4 Methods to Straighten Your Human & Synthetic Wig Safely

A wig, hair extensions, or hair clips can be great solutions to enhance your natural look. However, there are two types of wigs: a human wig or a synthetic wig.

Featured Image of How to Straighten Human and Synthetic Wig Hair

Both of them have their own merits. But when it comes to how to straighten a synthetic wig, it requires more care than a human wig.

Since synthetic wigs are made of some synthetic fiber/ plastic materials, they are very heat-sensitive.

So, we will show you how to straighten your wig (both human and synthetic) properly without damaging it. We’ll look at four ways to straighten a wig:

  1. Flat Iron Method (suitable for both human and synthetic wigs)
  2. Hot Water Method (not very suitable for human wigs)
  3. Steam Method (suitable for synthetic wigs)
  4. Hair Dryer Method (suitable for high-quality synthetic wigs)

1. Flat Iron Method

This method is for both human and synthetic wigs. However, first, make sure to check whether your wig is high quality or not.

Low-quality wigs, especially low-quality synthetic wigs, can be ruined if you try to straighten them with a flat iron. So, be careful about this.

Secondly you have to know What is the Best Flat Iron for Fine Hair.

Kipozi Professional Titanium Flat Iron - V2 Aug

Make sure the hair straightener you are going to use has a temperature control feature in it.

If it doesn’t have that feature, try the KIPOZI Professional Titanium Flat Iron. It has 50 temperature settings and has an in-built screen display.

Now, first, take a wig stand and place your wig on it. You can use a tripod if you do not have any wig stand at home. Push a pin on the top of it so that it will not move while brushing and straightening.

Detangle with a comb gently and spray some heat protectant on it from its root to end. This will help the wig to lock in moisture and prevent any damage from the heat.

Plugin your flat iron; set it to the lowest temperature and preheat it. Most hair straighteners get up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but this is too much for any wig.

We suggest keeping the temperature between 223°F to 250° F (110-121°C). If the wig strands are thick, then iron it anywhere between 250-270°F.

Note: You must make sure the wig is completely dry before applying any heat to it.

Next, take some strands from the bottom of your wig and start straightening. Repeat this process until you finish with the bottom part. Then go to the middle section of your wig strands and straight it. Finally, get to the top and straighten the whole top portion of the wig. Let them stay untouched for about 5-6 minutes.

Kenra Thermal Styling Spray

After cooling and drying the whole wig completely, take a wide-toothed brush and gently and evenly comb the strands.

Finally, spray some Kenra Thermal Styling Spray to set the strands to straighten for a longer period of time.

Also Check Out: Best Product for Volumizing Hair

2. Hot Water Method

You can apply this method to both human and synthetic wigs, but keep in mind that your human wig might be ruined if you cannot do it properly.

So, we recommend avoiding applying this method on a human wig if you are not an expert or don’t have much experience doing it.

However, in this method, you need first to boil some water. The quantity will depend on the length of your wig. Boil the water till you see the bubble in it.

Meanwhile, take your wig and place it on a stand or a tripod and use a pin on the top of it to stick it with the stand.

Take a comb and brush the whole wig gently. Make sure there is no tangle in the wig.

Now, transfer the steam of the hot water all over the wig. Spread the steam evenly and then leave it for about 5-10 minutes or until it cools down.

After cooling and drying fully, use a wide-toothed or a bristled brush to comb it evenly. Just make sure the brush you are using is soft enough.

Repeat this process if you don’t get proper results the first time.

Also check out: How to Take Care of Fine Hair

3. Steam Method

Masteam Portable Steamer

This method is only for a synthetic wig. Furthermore, you are going to need a portable steamer.

If you do not have one at home, try this one:  MASTEAM Portable Steamer.

First, put the synthetic wig on a stand or a mannequin head. Stick the wig on the stand with a pin. Then use a brush to remove any tangles. Do not be harsh with the hair; you should be very gentle and patient here.

While detangling the wig strands, you can plug your portable steamer and preheat it. Now, take a wig brush in one hand and the portable steamer in another hand.

Brush the wig strands section by section and steam each section. Remember, do not hold the steam too close to the wig.

Also, do not hold the steamer in one position for too long. This causes damage to the fibers of your wig.

Recommended wig brush: Brittny Professionals Wig Brush Combo

Brandywine Revitalizing Conditioner

Work with every section and repeat the process three times or until the wig is fully straightened.

When you think you are done, unplug the steamer and let the wig cool down and air dry completely.

When the wig becomes is fully dried, spray some wig conditioner all over the wig. You can use the Brandywine Revitalizing Conditioner for your synthetic wig.

4. Hair Dryer Method

Remington D3190 Hair Dryer

This method is also for synthetic wigs. But if you have a low-quality wig, do not try this method. Namely, you should only use the blow dryer method on high-quality wig fiber.

However, with this method, we have used the Remington Hair Dryer, made with tourmaline and ceramic, and has ionic technology. Thus, it is safe to use on your synthetic wig.

However, to start straightening, you need to do a compatibility test first. Take a small amount of wig hair and clip it.

Test that portion with the heat from your blow dryer. Set the temperature to warm or medium. Check if the hair gets frizzed or f melted.

If so, then your wig is not compatible with straightening with the hairdryer method.

However, if the wig passes the test, place it on a stand, and stick it with a pin. Brush the wig hair section by section with a wide-toothed comb and detangle it fully.

Secondly, hold a section tightly at its ends. It would be best if you held the wig strands as straight as possible.

Hold the dryer with one hand, pin the nozzle of your hair dryer downward and turn it on. Do not forget to set it to a medium setting.

Start straightening from the roots and gently run the dryer all the way down to the length of your synthetic wig.

It would be best to be gentle here and not leave the nozzle in one place for too long. Try to spread the heat evenly all over the wig.

Continue this process until it gets straighten fully and enjoy your new look with the wig.

Also Check: The Best Curly Hair Tools And Accessories

Final Verdict

Whether your wig is synthetic or made of human hair, always remember to straighten with the minimum heat setting possible.

The safest methods are the flat iron and hot water methods. But it depends on how confident you are in using these tactics.

If you are confident enough and have a high-quality wig, you can try the rest of the methods or whichever one you prefer. And always use good quality hair straighteners to straighten your wig.

We hope this article on how to straighten a synthetic wig and a human one was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below!

Sources

  • Michella Oré. 2021. “How to Wash a Wig: Best Wig Care Tips for a Natural Look.” Glamour. Glamour. March 10, 2021. https://www.glamour.com/story/how-to-wash-wig-care-tips.
  • “The Differences between Human Hair & Synthetic Hair Wigs.” 2016. Wigs.com. 2016. https://www.wigs.com/pages/the-differences-between-human-hair-synthetic-hair.