Artificial hair: pros, cons, and grooming tips

The tradition of using artificial hair goes back centuries. For men, wearing wigs was a reflection of their strength and power, and for women - beauty. Now artificial hair is popular again. How to understand the proposed range of synthetic strands, read the article.

Artificial hair can be distinguished by a number of characteristics.

• Natural hair has a natural shine, artificial analogs also have it, but too glossy, they seem to be covered with some kind of film.
• To the touch, natural strands are soft and silky, while artificial ones are hard and elastic.
• Natural hair easily tolerates the effects of a curling iron, hairdryer or ironing, artificial hair - not all, only with the mark "heat-resistant". However, it will be possible to verify this only after the purchase.
• Synthetic hair is much finer than natural hair.

• High-quality natural curls practically do not get confused, and artificial ones can get tangled after careless combing or getting wet.
• When exposed to the sun (not in direct light), natural hair remains "cool". Artificial ones quickly heat up and cool down depending on the room temperature.
• Synthetic strands are lighter than natural strands.
• Low quality products (artificial strands) sometimes have a specific smell of fused plastic or dyes, while natural hair has almost no smell.
• Artificial strands are distinguished by a slight creak when they touch each other, which is not the case with natural hairs.

To make artificial hair, they use such types of synthetic polymers as nylon and vinyl, also acetate, but it is less common. Another known material for the manufacture of artificial strands, related to modacrylic fibers, is kanekalon. Such products were recently invented by Japanese scientists, but immediately gained popularity. It is kanekalon hair that tolerates heat well and is generally better in quality than other artificial curls.

Later, curls for Barbie dolls are obtained from viscose, filtered through a fine sieve. It is no secret that the quality of such strands leaves much to be desired.

Of the advantages, the following are worth noting.

• Acrylic and nylon hair can be quite light due to the fact that polymer threads are 80 times thinner than natural hair.
• One of the most important advantages is the low price compared to a natural hair wig.
• Another hair structure: they do not exfoliate, do not break. Such curls retain the relative "constancy" of the structure. Wigs are especially good in this regard.
• They are able to maintain their original shape even after washing. And it is imperative to carry out this procedure with special compounds and carefully.
• Big choice. There are many artificial hair wigs and hair extensions on sale now in a wide variety of lengths, colors, and even thicknesses. Thanks to this, you can pick up curls for any girl. There is even hair that glows in the dark, which looks spectacular in nightclubs or bars.

Artificial strands have some distinct disadvantages, which sometimes greatly outweigh their advantages.

• Unnatural appearance. Such hair is characterized by artificial shine. They have a structure that differs from ordinary hair. This can be a problem if, for example, a hairpiece made of artificial curls is attached to natural hair. In this case, synthetic ones will differ greatly from natural curls in both shine and thickness, and in appearance as a whole.
• Difficult to lay. Such hair is harsh and bouncy.
• They are often confused. If you wash them incorrectly with a regular shampoo, the likelihood of tangling and even the formation of nodules is very high.
• Cannot be dyed with regular hair dye. The result in this case can be unpredictable.

• Short service life. As a rule, it is several weeks. Then they lose their original appearance.
• Suitable for "one-time" occasions. Not recommended for daily wear.
• Poorly tolerated constant exposure to sunlight, may fade.
• They cannot be dried with a hairdryer and cannot be laid with an iron, hot curlers or curling iron. Such hair deteriorates from any hot impact, from loss of structure to severe tangling and even melting. This applies to strands made from nylon and other synthetic materials.
• Kanekalon becomes very heavy when wet, which can be a problem when wearing dreadlocks or afro braids using it. Under their weight, their own hair can begin to break off.

There are only three types of false hair: a wig, a hairpiece and hair for extension in the form of false strands. Hairpieces can be produced in the form of braids, ponytails, buns, and many other options. Synthetic hair can be attached with large elastic bands or hairpins to simulate a headband. Overhead strands are available in ribbons and bundles. The latter can be increased by any means.

All the abundance of products on the market for artificial curls is also divided by the country of origin. Best of all, wigs and hairpieces from German manufacturers have shown themselves. Models from China and India are of average and poor quality.

You can wear a synthetic hair wig or make extensions using it. But it is not recommended to build up such strands in many cases: problems with hormones, poor appetite, which affects the quality of your own hair, thin, easily tangled, weak or sparse curls. It is absolutely not necessary to attach artificial strands to such hair because of their own weak fixation on the skin. But in all other cases, you can use bright or fluorescent curls for an accent in your image.

To increase the volume of a high ponytail, you can fasten artificial strands with hairpins. If you attach a bundle of synthetic strands to the crown, this will help to visually increase their volume and quantity. This option may suit older women with thinning hair. The main thing is to find the “golden mean” in this matter.

It is worth dwelling separately on the care of extended artificial curls. Such hair must be washed with special shampoos, be sure to use balms after washing. You can comb such curls only after complete drying. It is recommended to use a spray to improve the detangling of the hair. And when visiting a bath, sauna, you must wear a tight hat so that the attachment points do not suffer.

A wig or hairpiece should be washed with a special shampoo for synthetic hair and dried on a special stand or loose and unfolded. Such curls are able to "remember the shape", and if you dry them in a crumpled form, then creases may appear afterwards. In addition, after the strand it will be difficult to comb. The temperature at which it is necessary to wash artificial wigs is 15-20 degrees.

To do this, you need to use special formulations for artificial hair. They are much more concentrated than natural curls. Otherwise, you may get unpredictable results. The choice of composition depends on the material of manufacture. It's best not to paint yourself.

It must be remembered that even with proper care, fake curls will become less and less likely to unravel over time. At the same time, the quality will deteriorate, so it will be more difficult to put them in order each time. Rare washing and respect will help to preserve the original look of the curls as much as possible.

To remove shine from artificial hair, it is necessary, as noted above, to wash them with a special shampoo, and also rinse them well with a composition of a liter of water and a few teaspoons of soda. But after this procedure, the hair may not be very soft.

Only artificial kanekalon strands can be restored. Straightening and returning them to their previous appearance is quite simple - you need to completely lower them in boiling water for a few seconds, and then immediately pour cold water over them. This method is especially effective if you decide to braid your hair, and later, after wearing it for a long time, let it go.

Curling or straightening hair is easiest when heated, but in this matter it all depends on the material of manufacture. Curls from kanekalon can be curled with a curling iron, they tolerate heat well. They can also be screwed onto curlers. They lend themselves to styling, but only with the additional use of special tools.

It is important to know that before straightening or curling your hair, you must completely dry it and treat it with a thermal protective compound.... If products made from kanekalon can be straightened with a ceramic iron at the lowest temperature, then this method cannot be used for hair made of other materials. These strands can be straightened with a hair dryer and a wide round comb using cold air.You can also note straightening with smoothing creams. But you should know that all these methods of straightening fake curls are quite risky, so it is best to get a wig with straight hair or straight overhead strands.

In conclusion, I would like to give a small recommendation - a wig or false hair from artificial strands should be purchased only for a special occasion (event), but for everyday wear it would be better to spend money on an analogue made of natural material.

For information on what to do if artificial hair is loose, see the next video.