Fast Wig Untangle 101 – How to Detangle Matted Wigs by Yourself

Tanging is a headache problem for both cheap and expensive wigs. When your wig gets tangled and knotted, it looks really bad. That’s why you need to untangle a wig. Compared with real hair, synthetic hair wigs are prone to tangle and frizz. Because there is no natural oil that can keep hair smooth and soft. But don’t worry about that. You can know how to detangle human hair and synthetic wigs at home by yourself here. 

There are many questions about how to detangle matted wigs. What you can do when a human hair wig or synthetic wig tangles? Is there any available solution to untangle a wig from top to bottom? How to untangle a wig without fabric softener? If you want to know why wig tangles and how to detangle a wig fast at home, you can continue reading and get more details. 

• Part 1: Detangle a Synthetic or Human Hair Wig Like a Pro (8 Ways)
• Part 2: Keep Your Wig from Tangling (8 Tips)
• Part 3: FAQs of Hair Wigs and Extensions Detangling
  • Can You Put a Wig into A Washing Machine?
  • How to Keep a Wig from Tangling in the Back?
  • How to Fix a Frayed Wig?

Part 1: 8 Ways to Untangle a Wig by Yourself (Also Know Why Your Wig Tangles)

The followings are the most possible reasons why your human hair wig or synthetic hair wig is tangled. Meanwhile, you can get the related solutions to detangle a wig in synthetic or human hair. With those wig untangling ways, your wig will look as good as a new one.

1. Use a Wig Detangling Brush or Spray to Make Your Wig Smooth Again

To get bad knots out of a wig, you can brush it before and after wearing it. However, not all combs and brushes are good for wigs. Brushing a wig with a normal brush or comb will stretch and damage wig hair fibers permanently. To bypass hair wig damages, you had better detangle wigs and hair extensions with a wig brush. There are many good wig combs and brushes on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and many other online/offline stores you can choose from. 

The question is, how to brush a wig that is tangled heavily? Just gently comb your wig from the end to remove tiny knots. If your wig is extremely curly, or the wig care instruction tells you not to brush, you can comb your tangled with your fingers as well. To stop your wig from frizzing, a wig detangler spray will be a good choice. During this time, you need to choose a synthetic wig detangler spray or human hair wig detangler. However, don’t untangle a synthetic wig with natural hair products. To make your wig look gorgeous, shiny, soft, and natural all the time, synthetic/human hair wig styling products are required.

2. No Overheated Straighteners and Curling Wands to Your Wig

In many cases, you need to straighten or curl your wig to make it look pretty. But be careful when you use a straightener or curling wand. Overheating will make your wig frizzy and dry. Be careful if you flat iron a synthetic wig. Because synthetic wig fibers are made from plastic, which is sensitive to high temperatures. It is not suggested to style a wig with heat styling tools for a long time unless you buy a heat-resistant wig.

If you really want to style a wig, you had better use the low heat settings. Or you can buy pre-styled wigs. There are many affordable styled wigs that look natural. (Also check hairpieces for women and men here. ) Heat-friendly wigs are also welcome. Of course, the cheap synthetic wig lifespan is shorter than normal wigs. To make your wig look better and last longer, you can check wig care tips to keep a natural look here.

3. Wig Shampoo and Conditioner are Unreplaceable – Revive Your Tangled Wig

Just like your hair, wigs need to be washed to remove oil, dust, sweat, and other buildups. The suggested wig washing frequency is 7 to 14 wears. The approximate wears for wig washing depend on temperature, location (where you live), oily production, and more. But if your wig gets wet or smell, you need to wash it as soon as possible. It is unpleasant to smell the odor from your wig. (Get smelly scalp treatment.)
Well,  Let’s get back on track. The most important thing is that you should use wig shampoo and conditioner instead of normal hair products. Using regular shampoo to wash a wig will cause irreversible damages to both synthetic and human hair wigs. Because harsh chemicals and high pH balance will strip off wigs permanently. As a result, your wig will be tangled and matted. To stop human hair and synthetic wigs from tangling, you need to use surface-free hair products to shampoo and condition wigs. By the way, your wig can stay longer.

