(**UPDATED, March 2012**)
If you’re here from a search engine of some kind, welcome. I’m going to show how to de-frizz a synthetic wig. And of course, I’m going to be long-winded while I do it, because these typing fingers just can’t be stopped!
As you know, if you happen to read my blog, I wear wigs because I have a disease that made me lose all my hair. When I first lost my hair in 2002 (all of it in a two-day period, yeah ask me if I was freaking out), my only immediate option for a hair prosthetic was an ill-fitting, unflattering wig that I bought at a local hairdresser’s. I bought it because I was desperate (I had to get back to work! and I wasn’t going to go to work bald!) and wore it because I didn’t know there was anything better out there. After some time I discovered a wonderful salon/wig store, and started wearing more flattering wigs. Then we moved back to PEI. There are no wig stores here. I wasn’t really sure what to do when it was time for me to buy some new hair, so I just purchased a human hair wig from eBay.
There is a huge difference between human hair wigs and synthetic wigs. Human hair wigs are great, but they are very difficult to maintain, in my experience. You basically have all the same problems as you’d have with your own hair, only ten times worse; the hair tangles so easily, you have to style it every day, and after a few weeks (or months, if you’re lucky), it’s a mass of split ends. Because this hair doesn’t grow and you don’t get it trimmed on a regular basis, and because it doesn’t have the natural protection of oils from your scalp, you have to be extremely careful with it and replace your wig fairly often. That being said, the wigs I purchased on eBay were fairly cheap, costing approx. $200 each, so that might have magnified the problems I had with them. (**UPDATE** 2012: There are many sites out there now that sell human hair wigs – and human hair differs greatly in quality. You are not going to get a great quality human hair wig for a super-low price. At the very minimum, you need to look for Remy hair if you want a wig that tangles less).
I am hoping to one day purchase a lace wig, which is made with extremely high-quality human hair and as you can see through photos on this site, looks very natural. However with a price tag of up to and above $1000, depending on the length and quality of the hair, and with no hairdressers where I live who are experienced in the application of these wigs, I’m not quite ready to take one on. (**UPDATE 2012** – I now own three synthetic lace front wigs. I have learned to apply them myself. I haven’t moved in to the human-hair lace wig yet, but there are websites out there that will either sell you a “stock” (pre-made) lace wig or custom make one for you. Many of these custom wigs are in the $200 – $300 range (depending on hair length) and will last several months of daily wear if cared for correctly)
In November of 2007, after 2 years of wearing only human-hair wigs, and after having gone back and forth on the subject (mostly inside my own head, I’ve gotta say), I ordered a new synthetic wig from wigs.com. I went with a brand that I’m familiar with. It took over a month for the wig to actually arrive at our place because it was on back-order, but when it got here, I was very happy with it.
Now, I like synthetic wigs. There’s nothing a bit of fake hair can’t fix, in my humble opinion. Synthetic wigs are fairly easy to care for- take your wig, put it on your head, and it’s ready. The style is “locked in”, so you don’t have to mess with it for very long each morning. Every two or three weeks (unless you’re particularly sweaty), you comb it out, wash it, let it dry, shake it, and it’s ready to go. They’re not super-versatile; for example unless you make sure to purchase a wig with a monofilament top you’re basically stuck with the same part in your hair FOREVER. But they’re good, and if you buy a high-quality one, the manufacturers say they will last for anywhere from three to six months of everyday wear. In fact, I have made a wig last over a year in the past. Of course, if you’re only wearing your wig every now and then (and you’re not storing it somewhere where it will get all dusty or tangled), it will last much longer.
There are a few issues with synthetic wigs: you can’t dye or perm them, because the hair fiber is made with what amounts to plastic or polyester. However, you can pretty much buy a wig in any colour (even with highlights!) and style you like. Also, because of what they’re made with, you have to be very careful around heat. Opening the oven, being too close to a candle or cigarette, even being in a too-warm room, can cause the wig fibers to melt or frizz, I’ve been told over and over and over again. One of the first things drummed into your head when you purchase a synthetic wig is that you must ABSOLUTELY NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES expose the hair to heat or it will melt. You must wash the wig in cold water, with specially formulated wig-care products (which can also cost quite a bit more than your regular store-brand shampoos and conditioners, but are better for your wig than regular store-brand shampoos/conditioners), and make sure to use a special comb or wig brush to remove tangles. (***UPDATE 2012*** Many wigs are now being made with “heat safe” synthetic fibre – check the tag – that are not only safe around ovens, but can also be styled using hot tools. Wig-washing doesn’t necessarily have to be done with specially-formulated wig shampoos; some people use Woolite and fabric softener and it works just as well. It depends on what you’re most comfortable with. I stick to the wig products because I bought some years ago and I still have it).
