When it comes to buying your first wig, the question that often comes to mind is how long do wigs last? Depending on how you care for your wig and whether you want a synthetic or human hair wig, the lifespan of your wig can vary greatly.
How Long Do Wigs Last?
There are several factors that can determine how long your wig lasts, but two key considerations are what your wig is made from and how you care for your wig. Whether your wig is made from human hair or synthetic fibres, you should be as gentle as possible whilst wearing, caring for and storing it. Assuming you take the necessary precautions, your human hair or synthetic wig could last for years!
How Long Do Wigs Last?
There are several factors that can determine how long your wig lasts, but two key considerations are what your wig is made from and how you care for your wig. Whether your wig is made from human hair or synthetic fibres, you should be as gentle as possible whilst wearing, caring for and storing it. Assuming you take the necessary precautions, your human hair or synthetic wig could last for years!
How Long Do Human Hair Wigs Last?
With proper care, human hair wigs can last between one and three years, with their lifespan increasing the less frequently you wear them.
How Long Do Synthetic Wigs Last?
Synthetic wigs can comfortably last between four and six months when worn every day. Due to the static created between their fibres, synthetic wigs are more prone to tangling, which affects their day-to-day resilience, but this lifespan can also be extended by less frequent use.
Why Do Human Hair Wigs Last Longer than Synthetic Wigs?
As you can see, human hair wigs can last between three and six times as long as their synthetic counterparts. While you would be right to assume that human hair is more durable than synthetic fibres, this is not the only factor in why human hair wigs usually last so much longer:
How it was processed
While human hair is universally stronger than synthetic fibres, the way in which human hair is processed will determine how long its wig lasts. As most human hair is chemically cleaned during the manufacturing process, the durability of human hair wigs can vary between manufacturers, depending on the chemicals used in this process.
While some manufacturers chemically straighten or curl human hair, give it colour treatments, and enrich it with silicone additives to make the hair softer, the human hair wigs that last longest are those that have undergone the least processing.
For instance, Remy human hair has its hair follicles preserved during processing, such that they can be painstakingly arranged in the same direction when crafting the wig. This not only makes Remy human hair feel silkier to the touch but also greatly reduces tangling so that it can maintain its quality for longer.
How it is treated
A common mistake that significantly decreases how long synthetic wigs last is their wearers unknowingly treating them as they would their natural hair. Unless you have a heat-resistant synthetic wig, using a hairdryer, straightener or curlers on your synthetic wig could do permanent damage to its fibres.
How to Make a Human Hair Wig Last Longer
While human hair wigs are resilient, repeated styling can impact how long your wig lasts, as they are not rejuvenated by the oils and vitamins from the scalp that keep your natural hair healthy. To keep your human hair wig in the best condition possible, here are a few hints and tips we recommend you follow:
Wash delicately
Human hair wigs should be handled delicately when being washed and always cleaned in accordance with their manufacturers’ instructions. For detailed instructions on how to wash human hair wigs, please read our guide.
Style when damp
While human hair wigs have some resistance to heat, we recommend styling them when they are slightly damp rather than using hair straighteners or curlers. Brushing your wig straight or putting in rollers to curl it without heat may take longer, but they provide the safest ways to prevent your wig from becoming brittle.
Styling products
When you use heated styling tools on your human hair wig, we recommend applying heat protection spray or a comparable wig care product. Try to avoid using styling products near the roots of your wig and turn your straighteners or curlers down to their lowest temperature to minimise heat damage. Learn more about how to straighten wigs.
Blow dry with caution
The individual hair strands of human hair wigs are typically attached to the cap using a tying technique. If you overuse a hairdryer, this can loosen the knots and cause your wig to shed.
How to Make a Synthetic Wig Last Longer
A synthetic wig can look as natural as a human hair wig when you put the following wig care tips into practice. Luckily, synthetic wigs are easy to care for as they are intended to hold their shape with minimal effort required.