4. Be Careful While Washing Your Wig – Don’t Scrub Your Wig

Your wig is too delicate to be scrubbed while washing or brushing. So you need to be gentle. Also, just as above mentioned, washing a wig is also a good way to make your wig tangle-free. If your wig looks extremely dry and tangling, you can apply moisture and hydration from qualified wig products. Consequently, your wig and wig extension will be soft and smooth. By the way, applying enough wig conditioners can make your wig fibers soft. As a result, you can keep a long and curly wig from tangling effectively.
Here are the tutorials to wash and detangle a wig:
Untangle human hair wigs: how to wash and dry a human hair wig
Detangle synthetic hair wigs: how to wash a synthetic wig and keep your wig clean

5. Store Not-wearing Wigs Properly – Prevent Wigs from Tangling 

For most wig-wears, it is common to buy 2, 3, or more wigs. You cannot wear a wig all the time. As for those not-wearing wigs, you should put those wigs on suitable wig stands. Don’t leave wigs on your bed, floor, bathroom, or even your handbag. By the way, this is really important to keep cosplay wigs from tangling, as well as other special occasion wigs. No matter your wig is cheap or expensive, remember to comb, wash, condition, and dry all your wigs before storing them. It is not a waste of time. Your wig will be in a good condition. The standard wig lifespan can last longer. Moreover, it is not obvious when you wear a wig. It just looks natural and as good as your original hair.

6. Pay Attention to Jewellery and Clothes 

You can find that synthetic wigs always tangle in the back. This is because the necklace you wear tangles your wig. As for long hair wigs, the clothes you wear can cause wig tangling as well. Don’t overlook this synthetic wig tangling factor. The most recommended fabric is satin. It can stop synthetic hair wigs from tangling, as well as human hair wigs. To keep your wig tangle-free, you should not wear heavy wool sweaters and wigs at the same time.
If you want to detangle a wig with synthetic or human hair, you can wear satin clothes more. Or you can put your wig into a high ponytail to keep your wig tangle-free.

7. Don’t Sleep or Take a Shower with Your Wig

Take off your wig when you go to bed or take a shower. This method can increase the longevity of your wig and reduce tangles. (Don’t wear a wig all the time. Check the side effects of wearing wigs here.) If you want to sleep with wigs, try to use a satin or silk pillowcase to prevent wigs from tangling. Otherwise, synthetic wigs are easy to tangle. To fix a tangled wig, you can gently brush it with a wide-tooth wig comb to detangle a synthetic wig.

8. Bad Weather – Not Suggested for Wig Wearing

Windy days will tangle synthetic wigs a lot. During this time, you can detangle a synthetic wig with a fabric softener. Use a spray bottle to add 3 parts of water and 1 part of the conditioner. It would be better if you use a wig detangler product instead. Shake the mixture to mix it completely.
Here is another way to detangle a wig in synthetic with fabric softener. Soak or wash your tangled wig gently. Put your wet wig on a wig stand. Squirt the fabric softener and water mixture onto the bottom of your wig until it is fully saturated. Later, use a wide-tooth wig comb to detangle synthetic hair wigs gently.
Air dry your wig completely before wearing or storing it. It is not suggested to dry your wig under direct sunlight, especially in summer. Because prolonged sun exposure will damage wig hair fibers and fade wig color. What’s more, avoid drying a wig with your blow dryer to prevent wig heat damages. (, What is better, air dry or blow dry?)

Part 2: 8 Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Wig from Tangling

If you don’t want to spend time untangling wigs over and over again, you can take the following advice to keep your wig free from tangles. Thus, even though you buy a cheap wig, you can still get shiny and smooth hair on your head. Moreover, tangle free wigs can stay longer and look natural.

1. Tease out wig tangles gently using a wide tooth wig comb. As for extremely curly wigs, don’t brush frequently to maintain the wig style.
2. Use cold or lukewarm water to wash and rinse wigs.
3. Comb wig conditioner through the hair to prevent tangles. Leave conditioner for a wig for about 5 minutes. Then use cold water to rinse your wig. You can soften and detangle synthetic wig hair successfully.
4. Don’t rub or scrub your wig. You can pat your wig gently to remove excess moisture and dust.
5. Air dry your wig in somewhere cool and clean. Don’t put it under the direct sun.
6. Trim the split ends to take the frizz out of synthetic wigs.
7. If you want to style your costume or cosplay wig, you had better apply a protective spray to overcome high-temperature damages.
8. Moisture a dry and frizz wig with natural oil, such as Moroccan oil, coconut oil, and more. It can add shine to your synthetic and human hair fibers too.

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FAQs of Wig Untangling

All in all, you can untangle and defrizz a wig with the above methods with ease. Compared with short-length wigs, long wavy synthetic wigs tend to get tangled. Use a wig comb and spray to detangle a tangled wig. Or you can wash and detangle an extremely matted wig with conditioner and softener. Still have questions about fixing tangled wigs? You can share your questions with me through contact page.