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How Do I Care for a Curly Hair Piece?

J. Gonzalez
J. Gonzalez

Hair pieces and wigs make it easier than ever to have the hair you've always wanted, even if you weren't born with it. For someone who has always wanted curly hair, wearing a curly hair piece is a wonderful way to achieve a curly hairstyle without using harsh chemicals. Caring for a curly hair piece is just as easy as caring for natural hair. Regular maintenance — such as washing regularly with shampoos and conditioners, styling, and replacing when the hair piece begins to shed or look worn — is all that is required by the care process.

The kind of care a curly hair piece needs partly depends on the type of hair piece. In particular, the cleansing products appropriate to use on particular hair pieces are dependent upon the materials out of which the pieces are made. Hair pieces or wigs can be made from real human or horse hair; these require specific products to avoid damage. Those made of synthetic materials, though, which can be made from a variety of materials such as silk, polyester, and silicone, must be treated with different products.

Hair pieces made from human or horse hair can be cleaned with regular shampoo and conditioner.
Hair pieces made from human or horse hair can be cleaned with regular shampoo and conditioner.

To keep a curly hair piece looking its best, one needs to wash it once a week, or any time it seems to carry an odor. Real hair begins to take on the smells in the atmosphere in the areas it has been introduced to, and a hair piece is no different. Synthetic hair pieces should be washed in a bucket of cold water with a shampoo and conditioner that has been made specifically for synthetic hair. Hair pieces made from human or horse hair can be cleaned with regular shampoo and conditioner. Let the hair dry sitting on an object that allows it to keep its shape, such as a wig stand.

A hair piece with human hair can be styled using a curling iron to achieve curls.
A hair piece with human hair can be styled using a curling iron to achieve curls.

After the hair is completely dry, attach it in place for styling. On real hair, you can use the regular heat of a curling iron or blow dryer, but this will melt synthetic hair. In order to style a synthetic curly hair piece, use foam hair rollers that are left in place while the hair dries, or purchase a special curling iron and hair dryer that work at lower temperatures and are safe for use on synthetic hair. Use a wide tooth comb to style the curls, and spray with hair spray or another hair product to hold the look in place.

Caring for a curly hair piece is just as simple as caring for natural hair.
Caring for a curly hair piece is just as simple as caring for natural hair.

Once the hair piece begins to look thinner than it did when first worn, large amounts of hair are falling out, or the piece becomes hard to style due to frizziness, it may be time to replace it. If you are unable to find a hair piece that matches the old one, don't be discouraged. Any hair piece can be cut and styled at a salon to match a specific look.

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    • Hair pieces made from human or horse hair can be cleaned with regular shampoo and conditioner.
      By: Africa Studio
      Hair pieces made from human or horse hair can be cleaned with regular shampoo and conditioner.
    • A hair piece with human hair can be styled using a curling iron to achieve curls.
      By: Africa Studio
      A hair piece with human hair can be styled using a curling iron to achieve curls.
    • Caring for a curly hair piece is just as simple as caring for natural hair.
      By: indiraswork
      Caring for a curly hair piece is just as simple as caring for natural hair.