How to Care for Your Natural Hair Under Wigs

Wigs are a great protective style for your natural hair. They not only help to protect your natural hair but also ensure that you manipulate your hair less, giving it time to grow out healthier.

If you don't want to spend a lot of time braiding your hair with extensions, you can simply make cornrows and put on any wig of your choice.

However, just because you often wear a wig doesn't mean you shouldn't take good care of your natural hair, even if you're a lazy natural.

The lack of proper hair care for your natural hair can cause dryness, tangles, split ends, dandruff, or hair breakage, to name a few.

To prevent this from happening, I'll share some simple tips for taking care of your natural hair under a wig. So keep reading!

How to Care for Your Natural Hair Under Wigs

1. Oil your hairline

When you wear a wig, it covers your hairline where your edges grow out. These baby hairs are usually fragile, and constant friction from the wig can cause them to dry out, thin, or even break off.

To avoid this, simply massage your hairline with hair oil or shea butter before putting on your wig. This will help reduce friction between the wig and your hairline, thus protecting your edges.

2. Moisturize and seal your hair

Just like you take care of your wigs by applying hair spray or shine, you should also take care of your natural hair.

Moisturizing and sealing your natural hair can enhance its shine, keep it soft and prevent dryness and breakage. And it's easy to do.

First, lightly spritz each of your cornrows with water from roots to ends. Then, apply a small amount of your favorite hair moisturizer on each cornrow from roots to ends, followed by your hair oil. This will lock in moisture and keep your hair hydrated for a long time.

Remember to use a moderate amount of product, so as not to cause build-up, itchiness, flaking, or dandruff. You can moisturize and seal your hair three times a week.

3. Wear a silk or satin bonnet to sleep

After a long day at work or school, taking off your wig and getting into bed is one of the best feelings in the world.

Just like you look forward to a good night's sleep, your natural hair also deserves some good night care. All you have to do is put on a silk or satin bonnet before you hop into bed.

A satin bonnet helps keep your hair hydrated throughout the night, preventing dryness and hair breakage.

4. Clean your scalp

Even if you wear a wig, your hair can get dirty and smelly from sweat and products. This can cause itchiness, flaking, and even dandruff on your scalp. To keep your scalp healthy, all you need is shampoo and some cotton balls.

Here's how to clean your scalp:

1. Dip a fingertip-sized cotton ball in shampoo.
2. Gently scrub your scalp with the cotton ball.
3. Once you've scrubbed your whole scalp, rinse off the shampoo using the same method (fingertip-sized cotton ball dipped in water).
4. Dry your scalp with a t-shirt or blow dryer.
5. Finally, use a lightweight oil of your choice to hydrate your scalp.

5. Take down your cornrows often

Keeping your cornrows in forever just because your hair is under a wig or you aren't braiding your natural hair with extensions is not a good idea.

It is recommended that you take down your cornrows after 4 or 5 weeks. After taking them down, do your normal hair routine to clean your hair and scalp. Then, braid in new cornrows, moisturize and seal.

Wigs can protect your natural hair and allow you to try out different hairstyles without manipulating your natural hair too often. However, it's important to follow the right hair care routine to ensure your natural hair stays healthy.

To learn more about how to take care of your natural hair while wearing a wig, watch this helpful tutorial by NICKYBNATURAL.