1.
Add a capful of synthetic wig shampoo and blend in. Never use regular
shampoo on synthetic wigs! If the wig has picked up the odor of smoke or
other strong odors, you may add a teaspoon of baking soda to your basin, and
blend in.
2.
Gently swish the wig in the water for about 30 seconds to a minute until
saturated. Gently scrub the front of the wig cap, where it meets the forehead
until clean.
3.
Leave the wig to soak in the basin for about 15 minutes
4.
Empty the basin of water and rinse the wig in cool water. It is very important
to use cool water on curly wigs, as warm water will over-relax the
curls. (You may add a 1/2 capful of conditioner to the rinse water
and let it soak for a few more minutes)
5. Gently squeeze out excess water. Do not rub, wring or twist.
6. Lay it out on a thirsty towel, gently blot, pressing
excess water out and leave in a ventilated area to dry for a few hours.
Then curl the still dampened ends GENTLY into your fist and replace the hairnet.
(You should spray on a little leave-on wig conditioner, when you start the
drying process).
7. Allow to dry completely on a wig stand or flat on a
towel.
8. Restyle your wig only when it
is entirely dry, and not before. Restyle the wig gently. I
recommend a pick and not a brush. Shaking and fluffing by hand is your best
starting point for styling. Please use a good quality wig shampoo and
conditioner. Do not use regular shampoo. It is too strong even for human hair
wigs!
ANOTHER WASHING
TIP:
To clean wig of all
spray and natural damage to the fibers, add 1/2 cup baking soda in a bowl of
luke warm water and mix well. Let wig soak in solution for 1/2 hour.
It takes out all the spray and leaves the wig with it's natural shine!!
Amazing! Works for human hair as well!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY WIG BE WASHED AND STYLED?
You wash your wig
very rarely. Usually after 8-10 wearings. If you wear a wig every
day, it's a good idea to have a back-up piece, so you won't be "down" for
washings. You mini-style your wig every time you wear it, but with your fingers
and a pick and very gently.
If knots have accumulated at the ends
on a straight or slightly wavy wig, pick apart the knots by starting near the
end of the hair and working your way back to the top, using a little
spray-on wig conditioner/de-tangler as you do.
Your wig will absorb smells like other fibers, so do not store with highly smelling vitamins or powders. Store your wig on a wig stand
or fold the wig inside out. Treat them gently and carefully and they will
look beautiful for wear after wear and for a few years to come.
CAN I CURL MY WIG? -
Synthetic
Exessive heat will melt or frizz the plastic in your wig's
"hair" fibers. Don't even think about hot rollers!
Some recommend a lukewarm curling iron for
re-setting the curls in a curly piece. Here is a better method:
Pin
the wig to a styrofoam headform or "block" so you can work on it. Select
rollers of the proper size to re-set your curls. Wire mesh rollers are best.
Wet
the entire hairpiece with lukewarm water and set the curls. Use perm papers,
which you can get at a beauty supply house to protect the ends of the hair. Use
plenty of rollers with a little hair in each for best curly results.
Take
the pinned up piece to the sink basin. If you have a spray nozzle at your basin
it is best to "spray" the hottest tap water on each set curl for about 3-4
seconds. This process, relaxes the hair without damaging it like a curling iron.
When
you are done relaxing all the curls, immediately spray each curl, in
approximately the same order as you "relaxed" them with icy cold tap water. You
can also use a mist bottle, filled with some ice and water. This "freezes"
the curl into a new semi-permanent curl pattern.
Allow your hair to air dry overnight, and when dry, take down the
rollers. Now you've re-set your curls the most professional way
possible.
HEAD SIZES FOR WIGS
Today's wigs all have adjustable caps
to fit most heads. But it would help to know something about your
head size. Fortunately almost all women can wear average head size wigs. If you
are not sure that you have an average size head by looking, measure your head
with a tape measure going around the forehead at the hairline, under the hair,
behind the ears and around the nape of the neck. Have someone help you if
you find this too difficult.
Average Fits 21.5" - 22.5" Petite Fits 20" -
21" Large Fits 22.5" - 24"
Child's Fits 19.5" -
18"
Size is seldom a problem unless your
temple circumference exceeds 22.5". If it does exceed, the cap can be
stretched another ½" to ¾".
