Whether you’ve just purchased a human hair piece or if you're considering purchasing one, you’ll want to know how to best protect your investment and keep it looking its best.

In this complete Human Hair Care ‘HOW-TO’ guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about caring for your human hair piece—From washing, styling, restoring, and preventing common issues like tangling and shedding that are potentially caused by improper care. Let’s get started!

Sections:

• HOW-TO: Check Wash Alternative Human Hair
• HOW-TO: Wash & Style Human Hair Wigs
• HOW-TO: Prevent Tangling, Frizzing, Dryness and Shedding in Human Hair Wigs
• HOW-TO: Revitalize Alternative Human Hair 

Jon Renau recommends performing a “check wash” on any human hair system within 14 days of receipt to ensure the hair is not tangling due to inversion. While inversion is rare, it will show the first time the hair is washed.

When hair is wet, it swells and allows you to identify processing errors. If tangling/matting occurs after months of wear, it is likely due to improper care.

HOW TO CHECK WASH:

STEP 1: First brush hair using a Jon Renau Paddle Brush.

STEP 2: Wet hair completely using cool, running water. Do not lay, swish, or soak in basin, ensure hair is traveling in the same direction as the water.

STEP 3: Comb through the hair several times with your fingers. If you start to notice tangling or matting, it may be a sign of inversion. Continue to cleanse and condition, checking for excessive matting or tangling.

*See below for a how-to for washing and styling human hair wigs

STEP 4: If there are signs of inversion, contact your retailer immediately. If there are no signs of processing errors, continue to blow dry your system.

*Alternative human hair must be blow dried and styled for optimal results. See below for instructions on how to properly blow dry your human hair pieces.

To support the life expectancy of your human hair wig, it is essential to wash your hair system every six to eight wears using Jon Renau’s line of Argan Smooth Luxury products that are specifically formulated to support alternative hair.

Human hair that is used in the alternative hair industry goes through various sorting and color processing before it is attached to the base material of the hair system. With this type of processing, alternative human hair must be cared for differently than biological hair that grows from someone's head.

Recommended Jon Renau products to use:

• Paddle Brush
• Wide Tooth Comb
• Round Boar Bristle Brush
• Argan Smooth Luxury Shampoo

• Argan Smooth Luxury Conditioner
  
• Heat Treat Thermal Spray
  
• Argan Smooth Treatment Mist
  
• 3-Way Hairspray
• Plastic Wig Stand
  
• Blown Away Blow Dray Balm
  
• Canvas Block Head
  
• Plastic Wig Clamp

.

STEP 1: Before washing your human hair wig or hairpiece, gently remove any tangles with your Jon Renau Paddle Brush or Jon Renau Wide Tooth Comb.

STEP 2: Place your hand inside the cap and hold the top of the wig under cool running water.

STEP 3: Gently lather hair with a small amount of Argan Smooth Luxury Shampoo while making sure that the hair is traveling in the same direction as the water. Do not rub hair as this may cause tangling.

STEP 4: Rinse thoroughly with cool water until the water runs clear.

STEP 5: Next, Apply Jon Renau Argan Smooth Luxury Conditioner, avoiding the base cap of the wig or hairpiece; applying conditioner to the base of the cap may weaken the knots.

STEP 6: With your fingers, work conditioner through the ends of the hair for about 3-5 minutes.

STEP 7: Rinse thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear.

STEP 1: Wrap wig or hairpiece in a towel and gently pat to remove excess water.

STEP 2: DO NOT use a brush to detangle your human hair wig or hairpiece while it is wet, gently use your Jon Renau Wide Tooth Comb.

STEP 3: Use Jon Renau Argan Smooth Treatment Mist to speed drying time and smooth the hair without weighing it down. Spray 3-5 pumps onto clean, towel-dried hair, focusing on the bottom half of wig. Apply a small amount of Blown Away Blow Dry Balm.

STEP 4: Place wig on a plastic wig stand to allow cap to dry completely before styling to ensure cap does not stretch. Once the cap is completely dry, style your human hair wig or hairpiece by pinning it to a Canvas Block Head.

STEP 5: Style by lightly spritzing water to hair, using a blow dryer at medium to medium-high heat. Using a Round Boar Bristle Brush, work through hair in 2” sections starting at the nape. Work in a downward motion to ensure the hair stays smooth. Blow dry hair completely, directing the hair in the shape you want to style it.

It is recommended to use professional grade heat styling tools with digital temperature settings to control heat. Your styling tools should be set no higher than 350° F to help maintain the integrity of the hair.

STEP 1: Spray Jon Renau Heat Treat Thermal Spray onto each section of hair as you heat style for protection. Work in small sections of 1”-2”, starting at the nape.

STEP 2: Jon Renau Versatile 3-Way Hair Spray works great to help hold your finished style. Adjust the nozzle to “L” for low, “M” for medium hold, or “H” for high hold, depending on your needs.

STEP 3: When curling your human hair, use the ‘Three C’s’ method: Curl, Clip, Cool—Use duckbill clips to hold each curl while cooling for a tighter, longer-lasting curl. For a looser, more natural looking curl, allow curls to hang while cooling.