Another problem (and this is the one I often encounter) is that if you are wearing a wig that is collar length or longer, well, it rubs against your collar, which tangles the wig ends. I’ve found that wearing a wig during the winter, when, because I live in the Frozen North, heavy coats and scarves are a necessity, tends to speed up the process . After a week or so of this, the ends of my wig were starting to look like a matted mess. I couldn’t run my fingers through the hair anymore, and I was starting to wonder if my over-$300 investment was going to be fit for the trash after less than a month of wear.
Here’s what the ends looked like this morning, after I had combed it :
Rapunzelesque, it was not.
I searched all over the Internet for ways to de-frizz a synthetic wig. I also wrote to wigs.com, where I purchased the wig, asking them what I should do in this case. The Internet yielded the recommendation to dip my wig in boiling water, then stretch each strand of hair individually. Alternately, I could send the wig to a professional for re-conditioning.
Yeah.
No.
No way am I dunking my wig in boiling water, and no way am I sending it off somewhere because I’d be stuck with nothing on my head for who knows how long. Plus I’m cheap and wig reconditioning can cost a pretty penny — almost as much as buying the wig in the first place. I didn’t get any better results via my email to wigs.com– they told me I could take my wig to the hairdresser and have him trim the ends off (the problem is, they’d have had to trim off about four inches in order to get rid of all the frizz. Then I’d have short hair, which is not what I paid for), and OF COURSE, I should buy another wig from them, because wigs only last 2-3 months (no mention that I’d had this one less than one month).
So. I thought and I thought and I thought. Yes, dunking the wig in hot water would possibly wreck it… but what if I used heat in a more controlled manner? I decided that I would just take a chance and try using heat to straighten the frizzed wig fibers, sort of like ironing trousers, if you wore trousers on your head and wanted people to think that the trousers were part of your body.
Trousers-head! Imagine it! Your mind is now blown, isn’t it?
Ahem. Anyway.
I gathered up my supplies:
- a bunch of hair clips to keep the “done” hair separated from the “not done yet” hair.
- a spray bottle (fine mist) of water
- my leave-in conditioner
- my wig brush, which has very short, stiff, close-together bristles
- my curling iron (HORROR! I KNOW!)
I was very nervous about this. I mean, I might ruin my wig! EVERYONE KNOWS TO KEEP HEAT AWAY FROM YOUR SYNTHETIC WIG! On the other hand, it was looking pretty bad and I wouldn’t be wearing it much longer anyway if it kept deteriorating this way, so I might as well just bite the bullet and go ahead.
First things first. I took my curling iron and turned it to the lowest setting (I like my curling iron. It goes from heat level 1 to heat level 35. Level 1 is still pretty hot to the touch, I mean I wouldn’t want it in my mouth or anything– not that I generally fellate curling irons– but I would assume that it’s nowhere near level 35. I’ve never turned it up to level 35. If anyone has, let me know what THAT’S like for you).
Next, I took a small section of hair, from way underneath in the back so that if I did ruin it it wouldn’t be too noticeable, and brushed through it to remove any tangles. It didn’t look very good after that. See that frizz? DO YOU SEE IT? I didn’t want to be walking around all day with that on my head!
I sprayed the hair with a bit of water, and a spritz or two of leave-in conditioner, and combed that through.
And then I said the entire Rosary nineteen times, and picked up my curling iron.
I used the curling iron as sort of a flat-iron — the only difference being that I pulled the hair through rather quickly, and used the iron to restore the original curl/wave to the hair.
Then, while the hair was still warm, I used the brush to brush through and smooth out as much of the leftover frizz as I could. I held the hair close to where it was attached to the wig cap, which ensured that I was pulling on the hair pretty firmly.
And lo and behold, it worked pretty well!
Then I left the hair to cool and such all on its own.
My wig isn’t back to absolutely brand-spanking-new, but it’s SO MUCH better than it was when I started. I’m very happy with it and hopefully if anyone else out there is dealing with a wig that’s on its way out, they will find this post and at least be able to try something and see if this works. All in all it took me about an hour to do the entire wig. Make sure you do a little test swatch somewhere inconspicuous before going whole hog. Also, you’re not allowed to sue me if it doesn’t work. I’m not a wig technician or other fake-hair professional; I’m just a bald chick who doesn’t like wasting money.
And, of course, please comment or contact me if you find this useful at all 
December 2011: A friend has started a website with photos of real wigs on real people. If you get confused by the photos on the wig websites (I do too – you have to remember that those wigs are often cut and styled before being photographed), this is the place for you.
EDIT December 2008: I have had so many positive comments and emails about this post. I’m so happy that it’s working for you – anything to make that investment last just that much longer. I have had the following question pop up a few times:
“My wig is a curly wig – the bottom is all tangled, will this work for it?”
Again – I’m not a professional. This post was just about my experience. I’ve never owned a curly wig, so I don’t know for sure if this would work, but I wanted to know (when I had hair, it was naturally curly, so I’ve been thinking it might be fun to have a curly wig sometime).
I put this question to some Internet Friends and here is what was suggested: Go through the same process as above, only when the hair is still warm, put curlers in it. When it cools, it should retain that curl. Another suggestion was to use a steamer (like a clothing steamer) on the wig, followed by curlers. Please note that I have never tried either of these, so I can’t be 100% sure how well it would work, but it sounds like a plausible theory.
If you are new to wigs, I would highly recommend joining a site such as wigsupport.com – you will find so much support and helpful information there!
March 2009: Since writing this article, I have also used this method on a Revlon wig and a cheap costume-store wig. It worked equally as well on both of them.
I recently got the following email:
I loved your blog on how to de-frizz a wig. I found it though an engine search
and you answered my question to a tee. Then I realised that my hair
straightener is actually american made and if I plug it in at home I’ll blow it
up. (I live in Australia but work on an American ship, hence the voltage issue.)
So, I’m just wondering if you think I could get the same sort of outcome by
using an iron on a low setting?
Thanks Muchly,
Jayne
I wrote back:
Hi Jayne! I’m absolutely not an expert on this, I just posted about what worked for me – but I think it could work with an iron. It might be a bit awkward, because the iron’s so much bigger than a curling iron or hair straightener. In fact the steam from the iron might make it even better. All I can say is give it a try on a test swatch, and let me know how it works for you!
The results:
Louise you are a dead set legend!! I have just spent the last 3-4 hours ironing my 2 wigs (most ironing I?ve done in years I might add) and now have 2 glossy, totally unfrizzy, sensational wigs! Yay. Unfortunately one is supposed to be a bit curly lol, but I don?t care, it looks amazing and I can always curl it a little when I get back to 110volts on the ship. 
)
So if anyone asks you about irons again, yes it can be done. I started at the minimum heat and just got a bit hotter until it seemed right. Ended up being the notch above the synthetic setting. I also turned off the steam. At that temp the water just ran out of the iron and dampened everything thing, which was not helpful at all.
Thanks again,
Jayne
Thanks to Jayne for her permission to post her emails!
If you’ve tried something that’s worked for you, I’d love to hear about it! Just hit that “contact me” button at the top of the page.
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Thanks! I will start wearing a wig very soon due to hair loss thanks to illness and meds. I have been very overwhlemed by the whole thing and ended up buying a wig on ebay. It is synthetic and I do hope that it won’t look too obvious. I am very happy to know that there are other people out there that are helpful and can provide insights into wig problems and can help us newbies.
Thanks again,
Alex – London
I tired your method….switching things a little bit. I used regular conditioner, wet the ends of the wig, where the hair was dry, then put the conditioner on the wet ends, combed it through once, and then curled it with my curling iron on the lowest setting. Worked amazingly well!!!
Thank you!!!
Hi Louise,
I hope wearing your wigs give you the same confidence as if you were styling your own hair. You’re a woman and you are beautiful no matter what. I was so giddy after reading your post and saying to myself had I known this question needed an answer I would have told someone a long time ago. I’m 26 so let me think. Around tenth grade I decided to get individual braids in syntheic hair. A pretty dusty blonde color. I like to be different so I decided to straighten the ends kind of like all the young girls are wearing the human hair braids now. Anyhow, the same process you stated worked. I combed the tangles out and brushed it until it looked almost like how a horses mane looks. I then took my curling wand using the lowest heat seating and went over the hair like it was a flat iron. I then curled the hair in ringlets. Let’s just say everyone was amazed that the hair didn’t burn or melt and that the curls actually held up and didn’t look frizzy. Suprisingly I also did a pony tail updo like this but I dipped the ends in the boiling hot water after combing all the kinks out. It looked just like a human hair pony tail. Trust me it works. Just take your time.
absolute genius…thanks sooo much
x
I just wanted to thank you. I am waiting for my new wig to arrive, 6-8 weeks, I live in Anaheim, CA so no matter where you live, you wait. After spending somewhere upwards of $750.00 for a human hair wig and dermafix I still needed to be able to wear my synthetic wig for 6-8 weeks while I wait for the new one and spending more $$ didn’t really appeal to me and your article here helped a bunch…now if there was someway to keep the hair from pulling out of the wig everytime it’s brushed wouldn’t that be awesome. Thanks again.
Thank you! You’re a lifesaver. I brought a 3/4 wig in november of last year, and it’s gotten quite frizzy. I’m not in a great financial situation right now, so it’ll be a while before I can afford to replace it. So… I’ve been walking around with a ragged looking head of hair. Hopefully your technique will work, and I’ll be able to get a little more use out of my faux mane x)
Great tip!! i tried it and it worked perfectly! i had the same problem u had, i have had this wig for less than one month and the ends were getting frizzy and now the ends were def. softer and it looked unfrizzed.
Thank you so much, you are a wig saver! The difference in my wig is amazing. My wig had looked so frizzed before and after reading this it still took my a few weeks to decide whether or not I would actually do this( Taking heat to a synthetic wig? Scary thought). I’m glad I did because my wig turned out amazing. This has helped my wig last longer and I can’t wait to show my friends this wonderful discovery.
Hi Louise.
4/28/08
Great presentation. Actually, I tried something similar (‘Cause I said anything would be better than the frizz.) and got pretty good results. The hair got smooth and didn’t burn. But I think I just used the curling iron alone, and I lost the loose curl or body of the style. (Yeah, fibers are akin to plastic, so synthetic hair has no body as does human hair.) But your suggestion seems the best yet. I may try it and if I lose the curve or style, I may try a stiff gel and tautly roll the hair on large curlers and let it air dry and see what happens. I was trying to find out if there was a secret finishing lotion or spray or something with which the manufacturer finishes the synthetic wig as the last step in the process of making it. My wig was ultra smooth and silky and the hair swings – when I first buy it. But in about a week, it loses its original sheen and swing. So I just wondered what the wig maker uses, and it is probably a trade secret.
Regards,
MN
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Thank You for posting this…you are quite the writer as well as a pro with taking care of a frizzed out wig. I am losing my hair due to MS, stress, medications, three teenagers and a father who lives with me…defrizzing my wigs may help to alleviate some of the stress…
Stef
This post is a life saver!! I only recently started having to wear wigs and so I am very green about them. I have a few Raquel Welch synthetic wigs and they looked great for a good month and then they started getting very frizzy and split looking (longish styles). I rotate two to keep them fresher and was shocked how bad they started to look. I am very careful when I detangle them and never use a brush, I use a wide tooth wig comb gently to pick out the tangles. I used your method with a low heat straightener and it worked like a charm. The hairs now look silky smooth! I did it when the wig had been washed and was just barely damp still. It had spray on conditioner already and so I didn’t have to do anything else. It looks amazing, like new!
best help i have ever read and gonna try it i also am tired of spending money on fake hair that doesnt last a month…i have 5-6 wigs that all look like crap and there is nothing i found that soaks into plastic (barbiedoll hair) its plastic for petes sake. but sure am going to try what you suggest hope it works for me too.Thankyou for this website.
you are the #1 result from search engine. i’ve been looking all over the place to find wayts to restore my wig. thank you soooooooooo much. will go home and try it out immediately.
Louise,
Can I just say it was a pleasure to read your blog. It was incredibly witty, amusing and you have a likeable charm about you! I used to be very very blonde 2 years ago. My hair was candy floss, needless to say I needed to go brunette. So I did. My hair was also cut, just above my shoulders, so very short and terribly damaged still.
