But if you’re used to wearing extremely dark wigs and aren’t quite ready to go full bombshell, don’t trick yourself into thinking you have to go blonde or wear no wig.
Switching your wig color to something even a few shades lighter will have a drastic impact on how you feel in the heat.
Tip #8: Don’t forget to wash your wig
When you don’t wash sweat out of your wig, it collects and weighs down your wig.
And if you’ve read this far, you should know that extra weight in your wig during the summer is always a bad thing.
The same goes for products, too. If you aren’t washing out that anti-humidity spray (you aren’t really still thinking about putting hairspray in your wig this summer, are you?), your products will build up in your wig, too.
Sweat + wig products = one heavy and sweaty wig.
Hopefully, these tips will help you stay cool, calm, and cute this summer. Know a stay-cool tip we didn’t talk about? Let us know in the comments!
For more summertime wig advice, read these posts: