What's Deep Conditioner? 3 Ways to SAVE a Dry Human Hair Wig

(Updated on March 31, 2019)

Deep Conditioners. Hair Masks. Leave-Ins. Words we've all heard.. and words we don't really understand. With all the different things you do to your hair, it's important to give your hair a little extra treatment every once in a while. Deep conditioners, hair masks and leave-in conditioners add an extra layer of moisture and protection to your hair. This is integral when maintaining your human hair wig. Remember, your own hair gets a continual flow of oils and moisture from your scalp, produced by your body. The hair on a human hair wig is no longer attached to a scalp. Unfortunately for the wig, it has no help staying hydrated and protected. That's why it's so important to also deep treat your human hair wig, on a regular basis.

Deep treating (deep conditioning, hair masking, etc), is a hair care practice that can restore and maintain the strength of hair strands so that they are better able to withstand day-to-day stresses without sustaining damage. Stresses can be anything artificial, like hair dyes, or natural, like your city or home's environment.

Regardless of what stress factors are afflicting your hair, deep treatments repair and protect. The same applies to your human hair wig. We recommend deep treating your wig, with either a hair mask or deep conditioner, once a week, if you wear your wig daily, or 1 - 2 times a month, if you don't wear your wig regularly. In fact, we recommend skipping your wig's daily shampoo sessions, unless the wig is actually dirty. And we mean dripping in oil or slung in mud kinda dirty... Minimizing how often you shampoo your wig will help prolong it's life drastically while keeping it looking as awesome as the day you purchased it. Shampoo's pH level will strip your wig of much-needed moisture.

Let's talk about 3 way to properly deep treat your human hair wig.

1. Put a Bag On It!

When conditioning your human hair wig, after lightly soaking it in water, and then coating it in a generous amount of deep conditioner or hair mask, put it in a bag (literally any clean bag will do)... or shower cap. This will act as a 'greenhouse'. It locks in the moisture from your slightly wet hair and is key for the next step:

2. Apply Heat

There are a couple of at-home options available when applying heat to your 'greenhouse.'

Steam: Or moist heat. This is THE BEST option for dry wigs. But who seriously has a steam dryer at home? How about the steam pump on your iron, getting into the shower, or using a steamer meant for clothing. Crazy eh? Try it! It really works.

Pro Tip: Do you have a humidifier in your home? Try storing your wig in the same room as your humidifier. This will protect your wig from seasonal dry spells.

Dry Heat: Do you have a blow dryer at home? This method will lift your cuticles so make sure your cap is on.

3. Time

Love needs time, am I right? If you love your wig, give her time. Your unit will need time to marinate in the deep treatment. So have your Netflix and chill movie ready. However if your deep conditioner is protein based, you'll want to follow the instructions on the bottle. Protein supersaturation is just as bad as hair with too little protein. Nonetheless, we don't recommend using protein-based deep conditioners on your human hair wigs. Hair that is no longer attached to a scalp doesn't need additional protein.

Pro Tip: You can follow the above steps using a regular conditioner overnight to maximize its benefits.

Deep conditioners and masks are God-sent. They help us face the harsh perils of our environment, straighteners and hair dyes. Deep conditioners will transform your human hair wigs. The next time you're thinking about purchasing a wig, consider purchasing a high-quality deep conditioner. And if you already own a human hair wig, buy a deep conditioner TODAY!