I was tired of extensions (at £72 a piece – jessica simpson, I’d spent over a grand on synethic extensions). So I got an idea from a friend when she had a wig and teamed it with her hair. So I bought a synthetic wig from eBay – £25.
I blowed dryed the front of my hair (about 2 inches back) and played around my parting so it looked like the wig was part of my hair. And my god! I lose count on how many people admire and comment on my hair. I buy every style from curly to wavy to straight. And long! Gotta be long!
Anyway, the only snag is that they last for about 3 weeks. So I am spending £20-£30 every 3 weeks, sometimes even 2, for a brand new glossy wig.
I have not yet tried the heat on damaged the wig, yet. I just had to write to you and sympathise with your problem!
I’m only 21 and wearing wigs (!) I am terribly sorry to hear that you have suffered from hair loss from an illness. I feel a bit stupid wearing wigs and a bit silly contacting you when I haven’t had hair loss. But nonetheless, I am thrilled I stumbled across your blog and read the similar problems you have experience with synthetic wigs.
If you’d like the buyer I buy from on eBay, please don’t hesitate to ask. They are significantly cheaper than the ones you have purchased.
Jennifer
Jennifer, Read your reply on site about “How to care for tangled hair in wigs”.. I m new at this too, and would like to know the buyer from Ebay where you purchased your wigs cheap. I have to wig because my hair is thinning out on sides and top and my age is 64. I still look younger but dont want my hair thin..if you could help, I’d appreciate it… harriett p.s. This is for Jennifer who posted on March 12, 2012
I had an old wig that was REALLY bad – as in I had tossed it loose at the bottom of my closet – the flat iron on low with water did the trick! It’s not brand new appearing but its completely wearable! Yay!
This was SO helpful! I’ve been looking into how to defrizz my wig and nothing helped until I tried this! Thank you!
I can’t thank you enough for your information. I have a wig I’ve had for about 20 years and only wore occasionally. I stopped wearing it a few years ago because I couldn’t seem to get that frizziness out of it. I used your method, which took me about 5 hours of my life, but when I wore the wig yesterday I got so many compliments and everyone thought it was my real hair. Again, thank you.
Wow! 20 years! Amazing
i bought a handmade wig @ 400dollars. The cap is fish-net, so its v comfortable. But the hair is very rough and full of tangles,so i went to a parlour 2make it silky and 2straight. And 2my surprise the hair stylist told me tat the wig made of natural and artificial hair, its mixed. So it will look lyk tat only. Bt the hairwig company is sayin tat al are natural. How wil i knw whether some hair in tat wig are made from nylon? Please help me, the hair from the back is luking so rough and are clumped together.
If they told you that it’s human hair and it’s a blend, then they owe you your money back because they lied to you. As for how to tell – I’m not really sure. Human hair will burn while synthetic will “melt” when placed in front of an open flame but I’m sure you don’t want to try that with a $400 wig. You could also check the tags and packaging of the wig – anything that says “kanekalon” is synthetic. Beyond that, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m sorry you were duped this way.
Just wondering what kind of leave in conditioner you used (one specially for synthetic hair or a regular one)? Thanks!
The one I used in this article was one made for synthetic wigs – but I have done this again since using leave-ins for human hair, and even just plain water. With some of the “futura” (heat-safe) synthetic fibres you can even do it “dry” but make sure that you have your straightener (or whatever heat implement you’re using) at the proper low-heat setting.
Due to a bad bleach job, I had to cut all my hair off, and have been wearing synthetic wigs for a few months now. I’ve gotten used to wigs and am actually enjoying them for the most part b/c my hair is naturally curly and required so much work, and the wigs are easier. I do agree the wigs get frizzy so quick and theyre hard to get back silky, and I am going to try this trick, I hope it works on mine like it has on yalls!
I had tried human hair wigs and found them to be really high maintainence and too expensive, and ultimately in the end, a big pile of split ends. So screw it, I’ll take my synthetic wigs.. love all the different colors, styles, and easy care!
awesome post woman!! who would have known so many people have the problem of frizzy wigs? lol. i am looking for a way to make my synthetic wigs last longer (2-3 months would be nice) and i think i found it! thank you.
Hello everyone,
I just stumbled on this page because I love to wear wigs (for fun) or when I have just chopped all my hair off. I particularly like the Lioness Wigs, I’ve purchased several and hated them just a few days after I put them on. One, I think I have been getting the wrong color (always a blond) two, they are so big, unnaturally large, wide on my head, I want to make them look natural, like naturally curly hair, if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear it. I love your ideas about styling but I am not sure with the Lioness what I can do.
