Whether hair loss due to illness, medical treatment or enthusiasm for the costuming scene - wigs are a great way to improve your self-confidence, change your look and get a new feeling for life. And also many actors and actresses regularly use wigs to approximate their own appearance to the role played.
Therefore, wigs are more popular than ever. However, many people have reservations about the “hairstyles to put on”.
Those who think about buying a wig are often afraid of appearing fake and immediately attract attention as the bearer of a supposedly artificial hairstyle.
High-quality wigs can certainly keep up with the natural hair if they are properly cared for and styled. The styling works just as flexibly as with natural scalp hair.
And the best thing is the longevity of the created hairstyles if the specific care and styling needs are taken into account.
But handling a wig doesn't have to be complicated if a few simple tips are followed.
The main difference: synthetic or human hair wig
Before the styling starts, it is essential to know the type of hair replacement.
Synthetic hair can often look deceptively real but requires completely different care and treatment. With new wigs, the material is on the packaging.
Otherwise, there are some tricks to recognize material differences. When a wig is styled and returns to its original natural shape after washing, it is natural hair.
You can also use a photo trick: synthetic hair usually shines very strongly on photos with flashlight. So if a wig is photographed and it shows an extraordinary shine and reflects the flash, the wig is made of synthetic hair.
But there is also an unconventional method if the material cannot actually be identified from the outside. By holding a single hair near a heat source in a hidden area, you can investigate whether the hair contracts or simply burns. If it contracts, it is a synthetic hair wig.
The entire styling routine should be based on this distinction between synthetic and human hair.
The tool: Comb, curling iron, and co .:
It is precisely at this point that attention to the hair material is essential.
For example, synthetic hair must not be treated with curling irons or flat irons. The plastic would simply melt the hair together with heat treatment. However, there are also synthetic hair wigs that are made extra heat resistant. Depending on the manufacturer, these can be treated with temperatures of up to 160 degrees Celsius.
It is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions in order not to exceed the specified maximum temperature.
The use of other tools for natural hair is also not recommended: If synthetic hair wigs are treated with combs and plastic brushes, they become statically charged and look artificial.
It is therefore recommended to use very soft clothes brush to straighten flying hair. But there are also special wig combs. Natural hair wigs are completely easy to care for in this regard.
Due to the production of human hair, all tools can be used that also work on human hair. However, the human hair wig should also be spared, because (in contrast to natural scalp hair) it cannot regenerate itself.
The best wig styling products
If hairspray or gel is to be used for styling, it is essential to note the differences between real and synthetic hair.
Even using products for human hair on synthetic wigs can damage or even destroy them. And even if the first application goes well, the synthetic hair wig will not benefit from the application. The alcohol contained dries out the fibers and leads to a straw-like, dry appearance.
Therefore, there are special gels and hair sprays in specialist shops. Nevertheless, it is advisable to use them extremely sparingly, because artificial hair tends to stick more than the human hair structure.
A real hair wig can be easily treated with the products for human hair because these products are optimally matched to the natural hair structure.
Straighten the wig
Natural hair wigs that are curly or wavy can be treated with a flat iron. It is important not to get too close to the network in which the hair is incorporated. This, in turn, consists of plastic, which could be damaged by the high temperatures.
Otherwise, the styling rules for natural hair must, of course, be observed.
That means: never work on wet hair. The moisture conducts heat particularly well. This uncontrollable heat development can lead to the burning of natural hair. On the other hand, synthetic hair wigs, with the exception of heat-resistant exceptions, must not be treated with flat irons.
But they can be smoothed with hot water. For this, warm water between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius is poured over the wig until curls or waves have completely smoothed out. This process usually has to be repeated several times. The water should only be poured over the hanging part of the hair, net and any ponies should be left out. Then let the wig dry to room temperature.
It is very important to pay attention to the exact water temperature, because colder water has no effect, while warmer water can cause irreparable damage to the wig in the worst case.
Curl the wig
Synthetic hair wigs can also be lured in reverse using the water method.
For this purpose, plastic hair curlers are simply wrapped in synthetic hair without a hook or self-adhesive function and the water is poured over the curlers. These must be completely moistened.
Then the hair dries in the air and as soon as the water has completely escaped from the hair, the curlers can be loosened and the wig shines with waves according to your own taste.
Natural hair wigs can be blow-dried or treated with a curling iron. The easy handling on a styrofoam head is particularly beautiful, so the end result can be adjusted as realistically and individually as possible.
Again, it is recommended not to use barbed curlers. These can even pull out the hair and permanently damage the valuable wig.
New color for wigs
Real hair wigs can be dyed with conventional hair color and thus flexibly styled.
In principle, the same rules apply as for natural hair: once dark colored hair can not be lightened again arbitrarily. Too frequent bleaching breaks up the hair structure and makes it look straw-like or even break off after a while.
Gentle tints that pigment the hair darker, on the other hand, can be washed out and used almost any number of times.
There are special wig colors for synthetic hair wigs. Since these are made of plastic, they would not accept the hair colors for human hair. You find further information on the topic here. These special wig colors adhere to plastic. The fiber is not completely dyed through, but only pigmented on the surface. Therefore, the original color of the hair shines through. These colors are commercially available, but you can also make them yourself.
In the costume scene, it is a common trick to mix a kind of wig color from refill ink for felt markers and cleaning alcohol, which is then sprayed onto the wig. However, the color result is rarely predictable and also not permanent, because it can be loosened again through styling or hair products. It is therefore only possible to change the color of synthetic hair wigs with great effort and an unpredictable result. Wig professionals recommend purchasing the synthetic hair wig in the desired color.
A new cut
Wigs can be styled just like real hair. This also includes the possibility of changing the entire hairstyle with a haircut.
Often wigs look even more natural and type-appropriate after a cut. It is therefore advisable to adapt them to the wearer with a new cut.
The arrangement of the hair should be carefully observed. Often the hairstyles are specially designed to hide places where the hair tresses (so called strands of synthetic hair) are sewn into the head part.
If too much is removed at this point, it is possible to identify the hairstyle as a wig and the hair will look unnatural. If the impression of natural hair is to be achieved, it is therefore often worthwhile to consult a specialized hairdresser with the wig. Specializing in wigs is very important, because the composition of wigs is not readily known to most hairdressers.
It should also be noted that, unlike human hair, a cut is of course irreversible. Therefore, high-quality long hair wigs that should be preserved for a long time are perhaps less suitable for the experimental short haircut than a cheaper wig with which the desired hairstyle can be tested first.
Conclusion
The styling of synthetic and real hair wigs need not be complicated if the needs of a wig are taken into account. It is helpful to consult a second hair expert or a specialized hairdresser at first. But even wigs "beginners" can enjoy their wigs for a long time.
The differences between real and synthetic hair and especially the wigs due to their lack of regeneration ability must be treated particularly gently. Because this way the wig stays in good condition for a long time and can keep up aesthetically with the natural head hair!