Tangling in human hair is common, especially in longer styles. Here are three things you can do to prevent this:

1. Use your Jon Renau Paddle Brush throughout the day, paying special attention to the nape area where the hair touches the shoulders.
2. Wear smooth, non-textured clothing. Wearing certain fabrics like wool may cause tangling due to rubbing.
3. Another cause of tangling can be the cap size, check your head measurements and your wig cap size for the perfect fit. If your wig cap is too large for your head, the cap material will fold over, causing the hair to rub against itself and tangle. Visit your alternative hair expert to have your wig customized to your head size.

To prevent your human hair wig from looking frizzy or dull, you will need to blow dry it after washing. Air drying your human hair piece is not recommended, as the hair will tend to frizz and not have a polished look. Always blow dry with  Blown Away Blow Dry Balm and a Round Boar Bristle Brush. The second solution is to use professional heat styling tools. Lower quality tools can cause damage to the hair and not maintain desired heat levels. Third solution is to only use recommended alternative hair care and styling products or professional grade hair care and styling products to ensure you are not damaging your processed human hair.

To prevent your wig from feeling dry or brittle, there are three things to remember.

1. Deep condition hair every 3-5 washes. Deep conditioning treatments add moisture and longevity to the lifespan of the hair. *See instructions for how to deep condition your hairpiece below. 
2. Be mindful on using Keratin or Protein treatments, these treatments should be done 1-4 times a year and should not be used frequently. Excess use of these treatments may cause dry, brittle hair and/or breakage to occur.
3. Set your professional tool to 350° F and use Heat Treat Thermal Spray to protect the hair. Using excessive heat can damage the hair and leave it feeling dry and brittle. 

To avoid excessive shedding, there are three things you should do:

1. Be mindful when combing, brushing, or even scratching the delicate base materials and knots. We recommend using the Jon Renau Paddle Brush, which features thin flexible bristles that glide through the hair effortlessly to remove any tangles. This brush is perfect for use on wet hair and gentle enough to use at the lace front or on any hand tied area.
2. When washing be mindful to not scrub, rub, swish, or soak hair as they can loosen the knots and cause hair loss/shedding to occur.
3. Also be sure to keep all conditioners and shine products at least 4” from away from the base. Never apply to any hand tied areas, as this can weaken the knots and cause hair loss on the piece.

To keep the vitality of your human hair, deep condition your human hair wig every 3-5 washes. Follow our step-by-step instructions on how to properly deep condition your piece to bring back its healthy feel and shine:

STEP 1: In your hand, blend together about 1 Tbsp of Jon Renau Argan Smooth Luxury Conditioner with 3-5 sprays of Jon Renau Argan Smooth Treatment Mist. Use more or less of each depending on the length of the hair.

STEP 2: Apply treatment to the bottom half of hair, using your Jon Renau Wide Tooth Comb to distribute throughout ends, keeping away from the base of the wig or hairpiece.

STEP 3: Cover the wig with a plastic shower cap and apply low heat using a blow dryer. Allow products to process for about 20 minutes (can be left on overnight for a more intense treatment).

STEP 4: Use cool water to rinse your wig or hair system completely, until water runs clear. Wrap your wig in a towel gently pat dry to remove excess water.

You will also need to incorporate a restorative treatment into your routine. We recommend using our  Pure Repair Restoring Balm, designed to bring human hair wigs and toppers back to life. Its exclusive protein blend revitalizes locks and helps maintain a healthy moisture balance to prevent damage. This protective spray adds natural shine back to synthetic wigs to maintain a healthy and luminous glow. 

Here’s how to apply:

STEP 1: Wash your wig or topper as you normally would with Argan Luxury Shampoo and gently towel blot the hair and cap.

STEP 2: Pre-wrap a canvas block head with plastic wrap to keep the blockhead clean and residue free. Pin the wig to the blockhead, being cautious not to over-stretch the cap while it’s damp. Starting at the bottom, detangle the hair using your Paddle Brush and work your way up.

STEP 3: Apply a small amount of Pure Repair into your hands and distribute evenly throughout the hair using a wide tooth comb or your fingers, keeping 6” away from the base.

STEP 4: Cover the hair in a plastic shower cap and apply low heat with a blow dryer for a few minutes to help the hair absorb the treatment. Process for 5-20 minutes depending on if you need preventative care or restorative care.

STEP 5: Remove the plastic cap and the wig or topper from the blockhead. Completely rinse the hair using cool, running water until the water runs clear. Gently squeeze out any excess water and towel blot the hair and cap.

STEP 6: Allow the cap to dry on a plastic or wire wig stand. Once the cap is dry, you can place back on the blockhead for a blow dry and style. Prep with Blown Away Blow Dry Balm and use Heat Treat Thermal Spray to protect the hair.

.

NOTE: All of Jon Renau’s human hair care products have been specifically formulated and tested for alternative hair to ensure quality results. Products are formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Sodium Chloride, and MITs, and are Vegan & Cruelty Free. For a complete guide on how & when to use our human hair care products, check out our human hair care cheat-sheet.

If you seek additional help, be sure to bring your hair system to your  nearest alternative hair professional for care and servicing.

We hope you’ve learned a thing or two from this Human Hair Care ‘HOW-TO’ guide! By now, you should feel confident giving your alternative wigs, toppers, and hairpieces proper love and care.

Ready to find your human hair perfect style?