Thanks for listening, and for this site.
Lynn
Thanks for the advice, am gonna try this today and i really hope it works. I’ve just bought my synthetic lace wig and it’s all frizzy in one week, i’ve spent 10 hrs online searching for an answer, and i hope i’ve got it…
I hope this helps!
brilliant I just used my curling brush and quickly pulled the hair over the top …. bit like your curling tong …. thanx for help hunny xx
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This advice is better than anything I’ve found on the net. It saved my precious wig and made it look much better =)
Hi,
I actually use a curling iron set on ‘high’. I wear blonde long hair by Noriko, their gradient version. I also wear a long hair Racqeel Welch heat friendly, lace.
I still prefer the Noriko gadient because I can be in a wind storm (I use toupee clips or strong glue) and no one can tell I wear a wig full time since 2006.
I began buying them in Woodland Hills, CA and hated that they became so frizzy within a month. Their term was ‘the fibers expand’. Are you kidding me, they frizz plus expand. And it didn’t matter if I washed them and conditioned them plus used wig de-frizz spray, within 30 days the wig look terrible!
They offered a service of $35.00 per wig for them to de-frizz it for you. Well, now I know what they were doing. Just like you, heat to shrink the synthetic fibers. Found this out from a wig retailer in southern FL who was nice enough to share that info with me.
Yes, you can use hot rollers to add curl and bounce back into your wig after de-frizzing it with a hair straightener or curling iron, by the way.
It’s great that you have shared what works on de-frizzing synthetic wigs. Wish I had found your site years ago before spending an average of $200. per month constantly buying a new wig that looked nice again.
I can sympathize with you in regards to hair loss. When I had gastric bypass (medical reasons), the doctor told me up front that I was going to lose my hair. I never thought I would and the shock almost sent over the edge. Anyway long story short my daughter taught me very quickly about lace wigs and I just love them. I usually end up buying two a month. The cost is about what I would normally spend at the beauty shop, so no real surprise in that area. In my opinion, human hair last about the same amount of time as synthetic. Just take your time, have fun, and visit shops that allow you to try them on.
PS: People! I discovered an amazing all around product that I used on my human hair wigs, and now my synthetic wigs that has stopped the frizziness, and to say, tangling! CHI Thermal Guard. I sprayed it lightly on my synthetic wig, let it dry, then did what Louise suggested, and then put a very (and I mean very) small dab of Farouk BioSilk on it after it was finished. I cannot tell you how much the tangling was stopped, the end frizziness was stopped as well. It’s been three days, and my hair is poker straight, no tangles, and the ends are straight with not an ounce of frizz on them.
What an awesome idea. Thanks, this is very useful to me since i decide to buy a synthetic wig and try looking for how to care it.
Thank you so much for your wonderful ideas! My daughter sells
synthetic wigs, and comes across this problem all the time.
Her wigs are inexpensive if you ever want to give them a try
http://www.etsy.ginabarto.com
Thanks for the comment! I have checked out your daughter’s wigs and they’re very pretty – does she make them herself?
Hi Louise,
So glad I found this post! I have the same exact problem, having just spent $400 on two Jon Renau “Haute” wigs, only to have them frizz up completely after only two weeks. And forget the supposed “HD” thing – the moment I used a curling iron on them the hair was left flat and straight, the claim that you can style them any way you want is a lie. I’ll continue to buy the Jen Aniston-style I love from them though, if only for the great smart-lace top.
Anyway, I’m about to try your method, but I gotta ask – I have never heard of a “leave-in” conditioner. Is is just another term for regular human-hair conditioner that you’d use in the shower, like Suave, or is it somthing else entirely? Do you have a brand-name you could give me?
Thanks so much!
Hi Diva,
“leave in” conditioner is just a conditioner that you spray onto your hair (or fake hair, as it were), and leave there. Depending on where you live, it should be pretty easy to find in any drugstore or grocery store, in the hair care section. I used Beautimark brand, because that’s what I had at home (I had bought it from wigs.com when I purchased the wig) when writing this article… but I have since used everything from just plain water to Suave brand to… Johnson & Johnson’s No More Tangles brand. Almost any shampoo company makes spray bottles of leave-in. Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, L’Oreal – I’m sure I sound like a commercial here!
