Synthetic Wigs

A synthetic wig holds its style on its own. The curl or the straightness is heat-set into the fibre at the factory, so it comes out of the box finished, survives rain and humidity without dropping, and goes back to shape after a wash with no styling at all.

What synthetic does better than human hair

Style memory is the big one. A synthetic curl stays a curl for the life of the wig, where a human hair curl has to be re-set after every wash. Synthetic also costs a fraction of human hair, which makes it the sensible way to try a colour or a cut you are not sure about, and it is lighter on the head for long wear.

What it cannot do

It cannot take heat — a flat iron melts standard synthetic fibre, and the damage is permanent. It cannot be dyed, so the colour you buy is the colour you keep. And over time it develops a shine that the eye reads as plastic, which is the main reason synthetic is spotted. Expect a few months of regular wear rather than a year.

Heat-friendly synthetic

Some units in this collection are heat-friendly fibre, which takes a low iron — up to about 300°F — so you can relax a curl or add a bend. Check the product page before applying any heat; standard fibre and heat-friendly fibre look identical and behave completely differently.

When synthetic is the right buy

A bold colour for an event. A cut you want to test before committing to in human hair. A second unit for the gym or travel so your good wig is not taking the wear. Costume and character looks, where the colour matters more than the realism — see cosplay wigs.

When to buy human hair instead

If you wear a wig most days, human hair costs less per wear and passes closer inspection. If you want to colour it, iron it or keep it for a year, it has to be human hair. See human hair wigs, or glueless wigs for the easiest human hair install.

Care

Wash in cool water with a shampoo made for synthetic fibre — human hair products weigh it down. Never wring it. Air dry on a stand and it returns to its set style by itself. Keep it away from oven doors, hair dryers and car heaters.