Synthetic hair toppers are perfect for you if you wish to add volume to your hair, have thinning hair, or are experiencing hair loss on your crown or someplace else. It’s also practical for adding fullness and length to your hair.
Caring for this hair attachment to elongate its life span is easy if you do it right, and I’m here to put you on the right track. Follow the steps judiciously, and your topper will swing and bounce like it is brand new.
One of the ways to care for your hair topper is by washing it. No, you can’t just wash it like it’s your natural hair. I’ll show you how.
Here’s a list of things you’ll need;
• Wide-tooth comb
• A workspace (basin, bowl, or container)
• Coldwater
• Mild shampoo and conditioner
• Towel
• Wig stand
How to Wash Your Synthetic Hair Topper
1. Detangle synthetic hair topper
Start with gently detangling your synthetic hair topper to avoid pulling the strands out.
2. Get a basin/bowl/container
Place the hairpiece in a basin/bowl/container you can wash it in. Just make sure you have enough room to wash correctly.
3. Rinse the hair topper
Place the hair topper under cold running water and rinse it from the roots to the tips.
4. Wash piece with mild shampoo or sulfate-free shampoo
Smooth some shampoo onto the hair from roots to tips. DO NOT twist or rub it as that can tangle it up and mess with its style.
Put some cold water into the basin/bowl/container, place the hair topper in it, and swish it in the suds it creates.
5. Rinse hair topper again
Run the hairpiece under cold running water and gently rinse from roots to tips until the water runs clear.
6. Get rid of excess water.
Squeeze excess water down the piece. DO NOT wring it.
Hold the hair in your fist and gently squeeze the water from the roots down to the tips. Don’t pull on it. You have to be gentle.
7. Condition the hair
Spread some mild hair conditioner onto your palms and work it into the hair evenly. Smooth the topper out as you do this.
Leave for 15 minutes.
8. Rinse one last time
Thoroughly rinse the conditioner out under cold water.
9. Get rid of excess water once more.
Gently squeeze out excess water. Always remember; DO NOT wring it.
10. Blot out water from hair
Place your washed synthetic hair topper in between a folded towel and apply pressure, so it absorbs excess water. This works well in place of wringing as it’s safer for your hair and you retain its style. DO NOT wring or twist.
11. Hang hair up
Place damp hair on a wig stand to hang and part to the desired position with a tail comb.
12. Let hair air dry
Air drying synthetic hair is much faster than a human hair. It takes at most three hours to dry completely.
13. Style hair topper
Once it’s dry, you can style the hairpiece.
Check the instructions your wig came in and adhere to the heating and styling rules stated. For some, the maximum temperature for styling synthetic hair toppers is 180F unless it’s stated by the manufacturers that you can apply more heat.
Applying too much heat while styling might lead to melting of the hair as it’s synthetic and that’s some severe irreparable damage you don’t want.
Styling Your Synthetic Hair Topper
If you feel the need to alter the style in which your topper came, I would advise you to take it to a professional hairstylist. Attempting to make modifications to the hairpiece on your own is terrible for your hair’s shelf life.
A professional will make the changes you want without causing damage to your hairpiece.
Do’s and Don’ts of Synthetic Hair Topper Care
Do’s
Some maintenance tips include:
• Wash your hair topper every two weeks or whenever it’s getting visibly dirty, depending on how often and how long you wear it at a time.
• While washing your hairpiece, make sure you’re doing it in a downward motion in the direction the hair falls to.
• Water used to wash it rinse synthetic hair should always be cold. Hot water can permanently damage the hair.
• When not in use, hang on a wig stand and cover it up with a hairnet, so dust doesn’t settle on it.
For short-term storage, please keep it in the box it came in. For long-term storage, please keep it in your closet.
• Use products suited for synthetic hair topper use only.
• Apply some leave-in conditioner now and then to hydrate your hairpiece.
• Take care of your hair underneath it to prevent grease, dirt or product buildup from taking a toll on your topper.
Don’ts
• Don’t wash it too often. Take care of your topper but don’t wash it every chance you get. Doing this will shorten your hair’s lifespan.
• Don’t apply oil to your topper as this could wreak some havoc on the hair. It’ll get clumped up and tangled and might begin to look somewhat ratty and challenging to manage.
Also, it will degrade the synthetic strands over time.
• Don’t shower with it. Seriously, just don’t.
• Don’t comb or style it when it’s wet. You could also damage it if you do and you don’t want that. If you care enough about your topper, that is.
• Don’t expose it to heat, especially when it’s extreme. It could cause severe fiber damage and make your hair frizzy.
• As tempting as going to bed with your topper on might seem, don’t do it. You run the risk of matting and breaking your synthetic hair, and it’s more awful to see than your usual bedhead.
• Don’t go swimming with your hairpiece. Pools have chlorine, and synthetic hair doesn’t do so well with chemicals. Give your topper a fair chance at life and remove it before going for a dive.
There you have it; a complete guide to caring for and maintaining your synthetic hair topper to retain its sway and luster.