Just as a “heads up”, when using leave in conditioners or oils, keep them away from the “scalp” or cap area. This is where the strands are knotted to the lace and the conditioners and oils can loosen the knot and therefore cause you to lose additional hair. This tip was shared with me and has helped me manage the tangels without my efforts causing unneeded hair strand loss.
Another tip…when cleaning or shampooing your system, just use at the scalp area and gently massage. When you rinse the shampoo, it will clean the hair further down without (as much) drying or causing tangles to your system.
JW
Thank you, JW! Very good advice. A question for your tip about shampooing synthetic wigs – in all my years I have always been taught to fill a basin with water/shampoo and dunk it in (no scrubbing/rubbing), then to rinse, do the same thing only with clean water. It’s always worked well for me (although I can see how with an extra-long wig that might not be convenient) – am I Doing It Wrong?
Worked amazingly!!!! I used the instyler so it brushed as it flat ironed !
I just read your blog and I’m so excited to try this. I have a trash bag full of hair that I bought and wore until it got frizzy, but I didn’t want to throw it away because I had spent so much money over the years. I’m going to sit down right now and start on a few. I noticed someone used an iron to do theirs I think I will try that just to speed it along and work in bigger sections. Although on my curly pieces I will definitely use the curling iron. Thank You so much!!
Really enjoyed your blog….wonderful advice and more importantly encouragement, for those of us that wear wigs daily, really frizzed up my wig opening the oven so it’s the front of the wig that looks so sad, has anyone tried these tips after doing such a dopey thing….I am very interested.
I have a friend who did the same thing, Patricia. She used steam (she held it over a kettle of boiling water but you’d probably have more control if you had a steamer and could “aim” the steam at the area you wanted to fix) and then brushed through the frizzed fibres. I’m sure that the way I’ve outlined here would probably work, as well, unless the fibres are completely melted (but that doesn’t sound like what you’re describing). Good luck, and thank you for he compliment!
Hiya,
I am just about to do this now but does anyone know how long this lasts for and can you do it more than once?
Hi Samantha,
Once your wig starts frizzing the fibres are kind of breaking down. I find that a good de-frizzing lasts about two weeks or so before you have to do it again – and as I mentioned, I have kept a wig that started frizzing at less than a month “alive” for over a year using this method. You can do the de-frizzing many times but there comes a point when you will need to replace the wig.
Thank you
Well I only need it to hold up for a few weeks at most so if that works it’s a god send lol
Thanks so much for the advice x
Thank you so much, this was so helpful!! I’ve been wearing wigs since I started chemo and lost all my hair.. after a few weeks of everyday use of synthetic wigs they do tend to fizz ALOT so thank you so much for this help, I am not saving SO SO much as I’m not buy a new one every couple of months!!
You are the best!! I found your recommended process to defrizz my wig, but the whole curling iron bit scared the bejesus outta me!!! So, I drove an hour to a reputable wig expert near Chicago to try and save my $300, 4 month old Raquel Welch wig. She wanted $250 to resize and “recondition” my wig. Are you kidding me??? I figured I could just buy a new one for that much, so what did I have to lose?? Caution thrown to the wind, I went to work with my spray bottle and flat iron – The results are FANTASTIC! Yes, it is time consuming, and YES it is absolutely worth it!!! Thanks soooooo much for sharing your technique!!!
wow!!! 200-400 for a synthetic wig???.. I am a proud owner of 12 wigs (I guess you could say I’m a collector.) I have never payed more than 90 for a wig. And some of my wigs are as much as 8 years old and i still wear them today. As long as you take good care of your wig your wig can last 4ever. I use hair sheen on my wigs it keeps it tangle free and shiny like brand new remy. also a blow dryer and a brush on a straight wig is wonderfull. Also helps a wig that has become puffy at the scalp
You’re right, of course, but when you live in a place that has no wig stores, you take what you can get. Please keep in mind that this article was written in 2007, and at the time the only reliable website I could find charged that much. Plus shipping ($30+ because I live in Canada) and yes, it came to that.
It’s nearly 6 years later now and I have found a few better options, so on average now my wigs cost between $60 – $100 (plus shipping). The “big name” brands (Rene of Paris, Raquel Welch, etc) still charge up to 3 and 4 hundred.
