Human Hair Toppers
Complete Care Guide
If you just purchased your first human hair topper, arm yourself with patience, as an “out of the box” product like this may not always be perfect as soon as you put it on your head! Keep in mind that your hairpiece has been in a box before reaching its new home and when you unbox it, it will probably not look like something “ready to wear”. The base may be a little squashed and the hair not be so freshly styled.
You will have to make it yours and with a little patience and practice, it will be easy to adapt your new hairpiece to your face and style!
Table of Contents
1. Introduction To Your New Human Hair Topper
The first thing you should do after receiving your new topper is to wear it and check if the color and length are a good match. After that, make sure the base is big enough and covers your thinning area as much as you expected.
If color, length and base size are a good match, I am very happy for you: you found a good human hair topper for yourself!
2. Making Your New Topper “Your Own”
I encourage you to visit your trusted hairdresser and to have your topper cut while you are wearing it. Making the hair topper “YOUR OWN” is the key to achieving a completely natural look and more importantly, wearing it confidently!
Start by making gradual modifications or cuts; if needed, you can always cut more later. You can start by adding some “baby hairs”, this is something that will make your hairpiece look more natural. (You know what I am talking about, right? Those flimsy and shorter hair we have around our hairline… yes, you can and I would even say, you should replicate them in your human hair topper)
Expert Tips:
Blonde Hair: If your topper is blonde, it will require more attention and this is because to achieve its light shade the hair has been bleached. Therefore, using an ultra-conditioning mask treatment (I would say every 2 washes) will help keep your blonde hair topper soft and moisturized.
Curly Hair: Avoid brushing the topper, as it can become very frizzy. Use your finger instead. You can spray a little bit of conditioner to make the process easier
3. How to Take Care of Your Human Hair Topper
Proper maintenance is essential to preserve the longevity of your topper.
These are real hairs, so your topper must be treated and washed with sulfate and paraben-free shampoo and well-moisturized with a good-quality conditioner. Proper maintenance will help maintain the softness, volume, silkiness, and shine of your new hairpiece.
Remember that the hair on the topper is real but they don’t receive any nutrients. There is no natural sebum to nourish and protect the hair shaft, so it’s essential to keep our topper well-moisturized, both during washing and when removing it at night by applying a few drops of jojoba oil or a leave-in hair moisturizer.
My recommendation is to wash your topper every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how often you use it and your daily activities. If you wear your hair topper while exercising, it will require more washes, of course!
Tools Required
- A wide-tooth comb (PRO TIP: Use your fingers if the hair is curly or wavy).
- Sulfate and paraben-free shampoo and conditioner, and an ultra-moisturizing hair mask/treatment.
- A small bottle of hair oil (to apply only on dry hair).
- A wig stand or wig head mannequin for drying and storing your human hair topper when not in use.
4. Step-by-Step Guide
Pre-wash preparation & detangling
Start by detangling the hair on your topper with your fingers and then gently use the wide-tooth comb to remove any knots before washing. Begin from the bottom and work your way upwards to avoid damaging the hair by pulling. Remember to close all the clips before washing your hairpiece to avoid ruining the hair!
Washing
Fill your bathroom sink or a basin with cold water, add one or two walnut-sized portions of shampoo, mix the shampoo in the water and immerse in the hair topper. Gently shake the topper in the water to help the shampoo distribute through the strands. Use your fingers to comb the hair and get rid of unwanted knots.
If you bought a curly hair topper, be extra careful during detangling. Make sure the topper is held in a way that water won’t cause tangling or knots. If you see the water getting colored, don’t worry; most of the human hair toppers are all hand-dyed, just like hair attached to a scalp, so the color might wash out a bit during the first 3 or 4 washes.
Shampooing
Apply a little bit more shampoo to the lengths and massage the product until it foams (a pea-sized amount will be more than enough), ensuring the hair is washed from top to bottom.
Avoid rubbing or squeezing the topper, as this may cause tangles and knots. After shampooing, make sure to rinse the hair thoroughly until all excess shampoo is removed. Then gently squeeze out excess water before applying a moisturizing conditioner or mask.
EXPERT TIP: Do not apply any product directly to the base of your topper. The hair on your hairpiece has been knotted one by one to create that silk, monofilament or lace top. Applying washing products directly on the base may loosen the knots and cause your human hair topper to shed.
Conditioning
Moisturizing your topper’s hair is a crucial step. While the hair is still damp, apply conditioner to the lengths, avoiding the base of the topper. While the hair is saturated with conditioner, gently detangle it with your fingers. Leave on the conditioner or mask for 5-10 minutes before rinsing. Always use your fingers to detangle the topper when wet, never a brush or comb. Hair becomes more fragile when wet!
Rinsing
Hold the topper upright and rinse the conditioner from the hair with cold running water until it runs clear. After rinsing, gently squeeze out excess water from the topper and pat dry with a towel, being careful not to wring it. Then place the topper on the wig stand and let it air dry. Comb the topper only when it’s semi-dry.
When wet the hair is at its weakest and most susceptible to damage. Finally, apply a heat protectant if you plan to style your human hair topper with a heating tool such as a curling wand or straightener.
PRO TIP: Position the topper on a wig stand, shape it with your hands, and let it air dry a little bit at room temperature before using a hairdryer to style it. Hot styling tools like curling irons and straighteners can be used safely, but keep in mind that they may damage the hair over time. I recommend ALWAYS using heat-protectant products to best protect your human hair topper from heat.
There is nothing like a freshly washed human hair topper! That’s it, you have a freshly washed and styled topper. With time the whole process will be much easier and less stressful, believe me! I used to be terrified at the beginning of my hair topper journey when wash day was due.
5 Extra Tips From Our Experts
- Apply a few drops of jojoba oil (only on the lengths/tips of your hairpiece) once a week to nourish the hair.
- Try to avoid using hairsprays containing alcohol and avoid using alcohol-based perfumes. Alcohol can dehydrate the hair, making it frizzy and more prone to tangling.
- Hair that is subject to friction from clothes, hats, or headsets needs regular moisturizing treatment to prevent it from becoming frayed and tangled. A super-moisturizing mask approximately every 5 washes will help keep the hair soft. (Leave it in for 10 minutes before rinsing).
- If you’re in a hurry and the topper is still wet, wear it, secure it properly (use bobby pins for extra grip and to avoid pulling your natural hair) and use a hair dryer to finish drying it by setting it to the lowest heat.
- Show your new hairpiece a little love, and it will love you right back!
5. Storing Your Human Hair Topper
Every evening, I store mine on a wig head/mannequin in my bedroom. In this way, it will maintain its shape and style for the next day! If you are planning not to use your hair topper for over a week, store it in a box in a dry place and away from sunlight.
I hope you will find our manual on how to care for your human hair topper useful. And if you have any questions, you can contact us and we will reply to you as soon as we can! You didn’t purchase your first topper yet? Check out this guide about each construction type pros & cons!
