How to Repair a Wig with Wig Damage

Whether it be a synthetic or human hair wig, wigs are an important part of a wig-wearers daily life. However, with this daily wear can come a little unwanted damage to your lovely wig. Just like natural hair, taking proper care of your wig is essential to keep it looking fresh! Sadly, damages can and do still occur, but don’t worry if this has happened. In this blog post, we discuss how to fix a wig with wig damage. 

This guide was written by one of our clients and will give you useful tips for how to fix a wig and give it a new lease of life, as well as giving you some tips for how to prevent your wig from wig damage.

How to Fix a Synthetic Wig

Synthetic wigs are a popular choice for many as they are generally a cheaper option compared with real hair wigs. However, there are a few common problems with synthetic hair wigs that require a little repair. Below, we explore how to fix a synthetic wig.

Wig damage from dryness

After a lot of wear, some wig wearers find their synthetic wig begins to lose some of its shape and style, as a result of the strands becoming dry. This can occur because synthetic wigs lack the moisture of real human hair, and the chemicals in the hair change and cause static cling, resulting in losing the style of the wig.

FIX– To repair a synthetic wig that has become dry, some of our wig wearers try using fabric softener as a conditioner. This isn’t a method we actively recommend, but it’s a technique used by many. Fabric softener contains chemicals that have a positive charge that rebalances the hair’s electricity, causing it to feel softer. As the fabric softener softens the hair it also makes it much easier to comb. We would always recommend using a product designed specifically for this, such as good quality conditioner and balsam.

Kinks

Unwanted bends or curls are another common problem in synthetic hair wigs. As the wig is made from synthetic fibres, you cannot simply straighten these kinks out as they are sensitive to high temperatures (unless you have a heat resistant synthetic wig). If this has happened to your hair piece, take a look at the following tip on how to fix a synthetic wig.

FIX – Using steam for gentle straightening

1. Put a wig stand in the bathroom and close any windows, with the aim to trap as much steam as possible.
2. Run hot water in the shower until the room is steamy.
3. Gently brush the wig with a wide toothed comb or wire wig brush. Be sure to start at the ends of the wig first, then work your way up to the roots. The steam will heat the fibres and cause them to loosen.
4. Remove the wig from the room once condensation starts to build, transferring the wig to a cool, dry place.

Heat-Friendly Synthetic Hair Wig: Straighten the way you usually would with regular hair, tying it up in a bun and straightening in small sections. The only difference is that you should use a low heat!

Dry Ends

Similar to normal hair, a tell-tale sign that your wig is in need of some TLC is the ends. Dry ends can be the result of brushing, styling and heavy wear, and repairing this issue will improve the look and longevity of your wig.

FIX – repair your synthetic wig with a little trim, added moisture, and detangling!

1.  Trim the ends of the wig – as wig hair doesn’t grow back, this can only be done a few times. Take it to a hairdresser if you’re not confident in doing it yourself!
2.  Apply an anti-static spray. It acts like a protective coat to seal and separate the ends whilst also adding a shine.
3.  Detangle the ends. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to gently work through the tangles at the end of the wig. Hair tip liquid may be required if the knots are very difficult to untangle. This will reduce the appearance of a dry and frizzy wig.
4. If you have a heat-friendly wig, use a heat styling tool after applying your product to reduce the frayed look and smooth the dry ends. Only use a low heat.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to fix a synthetic wig, here are a few tips on how to prevent these damages from occurring:

•  Only use cold water on your synthetic wig.
•  When your wig is wet, avoid using a brush or comb.
•  Allow your wig to air dry, avoid using a blow-dryer.
•  Do not apply heat i.e. straighteners or curling tongs on your synthetic wig (unless it is heat-friendly).
• Take your wig off before going to bed.
•  Use synthetic hair products when styling and caring for your wig.
•  Use your fingers to untangle knots from your synthetic curly wig.
•  Use fabric softener as a conditioner to make the wig softer and easier to comb.

Synthetic hair wigs are typically meant to last between 6-8 months, with heat friendly wigs expected to last up to 6 months. So when deciding whether or not it’s worth fixing your synthetic wig instead of replacing it, think about how long you have had it and how often you have worn or styled it. It might be time for a new synthetic wig.

How to Fix a Wig with Human Hair

Human hair wigs are a popular choice of wig as they offer the most realistic-looking hair. Damage can occur to a human hair wig due to a variety of reasons, including sun damage, a lack of natural oils, or heat. Here are some human hair wig repair tips if you’re looking to repair your wig!

Restore Moisture

Whilst human hair wigs offer the look of natural hair, they don’t have the connections to the scalp that keep your natural hair moisturised. Therefore, it’s important to regularly wash and deep-condition your wig if you wear it daily and/or frequently style it.

You should wash your human hair wig after every 10-12 wears. Check out our YouTube video on How to Wash Your Human Hair Wig in Easy Steps.

Top Tip: Avoid sleeping in your wig as the friction between cotton pillowcases and your wig will matt the hair.

Damage to human hair wigs, such as colour fading due to colour exposure, are more difficult to fix without the help of a professional or purchasing of a new wig. Because of this, it’s important to avoid extensive exposure to sunlight or chlorine to help keep your wig intact for longer. Typically, a human hair wig should last for one year and, if it’s looked after properly, can last up to three years.

Human Hair Wig Repair Kit

We’ve put together a ‘human hair wig repair kit’ made up of our favourite products to help replenish the shine of your human hair wig! These include:

Ellen Wille Pure Power Human Hair Care ‘n’ Repair for intense regeneration.

Absolute Repair Human Hair Gisela Mayer for stressed hair.

Ellen Wille Human Hair Intensive Recovery Mask for nourishment.

Damage to both synthetic and human hair wigs is expected, particularly if you’re wearing them on a daily basis. Hopefully, this blog has given you some insights into little tricks you can do to repair your wig yourself. Ultimately, you know when your wig has had enough and it’s time for a new one. So browse our wide variety of top brand wigs if you feel it’s time for something new. If you have any wig related queries get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help!