Hello, I ve just the same problem… a very expensive wig ( 500 EUR) was just looking good for just4 weeks
(…
?? They all were made in Asia… and the fibre is patented..
I also guess, that the brands will charge up to 400 %… would you be so kind to give me an advice, where I can order 100 $ wigs, same style- no brand
I ´, living in Germany, and I´ll be happy to get a personal message or a reply… thanks
Hi Sabine,
I have been ordering my wigs from namebrandwigs.com lately, they all come to about $100 – $150. I’m not sure what shipping would cost to Germany, but it must be much less than 500EUR!!!
Hey, just wanted to to throw this out there, yes I am a guy, yes I wear wigs. Usually for drag. Anywho, just wanted to throw out there that if you part your hair into sections by tracks, (I usually use tracks of 5 or so) and roll them into the sponge rollers, that you can place it in your sink once finished, pore boiling water over it, and it locks in BEAUTIFUL tight curls, and removes frizz all together. May be a LITTLE more time consuming than this method, but I have taken life-less straight wigs and turned them into masterpieces. Im not kidding, the body you get from this method is FLAWLESS,
Also, you can put your wig on a head, then on a two-litter bottle filled with water as a stand. Cheap alternative than buying a stand!
But yeah anyways, you can put it on the stand and pour boiling water on it and it will turn even the curliest wig straight. 100% proven and effective. Just thought I would share some of my info and knowledge!
-Robbert.
Thanks, Robbert! I actually tried this a few weeks ago when I had to wear “Titanic-era” clothing (and hair!) for a school activity. It worked almost TOO well! I thought I had to use the smallest possible roller, rolled the hair super-tightly… and ended up with poodle curls. Like Mrs. Roper only tighter. I re-did it with larger curlers though and it turned out beautifully.
Hi, Just wanted to drop a note and say THANKS HON! This absolutely works. Was out of the country and after two long flights I was fizzing badly. Tried this out last night and voila! Your technique works like a charm
Wow! Thanks soo much! I’ve thrown out sooo many wigs because i thought it couldn’t be helped but i tried this method and my wig is back to new. Thnks again!!!
I’m gonna have to try this, this looks like a really good idea. I kinda thought about the same thing, but I was always afraid the heat would ruin it even more. And I’m a poor girl, so I have no money. I gotta be a cheapy, haha!
Anyway, thank you so much for this post, and I’ll let you know if it works for me! (Btw, since this was posted back in 07, does this same treatment still work good for your wigs, or do you have a different way of doing them now?)
Louise, thank you sooooooooo much! I saw this website about a month or two ago when I was researching how to take care of a synthetic wig. I was just about to get one, and wanted to make sure I was doing everything right. I had been buying sew-ins, but it just costed so much money to replace them all the time. So I thought, “How about I just buy a wig, sew it in, and redo the braids every few months for about a year?” I was hoping that my synthetic wig wouldn’t frizz and I wouldn’t have to come here. BUT, it did. I was taking good care of it, but it was just slightly frizzy because one day I was wearing it, and walked into my extrememly hot garage. And I also live in Arizona so it’s always hot here. Yesterday night, I decided that I wanted to put foam rollers in my hair to see if I could get some of the waves back. I had bought these because I didn’t want to use heat at all once my hair started growing and I could wear it naturally. I washed my hair first, and left the rollers in overnight…. I woke up this morning and wanted to kill myself. The ends were so frizzy; almost every single one of them. And to make matters worse, it didn’t even curl they way I wanted to!
I was to the point where I wanted to buy another one since it was only about $50. I was at my computer about to do it, and about to place my order. But something made me not want to do it completely. So I came back to your website and gave your method a try. It worked wonderfully! I got all of the supplies, but ended up just spraying strands of hair with toooons of water, and then I flat ironed it on my lowest level; mine also goes to 1, but the highest is 40. It worked and my wig looks great again. I’m also about to be 16 in August, just in case you were thinking I was an adult. But I’m VERY serious about my hair, whether it’s fake or my real hair (but my real hair is not even shoulder length but it’s really improving since I’ve been wearing fake hair for years.) But I’m the kind of person that’ll freak out and say so many negative and bad things until I believe it’s true. And I was thinking that I needed a new wig and thinking it looked terrible and thinking there was nothing I could do. But thanks to you, I don’t have to worry anymore 
Thank you, Louise. I feel beautiful and confident again.
- Imani.