Heat Styling Your Wig Safely: Blow Dryer, Flat Iron and Curling Iron Tips

A human hair wig can be blow dried, straightened and curled just like your own hair. The difference is that a wig can't grow back, so every bit of heat damage stays. These tips will help you get the look you want and keep your wig soft, shiny and full for longer.

Before you use any heat

• Use a heat protectant every time. Spray it through the middle and ends, and keep it off the cap and lace. Marée Heat Protection Hair Spray protects up to 450°F.
• Put the wig on a head. A canvas wig head with a table clamp keeps it steady and leaves both hands free. Pin through the edges of the cap with T-pins, never through the lace.
• Detangle first. Use a wide-tooth comb like the KurlsPlus Comb or a gentle wig brush, starting at the ends and working up. Heat turns small knots into breakage.
• Use the lowest heat that works. Damage adds up with every session, so start low and only go higher if you need to.
• Keep tools away from the lace. Stay about an inch from the hairline and cap. Heat can damage the lace and loosen the knots that hold the hair.

How to blow dry your wig

1. Let it air dry about halfway. Pat it with a towel (don't rub) and let it sit on a stand for a while. The less water in the hair, the less time it needs under heat.
2. Spray heat protectant through the lengths.
3. Use medium heat, never high, and put the nozzle on your dryer.
4. Point the air down, from the roots to the ends. This keeps the cuticle smooth so the hair looks shiny instead of frizzy.
5. Use a round or boar-bristle brush. Skip brushes with little balls on the bristle tips, because they can snag the cap.
6. Finish with the cool shot button on each section to seal in shine and set the style.

Curly or wavy wig? Use a diffuser on low heat so you don't blow out the curl pattern.

How to flat iron your wig

1. Make sure the wig is completely dry. Never flat iron damp hair. The water turns to steam and damages it from the inside.
2. Start at your iron's lowest setting and turn it up only if the hair isn't straightening.
3. Work in small, thin sections, starting with the bottom layer.
4. Make one smooth pass from the top of the section to the ends. Don't stop on one spot.
5. Start about an inch below the cap, not right at the roots.
6. Try the comb-chase trick. Run a fine-tooth comb just ahead of the iron for a sleeker finish in one pass.

Give yourself 15 to 30 minutes depending on the length and thickness. Rushing with higher heat does more harm than going slowly.

How to curl your wig

1. Start with a dry, detangled wig and heat protectant.
2. Set your curling iron around 300°F (150°C) and stay under about 350°F (180°C).
3. Curl small sections, about an inch wide, starting at the bottom.
4. Hold each section 8 to 10 seconds, then release. One pass per section is enough.
5. Let every curl cool before you touch it. Pin it up or hold it in your palm for a moment. Curls set as they cool, so this is the secret to curls that last.
6. Separate the curls with your fingers, not a brush, and finish with a light mist of hairspray.

Which barrel size?

• ¾ to 1 inch: tighter, defined curls
• 1¼ inch: classic curls and loose waves
• 1½ inch: soft bends on long hair

Curl the pieces around the face away from the face, and alternate the direction everywhere else for a natural look.

Lower-heat and no-heat options

• Roller set: roll slightly damp hair onto rollers, dry it on low with a diffuser, and let it cool completely before you take them out. You get bouncy curls with much less heat than an iron.
• Flexi rods or braids overnight: waves and curls with no heat at all.
• Steam: a handheld steamer can relax kinks. Keep it at least a foot away from the hair.

Make your style last (and protect your wig)

• Sleep in a silk bonnet (or the long silk bonnet for long hair) so your curls or straight style survive the night with less frizz.
• Store it on a stand like the Folding Wig Stand between wears so it keeps its shape.
• Don't heat style every day. Give your wig rest days and use no-heat styles in between.
• Wash and deep condition regularly. Here's our step-by-step wig washing guide.

A note about synthetic wigs

Regular synthetic hair melts on a curling iron or flat iron, so don't use hot tools on it at all. Wigs labeled 'heat-resistant' or 'heat-friendly' can handle low heat, usually no more than about 280°F, but always check the label first. Human hair wigs give you the most freedom to style with heat.

Shop the styling essentials

• Marée Heat Protection Hair Spray
• Canvas Wig Head with Table Clamp Stand
• Table Clamp Stand for Wig and Mannequin Heads
• Folding Wig Stand
• Black Silk Bonnet
• Beaut Wig Brush and KurlsPlus Comb
• Glueless Wig Install Kit for a secure, flat install before you style

New to wigs? Start with our guide to glueless wigs for beginners.