How to comb wig hair: Instructions for the most hopeless cases

Wig hair gets tangled, even if you wear it once a month or in windless weather. They need the same care as your own natural locks, and combing is no exception. Many people wonder how to comb a wig's hair if it is badly tangled and turned into a mess. In this article, experts from the online store Wigsxhair answer this question in detail.

How Often to Comb a Wig?

Every wig owner encounters tangled strands and knots. It doesn't matter if the wig is made of natural hair or synthetic fibers, whether you wear it every day or only occasionally — the problem of detangling strands is always relevant. While you can comb your own hair several times a day (which is only beneficial), wigs and hairpieces must be handled very delicately.

Hair is attached to the wig cap either manually or by machine. In both cases, quick rough combing can cause irreparable damage to the hairstyle. This is especially true for models with long locks and curls, which tangle most often.

The question arises: how to comb a badly tangled wig? Or perhaps it’s better to abandon this idea and not waste time trying to restore the "ruined" hair?

Even the most tangled wig can be combed if you follow the instructions and adhere to some rules:

• Detangle hair only after it is completely dry.
• It is preferable to use combs and brushes with wide teeth.
• To make the task easier, apply detangling products to the strands.
• Knots are best cut with manicure scissors.
• To avoid problems, comb the wig before and after each wash. Restoring the original smoothness and beauty to cheap, low-quality synthetic wigs is almost impossible. It’s easier to discard them. However, hair made of quality kanekalon and thermofiber is more resilient, and you have a good chance of making it smooth and manageable.

Detailed Instructions on How to Comb a Synthetic Wig

1. First, place the wig on a stand and secure it firmly. You can use pins (pins with a ball at the end) for this.

2. Prepare a mixture of water and conditioner in a 3:1 ratio. Regular household fabric conditioner will do. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and shake well.

3. Separate a small strand from the ends to the roots — so that other hairs do not get in the way and do not tangle even more.

4. Treat it with the conditioner solution, hold it in your hand, and starting from the ends, slowly and gently comb, moving towards the wig base. For convenience, pin the already combed strands so they don’t get in the way, and confidently, without haste, continue.

5. Detangle all the hair this way, and finally comb the bangs. When done with the combing, spray the hair with clean water (this will help remove excess conditioner) and leave it to dry completely.

Hair made of thermofiber can be dried and styled with a hairdryer, and if you want curls, use a curling iron or thermal rollers. However, kanekalon should not be subjected to thermal exposure!

How to Comb a Long Wig if the Hair is Badly Tangled

Simply spraying the locks with conditioner from a spray bottle is not enough. It's better to start with a trim, then soak the wig in a conditioner solution for half an hour. No need to rinse. Just take it out, let it drip, and place it on a stand to dry. Then follow the above procedure.

Detangling a wig with locks longer than 1.6 ft (50 cm) can take 4-5 hours. But haste is not allowed in this matter. Otherwise, you might pull out entire clumps from the base, and the hairstyle will lose thickness and volume.

How to Comb a Wig to Restore Smoothness

If synthetic hair is in a very poor state, simply detangling and combing the strands won't solve the problem. Even if these procedures were done correctly, the hair might still look like a mess, especially at the ends. In this case, there are two solutions:

1. Trim the ends (because they rarely can be restored and ruin the overall look). There are no problems with natural hair — it can be trimmed as many times as desired. You can do this yourself, but it's better to trust the item to a professional. Trimming synthetic strands should be a last resort. The ends of these fibers give a blunt cut, thinning is impossible here, so cutting a synthetic wig is risky.
2. Straighten and style the hair with a flat iron. Note that kanekalon and modacrylic cannot withstand high temperatures (the maximum allowable values are indicated in the passport of each item). But if the hair does not become smooth and neat after combing with conditioner, the only option is to use a flat iron. Below we explain how to do it.

How to Detangle and Restore a Wig with a Flat Iron

This method is perfect for thermofiber and natural hair because they can withstand temperatures up to 392°F. Restoring kanekalon and modacrylic wigs should be done at minimum temperatures, so you need a device with temperature control (set it to the minimum value).

Proceed with the following steps:

1. Separate a small strand and run the flat iron over it — from the base to the ends.
2. Move the flat iron quickly, without stopping, to avoid damaging the synthetic fibers.
3. While the strand is still warm, comb through it.
4. Treat all the hair this way until it becomes smooth. After the procedure, check the condition of the ends. If they are not in the best shape, trim them carefully, even if it shortens the locks by a couple of centimeters. The wig will only benefit from such a trim.

How to Properly Comb a Human Hair Wig

The process is exactly the same as described above — wash the wig, apply hair conditioner, rinse, and let the locks dry. Then treat the hair with any detangling product and proceed with detangling.

Natural hair wigs undergo deep chemical treatment, during which all scales are removed from the shaft. As a result, they do not tangle as much as live hair on the head, and combing them is easier.

The advantage of natural wigs is that they are versatile in terms of styling and care. You can do everything with them that you do with your own hair — curl with a curling iron, dye and tone, cut, and blow-dry.

What to Do to Prevent Wig Hair from Tangling

If a wig is of poor quality, made from cheap synthetic materials, it will tangle by definition. In such items, the ends become frayed after a few uses, and the locks form tangles. Reanimating such a "disposable" wig is extremely difficult. The only consolation is that its cost is low, and it’s easy to part with it. If you are ready to spend several hours detangling and restoring, then follow the instructions described above.

Quality wigs made from kanekalon, heat-resistant fiber, or modacrylic last much longer — if used carefully, the service life reaches 6-9 months. But they also tangle, albeit not as much as cheap counterparts. To somehow protect the hair from tangling, we recommend:

• Anti-static spray for fabrics. It is perfect for synthetic wigs. Treat the combed and styled strands with anti-static spray before going out.
• Heat protection spray for styling. This product reduces the static charge on natural hair and prevents tangling.
• Anti-static wipes. They can be used to "tame" both natural and synthetic hair.
• Avoid wearing the wig with woolen scarves and clothes with bulky collars. The locks tangle quickly from contact with them.
• To remove static and smooth frizzy hair, rub a little cream in your palms and run them over the locks.
• Always comb the wig after use and store it on a stand, away from heaters. If you do not use it often, carefully place it in a fabric bag and store it in a dark place. Tie long hair into a ponytail and twist it into a loose bun beforehand. Now you know how to detangle both synthetic and natural wigs and restore the beauty and smoothness of the hairstyle.