Here’s The Truth.
If you’re like me and always running late or doing things last minute the thought of putting your wig in the clothes dryer may have crossed your mind! I’ve looked into this idea and I’ve finally got the answer.
You should never dry your wig in a clothes dryer. Wigs, even heat-friendly ones, are not made to withstand heat or a lot of friction. Putting your wig in a dryer will burn and melt the hair fibers, tangle the hair, and leave your wig in an unmanageable condition. Rather air-dry your wig or use a towel for a safer method.
So now that you know the truth, it’s time to delve a little deeper into the facts! If you’re not yet convinced, be sure to keep reading.
Why You Should Avoid Putting Your Wig In The Dryer
I strongly encourage you to avoid drying your wig in your wig dryer head at all costs. Dryers are way too harsh on delicate wigs and can cause irreversible damage to them.
When dryers spin and move its contents around at a fast speed it creates a lot of friction. This friction will be the main cause of the damage to your wig. Your wig will become very tangled and matted and these knots will be almost impossible to remove without tearing and breaking the hair.
Secondly, the heat that is generated in a clothes dryer will severely damage your wig. Wigs, even human-hair and heat-friendly wigs, are not made to withstand heat and your wig could actually catch on fire! The heat will likely damage human-hair wigs and melt and burn synthetic fiber wigs. The heat will also burn, melt and even misshape the wig cap or bonds!
Have a look below for alternative methods to drying your wig and how you can dry your wig correctly in order to preserve the shape and avoid damage.
How To Dry Your Wig Correctly
A critical step in proper and effective wig care is drying it correctly. You really need to be patient and take your time when drying your wig as the slightest bit of impatience or roughness with your wig could be its downfall!
To dry your wig the right way, avoid wringing, squeezing, or rubbing your wig with a towel. Rather use the towel to blot any excess water by placing your wig on the towel. Then let your wig air dry completely on a wig stand before you comb it. If you use a hairdryer, then use it on the lowest heat setting.
When your wig is wet after being washed it is in its most vulnerable state. The weight of the water in the hair could actually stretch out the wig fibers and leave your wig misshapen and ill-fitting. Take note of the following steps when drying your wig to avoid damage to the hair fibers:
Pat dry with a towel.
Firstly you need to very gently squeeze any excess water out of the wig. Be sure to use a clean, absorbent towel and pat out the excess water. Leave the clean and damp wig hair in a dry towel for five minutes to allow for further water absorption.
Make sure that you do not ring out the hair as this could case breakage and tangle the hair. You can also use a clean cotton t-shirt as this is gentle and absorbent and will not damage the hair.
Do not comb the wet wig.
It is so important that you do not comb your wet wig. As I mentioned above, your wig is at its most delicate and vulnerable when it is wet. Combing wet hair will increase the risk of breakage and damage the hair cuticle that protects the hair fibre of human hair wigs.
Not only will combing the wig damage the individual hair fibres, it could also rip them out and leave patches of the wig cap exposed! As the hair is not actually growing, there is no chance of new hair growing and covering up these bald spots. In fact, covering the bald sports up will be more of a challenge than if you just avoided the comb all together!
