How to Care for Your Natural Hair Under a Wig
Wigs are great protective styles for your natural hair. Not only do they help to protect your natural hair, but wigs ensure that you manipulate your hair less and give it time to grow out healthier. Also, if you do not want to have to worry about braiding your hair with extensions for a long time, all you have to do is make cornrows and pop on any wig of your choice.
However, because you wear a wig often doesn't mean you shouldn't take good care of your natural hair, even if you are a lazy natural. Lack of proper hair care for your natural hair can cause dryness, tangles, split ends, dandruff, or hair breakage, to mention a few. To prevent this from happening, in this article, I will be sharing simple but helpful ways you can take care of your natural hair underneath a wig. So, continue reading!
Tips on how to care for your natural hair under wigs
1. Oil your hairline
Usually, when you wear your wig on your head, it covers up your hairline. Now, your hairline is where your edges grow out from and these baby hairs are usually fragile. When your wig constantly comes in contact with your hairline, it can create a friction and lead to your edges drying out, thinning, or even breaking off! This is scary, isn't it? However, it is also avoidable. How? Simply massage your hairline with hair oil or Shea butter before putting on your wig. Oiling your hairline will help minimize the friction between the wig and your hairline, thus, protecting your edges.
2. Moisturize and seal your hair
Applying shea butter, hair spray or shine is something most people do on their wigs as it is a great way to give them some shine. Similarly, you should care about giving your natural hair the same way. By moisturizing and sealing, you can nourish your natural hair and add shine to it. This also keeps your soft, and prevents dryness or hair breakage. How do you do this? It is easy.
First of all, spritz each of your cornrows lightly with water from roots to end. Next, take a small amount of your favorite hair moisturizer and apply it on each cornrow from the roots to the ends. After this, apply your hair oil to each cornrow from roots to end. The oil will help lock in the moisture and keep your natural hair hydrated for a long period.
Now, it is advisable that you are not heavy-handed with your products. This is because applying too many products to your hair can lead to product build-ups, cause itchiness, flaking, and even dandruff. So, just use a little amount of hair moisturizer and oil and apply sparsely to your hair. Also, you can moisturize and seal your hair three times a week (because remember what I said about how too many products can cause product build-ups).
3. Wear a Silk Bonnet to Sleep
After a long day at work or school, taking your wig off and crashing in your bed is something you look forward to doing. Just the way you look forward to some good night's sleep, your natural hair too should get some good night care. All you have to do is pop on your silk or satin bonnet just before you hop on your bed. What does wearing a satin or silk bonnet on your natural hair to sleep do for your hair? The major reason is to keep your hair hydrated all through the night, thus preventing dryness and its attendant effects (e. g. hair breakage). This is because rubbing your hair over a cotton pillowcase will dry out the moisture in your hair and you do not want that.
You can check here to shop for satin bonnets, exactly like the one in the picture.
4. Clean your scalp
Even under a wig, your hair could get dirty and smelly from sweat and product build-ups. This could cause itchiness, flaking, and even dandruff on your scalp. To keep your scalp healthy, all you need to is some cotton balls and your shampoo.
Here is how you clean your scalp:
First of all, dip a fingertip-sized cotton ball in shampoo and then gently scrub your scalp with it. After scrubbing your entire scalp with cotton balls and shampoo, the next step is to cleanse off the shampoo. Using the same method (fingertip-sized cotton ball dipped in water), gently scrub your scalp until it is thoroughly clean. After this, dry your scalp with a T-shirt or blow dryer. Finally, oil it with any lightweight oil of your choice to keep your scalp hydrated.
5. Take down your cornrows often
Just because your hair is under a wig or you aren't braiding your natural hair with extensions shouldn't be a reason for you to keep your cornrows in forever. Ideally, you should take down your cornrows after four or five weeks. And after you have taken down your cornrows, do your normal wash day hair routine to clean your hair and scalp. Then, braid in new cornrows, moisturize and seal.
For more tips on how to take care of your natural hair under a wig, watch this helpful tutorial by NICKYBNATURAL.
Bottomline
Wigs can help you protect your hair and also ensure that you can rock as many hairstyles you want without manipulating your hair often, but only the right hair care routine can help your natural hair thrive.
