Although I love my natural curls, twist-outs, and braid-outs every now and then, I love the element of surprise. On any occasion you can find me rocking a curly u-part wig, clip-in extensions, or a sleek and straight full lace unit. I love variety and switching up my look. In addition, I have purchased wigs and extensions from about five different companies, so I’ve learned a few key tricks to taking care of textured wigs. So far I’ve successfully maintained human hair extensions for over a year, which I made into a u-part wig, clip-in extensions for six months, and other units by following a few cardinal rules.
Cleanse & Condition First
Always wash and deep condition the hair after receiving the extensions or wig unit. Although most extension companies pre-wash the hair before it is shipped, when ordering online, it is always best to shampoo and deep condition your hair again before installing. Little information is known about the conditions the hair is being kept before purchasing, environments of travel, packaging, etc. Cleansing and deep conditioning the hair once more is just an extra precaution and will ensure you have a clean slate for styling. Additionally, this will help to enhance the natural curl pattern before installing.
If you choose to purchase weft extensions in preparation for constructing your own wig vs. purchasing a pre-made unit, use a weft sealer to minimize shedding. This clear-like bonding product will not eliminate shedding completely, but it will reduce shedding significantly. Weft sealer should also be used prior to shampoo and conditioning the unit.
Treat your human hair textured wigs just as well as your real hair for the unit to last longer.
Use Quality Products
Chances are you have invested a pretty penny into your textured hair unit, so this is no time to skip on quality for products. My rule of thumb is to treat your human hair wigs just as well as you treat your real hair for it to last longer. When selecting a textured hair wig unit, most women opt to choose a curl pattern closest to their real texture. This makes the maintenance process even easier. Use the products currently in your possession to enhance the curls for wash and go’s, moisturize daily, and deep condition. You are familiar with these products and already how know how to use each one. All of the key factors you search for in products to treat your real hair, such as sulfate free, paraben free, mineral oil free, etc., should be used when sourcing products for your wig. Also look for key ingredients such as aloe vera and glycerin as moisture agents.
Maintain A Regular Regimen
In order to preserve the longevity of your unit, maintaining a quality regimen will be imperative just as your real hair. Whichever day you designate as wash day for your real hair also make this the wash day for your unit. Your extensions and wigs should be deep conditioned weekly, detangled often, and moisturized daily. For detangling, choose conditioners with tons of slip. More than likely, the wig unit will be more hair to handle than you have ever maintained before and you will want this process to be easy and hassle free. For daily maintenance, each morning I also spray my human hair wig with fresh water and aloe vera juice to revitalize for a fresh look. Again, this is a similar process I use on my real hair every day.
Store Properly When Not in Use
It may seem like no big deal to toss your wig into a drawer when it is not in use, but properly storing your wig is another small way to take care of your unit over long periods of time. Using a Styrofoam wig head or wig stand is great for keeping the natural shape of your unit. This also comes in handy for easy of styling. Store the unit within a satin bag or bonnet to help prevent extreme drying when not in use. Once the textured wig unit is removed from your head, section the hair into four sections to install 2-3 twists for each section as somewhat of a protective style. This “protective style” does not help protect your real hair of course, but more so protects the wig from further detangling when it is stored away.
Overall takeaways
Maintaining human hair textured wigs should be no different than taking care of your natural curls. However, many women make the mistake of thinking their wigs are invincible and can withstand any type of treatment. If you do not currently have a productive healthy hair regimen, I would think twice about purchasing a textured hair unit. Caring for a unit can be a lot of work, oftentimes more than your real hair because you are handling twice the amount of volume and density. You might even find it harder to maintain and resent your purchase overall, so do your research, understand what you can handle, and follow these four rules for weave success.
Have you tried any textured wigs? What is your regimen and what works best for you?
