Synthetic/Heat Friendly Wig & Topper Care

Synthetic (and heatfriendly) wigs and toppers are fun, purse friendly and easiest to look after but still need a lot of TLC...

You can't dye or highlight them - they only respond to fabric dyes and even that's dodgy DIY at best.

You can trim them, if heat friendy you can use heat on them....but not too much or they frazzle...,

Basically just because a synthetic wig may or may not be heat friendly doesn't mean you can straighthen it...ever. Best care is still washing and styling from wet. Leaving a style to dry in rollers for example, will keep the shape and keep you wig or topper looking good.

But I never said they were easy...

Synthetic hair wigs and toppers are said to last around 2-3 months but I know lots of ladies who have looked after theirs beautifully and still wearing their wigs months into their journey and the best bit is they have more of them because they're significantly cheaper than human hair wigs!

So what's the big deal...?

Conditioning, oiling, intensive treatments and regular rejuvenation! Imagine if we went out every day after using harsh detergents, no conditioner, in all the wild Scottish weather, never getting a haircut - would our hair look and feel fabulous...?? Synthetic fibres need help to stay frazzle-free not a tuggy birds nest in need of a good soak in fabric conditioner.

So what do we do...?

When you get your synthetic hair wig or topper, don't delay....BUY PROFESSIONAL WIG AFTERCARE PRODUCTS

If you don't do it then, you'll put it off then you'll be wondering what you did wrong. Don't try to use normal shampoo etc on them.

I like ELLEN WILLE wig shampoos, conditioners and styling products. My favourites are their Wig Tip Liquid, Styling Mousse and Care & Repair Spray.

Here's what I do...

1. BUYING - Buy topper or wig. Buy wig friendly accessories as above, including collapsible wig tree/stand (for drying), wig friendly wide tooth comb (JON RENAU do a lovely one but I got a really nice generic CANTU one from Tesco/Superdrug). Synthetic wigs come in non-heat friendly and heat-friendly. It depends on your lifestyle which will be best and heat-friendly is more desirable and more expensive, depending on the length. If it's cheap it's likely not heat friendly - and i've never seen a great Amazon wig yet. You really do get what you pay for. If you're buying a cheap one always wash it thoroughly first to remove heavy metals, toxins and chemicals used in cheaper factories in China etc. Remember the Shein clothes scandal...?
   

2. LONG HAIR - If your wig or topper is long - spray the wig friendly conditioning/care and repair spray in it daily to detangle and ONLY USE a wig brush or wig friendly wide tooth comb. Seriously. They tend to tangle from your neck area down where clothes rub and cause friction. The more they tangle the more they can get frazzled and ruined long-term.
   

3. WEATHER - If you're going out and its Hurricane 2000 outside - try to use a protective hairstyle whether loose braid, pony tail, hat, sombrero.... You're trying to stop tugs and your fibres losing moisture just like your own hair does. I can't shout about this ENOUGH!! Be careful with wool scarves etc which can pinch your hair earned moisture - try lined ones instead or switch to a less thirsty fabric.
   

4. COMBING - Ok....we're back home...we've done the shopping...put the Weetabix in the cupboard...TIME TO DETANGLE! Remember our hair is weakest when wet and that is true of all wigs and toppers too so be gentle and NEVER comb from the roots. These beautiful pieces are usually hand tied and no good comes of un-doing those...
   

5. STORAGE - If you're not wearing around the house, store a wig on an appropriate stand such as a collapsible wig tree, storage box or similar. DO NOT store it on a mannequin head because it'll stretch the cap. A topper can be stored similar or draped gently over something if dry. Wherever, keep it dust-free and out of harsh direct sunlight in case of photodegradation....the posh word for fading....
   

6. WASHING - Hair wash day? I tend to say wash your wig or topper after about a week of wearing, even if the hair isn't 'dirty' you want to wash the cap to get rid of dirt, oils, old skin cells, maybe some itch...definitely if you have any scalp condition or dandruff. To wash - FILL A BASIN OR SINK WITH LUKEWARM WATER, never hot, splash a cap of wig shampoo in, swirl, then submerge your wig or topper for a few minutes. Take out, gently rub the inside of the cap to clean it. Submerge again. Rinse and repeat depending how dirty it is. Plan ahead to when you want your wig or topper again and leave to dry for overnight or up to 24 hours. It's good to have a couple to rotate.
   