~~ You can
stretch your wig by allowing it to dry on a styrofoam head. If you need to make
the cap even larger than the headform, put a thin wet towel over the headform
before stretching your freshly washed and wet wig over it. Allow plenty of
time for it to completely air
dry.
HOW DO I PUT ON
MY WIG? AND KEEP IT ON?
Here is one method: You can make "large" pincurls
all over your head (about 4 to 6 depending on the thickness of your own
hair). This will help to anchor the wig. Grasp the two ear
tabs, centering them, and the wig should sit right at your natural hairline.
Tabs should be worn behind the ears, not over them. Pull the nape of the
neck all the way down. Some people prefer to pull on from the front and some
from the back to the front. It's whatever you feel most comfortable.
Adjust to your own front hairline.
Using this "pincurl method" you should not have any excess
hairs to tuck away. However, if the wig closely matches your own hair, you
can leave some strands of your own hair in front to intermix with the
piece. Looks very natural.
A wig cap is used to secure and keep hair
in place and prevent wisps from escaping. You may also use a few bobby
pins to help secure wig further, they will slip through the cap.
Tease bangs a little if you like
and trim if needed. AND ONE LITTLE SNIP AT A TIME! PLEASE!
This hair won't grow back!!! Teasing lifts them making
them appear shorter so please TEASE before cutting to see if you need any trimming
at all! And if you must trim, please snip at an angle...- NOT
straight across!!!
All wigs can be adjusted to fit your
needs, by tightening or loosening the velcro tabs, located in the back.
Always secure by using a few extra bobby pins.
WEARING THE WIG FOR THE FIRST TIME
Remove wig from hairnet and
save
for future use. Gently shake the wig to separate the hair fibers and
secure on your head. Use fingertips or lifting comb to achieve the desired look.
Control flyaway strands by misting with water (which also refreshes the style) and
continue styling.
Please be
aware that "fresh out of the box", your new wig is not always going to look
like the
professional photo in the catalog (unless it's a "shake and go style"). Sometimes
they are 'cold set', meaning they have been in the box for too long
and have 'set'. Misting with water can help get the wig back to
it's original shape.
Take a few
minutes to finger-style to your liking, tease with a pick where necessary,
then viola, the "new you" will emerge! Sometimes it takes a couple
of wearings before you develop your own style techniques. But it will
happen! Have fun! However, if you are absolutely all
thumbs and just can't seem to 'get it right', a good salon can help you
out. "Thinning" may be necessary to give your wig the personal
touch.
KEEPING IT LOOKING
GREAT TIME AFTER TIME
Gently remove any tangles after wearing with the
wide-toothed comb or with a wire wig brush. Working very gently from ends to top
of the tangle. Once the wig is clear of tangles, mist lightly with water or wig
conditioner and replace the hairnet to retain the curl. Gently scrunch with
fingers and let dry overnight on hairspray canister or styrofoam headform.
Particularly with long wigs, when finished wearing, it is a
good idea to gently comb as stated above, then spritz with wig
conditioner and let it dry overnight on a stand or headform. The hair
rubbing against your back will eventually cause it to frizz. The conditioner
helps prevent that from happening.
"COLORING THAT HUMAN HAIR
WIG (and Blends)"
(Not such a mystery any more)
Because of the
chemical processing which is used in making human hair for wigs, it is not
recommended that a human hair wig be lightened by anyone other than an
experienced wig professional who is familiar with working with processed hair.
If a deeper shade is desired, or red or gold tones wanted, there is a relatively
simple way to create a custom color yourself. Any good permanent hair tint may
be used on human hair and blend wigs.
PLEASE NOTE: Darkening or
lightening the color more than two levels is not recommended.
DIRECTIONS:
For best results, a professional tint and developer from a beauty supply store
should be used. Choose a color from the swatch samples at the store, which is
closest to the color you wish to achieve. Use equal parts tint and developer. 2
oz. tint to 2 oz. developer is a good formula for short and medium-length wigs.
Add an extra ounce each for longer wigs.
In a plastic tub or other
container large enough to accommodate your wig or hairpiece, mix tint with
developer and stir with a plastic or other non-metal utensil until well-blended.
Add 1 quart (32
oz.) warm water and stir until color is mixed well. There may still be some
globs of color floating around in the water, but they will dissolve eventually.
NOTE: Rubber or plastic gloves should be worn when working with hands in tint
solution.
