Has your hairpiece gotten frizzy or curly recently? Are you tired of getting your hair system to look smooth and neat every day? While hairpieces are subject to curls, strays, and frizziness just like growing hair, it’s easier than you may think to straighten your hairpiece.
While straightening your hairpiece might seem a little complicated at first, as long as you follow these steps, while keeping in mind the hair type of your hairpiece, you’ll have a straight hairpiece in no time. By maintaining your hairpiece, you will also be able to avoid excess damage, and increase your hairpiece’s lifespan.
Whether you have a stock hairpiece or custom hairpiece, we’re here to show you the best hairpiece care methods for a straight hairpiece. You can follow these steps in the same way regardless if you have a hair system for men or women. The first and most important thing to figure out before you start this process is whether your hairpiece is heat resistant or not. This is essential, since using the wrong method could damage your hairpiece.
Heat-resistant fibers or human hair hairpieces
Heat-resistant hairpieces are made from plastic fibers that are fairly resistant to high temperatures. While they can handle a lot of styling, it’s important to properly care for the fibers to ensure they maintain a neat appearance.
Hairpieces made from human hair can tolerate the same styling and treatment as heat resistant synthetic fibers. Keep in mind that while human hair can be straightened in the same way as our own hair, hairpieces are not able to regenerate or receive the nourishment that your scalp would be able to give. If you’re looking to nourish your hairpiece, try one of our leave-in conditioners and read our guide on how to use them for softer hair.
Materials for straightening the hairpiece
- Heat-resistant hairpiece (curly, wavy, or any other hairstyle)
- Hair straightening iron
- A hairpiece stand
- Hair clips
Step by step guide to straightening your hairpiece
We recommend that you do this process in the bathroom since it can get a little messy! You might find that some strands will drop to the floor when you’re pulling so it’s best to be somewhere where you can easily clean up any mess.
1. Place your hairpiece on the stand, making sure it remains still and close at hand for the treatment. It’s usually easiest if you can sit next to the hairpiece so that it can be at an easy arm's reach.
2. You’ll find that your hairpiece can be separated into an upper and lower layer of hair. Bring the top layer of hair together, and with either a clip or a hair tie pull them up and out of the way, leaving only the lower curls of the hairpiece free to be styled.
3. Heat the heating iron to the lowest effective temperature. Bring the iron as close to the hair roots as possible (without touching the iron to the base) and start to gradually glide it through your hair. Made sure not to touch the strands directly after since they may be hot.
4. Continue to slowly pass the styling iron along the strands of hair, taking care to wait for each bunch of hair to cool down before moving onto the upper layers.
Following these steps, you’ll have a straightened hairpiece ready for wearing or storing without a sign of the previous curls.
Tips and warnings:
- Heat styling tools should only be used on heat resistant fiber wigs.
- The temperature should never exceed 400℉, since higher temperatures can result in strand breakage and damage. As mentioned before, always use the lowest temperature possible.
- Never use heat on low-quality hairpieces. They will melt, burn, smell, and may even ruin your styling iron.
Non heat-resistant hairpieces
Synthetic, non heat-resistant hairpieces are made of plastic or plastic-like fibers. When you apply high heat to this type of synthetic fibers, they will melt and burn. Therefore, you cannot use hot styling tools to straighten a curly synthetic wig. It's also important to keep in mind that chemical treatments used on curly human hair wigs can damage synthetic fibers.
Fortunately, if your hairpiece is of good quality you will only need to treat it with warm water and gravity will do the rest of the work for you!
Using this method, it’s easy to control the level of heat applied as well as avoid damaging your hairpiece.
Materials for straightening the hairpiece:
- Comb
- 2-liter bottle filled with water
- Pot of heated water
Step by step guide to straightening your hairpiece
1. Comb through the synthetic hairpiece using a comb with big teeth to gently detangle the strands.
2. Position the hairpiece on a stand, giving the hairpiece enough room for the hair to flow its entire length. Place the hairpiece and stand in a bathtub.
3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Using a thermometer, make sure the temperature does not exceed 180℉ to 185℉. Do not use boiling water as this will melt the synthetic fibers.
4. Pour water carefully onto the hairpiece starting from the crown and ending with the tips. If the hairpiece is very curly, you might have to pour several pots of water in order to fully straighten the hairpiece.
5. Spray the wig with a detangler for synthetic hair. Work a coarse-tooth comb carefully through the hairpiece to completely straighten the hair.
6. Let the wig dry naturally. Depending on the length and thickness of the wig, it could take several hours. Do not be tempted to dry the wig with a hair dryer, as this could damage the strands and make the hairpiece curl.
7.Once dry, comb the wig again. If the hairpiece isn’t smooth enough, repeat the steps several times until you obtain satisfactory results.
Tips and Warnings
- The more hot water you pour onto your hairpiece, the better results you’ll obtain.
- Don’t be tempted to pour hot water on the hairpiece in an attempt to speed up the process, as this can cause serious damage.
- Keep in mind that once straightened, a synthetic hairpiece won’t return to its curly state like naturally curly hair.
- You can use a hairdryer on non-heat resistant hairpieces in an emergency as long as you use it on a cool or warm setting, and ensure that you do not leave it on one spot for too long.
By learning how to straighten and style your hairpiece at home, you will be able to save time and money on going to the hair salon. You also will be able to better express your own unique style and have more control over the final look of your hairpiece. Looking for a new hairpiece? Feel free to take a look at all we have to offer!
Got any other questions for us? Feel free to give us a call at our toll-free number.
We would be more than happy to address any questions or concerns that you may have!
