Hair care is very important for your Freedom Wig. Because the hair is not growing, your freedom wig will endure some wear and tear after daily use. Follow these helpful tips to keep your wig looking healthy.

 

Mechanical breakage of the hair can happen in many ways. Sleeping in your wig will cause breakage as you toss and turn. It is recommended that you avoid sleeping in your wig. Allow some time for your scalp to breathe and the wig to rest. Breakage can happen when you wear heavy clips or clip your hair in the same spot every day. The heavy clips will pull at the hair. Clipping a bobby pin in the same area each day will wear on the hair until it breaks. Using rubber hair ties will also cause breakage. Perms and peroxides are not advised. These will also increase breakage.

 

Wash your scalp and the inside of your silicone cap daily: Even though you only have to wash your hair once a week, it is essential to wash both your own scalp and the silicone cap lining every day. Bacteria and odors can develop from sweat if left dirty. Use a small amount of liquid dish soap and use a wipe or paper towel to clean. Then water and a wipe to remove any soapy residue. (Just wiping with water alone won’t remove perspiration oil, and slippery silicone and odor may result.)

 

If there is an oil build up in the cap that dish soap alone cannot remove, then create a paste by using 1 part baking soda and one part water. Paint the paste over the inside of the cap until it dries. Then rinse with water and dish soap.

Wash your hair once a week: Your hairpiece should be shampooed at most once a week. You can wear it in the shower and wash it on your head or by hand. Most shampoos are designed to remove oils. Consult with your stylist to find shampoos/conditioners that are  specific to dry hair. Using traditional shampoos will dry out and damage your hair. Below are some instructions before and during washing.

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• Before you wet the hair, gently brush out any tangles. Use a wide-toothed comb or vent brush, starting at the tips and gradually working up the hair length to the crown.

• Wash the inside of the cap as you do every day (see above).

• Using tepid or lukewarm water – never hot – hold the hairpiece under the faucet/ showerhead and allow the water to run gently over and through the hair in the direction the hair flows (a hand shower is perfect for this).

• Once saturated, apply a capful of shampoo. Spread the shampoo down the hair length with your fingers and gently squeeze to work the lather through the hair. Do not rub or scrub the hair. Rinse thoroughly under the shower.

• Squeeze the hair in a towel to remove excess water and apply conditioner. (If the hair is saturated with water, it can’t absorb the conditioner).

• Spread the conditioner down the hair length with your fingers and gently squeeze through the hair. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently work the conditioner through, leaving it on for two to five minutes.

• Rinse out under running water thoroughly and towel dry. Pat or squeeze the hair with the towel to blot up the water – be sure you don’t rub the hair or the prosthesis scalp with the towel as it risks hair breakage.

• Air dry when possible. You can blow dry, but avoid high heat and add heat treatment products.

 

Swimming: Always wash and condition your hairpiece the same day you’ve been in a pool or the ocean. Ideally, wet your hair with regular water before going into the pool, so it won’t soak up chlorinated water.

 

Hair products: We encourage you to purchase quality products from a salon or salon supply store. Pureology is widely used as well as other shampoos and conditioners without sulfates and parabens. Use leave-in spray conditioners sparingly to avoid heavy, dull hair.

Hair products with UV screen protection are good to help reduce color fading, as are water based color rinses and semi-permanent colors, should exposure to the sun cause your hair to fade.

 

Tips for cutting a Freedom Hair piece: Most people with a Freedom Hair prosthesis want a natural look for their finished hairstyle. This can be achieved through some helpful tips to your hairstylist. Razor cutting or using thinning scissors helps give the cut hair a more natural, slightly uneven, wispy look. It is advisable to leave the length of the hair a little longer than you initially want. If you are unsure about asking your stylist to take more off, then we encourage you to put your plans on hold – go home; wash and wear your prosthesis for seven to 10 days; let your style settle. Then, if you still fancy some changes return to the salon. Because this hair cannot grow back, it is important to take your time and see how the hair responds to styling and your preferences. When finishing the cut, the edge hair – about 1 centimeter all the way around – should be sectioned off and lightly razor thinned, so if the hair is pulled back, short wispy (baby) hair remains against the skin, giving a softer edge. In all cases, the edge hair should be shorter and thinner than the top hair, otherwise the edge hair will lift the top hair away from the skin, and people will see right back to the cap edges.