Human Hair Wig is Dry and Frizzy

Wigs are designed to empower you to express yourself and to enhance your natural beauty. So, your wigs should always stay looking healthy and beautiful, and they should be easy and fun to style.

However, just like your own natural hair, human hair wigs require proper care to stay healthy, and even the highest-quality human hair wigs can become dry and frizzy without the right maintenance.

If your human hair wig is beginning to appear dry, frizzy, and damaged, keep reading to learn more about why this might’ve happened, how to restore your wig to its former beauty, and how to prevent frizz from happening again in the future.

Why My Human Hair Wig is Dry and Frizzy?

There are a number of reasons why a human hair wig might become dry and frizzy. In some cases, it could be a result of a combination of factors. Below, we’ve broken down some of the most common causes of a dry and frizzy wig.

Your Wig Is Made of Low-Quality Hair

A human hair wig is a delicate product. But if you don’t purchase your wigs from a reputable source, you may end up with a wig that is made of lower quality hair. This means that your wig is more susceptible to frizz from the start, and will require extra care and caution to avoid dryness and damage.

You Are Washing Your Wig Too Often

Just like natural hair, washing your human hair wig too often can cause the strands to be stripped of moisture.  It is a good idea to wash your wig every 7-8 uses. If you wear your wig every day, this means that you should wash your wig once per week. If not, then 6-8 weeks is a good time frame to keep in mind.

You Are Using the Wrong Shampoo

Using a harsh shampoo on a human hair wig can easily damage a wig’s delicate strands. There are many products available that are designed especially for use on human hair wigs. Consider investing in high-quality wig shampoo, conditioner, and styling products to preserve your wig.

You Are Heat Styling Too Often

While heat styling is necessary to maintain your wig’s style, even too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. If you find that your wig is showing signs of damage, try to limit your heat styling to only on wash days, in addition to sparingly touching up the style as needed between washes.

You Are Setting The Temperature Too High When Styling

When styling your wig, setting the temperature too low will cause your styling efforts to be ineffective, making it difficult to achieve your desired style. However, setting the temperature too high can lead to dryness, and sometimes even permanent heat damage, to your wig.

The ideal temperature when styling a human hair wig is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lack of Care

If it’s been a while since you’ve worn your wig, your wig’s frizz might be a simple case of neglect. Try giving your wig some much-needed TLC by following the steps in the next section.

How to Deal with Dry and Frizzy Wigs: Step by Step

The good news is that even if your wig has become dry, frizzy, or tangled, it is possible to restore your wig with a little bit of effort in caring for your wig. To do this, follow the instructions below to detangle your wig, and then wash, condition, and heat style the hair to revive its style.

Tools and Products You May Need

• Wig Stand
• Clips
• Wide Tooth Comb or Paddle Brush
• Detangling Spray
• Human Hair Wig Shampoo
• Human Hair Wig Conditioner
• Human Hair Wig Deep Conditioner
• Shower Cap
• Round Brush
• Blow Dryer with concentrator nozzle attachment
• Other heat styling tools of your choice

Step 1: Detangling Your Wig

Put your wig onto your wig stand.

1. Separate the wig’s hair into smaller sections. Clip away the sections that you are not detangling.
2. Using a wide-tooth comb, or your fingers, gently and carefully begin to detangle the hair.
3. Be sure to take your time to avoid breakage.
4. Focus on the ends of the hair and avoid brushing the cap and hand-tied areas directly to prevent shedding.
5. Continue to work in sections, detangling the hair until it is smooth and free of knots or mats.

Tip: If needed, use a gentle detangling mist or conditioner to help during the detangling process. These products are especially helpful if the hair has become matted. Read this guide to how to detangle your wig effectively.

Step2: Washing Your Wig

1. Remove the wig from the wig stand and rinse in cool or lukewarm water. Be careful not to use hot water, which can dry out and damage your wig.
2. Wash your wig hair using a wig shampoo. Gently shampoo the wig cap as well.
   Rinse the wig thoroughly.
3. Apply a wig-friendly conditioner, working it through the ends of the hair, but avoiding the base.
4. Applying conditioner and other moisturizing products to the base of your wig and hand-tied areas can weaken the strands and lead to hair fallout.
5. Rinse the wig thoroughly again.

Learn more how to wash your wig properly

Step 3: Deep Conditioning

1. Place your damp wig back on the wig stand after washing.
2. Gently brush your wig with a paddle brush or wide tooth comb to ensure it is free of tangles.
3. Apply a wig-approved deep conditioning treatment to the ends of the hair, taking care to avoid the base of the wig.
4. Put the hair of the wig into a shower cap.
5. Optionally, apply a small amount of heat to the cap using a blow dryer on a low setting for 1-2 minutes.
6. Remove the shower cap and rinse hair thoroughly

Consider incorporating a deep conditioning treatment into your wig care routine every 3-5 washes. While deep conditioning is a valuable component of your wig’s maintenance, too much deep conditioning can cause your wig to become limp and over moisturized.

