Wig Studio 1 News
Human Hair Wigs – are they for you?
(Wig shown above: AVA WIG BY HENRY MARGU)
It’s hard to argue that human hair gives the most natural appearance—but maybe not with the minimum of effort. The movement, color, texture, and realistic sheen make it a desirable choice for many.
Here are some recurring questions, comments, opinions, from experts and might answer some questions for you about the challenges and care of human hair wigs that you might like to review if you are considering one:
- Should I wash it before wearing it? Yes, wash the coating off to make it easier to style.
- Heat styling (at a safe level) vs air drying is recommended.
- How often should I wash the wig? If the hair appears dull, lifeless, it’s time. This, like synthetics, is usually every 6-8 wears. Deep conditioning every other wash might be helpful (mid-shaft to ends). Be careful to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Use shampoo and conditioning products made for color-treated hair.
- As a general rule: Do not leave the conditioner on for more than 3-4 minutes, rinse using cool water, blot/ press excess moisture with a towel.
- Style as you would your bio hair, being careful about the temperature of any equipment that you use.
- Do not dry the wig on a solid form or mannequin head to avoid stretching the cap.
- Treat the lace with care.
- Don’t brush the wig when wet, finger comb only.
Other human hair questions: What is Remy Hair? What is Virgin Hair?
Remy hair manufacturers have focused on making sure the cuticle layers (scales) of the hair strand are facing in the same direction. Closing the cuticle protects the hair and reflects light more naturally giving the wig a healthy but natural shine.
Virgin hair is unprocessed and untouched by chemicals. Remy human hair wigs can be virgin but don’t have to be.
One of the biggest differences, besides price, when looking at synthetic vs human hair wigs, is the task of styling. Human hair, just like our bio hair, will need to be styled and re-styled. Unlike synthetic wigs that hold a style, and save you time, human hair will demand more attention. If you are not talented in the styling area, or just don’t want to be bothered with this every morning, it can be an issue for some people. There will be a learning curve, and one that some don’t want to or just can’t tackle.
The care process of human hair wigs is similar to synthetic wigs, but they take more care, and usually more time for that care. The experts tell us to rotate our human hair wigs daily to make them last longer. And like synthetics, a lot of washing will take a toll. Also, like synthetics, correct washing and drying are crucial to the life of the wig.
Buying the right products is as important for human hair wigs as they are for synthetics. Why invest a lot of money in a wig only to use inferior products? The other issue with human hair is finding the right temperature for your appliances when you style the wig. If you constantly overheat your wig, it will shorten its life. Like synthetics, pay special attention to the ends of the hair, extra conditioning and trimming can make a big difference in the look and the life of the wig.
It’s been my experience that hairdressers prefer to work with human hair wigs from a styling point of view. This is understandable, but if you are lucky enough to live near a wig boutique, you will usually find someone skilled in styling human and synthetic wigs.
I made the mistake of buying a human hair wig too early in my wig journey. I had not learned enough about wigs in general and human hair wigs in particular. I grew frustrated trying to style the wig every morning and was never entirely happy with the results. I have since learned a lot but find that I gravitate to heat-friendly synthetics because I don’t like the constant styling aspect of human hair wigs, and I like to change up styles and colors. That can become very expensive with human hair wigs. But with all that said, I can see myself buying another human hair wig someday if I can find that “perfect one” – hey, you know what I mean.
Until next week,
Enjoy life and take a deep breath,
Vickie Lynn
“In Treatment” (Fiber Configurations for Regular Synthetic/Heat Friendly)
Fixing Fringe Flop
There are many things that can flop in life of which we have no control, however, when it comes to bangs flopping in our face, this video/blog has come to the rescue. For our subject, I have chosen Miss Macchiato HF by Belle Tress in Roca Margarita Blonde. You will need the following:
Patience, a wig head to place your wig on other than your own, 2 to 3 mesh rollers, T-Pins, and a steamer. Optional: Blow dryer, rat-tail comb, and end papers.
Needless to say, this is demonstrated on a wig that has been freshly washed and conditioned for this presentation. After securing your wig, simply section off one front fringe at a time, and carefully roll it up in the mesh roller, you may use end papers but this is not necessary. Proceed to the other side of the wig depending on the style and desired re-direction. Secure the rolled-up sections with T-Pins. Following this, plug in your steamer, I recommend using distilled water or spring water, and when the steam emits you are ready to direct the steam to the rolled-up sections for approximately 5 to 7 seconds. This can be repeated later if necessary. Be careful to avoid the lace front and concentrate the steam only on the fibers. This process can be utilized on both Heat Friendly and Regular synthetic fibers.
The most important point here is the fact that most of the work is done during the cooling down process so I would recommend leaving it to set for a few hours or overnight. If you are in a hurry you can utilize the blow dryer method. Use the low setting on the blow dryer and please take into account that this also needs to dry completely until cool to the touch. If the roller is disengaged prematurely it will not be set.
I hope you enjoy the accompanying video demonstration with the goal of seeing the light at the end of the fringe flopping tunnel.
FYI: I am wearing Kendall by Henry Margu in 10/613GR
Both wigs were purchased by creator from Wig Studio 1 (Clearance Section).
Best,
Michele Pearl