Clean with care
Synthetic wigs can get dirty when you wear them every day, but repeatedly washing them can impact how long your synthetic wig lasts. We recommend that you learn how to wash your fibre wig so that you can preserve its delicate fibres as long as possible while keeping it clean.
Use the right products
Investing in the right wig care products is incredibly important for keeping your wig in the best condition. Using generic wig care products will quickly damage your synthetic wig and shorten its lifespan, so you may want to check out our wig maintenance products.
Wear with care
Just as when washing your wig, you need to wear it with care. Be as delicate as you can when putting on your wig, especially with lace front wigs, so as not to damage their delicate layers. Try to avoid pulling or tugging on your wig with force, as it can be difficult to feel exactly how much pressure you are using.
Store with care
To keep your synthetic or human hair wig in the best condition, we recommend storing your wig on a wig stand away from excess heat and direct sunlight. Storing your wig correctly, especially when travelling, will ensure that it remains in the best shape, as it prevents its hair fibres from becoming tangled or damaged.
Wig rotation
Our top tip for increasing how long your wig lasts is to have more than one wig on rotation. Not only does this help to extend the lifespan of your wigs, but it also reduces the number of times you need to wash them and allows you to experiment with new wig styles!
How Many Wigs Do You Need?
The number of wigs one person needs will vary depending on their lifestyle. Whether you wear headwear most days and save your wigs for special occasions or you wear wigs every day and reserve different styles for the office and going on nights out, your usage will determine how many wigs you need.
Purchasing two or three high-quality ladies’ wigs is a great way to start your collection, as it allows you to alternate between them to match what you are doing that day. This similarly benefits how long your wigs last, as alternating between them will delay the wear and tear of everyday use.
Many women like to wear their favourite wigs more sparingly while having an ‘everyday’ style that compliments their features. For your everyday style, you might want to consider something similar to your own cut and colour so that you can feel comfortable in a wig which is natural for you. If you are nervous about changing your wig style, the team at Simply Wigs is always on hand for advice about colours and cap constructions.
When Should You Change Your Wig?
Investing time and effort into your wig care routine is vital to ensure your wig looks and feels fantastic for as long as possible, but even the best-kept wig will eventually need replacing. While it can be difficult parting with your favourite hairpiece, we recommend updating your wig when you start experiencing the following issues:
Tangling
If your wig is getting tangled or knotted, this could be an early indicator that it is nearing the end of its lifespan. Prolonged exposure to the elements and friction from clothing can cause your wig fibres to lose their softness and elasticity, which makes them more prone to becoming tangled. This can significantly impact how long your wig lasts, as the fibres can more easily become dislodged or damaged during styling. Learn how to detangle human hair wigs and keep synthetic counterparts knot-free.
Shedding
When you notice your wig beginning to shed, this is a sign to start seeking a replacement. Another indicator of fibre deterioration, shedding occurs when hair strands fall from the wig cap, resulting in thinning and bald spots. A high-quality, well-maintained wig should shed very little. Noticeable shedding is a clear sign the wig is nearing the end of its lifespan.
Changes to Fibre Texture
Repeated heat styling can cause the texture of your hair fibres to become dry, brittle and start to frizz. This will not only make your wig more difficult to style but can weaken the fibres, causing them to shed or break more easily.
Changes to the Wig Cap
Over time, the elasticity of your wig cap can slowly decrease until it no longer fits snugly over your scalp. While higher-quality, hand-sewn wig caps will generally last longer, eventually their stitching may begin to unravel, making them looser-fitting and less comfortable to wear.
Final Thoughts on How Long Wigs Last
As we reach the end of our article, we will leave you with our final piece of advice. Keep your wigs as long as you prefer! The last and most important factor when deciding how long your wig lasts should be your personal opinion. Of course, you want your wig to look and feel as gorgeous as when you first bought it, but as long your wig feels comfortable and you feel fabulous, you should be good to go.
