Ironing a Heat-Resistant Wig
Do a strand test to make sure your wig can handle direct heat. To make sure it’s safe to use heat on your wig, use scissors to clip a tiny strand of hair—about ⁄8 in (0.32 cm) or so—from an inconspicuous area on the wig, like just above the back of the neck. Turn your flat iron to low or medium heat and let it come up to temperature. Then, hold the piece of hair at one end and run the flat iron down the hair from about the middle to the ends. If the hair frizzes or melts, it’s not heat-safe and you should not use a flat iron on the wig. If you have a wig made from human hair, it’s probably fine to straighten it. However, if the wig is synthetic, or if it’s human hair that’s been treated with a lot of product, the wig could be permanently ruined if you use a flat iron on it.
Place the wig on a stand and spray it with a heat protectant. If you do the heat test and the wig is safe to straighten, you still need to protect it from heat damage, just like you would for natural hair. Spray your favorite heat protectant product onto the wig from the roots to the ends, or use an oil or a cream if you’re working with a very thick wig. These products typically help lock in moisture and create a barrier that protects hair from heat damage. A form will help the wig hold its shape as you style it. A styrofoam head is the most commonly-used type of wig form. To hold the wig in place, you may want to put a straight pin through the top of the wig and down into the wig form.
Heat your flat iron to about 230–250 °F (110–121 °C). Flat irons can sometimes go up to as much as 450 °F (232 °C), but that’s much too hot for most wigs, especially synthetics. By keeping your flat iron on a lower heat, you’ll help avoid heat damage, so your wig will last longer. If your flat iron doesn’t have the temperatures listed on it, just put it on the lowest heat setting. You can raise the temperature slightly if you’re working with a thick wig made from human hair. However, use the lowest heat setting that allows you to straighten the hair effectively.
Clip up all of the hair on the wig except for a section at the back. It will be easiest to straighten the wig if you’re working in small sections. Use hair clips to hold the front and sides of the wig out of your way, leaving a small section free at the back of the wig. You can use 1 large clip to hold all of the hair out of the way, but it may be easier if you use several smaller clips and divide the hair into sections, instead.
Comb through the section to detangle it. Wig hair can become very knotted, so it’s best to detangle it in sections. Gently comb through each section with a wide-toothed comb or a flat brush before you run the straightener over it. If you try to straighten tangled hair, it could come out crimped or even matted.
Wear a heat-resistant glove. Since the wig hair will become very hot, you can accidentally burn yourself by touching the hair. To prevent this, put on a heat-resistant glove, like the kind that often come with curling wands. You can find heat-resistant gloves at most beauty stores.
Slide the flat iron down the section of hair from root to tip. Clamp the flat iron around the section, close to the wig cap. Glide the flat iron down the length of the hair in one smooth motion, repeating 2-3 times if you need to. Avoid leaving the straightener in one place for more than a few seconds, as it might damage the hair.
Continue until you’ve straightened the whole wig. Once you finish the first section, unclip another section of hair and detangle it. Then, straighten it in the same way, repeating the process for each section. Want your wig to be curly again? Shampoo the wig, then let it air-dry. Often, you’ll see the curls return!
Using a Hair Dryer or Steamer for Quality Synthetic Wigs
Do a heat test. Clip a small amount of hair, about ⁄8 in (0.32 cm) or so wide, from an inconspicuous place on the wig. Test that piece under the heat of the hair dryer or steamer, with the heat set to warm. That will help you make sure your wig can handle the high temperatures. If the hair frizzes or melts, it is not safe to use heat on the wig.
Place the wig on a head form and put a pin on the top. Since you’ll have to use both hands to straighten the wig with a hair dryer or a wig steamer, you’ll need to secure the wig to a wig form. The most popular of these is a styrofoam head, and you can just push a straight pin down through the top of the wig and into the styrofoam head. If you have a different type of wig form, you may need to use clips to secure the wig.
Separate out a 2 in (5.1 cm) section of hair and comb it. Use clips to pull the front and sides of the wig up so they’re out of your way. Then, take the small section that’s left at the bottom and detangle it with a wide-toothed comb or a wig brush. If you try to straighten your wig without detangling it, you could end up with kinks in the hair, or the tangles could become matted.
