Should I even try...

seeker

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 10:04 pm

to wash my sheitel myself? I'm a little nervous. I never get around to having it washed, but that kind of makes sense because I wear it VERY rarely. I am almost exclusively a tichel person but I keep the sheitel handy for certain occasions that I feel warrant it.

It's straight and about shoulder-length, human hair. Should I try to do it myself, and if so - how? First timer here... I *might* still have a blow dryer from my single days which *might* be a somewhat junky one. Hair iron (straight) I definitely have (normal non-junky.)

Or should I just cough up another $30 or whatever the rate is these days and shlep it over to someone who will do it right, so that it will look decent for the next 5 times I wear it (do sheitels get dirty just sitting in the box? Because I can't imagine everyone has their sheitel washed every few wears, most people wear them every DAY! But mine looks dull and I wear it less than once a month.)

Cookies n Cream

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 10:27 pm

Does it look dirty or just not styled?
I wash them every 3 or 4 months, and I wear them every day.
The trick is to put T pins and pin clips in to hold the setting.

busydev

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 10:38 pm

I also rarely wear my sheital and find it needs a wash after 3-4 months of 1 wear a week. I usually go closer to 6 tho. I wash it myself. my sis in law showed me how but then I wasnt liking the way it was coming out so I took the wigs by you course and since then I have been happy with how it comes out. what I have been doing is brushing it out and repinning every wear and then a quick fix up with my curling iron every couple months/wgen it starts looking flat and dull. I dont make curls but its mostly straight with a bit of body (turned under and bangs away from face). I let it air dry and use a 1" iron to style.

seeker

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 10:38 pm

My main concern is it's looking a bit dull and slightly on the greasy side. Not terrible, but of course I don't want it to get to terrible!

It never looks especially styled Sad

I think the person who was cutting it was trying to go for some certain look but to me it just looks boring, chopped straight across. It's just straight. With side bangs that I try to hold back with T-pins but still end up flopping in my face all the time. Great, if I keep talking any imamother will be able to recognize me in the street now! Anyway, I'm afraid to try cutting differently because it will just get too short. It's already shorter than I really meant for it to be, short enough that if I wear the wrong top it catches in the collar. Siiiiigh maybe this is why I just stick with tichels mostly!

greenfire

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:12 pm

put it gently in the sink flat ... put shampoo do not smush it but pat it making sure it gets wet through & through ... then lift it out of sink & have water rinse through it holding it up so as not to get knotty ... put conditioner in same fashion - then rinse as well

lie it flat on a towel & pat it or let it sit to absorb as much water as possible ... when ready - pin it to a styrofoam head & comb out ... style as you would your hair

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:22 pm

There are tutorials on YouTube for wig care, and a special gentle shampoo you can buy. I like to use a light leave-in conditioner spray after I've let it towel dry a bit.

I've been washing and setting my own sheitels for years, and never had a problem.

seeker

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:30 pm

I have to wear it next week so even though it's looking less than pristine, I guess I'll leave it for now just in case, then maybe experiment after when I'll have time to have it professionally redone before I'll need it again... just in case.

Do I need to worry about permanently damaging it or just not having the style come out right? Because if there's a danger of permanent damage it's more of a problem, I'm not exactly in the market for a brand new sheitel at the moment.

Fabulous

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:32 pm

seeker wrote:

there's definitely possibility for permanent damage.

I'm not a maven but I have washed and set my pony sheitel a couple of times after someone showed me how.

Next time you are in my neck of the wood, you can bring it over and I can show you LOL

Fabulous

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:37 pm

greenfire wrote:

you're not dying it ... you're not cutting it ... how on earth are you going to ruin it ?

don't use the hot iron ...

there are a lot of ways. If you put conditioner too close to the top (where the hair is sown in) the hairs can start falling off.

You can blow too close to the hair and burn it etc….

bubbebia

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:40 pm

I generally wash it myself, even if I'm taking it to someone to style. She might give you a discount if you wash it yourself. I wash it with my regular shampoo and then put in lots of conditioner and let it sit for a goodly while before rinsing it out. Be careful coming it out after washing though.

MaBelleVie

Thu, Jan 09 2014, 11:42 pm

Watch tutorials and you can't really go wrong. Apply shampoo/conditioner as instructed in tutorials. Allow to fully air dry before heat styling, and go as light as possible on the heat.

It really isn't rocket science... I do it myself since I got tired of paying other people to ruin the hair by using heat while it was still wet :/