How to Care for your Human Hair Wig

For women with hair loss, a new wig isn't just a purchase that shows on the outside -- the transformation that comes from wearing a wig can be life changing! Whether due to medical reasons, stress, or age, hair loss can be an enormous blow to self-esteem, even interfering with participation in social activities. Purchasing a wig or topper is a big step that takes a lot of research, and even a little courage. If you've chosen to purchase a human hair wig or topper, it's taken even a little MORE courage! A quality human hair wig or hairpiece can cost quite a lot... and that's why caring for it properly is so important! With proper care, you can expect your human hair wig or hairpiece to look great for about a year. Consider any wear you get out of it beyond that to be a bonus. Even the best wigs that are well cared for still have a lifespan. The goal is to extend that lifespan for as long as possible. This blog will help you get as much life out of your wig as possible.

The first thing you should know is that even though your new wig or hairpiece is human hair, you cannot use bio hair products on it. The reason is simple: bio hair gets scalp oils that are released into your hair every time you comb or brush. There's nothing in the world better for your hair than natural scalp oils, and your wig doesn't get them. Bio hair products aren't made to add the kind of moisture and oils that your wig will need, and if you use bio hair products on your wig, the hair will dry out, frizz, and it may never recover even with intense and expensive moisturizing treatments. So, the very day you purchase your wig, make sure to purchase your wig supplies.

We recommend Jon Renau human hair products to all our clients.  You can choose either a full size wig kit, or the travel size. Both contain the same four wet products: 

• Argan Smooth Luxury Shampoo:  You'll use this each time you need to wash your hair, recommended about every 6-8 wears.

• Argan Smooth Luxury Conditioner:  You'll use after shampooing to remoisturize your hair.

• Blown Away:  You'll apply before blow drying to protect hair against heat.

• Argan Smooth Treatment Mist:  Use anytime between shampoos to add moisture and to help with detangling.

​The full size kit includes the Jon Renau Paddle Brush, and the travel kit only contains the Jon Renau Wide-Tooth Comb. If purchasing just the travel kit, you'll want to include the paddle brush with your purchase.

JON RENAU HUMAN HAIR KIT (FULL SIZE)	JON RENAU HUMAN HAIR KIT (TRAVEL SIZE)

There are a few other items you should have on hand, a canvas block head, the deluxe wig clamp and the Jon Renau Round Boar Bristle Brush. Now that you know all the products you'll need, it's time to learn how to use them!

Shampooing and conditioning

Human hair wigs aren't meant to be worn out of the box. You should shampoo your wig before you even wear it, and then take it to a salon for customization. Your human hair wig should be thinned if needed, shaped, and trimmed to fit the face of the wearer so that it looks perfectly natural. This video shows the proper method of washing and conditioning your human hair wig using the Jon Renau products in your kit. You should shampoo and condition your wig about every 6-8 wears.

Blow Drying:

You'll always blow dry your human hair wig after shampooing. Never let it sit to air dry. The hair will need tension applied when blow drying in order to dry smooth, so using the canvas block head and round brush will enable you to provide the tension needed. This video shows the proper technique for blow drying your human hair wig:

And that's all you need to know to get started with human hair wigs! From here, if you want to use a curling iron to add waves and curls, pick up a bottle of Jon Renau Heat Treat Thermal Spray to protect your hair by giving it an easy release from hot tools.