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European virgin wigs professionally washed and styled! Is it necessary?
I was hoping that some of you who are more experienced with European virgin hair wigs can provided some feedback. I recently purchased 2 of these type of wigs for my 12 year-old daughter who had alopecia areata but is almost gone totalis. The salon where I purchased them strongly recommended I bring them in 1x per month for a professional wash and style. They told me that this would increase the longevity of the wig by about a year. I was fully intending on doing the washing and styling myself as the additional $45.00 per month for each wig not to mention the 45 mini ute drive to the salon every month is overwhelming. Finances are tight and I have 3 other kids to take care of. I am feeling very overwhelmed. Can anyone confirm whether they think professional styling is necessary? I want the wigs to last and look good for my daughter as I just spent a total of $5000.00 on them. Thanks in advance for any suggestions and comments on the best way to wash and style them on my own. I would be interested in knowing what products people recommend too.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Krahn on
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Hi enilorac,
I wear a Freedom hairpiece that is made with 100% unprocessed European hair and I have no need to visit the wig salon for further washing. Do look into whether the hair has ever been processed (coloured, lightly permed as this tends to happen with lace pieces to get the follicle running in the same direction…don't know if this is what you have?). Any processing would affect the longevity of the hair.
If the hair is virgin European hair then I simply use salon quality shampoo and conditioner (like Redken, Pureology, Keratase) and wash myself. The additional cost seems like a bit of a pain. Another product that is great to use is "Its a ten" moisturizing mask and leave in conditioner. Leaves the hair extra smooth and silky…just love it!
Moroccon oil is also great for additional shine and smells amazing!!! If you are in the sun a lot you may want to use a leave in uv protectant to help prevent the hair from getting too lightened in the sun.
If you swim often in your hairpiece like I do, then have a quick shower before entering any chlorinated pools to prevent the chlorine from absorbing as much into the hair and drying it out. Fresh water lakes would be a non-issue.
Hope this helps and Happy Summer!!!!
Warm Wishes,
Jenn
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Permalink Reply by enilorac on
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Thanks for your response. The hair was unprocessed virgin European hair when I got it but in order to match it to her colour we had to dye it. would this still be ok to use regular human hair products on it? I would imagine if it is I should get some that protect the colour too. Is there any special methods if styling it that I need to be aware of?
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Not really. If you use heat on your hair like a curling or straightening iron then use a heat protectant to promote longevity.
I don't want to tell you not to go to your salon, but it seems quite odd that you would need to if you look after your piece. Maybe they do another treatment to ensure longevity of the hair. Just check into it as I don't want to sway you in the wrong direction.
Enjoy your hair
Jenn
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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on
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Hi
This all depends on how much processing you have done to the virgin hair. Processing hair (even growing hair) can be harsh and the results are variable depending on your stylist skills and how the hair was to begin with. I'm not sure why your salon/onseller has asked you to return for styling...but possibly this is something you may have to do.
In my experience (my daughter wears wigs that are 100% unprocessed virgin human hair) and yes we have coloured them on occassion. This has never caused any issues with the wigs she wears, so I'm just not sure why this is something that needs to happen for you and your daughter.
I take it the cap of the wig is Lace??? If so maybe they need it back to make sure that knots aren't undoing etc. as this can be an issue of some lace wigs.
Sorry I can't be of much help.
Rosy
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Permalink Reply by Sue T on
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Spraying the inside of the cap with an matte acrylic sealant after every wash will prevent almost all of the shedding
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Where do you buy this matte acrylic sealant? Will it not damage the wig cap at all?
Thanks for everyone's help :)
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You can either buy it as a specific knot sealant for wigs (very expensive), or you can buy a huge aerosol can from your local DIY store for a few pounds or dollars. You then spray the inside of the cap with a fine coat of the sealant (enough to dampen the lace without actually seeing the beads of sealant) after every wash. .The purpose of the spray being to prevent the knots from slipping when you comb the hair ect.