Hold the section tightly at the ends. To ensure the hair straightens out under the heat, you need to hold it as straight as possible. One way to do this is to grip the ends of the hair in your fingers, then to hold the hair dryer or steamer in the other hand. You could also place your brush beneath the hair to hold it in place, if you prefer. Start with the brush on the underside of the section near the top of the hair, right next to the wig form. Move the hair dryer or steamer and the brush together down the length of your hair as you straighten each section.
Turn the hair dryer or steamer to warm heat. Most hair dryers and wig steamers have adjustable heat settings. If this is the case, put it on about medium heat, or the warm setting. Avoid using the hottest setting, as too much heat can damage your wig.
Point the nozzle of the dryer or steamer downward and run it down the hair. Start at the roots and slowly run the nozzle of your heating tool all the way down the length of the wig. Go slowly, but don’t leave the nozzle in any one place for too long. Keep in mind that it may take more than 1 pass to fully straighten each section of hair. The humidity from the steamer may work to straighten the wig faster than just hot air from a hair dryer. However, both should work if you’re patient.
Continue for all of the hair. Once you’ve straightened the first section, unclip another piece of hair from the wig, detangle it, and repeat the straightening process. Do this until you’ve straightened the entire wig, then enjoy your new look! If you want your wig to be curly again, simply wet it and allow the hair to air dry.
Trying Hot Water for Cheaper Synthetic Wigs
Place the wig on a styrofoam head and put a pin through the top. To help the wig hold its shape while you’re straightening it, place the wig on a styrofoam wig form and put a straight pin through the top of the wig and into the styrofoam. This will secure the wig so it won’t fall off when you pour on the water.
Place the head on a stand in your shower. The stand can be anything you can think of, from a camera tripod to the back of a chair. It just needs to hold the wig form firmly, and it has to be something that you can get wet. Avoid using an upholstered chair, for instance, since the hot water could soak the padding. By putting the stand in your shower, you won’t have to worry about cleaning up the water.
Comb or brush the whole wig to detangle it. Wig hairs become fragile when they’re wet, so you shouldn’t do much detangling after you pour water onto the wig. Instead, brush or comb it thoroughly before you get started to make sure it’s tangle-free. If you have one, use a wide-toothed comb or a wig brush.
Heat a pot of water to about 180–185 °F (82–85 °C). Fill a large pot with water and place it on your stove, heating it to about 180–185 °F (82–85 °C). If you don’t have a thermometer, this should be hot enough for the water to be steaming, but not boiling. You can try using the hottest water from your tap, but depending on your water heater settings, it may not be hot enough to fully straighten the wig. It should still soften the curls, though.
Snip a small piece of hair and dip it into the water to heat test it. Find an inconspicuous spot on the wig, like just above the back of the neck or behind one of the ears. Snip a small piece of hair, then carefully dip it into the hot water. If the hair frizzes or melts together, it’s made from a cheap synthetic material that will be ruined by heat, and you shouldn’t proceed. If the hair looks the same after you put it in the water, it’s fine to continue.
Dip the ends of the wig in the pot. While you’ll be pouring most of the water over the wig, it can be hard to get the ends fully wet (and you certainly don’t want to put your hands under the hot water while you’re pouring it over the wig). To ensure you get the ends of the wig completely saturated, place the pot beneath the wig and lift it until the ends are in the water. Be careful so you don’t accidentally get scalded!
Pour the rest of the water over the top of the wig. Carefully lift the pot and tip it so the water pours out over the rest of the wig. If you need to, use more than 1 pot of water—the hair should be fully saturated when you’re finished.
Comb through the wig with your fingers. Once the wig is wet, use your fingers to gently straighten and detangle the hair. The weight of the water should pull the curls flat, so all you’re really doing is arranging the hair how you want it to dry. Be careful! If the wig is too hot to touch right away, wear a heat-resistant glove or wait about 2-3 minutes for it to cool, then test it again. However, try to comb through the wig while it’s still warm for the best results.
Allow the wig to air dry. Depending on the thickness of the wig, you may need to let it dry for 6-8 hours or overnight. However, shorter, fine wigs might dry faster than that. To dry the wig faster, use a hair dryer set to cool. However, do not attempt to use heat to blow dry a synthetic wig unless you’re sure the wig is made from a heat-safe material. You may be able to make your wig curly again by wetting the hair, then allowing it to air-dry.
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