I’ve seen multiple opinions about what products are best to use on synthetic wigs. Hardly any of the opinions match and what’s more is each person sharing their opinion speaks as if they are THE authority figure best qualified to tell you what you should and should not use on synthetic hair!
Some say spray water, others say only products specially formulated for wigs. Still others adamantly state that whatever products you use on your real hair can and even should be used on your synthetic wigs and extensions. Who is right? What should you use? Do “real hair” products harm synthetic hair? Should you only be using wig shampoos and sprays? Well, here is what my research says regarding the subject.
Synthetic hair is made from specially formulated plastic. Your real hair is comprised of protein. Those are (obviously) two very different things. Based on this fact alone, I don’t think one product should be used on both. You don’t care for your plastic plants the same way you do real ones right?
Imagine spraying dust remover on your real plant instead of watering it! Fastest way to kill a plant for $100, Alex! So why would we use the same product on synthetic hair as on our real hair? They have completely different needs and require different things to keep them looking their absolute best. Now that I’ve spoken as authoritatively as every other source you’ve heard or read, allow me to back up my opinion…
Conditioners for human hair are formulated to penetrate the cuticle to provide moisture, strength, and lubrication. Primarily water based, they also contain mild detergents to cleanse the hair, oils to lubricate, humectants for moisture and protein and/or amino acid to strengthen. Most of these things are absorbed by our hair and any excess is rinsed easily. Synthetic hair (plastic) on the other hand does not have the ability to absorb anything, therefore doesn’t require nearly the same amount of ingredients to maintain.
Basically all synthetic hair needs is to be kept clean as dust and environmental pollution can dull and weigh down the fibers and agents to keep it shiny and flexible. Shampoos for your real hair are often too harsh, synthetic hair doesn’t require strong detergents to keep it clean. Conditioners for real hair often include way too many ingredients and just weigh synthetic hair down by coating it, which can also leave a dull appearance. Actually conditioning is not even necessary for synthetic hair because a wig sheen spray does the job of keeping its fibers shiny and soft. Wig shampoos are gentle enough to clean the fibers without altering the texture.
Of course synthetic hair doesn’t last a fraction as long as human hair, so none of this matters if you plan to replace your synthetic wigs and extensions every few weeks, but as a whole if you decide to wear synthetic hair I advise you purchase products specially formulated for it. This is definitely an advantage to investing in human hair extensions; you can use the same products on it as you do your hair and often even cheaper products.