7. CONDITIONING - FILL BASIN OR SINK AGAIN WITH LUKEWARM WATER, again...never hot...and splash a capful or wig balm....wig version of conditioner and soak your piece for 5-10 minutes. I try laying the cap to the side a bit to stop too much conditioner getting into the knots and un-doing them. Rinse. Gently squeeze the water out lengthways, double up with a microfibre towel to remove more moisture effectively. You might want to swap this step out sometimes with a more intensive conditioning balm to rejuvenate your thirsty locks - it'll thank you! The more you've washed your hair it'll remove the silicones that have coated it from purchase so you need to add some protection back in to keep her silky smooth.
   

8. PROTECTION - Ideally just gently rake with your fingers after leave-in conditioner and leave to dry on a wig stand. My favourite is MEDICEUTICALS DEFEND because it's UV protectant, thermal protection, protects against environmental pollutants and it smells really nice. I use it on my own hair - it's definitely a favourite! If you're feeling fruity then blow dry with a hairdryer on a low setting if it's heat friendly or use a hot air brush. Just because it's heat friendly doesn't mean you have to blow dry it - it's just an added option. Personally, I'd avoid it and just plan ahead. But don't skip the leave-in conditioner/thermal protection/UV protectant especially in summer... (I remember Summer...it was a Tuesday this year)
   

9. WIG STANDS - If you want to style, it can be easiest to now introduce a mannequin stand or a wig styling block head on a stand, pin the piece on with T-pins and get 360 degree access, making styling really easy and you can style in in advance of going somewhere special. You can use this with synthetic or human hair wigs and toppers - definitely a plus! Just don't dry wigs on it, you don't want anything get mildew or mould....and it slows the drying time down too... But great if you're using some rollers on damp hair to dry overnight and create loose waves or curls.
   

10. STYLING - OK we're at the drying stage, now is a good time to use wig friendly styling products. They're lighter than normal hair products so don't build up so much or damage hair. ELLEN WILLE STYLING MOUSSE is nice, so is their HAIRSPRAY. But here's the important discovery....WIG TIP LIQUID. Yes, yes, yes as Meg Ryan did once declare! This is similar to us oiling our ends, we're sealing the ends to stop split ends. Meg...? Are you there...? YES YES YES!!! I do this on my own hair every day using hair oil and space out my haircuts because it prevents split ends....and when we get a split end the only way to fix it is to cut it...and that wig ain't gonna grow back....
    

11. TRIMMING - Trying to fend off a haircut for a wig but seeing the start of frazzles or split ends? Get a split end cut or learn to do it yourself on Youtube. Basically it's when you see the wee split ends appearing on hairs of different lengths - you bend the hair over your fingers til the hair with the split end pops up isolated and you snip it with hairdressing scissors. Don't use the kitchen scissors - they'l just cause more split ends... By regularly doing this when you see them you can avoid having an overall 'proper haircut' and the same goes for your bio hair if you're trying to grow it. It's a good time to supercharge your hair with a good silicone/fabric conditioner bath to soften her up and resurrect her locks from the other side. Lubricate your ends - I can't tell you this enough. Your new hair doesn't get natural sebum to moisturise ends so give it TLC just like you would hair extensions. If it's your own hair you can get away with 3-4 haircuts per year if you really have your haircare down to a tee - the same can be true of synthetic wigs.
    

12. DAMAGE - Sometimes wigs get damaged - don't try to be a hero. Get a professional to refurbish or repair your wig and keep it tip-top for even longer. The same goes for dying or highlighting it - get a human hair wig if this is the look you really love, it's too important to play DIY with and have it go wrong - ever had a bad haircut and had to grow it out? Wigs don't grow.... and human dye doesn't work on synthetic wigs....
    

13. Have I missed anything? Message info@higlandtrichology.co.uk or Comment if you'd like more Tips & Tricks from Highland Trichology Wig Professional.