Please teach me how to do my sheitel

amother

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 12:39 pm

Can you tell me basics of how to do a basic wash n set? I can't afford to pay someone but they need to be done.
I have a clamp for a head, heat sensitive cylindrical brush, curlers. I have to dig them up, but I have them.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 12:44 pm

Use special sheitel shampoo, and wash in a basin. Do not do an normal "shampoo". Swish and rinse as gently as possible. The more you agitate, the more you risk losing hair and getting tangles.

Use a comb with the widest teeth you can find, and go as gently as you would on a small child's tender little head.

Let the sheitel dry on the stand until just damp, and then put the rollers in (otherwise they'll be wet for days). It should be dry by morning, and have a nice curl.

Watch YouTube videos, there are millions of them out there on how to care for wigs, and how to do different hair styles. You'll see how different roller patterns create different looks.

MiriFr

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 12:50 pm

You need to get a washing brush.
Shampoo 2x, condition 1x.
Use tresemme.
While shampooing/conditioning, brush under water.
Let air dry until 90% dry, rub in a small amount of serum, and then blow straight.
Then curl.

These are the bare bare basics. Have fun!

FranticFrummie

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 12:58 pm

Childrens' detangling conditioner spray is a HUGE help when combing or brushing out a sheitel after washing. It's light enough that you can leave it in and it won't drag the hair down or make it look dull. It will help prevent split ends, too.

PeanutMama

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 1:04 pm

Does anybody know if these tips work for synthetic? I just washed mine with a little shampoo and now it’s sitting on a shaitel head drying out.

amother

Plum

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 1:09 pm

One of these days I hope to take a class. It's not just to save money to do myself, but even to spread out the need for wash and set so often. I feel like everything about the way I brush the hair even is wrong. When I try to do curling iron or curlers or use hair dryer to get limp hairs back where I want them, it looks so pathetic. Everything looks so easy when Sheitel macher does it.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 1:13 pm

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

Does anybody know if these tips work for synthetic? I just washed mine with a little shampoo and now it’s sitting on a shaitel head drying out.

Synthetic should bounce right back to where it was before, because the fibers are already heat set at the factory. Just fluff it a little bit with your fingers while it's still damp, and it should be fine. Do NOT use hot tools on synthetic. It's not made to stand up to dryers and curling irons. You could use a dryer set on "cool", but nothing warmer.

amother

Sun, Mar 01 2020, 2:13 pm

I hate curlers. They are so hard to get in and they don't work on the outer layer. I just want a gentle curl under at the bottom and some spots stubbornly won't go if I use acurler or even just the round ceramic brush. Tips?

jflower

Wed, Mar 04 2020, 3:22 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Are you using the right size curler/roller? I'm not sure what you mean when you say they don't work on the outer layer but if the roller is too large I can see how that won't work.

I use velcro rollers and t-pins to hold the roller in place on a styrofoam head. Let it air dry and just blow out each roller as you remove it. The end result is just a few minutes with the blow dryer vs a lot longer if you blow dry a sopping wet wig. I can't imagine that all that heat is good for the hair so I try to minimize the heat from the blow dryer as much as possible.

amother

Wed, Mar 04 2020, 10:15 pm

MiriFr wrote:

Can you name a serum? Or a link? I don't know what to buy.

BeingBee

Wed, Mar 04 2020, 10:35 pm

Just a tip about conditioner: Only use it at the bottom of the shaitel. Do not let it get near the roots. It'll loosen the knots that keep the hair on the wefts making them either fall out or they can get stuck in the net between the cap and wefts.