Artificial hair: pros, cons and recommendations for care

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 analogues have it too, but too glossy, as if they are covered with some kind of film.
• Natural strands are soft and silky to the touch, while artificial ones are hard and elastic.
• Natural hair can easily tolerate the effect of a curling iron, hair dryer or ironing, while artificial hair is not all, only with the mark “heat-resistant”. However, it will be possible to verify this only after the purchase.
• Synthetic hair is much thinner than natural.

• Natural high-quality curls are practically not confused, and artificial ones can stray into tangles after careless combing or getting wet.
• When in the sun (not in direct sunlight), natural hair remains “cool”. Artificial ones quickly heat up and cool down depending on the room temperature.
• Synthetic strands are lighter than natural ones.
• Poor quality products (artificial strands) sometimes have a specific smell of fused plastic or dyes, while natural hair almost does not smell.
• Artificial strands are distinguished by a light creak when they come in contact with 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 less often. 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 the hair from Kanekalon that tolerates thermal effects and is generally better in quality than other artificial curls.

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

Of the advantages it is worth noting the following.

• Acrylic and nylon hair are quite light, this is due to the fact that polymer filaments are 80 times thinner than a natural hair.
• One of the most important advantages is the low price compared to a natural hair wig.
• Another structure of hair: they do not flake, do not break. Such curls retain the relative "constancy" of the structure. Wigs are especially good in this regard.
• Able to maintain their original shape even after washing. And this procedure must be carried out with special compounds and carefully.
• Big choice. On sale now there are many wigs and false strands of artificial hair of very different lengths, colors and even densities. Thanks to this, you can choose curls for any girl. There is even hair that glows in the dark, which looks spectacular in nightclubs or bars.

Artificial strands have some obvious shortcomings, which sometimes greatly exceed their advantages.

• Unnatural appearance. Such hair is characterized by artificial shine. They have a structure different 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, the synthetic ones will greatly differ from natural curls in both gloss and thickness, and in appearance as a whole.
• Hard to style. Such hair is harsh and elastic.
• Often confused. If they are not washed properly with an ordinary shampoo, the likelihood of tangling and even the formation of nodules is very high.
• You can not dye with regular hair dye. The result in this case may be unpredictable.

• Short service life. This is usually a few weeks. After they lose their original appearance.
• Suitable for the case of "once." Not recommended for daily use.
• They do not tolerate the constant action of sunlight, may fade.
• They can not be dried with a hairdryer and laid with an iron, hair rollers or curling iron. Such hair deteriorates from any hot exposure, from loss of structure to strong tangles and even melting. This applies to strands of nylon and other synthetic materials.
• Kanekalon gets heavier when wet, which can be a problem when wearing dreadlocks or afro-braids with its use. Under their weight, their own hair can break off.

There are only three types of false hair: a wig, a chignon, and hair for extension in the form of false strands. Hairpieces can be produced in the form of braids, tails, bunches, and many other options. Artificial hair can be attached to large elastic bands or hairpins and mimic the rim. False locks are issued in the form of tapes and bunches. The latter can be increased by any means.

All the abundance of products on the market of artificial curls is also divided by the country of origin. Wigs and pads of German manufacturers showed themselves best of all. Models from China and India differ in average and poor quality.

You can wear a wig made of artificial hair or make extensions with their use. But to build up such strands is not recommended in many cases: problems with hormones, poor appetite, which affects the quality of your own hair, thin, easily confused, weak or rare curls. Attach artificial strands to such hair categorically should not be due to their own weak fixation on the skin. But in all other cases, bright or fluorescent curls can be used for emphasis in your image.

To increase the volume of a high ponytail, you can fix artificial locks on hairpins. If you attach a bundle of synthetic strands to the crown, it will help to visually increase their volume and quantity. This option may be suitable for women aged who have sparse hair. The main thing is to find that very “golden mean” in this matter.

It is worthwhile to dwell separately on the care of the built-up artificial curls. Such hair needs to be washed with special shampoos, be sure to use balms after washing. Combing such curls is possible only after complete drying. It is recommended to use a spray to improve hair combing. And when visiting the baths, saunas, it is necessary to put on a tight hat so that the attachment points do not suffer.

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

To do this, use special compounds for artificial hair. They are much more concentrated than for natural curls. Otherwise, you can 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 over time, artificial curls will become less and less likely to unravel. At the same time, quality will deteriorate, so putting them in order each time will be more difficult. Rare washing and careful attitude will help to keep the original look of curls to the maximum.

To remove the shine from artificial hair, you must, as noted above, wash them with 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.

You can restore only artificial strands of Kanekalon. It is quite simple to straighten and restore their previous appearance - you need to completely lower them in boiling water for a few seconds, and then immediately pour cold water on them. This method is especially effective if you decide to braid your hair, and later, after a long time socks, dismissed.

It is easiest to curl or straighten hair 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 wound on 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 hair, it is necessary to completely dry them and treat them with a thermal protective composition. If products from Kanekalon can be straightened with a ceramic iron at the lowest temperature, this method cannot be used for hair from other materials. Such strands can be straightened with a hairdryer and a wide round comb with the help of cold air. You can also note the straightening with the help of smoothing creams.But it is worth knowing that all these methods of straightening artificial curls are quite risky, so it is best to purchase a wig with straight hair or straight false hair.

In conclusion, I want to give a little 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 of natural material.

About what to do if artificial hair has fluffed up, see the next video.