Have you ever realized after years and years of doing something one way, you’ve been doing it all wrong?
It’s kind of like having realized that you’ve been pronouncing a word or saying a phrase incorrectly your whole life.
Please don’t tell me you say “I could care less”, “irregardless”, “supposebly” or “to all intensive purposes”…
That’s how it was for me and wavy synthetic hair.
This whole time I’ve been working with it (drying it, storing it, etc.) as I would my straight hair.
I love my wavy hair as it gives me a whole new look in an instant…and the waves last all day (unlike when I try to curl my wimpy bio hair).
But a part of me always gave my pieces the side-eye, because over time (and not even after too much time) those pretty waves would start to straighten.
I just chalked this up to “helper hair woes”…it is what it is, right?
WRONG!
I realized I was making some major mistakes when it comes to caring for wavy and curly synthetic hair, and I want you to avoid the same mistakes!
We want to keep our curls and waves nice and bouncy, like this:
This wig is Julianne, by Jon Renau, in color Palm Springs FS17/101S18…isn’t she pretty?
There are two major things that I was doing wrong, so let’s talk about each. Read below or check out the video if you prefer to watch.
How to Dry Wavy and Curly Synthetic Hair Styles
First up, drying.
I dried all my wavy and curly synthetic hair toppers and wigs the same way I did my straight pieces: I’d gently blot the water from them, and hang them upside-down to dry.
Much like how those with natural curly hair have to dry their hair differently than us straight-haired ladies, the same goes for synthetic hair.
I didn’t realized that the water was actually weighing down the hair as it dried…sloooooowly coaxing it into a straighter and straighter look.
Ugh!
Duh!
This obviously makes total sense, but it’s something that never even crossed my mind.
If you want volume, gravity is not your friend.
In order to not pull down the hair strand when it’s heavy and wet, the hair has to be supported.
Instead of hanging, after blotting the hair so it’s not soaking wet (carefully! Be sure not to rub!), drape your wigs and toppers over a plastic wig stand…the air will circulate around the piece so that it dries quickly.
But here’s a trick: allow the hair to rest against something as it dries.
If you use the plastic wig stand on your bathroom counter, allow the hair to gather on the counter, supported.
In the below pic, the hair is obviously dry, but I wanted to demonstrate what I mean (and fun fact, this very post is being worked on, in the background!):
Or (and less ideal but it might be a good option for short/lightweight pieces), gently lay the wig or topper belly down onto a towel, with the base or cap kind of propped up.
This way, the hair dries while being supported so it stays more springy, longer!
How to Store Wavy and Curly Synthetic Hair
This is a cool trick and something I never would’ve thought of!
Once the topper base or wig cap is fully dry, you can pin your piece to a canvas head (even if the hair itself it still damp).
You know those pesky hair nets that come in many wig or topper boxes?
The ones that are safety-pinned 492 times to the hair piece? Save those!
After pinning the piece to a canvas wig head, USE that hair net to help keep the hair supported while it sits in your closet (psst: My head is backwards here, haha!).
That way, even if your piece sites in storage for months and months without being handled, it’s fully supported and gravity isn’t taking over to straighten the piece.
You can even try this trick as your curly or synthetic synthetic hair dries: once the topper base or wig cap is fully dry, you can pin your piece to a canvas head (even if the hair itself it still damp), and allow the hair to dry completely while in the hair net.
For drying, this would work best on a shorter piece, so that the curls don’t get all scrunched up. I’m guessing pieces 10-12” or shorter would be good candidates. My wig head here has an extra-long neck and this piece is 18″.
Who knew? I certainly didn’t!
Using these tips and tricks will keep your curly and wavy pieces looking more like-new, longer. Do you have any ideas for keeping your waves and ringlets looking great over time?
Share them in the comments below!
Hi, Lauren,
I’ve never had anything by synthetic wigs.
But I recently bought a wavy heat friendly synthetic wig.
I haven’t used hot tools on it yet, but I will when the waves start to droop.
I found an adjustable curling iron at Walmart by ProAir called Infinity.