And there you have it! We hope this article has helped you understand how long synthetic and human hair wigs tend to last and provided some useful tips for how you can prolong the lifespan of your beautiful wig. For all our best top tips in one place, you may find our ultimate guide to wig styling a useful read!
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THE AUTHOR
Hi, I am Emma. We began as our family was thrown into the world of hair loss, and we wanted to create a company where support, education, and hair loss options, were available together in one inclusive place
The problem with my synthetic wigs is, that even before they get frizzy the elastic inside them gets overstretched and they become too loose to wear. My scalp is very oily, perhaps this is the issue. Any tips?
I am using the human hair wig since long time. Its totally perfect due to care because wigs also needs proper care and maintenance services for long term usage.
Hi
Great website and great selection of really useful comments.Has anyone found the answer to wearing hair pieces in the wind?I buy human hair toppers,but although brilliant when you open the box,weather makes them tangly and matted.I would like to wear a hat but that causes friction and matting!Help please.Thanks
Thanks Kathleen, Thanks for your suggestion.
I do have a steamer and I do ‘steam curl’ my wigs.
The point is that with HD wigs, the frizz has to be hot ironed out first, before you can curl the fibres.. It won’t smooth out with steam, as it would with a normal synthetic wig.
I find that frazzled ends build up very quickly on HD fibres, despite the products used – nothing to do with heat, just friction where the fibres touch clothing or skin.
This is why I say that HD wigs are lovely and very versatile, but time-consuming to maintain in comparison with human hair or ordinary synthetic wigs.
Just read your comment. Go on you tube and see how to steam curl you hair piece or wig. Great results. You tube is great for sharing everything you need know about wigs. x Kathleen
There are pros and cons. I have been using all types of wigs for years. Generally, I prefer human hair. I have made many mistakes over the years: mainly using standard hair products rather than the recommended ( and very expensive) specialist wig products. You just can’t use standard dyes, cleansers, masks or conditioners on modern wigs, although I can remember dyeing human hair wigs 40 odd years ago, with good results. Everything about human hair is expensive: everything about human hair is time-consuming. I cherish mine now. I buy 2 or 3 and they last me a year.
I wash the wigs T-pinned to a polystyrene wig block. I then put large rollers in and blow dry. Gisela Meyer and Ellen Wille products are good.
If you wish to dull down a bright blonde, the Jon Renau violet toner is excellent and doesn’t damage the hair.
I have recently tried heat defiant synthetic. I had one Racquel Welch and one Jon Renau. Both frizz badly and then need straightening before being re-curled and washed. We are talking about a couple of hours here!
If you can afford human hair, I do recommend it. However, having said that, I will always be seduced be the gorgeous colours and styles in synthetic wigs.
That was a long lecture! Sorry! X
I’m somewhat confused!
I’ve been buying toppers which are made from Remmy hair for a year or so and in that time I’ve had to buy about 6 of them! They are lovely and silky smooth the start with but after their first wash they start to look like badly cared for hair – generally a bit frizzy and as if the hair has been dyed too many times. As they are toppers my own hair is visible and is in much better condition that the hair on the topper.
I follow all advice as above and as they get a little worse I try to add styling products like smoothing crème but the effect is short lived. I also use the conditioner sold on here after washing.
Last week whilst on holiday I accidentally got into the shower whilst still wearing my topper.(it is extremely comfortable!) As I put my hands up to wash my hair I realised straight away and whipped the topper off and placed it on a towel to sort out later. I’d only been using it a couple of weeks and it was just about ruined.
So my experience is that they don’t last very long at all!
Hi
I have my human hairpiece over 45 years. It’s been permed, bleached , coloured back to my own colour. I wore it on Sunday and every one admired my hair.
It’s not perfect but it hasn’t lost its shine or bounce. It may help I was a hairdresser.
I love my human hairpiece.