How to Maintain a Curly Wig?

Have you just bought a new curly wig and you're wondering how you can maintain it?

Curly wigs can end up looking like a matted ball of tumbleweed if you don't know how to keep the curly strands defined.

The hair texture of your wig will determine how gentle you need to be and how long you can realistically keep it looking good. Curly human hair wigs are easier to maintain than synthetic wigs.

Maintain your curly human hair wigs with these simple tips:

Top Tips on How to Maintain a Curly Wig

Let’s walk through the easy steps you can follow to take care of your curly unit even when it gets brittle, dry, and even frizzy. These tips right here should help you restore its texture and movement.

1. Wash with Gentle Products

Get all the products you need before putting your curly wig in the washing bowl. Doing this makes the process less stressful and quicker.

Select shampoos and conditioners that hydrate and moisturize the hair strands, since the hair is not in its natural habitat (the scalp). The quality of the products determines how nourished the curls will look.

You want to select products with natural ingredients and sealants that keep the hair moisturized for a long time. I will recommend hair wash products infused with natural ingredients like Avocado, aloe vera, essential oils, etc.

Using the right products defines the strands and aids movement (which are the factors that keep curly hair intact). The safest product for this is a sulphate-free shampoo. Using a shampoo that does not contain sulfate can gently cleanse the wig even when it's very dirty without damaging the strands.

But make sure to move downwards, not to disrupt the curls, and avoid using hot water whenever you wash. You can also just swish a few times before removing it from the basin.

2. Do not Over Wash Your Wig

Wigs do not need to be cleansed too often to look clean. While I'm not denying the importance of cleansing your hair unit, as accumulated sweat and oil can cause damage, avoid washing your curly wig too often.

This will not only strip your hair of its moisture, but it can also lead to frizz, tangles, and even brittleness.

Generally, wigs are fine for 7 to 10 wears before they need to be washed. Also, when you do, be sure to rinse with only cool water, as hot water can cause a lot of damage to the curls.

3. Deep Condition When Necessary

Don't deny your curly wig the extra love it deserves. If the need arises, deep-condition it properly to restore shine, bounce, and definition. I always like to use a deep conditioner whenever I feel my wig is stiff and dry. The steps? I simply let it sit for a few hours, then rinse it with cold water.

You can also deep condition your curly hair every two weeks. However, this depends on how often you wear it. If you aren't wearing it regularly, you do not have to deep-condition every time.

4. Use the Right Comb and Detangle with Care

We all know how important the initial styling can be for curly hair units. However, it doesn't end there. At intervals during the day, use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your wig carefully.

Now, my recommendation is to use a wide-tooth comb because it does not disrupt the curl pattern, unlike fine combs and brushes that can separate the curls and even cause frizz. If you do not want to go about with a comb, you can use your fingers to detangle gently.

This process is simply to remove tangles from your hair, maintain the bounce, and minimize shedding. It also helps you avoid those small tangles that can lead to bigger knots later on. But do not comb roughly. Always start combing or detangling from the root before moving your way up to the root.

Note: Not all curly wigs need to be detangled with a comb. For some, you can maintain them with just water and leave-in conditioner while finger detangling carefully.

5. Dry Properly

Curly wigs are just like our natural hair. They should be treated with as much care as we do with our hair. The general rule for drying our hair is to pat gently with a microfiber towel, no scrubbing or squeezing. Well, that's exactly the way you should also dry a curly wig after washing.

Place it on a microfiber towel, then pat it dry with the other side of the towel. Be sure to avoid wringing to make it dry faster. It can make the strands shed and cause friction, which can lead to frizz. Also, do not comb the hair while it is still very wet. Just dry with the towel, then air dry afterwards.

6. Refresh with a Conditioner Mixture

No other product will refresh your curls like leave-in conditioner and water. It is the secret mixture for keeping your curly wig in shape and well-moisturized.

So, don't joke with this. While the water helps with hydrating your curls, the leave-in conditioner defines and softens the curls. However, do not overapply the leave-in conditioner and water mixture to your hair.  

