washing and ironing falls and shaitels

mommyX2

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 9:40 pm

I want to start washing and ironing my fall on my own...does anyone have instructions? (for a beginner) thanks! Smile

Last edited by mommyX2 on Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:34 pm; edited 2 times in total

OldYoung

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 9:49 pm

on my... what?

mommyX2

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:31 pm

on my OWN sorry not sure how that got left out lol

OldYoung

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:35 pm

Well I'm sure everyone will have their own advice but I can tell you what I do. I shampoo my fall well. Then I put in conditioner (not at the roots, just at the ends) and let the fall sit for about 20 min, and then I wash it out. I comb it and let it airdry overnight, iron gently the next day, and keep in velcro rollers when I don't wear it. I usually wash it once or twice a month.

mommyX2

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:38 pm

how do u get all the hairs back through the scalp/net to the other correct side (they alwasy seem to poke through the scalp to the inside. is that easier to do when wet or dry?
do u let it sit with both conditioner and shampoo or just the conditioner?

OldYoung

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:44 pm

not sure what you mean about the hair. I wash the shampoo out right away.

waterbottle

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 10:48 pm

some of us don't have open wefted sheitels... However, You can flip the hair back.. or be careful about keeping the sheitel right side up so they don't get twisted.

This is what I do.

fill sink basin with water, put in some shampoo
soak sheitel for like 3 minutes.

rinse sheitel

apply conditioner to ends (conditioner can make the scalp bald)

rinse it out.

Then I blow dry... afterwards you can use a straight iron.

I would use warm not hot heat settings for both blow dryer and iron...

mommyX2

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 11:15 pm

so is it better to soak for the shampoo step or to scrub it around?

by the way thanks for the responses...

familyfirst

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 11:49 pm

Hi!
I don't iron my wig, nor do I wear a fall, but this is how I wash my shaitel and it comes out great every time! by the way, I am NOT hair savvy, so if I can do this ANYONE can!

I put the shaitel on a foam head and pin it in well.
Then I (gasp!) take it in the shower with me and wash it while I'm there! Or, wash it in the tub where there is a lot of room to hold the head straight and rinse well.

After I pin the shaitel to the head I wet the hair. I put shampoo in my hand (I use Herbal Essence) and with my fingers I go through the strands of hair so that the shaitel gets soapy. DONT WASH HAIR INTO A MESS! START AT THE TOP AND GENTLY RUN YOUR FINGERS THROUGH THE SHAITEL MAKING SURE THE ENTIRE THING GETS SOAPY. Now rinse. Make sure to rinse the soap while shaitel is standing up straight. Don't make the hair knotty.

After it's thoroughly rinsed I put conditioner into my palm (I use Herbal essence conditioner)and run my fingers through the hair. Keep conditioner away from scalp. Rinse downward. Let shower water run directly ontop of wig (or bath tub faucet). By keeping shaitel pinned to head the hair does not have a chance to come through the net on the inside.

To dry: keep wig on shaitel head. dry with towel as much as can. Leave overnight to dry on head. Next morning can transfer wig from shaitel head.

I found the above to be best. It gives the wig a REAL clean (though it does take some time). smells great and feels fresh. Even my shaitel macher was impressed!
I like to give my shaitel macher a washed wig that is only slightly wet so can be styled. keeps the blowdryer off as much as possible, for, as you know, heat kills the hair.

Hope this makes sense and that someone can use this info so that all this typing was not for nothing!

mommyX2

Thu, Aug 28 2008, 11:58 pm

yes! thank you for the very thorough instructions. thanks for pointing out about not scrbubing into into a notty mess!

pinkbubbles

Fri, Aug 29 2008, 2:48 am

I want to add about ironing a shaitel, you can't iron it like you would regular hair. If you leave the iron on too long you will burn the hair and completely ruin the shaitel. You should definetely not use the highest heat setting and don't leave it on the hair too long. Use quick strokes.

morahaviva

Fri, Aug 29 2008, 11:27 am

Too embarrassed to identify myself... but when you say "iron" do you mean a curling iron or a regular iron that you use on clothing??? ARGHHH I just scrolled down and see that I cant be anonymous! So now you all know how clueless I am!!!

Lady Godiva

Fri, Aug 29 2008, 11:28 am

Don't ever iron wet hair.

OldYoung

Fri, Aug 29 2008, 11:40 am

A flat hair iron. I usually use tresemme shampoo and conditioner because that's what the macher that I "trained by" used. But I'm sure others are great too. If you towel dry, be careful not to mush hair around too much or it will get knotty. I wash my wigs in the shower too! Wink

But I let them just airdry on a hook, instead of on the head.

mommyX2

Mon, Sep 08 2008, 3:07 pm

I did it! thank you all for your input. it came out nice! (I hope it lasts)

wanderer

Mon, Sep 08 2008, 3:32 pm

Is is OK to use a blowdryer or flat iron for touchups often? (even w/o washing the wig) Or will it damage the hair?