Immerse wig completely in solution. It is recommended that the
hair be laid out smoothly in the solution to minimize tangling. Depending on how
much of a change you want, most wigs will take the maximum processing
time...usually about 30 to 45 minutes...to reach the desired shade.
Check your color by
using a towel to wipe the color mixture from a small section of hair to see if
it’s ok. Remember that hair color always looks darker when wet.
When desired shade
is reached, rinse wig well in cool to warm water until water runs fairly clear.
From there, just follow washing and conditioning instructions on care sheet. You
now have a custom colored wig!
** LACE FRONT
WIGS **
You can attach your lace front wig using
either a liquid adhesive or a tape adhesive. You can achieve a secure hold using
either method...which option to choose is simply a matter of personal
preference. You will be attaching the lace front unit to your skin right
below your hairline and regardless if you use liquid adhesive or tape you need
to make sure that this area is clean, free of oils and hairless or you will not
achieve a good hold.
Step 1: Prep
Your Hairline
First, cut
the lace back to the hairline. Be careful not to cut any of the hair. Place
the wig on your head. Position the wig hairline in front of your own actual
hairline so you don’t have to worry about the glue touching your hair. Once you
are satisfied with the matching of the wig and your hairline, trim the lace back
to the hairline and match it with your own hairline to ensure a natural
appearance.
Step 2:
Clean
Clean your face and next with insuring that you get
all areas around the perimeter of your hairline. Use a non-oily soap as the
original Dial or Irish Spring. After cleaning, dab or spray your Scalp Protector
around the perimeter of your head right below your hairline. The scalp protector
protects your skin as it creates a barrier between your skin and the adhesive.
It also helps to keep skin oils at bay (oily skin weakens the bond of the
adhesives and prevents the strongest hold). Allow the Scalp Protector to dry
completely before applying the adhesive.
Step 3: Adhesive
Application
Use the liquid adhesive
very sparingly as a little goes a long way. Depending on which adhesive you
choose to use, it may come with an application brush. If your adhesive does not
come with a brush then use a small, thin item such as an eye shadow brush
to apply the adhesive.
Apply a thin coat of adhesive around the
perimeter of your head right below your hairline. Use a cool blow dryer
for about 30-45 seconds to dry the glue until it's tacky/sticky. Once the
adhesive is tacky, this can take up to 15 minutes depending on which product you
use, it is time to apply the wig. (It is very important to make sure that the
adhesive is very tacky/sticky before you apply your lace wig because if it is
not the wig may start to lift in a couple of days). Starting with the front
hairline, press the lace wig unit and glued area together and apply constant
pressure until the unit stays by itself. This may take 1 minute or longer, but
be patient. Repeat the steps for your nape and sides. Before you style the wig
please wait 15 minutes to allow the glue to adhere and completely
dry.
These are the basic steps that you will take
regardless of what type of liquid adhesive you use. You will develop your own
application techniques with practice.
Wig Tape Adhesive
The wig tape is available in strips or as a roll. The tape is
sticky on both sides. You will basically peel one side of the tape to expose the
adhesive and apply a layer to your skin around the perimeter of your head below
the hairline. You will then put the lace wig on your head and position it so
that the perimeter edge of the wig lines up with edge of the tape. If you have
not done so already you will want to pin the wig hair up so that loose hair does
not get in the way during the attachment process. Once the wig hair is pinned up
and out of the way, peel the tape backing off to reveal the adhesive. Beginning
with the front hairline, proceed to attach the wig by pressing and holding it to
the adhesive for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Repeat the steps for
your nape and sides.
VERY IMPORTANT!!
Remember!!! Do not use curling irons or hair dryers on
synthetic wigs. Keep away from all sources of excessive heat such as: an
open oven, barbecue grills, boiling water, hot clothes dryer, wall heaters and
even cigarette lighters!!
*IMPORTANT INSURANCE
INFORMATION*
Your wig purchase MAY be covered by your medical insurance.
Consult your insurance carrier regarding this possible
benefit.
Ask your doctor
for a written prescription for a "cranial hair
prosthesis". If your insurance company resists, your doctor can include a letter stating
that he "prescribed" the prosthesis, not for cosmetic reasons, but as part
of your recovery program. Be sure to keep the receipt as a
write off .
If you do not have insurance, see if your county has
state social services departments which offer medical assistance for those
who meet their financial guidelines.
