Wigs Essentials 101: How To Care For Your Wigs

85% of Nigerian women at one point in their lives wear a weave, wig or hair extension. A short survey carried out with an experimental sample of 40 women, shows 70% of them either had on a sew-in weave or a wig. With the huge sum, we spend on our weaves and wigs; it is of little wonder why weave essentials are an important topic.

Here are ways you can take care of your weaves:

Pick the right weave

The first thing is to KNOW your weave. At the point of purchase, make sure you buy a wig that is wefted as this goes a long way in determining how much your weave will shred. This rule applies to both fibre weave and Human hair.

Comb and detangle

Always use a wide-tooth comb! Just as your natural hair, it is best you comb bottom up. Carefully comb small sections at a time until you’ve worked out the whole hair. Using small comb or brush while the hair is tangled will cause great damage to the hair.

Moisturise

This is one of the most important aspects of caring for your weave. Weaves also need a lot of moisture and since that cannot be provided from our scalp, we provide our weave with the moisture it needs. Adding a good hair moisturiser daily while styling will keep the hair looking great.

NOTE: DO NOT USE OIL, this weighs down the hair and causes tangling.

Wash your weave and wig
If you wear the weave daily, then you should wash once every three weeks.

Here is how:

1. Soak weave in lukewarm water and shampoo.
2. Comb through gently from bottom up.
3. For fibre hair, use cold water as heat damages fibre.
4. Rinse out shampoo through running water.
5. DO NOT SQUEEZE, place on wig hanger to dry naturally.

Food for thought: Wigs have been associated with depression. A research study finds that women who wear wigs have higher self-esteem.