7. Liquid Products are the Best

Curly wigs actually do not like solid products, mainly because they do not penetrate the curls easily. Rather, they sit on the strands and cause buildups.

You might have already noticed that your curls become stiff or even lose definition and bounce whenever you use hair butters and styling creams. So, use liquid products instead.

Lightweight, water-based products can do wonders for your curly wig. They will penetrate easily, hydrate, and revive your curls. Some of them include leave-in conditioners, serums, and mousse.

8. Cut Off the Ends

I’m not going to pretend your curly hair unit, especially a long wig, is safe from split ends, tangling and frizz. At some point, our hair also does. So, if your wig does, you can simply trim the split ends for a beautiful style again.

While I wouldn't recommend you trim your short curly wig, long wigs might totally need this. Just search for the areas with split ends and cut them off. This will help you avoid getting your wig tangled at the ends. But that's not just it. The good thing is it can also add dimension to your wig and remove bulkiness if you decide to go for a full trim.

9. Scrunching Works

Do you know that scrunching can help revive your curls and boost their volume? Although it is really overlooked, it can protect your hair from frizz and keep it flourishing.

For me, I always apply water and a product to the wig to hydrate the strands before scrunching it. You can start by detangling your wig first, then hydrate with water and apply a leave-in conditioner, and lastly, scrunch it with your hands.

Make sure to do it right. Simply spread your hands under the ends of the wig, then cup the hair and squeeze it upwards. If you want to get the full benefits, you can divide your hair into sections, then repeat the process.

10. Store Properly

Maintaining your curly hair unit isn't just about how you wash and style; it is also about how you store it when not in use. This is because storing it wrongly can cause frizziness, tangling, and loss of definition.

But you can prevent any damage by storing it properly, whether on a wig stand or in its original packaging. What you'll discover is that it will retain its curls and maintain its shape.

11. Wear a Bonnet

Do not focus on other aspects without paying attention to what you must do to care for your curly wig when going to bed. This step may not be important for those who don’t wear their hair unit to bed.

However, for those with installed curly hair secured with glue for a long period, you have to protect the curls with a satin or silk bonnet.

Simply gather all of your curls into the bonnet before going to bed. You can even place the hair into a loose high ponytail to protect the curls. But avoid sleeping without a satin or silk bonnet if you aren't using a silk pillowcase.

Mistakes to Avoid When Caring for Your Curly Wig

Caring for your natural hair can be dicey. You can have a checklist of everything you should, and one thing can slip right through.

To ensure you get your desired result after washing your curly wig, I will walk you through a few mistakes to avoid (just so there are no slip-ups)

1. Handling your wig roughly

Avoid detangling or washing your wig when you are tired or after a long day. The goal is to be in a calm, rested place when caring for your hair.

When you are rested, you have the bandwidth to do things carefully without rushing. You can take it as a TLC day for your hair.

2. Using heat styling tools frequently

While you might think it'll be faster to dry with a blow dryer, resist the temptation of using heat styling tools. Well, too frequently. And whenever you want to, apply heat protectant to all of your strands for protection.

You can escape getting heat damage on your natural hair, but for your hair extensions, the rate of damage is higher.

3. Using shampoos that contain sulfates

Products that contain sulfates can strip your wig of its moisture, making it lose its shine and luster. You might also notice that your unit becomes dry and brittle, and in the long run, damaged.

If you use a sulphate shampoo to totally cleanse your dirty wig, do well to follow up with a moisturizing shampoo.

So, avoid these products. Instead, use nourishing shampoos and conditioners.

Final Thoughts

From all I've said, you can deduce that maintaining a curly wig simply has to do with treating your wig with love and affection. So, follow the tips I've mentioned in this post and never miss a wash day.

A good routine should start with washing with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, then drying with a microfiber towel, and end with storing your curly wig properly. If you can follow these easy steps, you will have no problem maintaining your wig.

For curly wig options, visit the Cynosure Hair store today.