Oh and when you wash and condition the wig do it on a wig head and wash and from the root to the tip to avoid tangling . Try not to comb the hair when it's wet and always leave it to air dry on the wig head. If you look around youtube you will find a number of videos on how to do this.
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I wear a wig and also did not want to spend so much every month getting it done. I did realize though that a wig is very delicate and since had spent close to $3000 I wanted it to last as long as it can. I decided to take a course on washing and styling wigs so I can know the ins and outs of how to take care of my wig. It costed me about $1500 (I'm sure you can find one for cheaper if you look) but I find it really helped me since I can wash it whenever and style it the way I like it. At this point I have this wig for almost 4 years (and it's still in great condition) so I made my money back.
Good luck!
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Thanks Vanessa. Good idea about taking a course. I will look into it and hopefully there is one in the area that I live in.
I bought some of the Plaid acrylic sealant today but am a little scared about using it. There seems to be all these warnings about it being flammable, an irrantant, etc. I sprayed some on my hand to se if there would be any kind of allergic reaction and it was fine but I am concerned about using it and then ruining this expensive wig. I certainly would like to reduce the amount of shedding from the wig though and make it last as long as possible.
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Dont worry, it's exactly the same at the stuff sold as a wig sealant.The warnings are really concern solvents in the aerosol rather than the dried product Just turn the wig inside out and put it on a wig head. Spray the inside of the wig with a couple of very light coats (if you can see beads of sealant forming then you are spraying it too heavily. The lace should be damp with sealant to the touch but not to the eye) You can avoid getting sealant on the hair by masking it with your hand as you spray. When you have finished leave the head on the wig for around an hour or so until its fully dry. You will notice that the wig lace is much harder than it was before but thats normal and shouldn't make the wig any less comfortable to wear.
The problem with lace wigs is that the knots are vunerable to slipping, which is why it's important not to comb the hair when it's wet as the hairs wil have expanded and the knots won't be as tight . As the wigs age they will shed and this will be noticeable first at the perimiter where it's glued and later along the parting. Using a sealant will delay this process it won't stop it all together, particularly along the areas where you use glue or tape. If the rest of the wig is in good condition you can have these areas reventilated with new hair. However over time, any hair will oxidise, colour will change with sunlight and ends will split. The less processing the hair went through at the manufacturers the longer it will last but it will also cost a lot more so you have to consider this when you buy. It's is often costs a lot less to buy and regularly replace cheaper wigs that with care will last around a year than to buy a very expensive wig that will last several years but will require periodic maintenance and reventilation.
I pay around $400 for a hand tied custom wig from China (just about all wigs are hand ventilated in China, even those that you buy from up market wig makers in other counties.) I work on two wigs and expect to replace them annually. They often last much longer but if they do that's a bonus. It's more cost effective to replace than to use the repair service.
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Thanks Sue
Which website from China do you use? Is it European hair or Chinese human hair? Do you need to dye these wigs as well?
The other thing that confuses me is that there are so many varieties of caps. Monofilament, french lace, Swiss lace, open cap, etc...... I am not sure what would be best for a 12 year old. Any ideas?
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I use cooperwigs. I always buy European hair, which although advertised as virgin hair, has been coloured. The most undetectable material is swiss lace but its a little too fragile for a 12 year old. I would suggest that you consider a wig cap that has a thin skin perimeter as this can be worn securely without glue or tape (I wear these because I became allergic to just about all of the wig adheseives). Its a little more detectable than lace but not by much. They are also a lot more comfortable than the glued variety or even the standard glueless wigs as they dont rely on elasication to hold them in place. The thin skin at the perimeter is very soft and will form a vacuum bond where it touches the skin. Don't be tempted to go for a full thin skin wig though as these are unbearably hot as they don't breathe. If you daughter still has hair on the top of her head you should also consider adding a silk top which will give the impression that the hair is growing naturally from the scalp. If she doesn't then this will be unecessary as her scalp will show through the lace effectively giving the same illusion.
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