It’s temperature range is 350 degrees to 400 degrees Farenheit.
I found an adjustable curling iron at a local wig shop: RED, by Kiss.
It’s temperature range is 250 degrees to 450 degrees Farenheit.
Neither one says they’re specifically made for synthetic hair.
I purchased the one by Kiss, but I haven’t used it yet.
I looked for adjustable hot rollers online, and found several types.
Most had negative reviews.
But I did find one with more positive remarks: a set of 8 John Frieda Body & Shine Smooth Waves, Hair Rollers (Jumbo).
I plan to purchase those. I’ll let you know what kind of results I get.
And in case you didn’t know, I found TheHairYouWear products on Amazon.
In regard to caring for synthetic wigs, I wanted to ask if you can comb or brush synthetic hair when it’s wet if you use a detangler/conditioner, or whether that would make it lose it’s style “memory”.
On another note, I wanted to ask about Remy hair. wigs.
Will they lose their style “memory” when washed like bio hair does?
And would you recommend styling it with hot tools before each wearing?
And finally, can you tell me anything else I should know before purchasing a Remy wig?
Thanks very much, Julie
.
I’ll address the questions we haven’t chatted about yet:
1) Remy hair is human hair, so it will behave just like your natural hair. The curl will wash out, for sure.
2) Yes, I do recommend using heat in most cases. It helps to seal the cuticle and for hair to look it’s best.
3) Hmm, what should you know? Just be prepared that there is some more upkeep vs synthetic (of course) and that you’ll want to wash it every 7 wears or so…and every 4 or so WASHES you’ll want to deep condition.
Hi, Lauren. I talked to you a couple of years ago. I couldn’t join your community then. But I’m very excited that I’ll be able to join after the first of the year.
The reason I’m writing now is to ask your advice. I have two old wigs that look awful. I’m looking for something online to replace them that isn’t too expensive.
Something medium to long, straight to slightly wavy, heat friendly, and gray. It’s been a challenge.
I know you have blogs on curling synthetic hair with curling irons. And I did finally find one at Walmart with adjustable heat settings.
But I’d also like to use adjustable heat hot rollers for volume and soft waves. But I just can’t find any adjustable heat hot rollers that would be ok for use with heat friendly synthetic wigs.
Do you know of any?
The other thing I wanted to ask you about is pretty basic, but I don’t know the answer.
When a wig is described as 16″, is that 16″ from the top of your head, or the nape of your neck?
And finally, does joining your community automatically enroll you to in your YouTo channel, or is that separate?
I hope you find this note. and look forward to hearing back from you.
Happy Holidays. Julie
Hi, Lauren. I talked to you a couple of years ago. I couldn’t join your community then. But I’m very excited that I’ll be able to join after the first of the year.
The reason I’m writing now is to ask your advice. I have two old wigs that look awful. I’m looking for something online to replace them that isn’t too expensive.
Something medium to long, straight to slightly wavy, heat friendly, and gray. It’s been a challenge.
I know you have blogs on curling synthetic hair with curling irons. And I did finally find one at Walmart with adjustable heat settings.
But I’d also like to use adjustable heat hot rollers for volume and soft waves. But I just can’t find any adjustable heat hot rollers that would be ok for use with heat friendly synthetic wigs.
Do you know of any?
The other thing I wanted to ask you about is pretty basic, but I don’t know the answer.
When a wig is described as 16″, is that 16″ from the top of your head, or the nape of your neck?
I hope you find this note. and look forward to hearing back from you.
Happy Holidays. Julie
Hi Julie, sorry I missed this – it didn’t come up as a new comment in my notifications feed.
1) For hot rollers…I haven’t seen any that are adjustable. But, most hot rollers are going to be less hot than an iron, so I think you’d be OK. If anything, you can unplug and let them cool for 2-3 minutes (which would be tedious if you are using many, but you get the idea). I’d be comfortable using rollers.
2) 16″ is generally from root to tip 🙂 Always aim longer if looking at a topper, specifically, since your bio hair underneath can turn out to be a bit longer than you might think (and hair can always be trimmed).