Step 4: Blow Dry Your Wig

Once you’ve washed and deep conditioned your wig, it may be necessary to blow dry your wig to revive the hair, as allowing a human hair wig with a straight texture to air dry can cause it to become stiff and unwieldy.

For a silky straight wig style, complete a blowout with a blow dryer, concentrator nozzle, and round brush. Then, style as desired with a straightener and/or curling iron.

Tips to Prevent Your Wig From Becoming Frizzy and Dry

Of course, the first step to avoid a frizzy wig is to invest in high-quality human hair wigs. A high-quality human hair wig will provide you with easier styling and an overall better experience wearing wigs.

Below, we’ve detailed other important steps that you should take to maintain your human hair wigs and prevent frizz and dryness from occurring again.

Wash Your Wig Regularly

If you do not wash and style your wig regularly, it can begin to lose its style, becoming unruly and frizzy. When not addressed, this can lead to tangling, matting, and damage to your wig. As mentioned previously, you should wash your wig every 7-8 uses to keep it in the best condition.

Use Cool Water When Washing Your Wig

Just like your natural hair, hot water can cause dryness in your human hair wig. Moreover, it can also loosen the hand-tied knots in the lace of your wig. This can lead to shedding that will reduce the quality and longevity of your wig. To best preserve your wig, avoid turning up the heat when washing your human hair wig.

Use Wig Shampoo or low pH Hair Shampoo

While human hair wigs do not always require a wig shampoo, many shampoos are available that are specially designed for human hair. These products will ensure that your wig remains healthy and nourished.

Alternatively, it is possible to use the same shampoo on your human hair wig that you might use on your natural hair. However, a major criterion to pay attention to when purchasing shampoo for your wig is the pH level. While the ideal pH range for shampoos is between 5 and 7, a lower pH shampoo is ideal for preventing dry and frizzy hair. A more acidic product can seal the hair cuticles, lock in moisture, and limit static on the surface of the hair.

Condition Your Wig When Washing

Just like your natural hair, a human hair wig requires regular conditioning to maintain its moisture. Conditioning allows the hair’s moisture levels to remain balanced with the moisture levels in the air, which prevents frizz. Additionally, dry hair can become brittle and more easily damaged. Never skip conditioner on wash day!

Towel Dry First, Then Blow Dry Your Wig

Too much heat can lead to damage when blow-drying your wig’s hair. Set the temperature to a medium or low setting when blow-drying your wig. Additionally, high-quality heat styling tools will make your styling process more efficient and reduce the amount of time spent applying heat to the hair.

Use Heat Styling Less Often

As mentioned previously, only use heat styling on your wig when it becomes necessary. This should include styling following a wash, as well as touch-up styling between washes.

If your wig is properly washed, moisturized, and styled on wash day, it should not need to be fully restyled every time you wear the wig between washes, as the style should last at least several uses. If this is not the case, evaluate your wig care routine to see where improvements may need to be made.

Use Lower Heat Settings

While setting your heat tools to a temperature that is too low will make it difficult to style your wig, it is also important to be careful not to turn the temperature too high. An ideal temperature when setting your heat tools is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use Heat Protection Products

When heat styling your wig, an added layer of protection is essential to preventing damage. Consider using a heat protectant spray, which will shield your wig’s hair from heat damage and increase the lifespan of your wig.

Use Natural Hair Oils

Your natural hair can be kept healthy using the natural oils produced by your scalp. But human hair wigs do not have this benefit, you must apply natural hair oils regularly to keep the wigs moisturized and protect them from damage.

While most natural hair oils do not provide your wig with moisture, they are effective at sealing the hair’s cuticle to lock in moisture. Apply a few drops of hair oil once you finish styling your wig on wash day.

Don’t Wear Your Wig in the Shower

As shown by the detailed instructions above, your wig requires special care, especially when it is being washed and styled. Although it may seem tempting, it is not a good idea to wear your wig and wash it in the shower as if it is your natural hair. Taking the extra time to wash your wig properly will maximize your wig’s longevity.

Restore Your Wig When It Is Not in Use

When you are not wearing your wig, storing your wig properly is an essential step to preserving your wig. If you are preparing to store your wig for a longer time, you should cleanse and condition your wig, and ensure that the wig is tangle-free and completely dry before storing.

Here are a few ways to store your human hair wigs safely

Final Thoughts

Human hair wigs are gorgeous and versatile accessories to add to your beauty collection. However, just like natural hair, they require a consistent hair routine. This routine can restore dry and frizzy wigs, and prevent that frizz from returning. Once you find the routine that works for your human hair wigs, caring for them will be a breeze and you’ll love to flaunt your favorite style!