If you’re familiar with Brown Skin Women, you probably know our favorite natural styles. We recommend loose styles, like wash-n-gos and twists for those who want to optimize their hair health. These styles are great because they have little-to-no tension and are extensions-free. The less manipulation, tension, and additional weight on your hair, the better. However, we understand that not every natural wants to wear loose styles all the time, or at all. Our concern is that most protective styles aren’t that protective. They can cause permanent damage to the hair and scalp, along with issues such as chronic dryness. This blog is dedicated to our curlfriends who love wearing wigs with their natural hair underneath.

 

The Ideal Regimen for Natural Hair

We have a Clean and Simple approach to hair care. For those who want to prioritize hair health over specific styles, we recommend the following:

1. Weekly cleansing, detangling, and styling.
2. Using high-quality products.
3. Setting the style with heat.
4. Regular trims to remove split and damaged ends.
5. Wear loose styles and avoid over-manipulation of the hair.

This regimen isn’t ideal for wig-wearers.

Delayed maintenance of the hair is a common occurrence with wigs. Wearing wigs back-to-back for long stretches of time will leave your natural hair dry and damaged. It may even begin to thin out due to hair loss. Below are common occurrences that happen when wearing wigs with natural hair.

Too-Tight Braid Down.

Tightly braided hair can cause different forms of alopecia. Traction alopecia has become extremely common among Black women due to hairstyle preferences. Common signs of excessively tight styles include red or swollen scalp, sores and bumps, and pain when the hair is moved or manipulated further. It shouldn’t hurt when you’re getting your hair done. Remember, edges aren’t the only hair that can be ripped out or thinned due to styling.

Not Cleansing and Detangling Between Wig Installs.

Even if your hair is healthy, you will still shed hair. It’s a normal occurrence in the hair’s cycle. When we detangle we remove the shed hair and prevent it from further tangling with the rest of our hair. It’s not unheard of for wig wearers to remove their wigs, not wash their hair, then install another wig. Cleansing is vital for the hair and scalp. It removes dirt, dead skin, and sebum buildup. Contradictory to what you may think, dirt does not help the hair grow. Instead, it creates a growth-hindering environment and has an unpleasant odor.

Wearing Wigs for Weeks or Months at a Time

Having a wig installed doesn’t mean you should ignore your natural hair. Wearing styles for weeks or months will lead to dandruff, chronic dryness, hair breakage, and other hair and scalp issues. If your hair gets wet under your wig and is not dried thoroughly, mold and mildew will form.

Back-to-Back Wig Wearing

All extension styles or alternative styles should be consciously worn. The additional weight, tension, and delayed maintenance accompanied by these styles can impact your hair’s health. It’s important to take breaks in between styles to give your hair a chance to recover. Wearing these styles one after another can add to your hair struggles.

An Adjusted Clean and Simple Regimen for Wearing Wigs with Natural Hair

If you’re concerned about your hair health but still want to enjoy wearing wigs with natural hair, keep reading. We have suggested a regimen that takes aspects of our Clean and Simple regimen and tweaked them to fit wig wearers’ needs.

This regimen is more hands-on than you might be familiar with but will help your hair stay healthy while it’s under your wig.

1. Avoid excessive tension when your hair is braided down. Don’t be afraid to tell your stylist that they need to be more gentle with your hair.
2. Schedule bi-weekly appointments with your stylist. Have your hair taken down, cleansed, and detangled. Make sure you’re getting a trim when needed. This will prevent your split ends from reaching higher up the hair shaft, which will cause more damage. Then, have your hair braided again to prepare for your next installation.
   Note: You can schedule your appointments according to your lifestyle. More TLC and treatments w
   1. ill be needed to regain and maintain your hair’s integrity if you cleanse less often.
3. Practice good hygiene. Wigs need to be properly washed if they’re ever going to be worn. Although Brown Skin Women Salon doesn’t offer it, some salons and stylists offer a wig cleaning service. Regardless if you have a professional wash your wig or do it yourself, you should prioritize cleanliness. If you plan to re-wear a wig, make sure it’s hygienic.
4. Take breaks if possible. If you’re comfortable taking a week or two between wig installs, do it. You can wear styles like the wash-n-go, two-strand twists, coils, or any other loose style you prefer. This gives the scalp time to breathe and rest without any tension. This is so important in terms of healthy hair practices. Less tension and manipulation will help the hair and scalp stay healthy
5. Stay consistent. If you set up a bi-weekly plan, hold yourself accountable and attend your appointments. Of course, life happens. If appointments have to be occasionally missed or rescheduled, that’s okay. However, for the most part, you should stick to this hair care regimen to ensure your health.

We Hope This Helps!

 

To our wonderful curlfriends who want to wear their wigs for any reason, we hope this has helped you. Though more work than tucking your hair away for weeks, this regimen will help your hair get healthier. This regimen, for some of you, may help you gain a better understanding of how your hair behaves and what it needs.

If you’re unsure how to properly cleanse, detangle, or style your hair, we can help. Our online community has step-by-step tutorials for natural hair care. We also have a style library if you need help achieving natural loose hairstyles.