How to Clean a Hair System

While wearing a hair system can make you feel on top of the world, boost your confidence and even make you appear to be aging backwards, much like any other prized possession, it only remains in top-notch condition as long as you take proper care of it.

Regular maintenance, including cleaning and properly reinstalling a hair replacement system, ensures your men’s toupee is free from dirt, oil, product build-up and smell, improving its durability and overall appearance.

You know what the best part is? You can do it yourself at the convenience of your home.

While this can seem daunting for some, who may prefer to have their hair systems cleaned by a professional or at a hair salon, it’s a very simple process that anybody can do at home. Here are five steps for cleaning a hair system.

How to clean my hairpiece, toupee or wig? 5-Step Process

What supplies do I need for cleaning my hair system?

You will need just a few items in order to clear your hair system, most of which you should already be having at your disposal.

• Plastic or stainless steel container capable of holding liquid solvent
• Adhesive solvent
• Dish soap
• Wig shampoo
• Wig conditioner
• An old plastic card (Optional - to scrap glue/ tape residue off poly base). This trick does not work well with lace
• Nail brush
• Vent brush or wig comb
• Wig stand (optional)

Step 1: Remove the hairpiece tape

Once you’ve removed your hair system from your scalp using an adhesive remover, you will need to remove the hairpiece tape from the edges of your hairpiece.

Note: For some human hair wigs, no adhesive is required, so this step can be skipped. If you use hairpiece glue, you can skip to step two.

Use your fingernails to gently lift the edge of the tape off your hairpiece. A pro tip is to do this under warm running water, which makes the process easier.

If you want to remove the tape from the lace materials without the lace tearing, dip the tape into some solvent (step two) and let it sit for a few minutes before removing it.

Step 2: Soak the hair system in adhesive solvent

Soak the hair system in a plastic or stainless steel container with a liquid solvent. Always do this in a well-ventilated area. Alternatively, you can fill your sink with water and mix it with the solvent before submerging your hair system.

We recommend the KP Pro Solvent, as it uses an alcohol, oil, and grease-free formula, which is ideal for sensitive skin.

Soaking times may vary greatly depending on the type of hair system and adhesive you're using. Typically, removing tape residue should only take about five to ten minutes of soaking time to remove any extra adhesive. Removing wig glue can vary between 10-15 minutes. If a system is left in solvent for too long, the base might be stained/ damaged if it uses oil-based solvents like C-22.<./p>

While your hairpiece is soaking, thoroughly wash your hair, scalp, and entire head with a good shampoo until it is squeaky clean. Scrubbing your scalp to remove excess dead skin is recommended. This will help with adhesion when you reinstall your hair system.

Step 3: Clean the hair system

Once your hair system is soaked adequately, remove it from the solution and lay it inside-out in an empty sink (the hair will be on the bottom). The next step is to remove any adhesive residue.

To clean the lace areas, use an old plastic card (gift cards are great for this) and gently scrape outwards. Once that’s done, gently brush any broken-down adhesive residue with a nail brush to loosen and break it free.

To clean the skin areas, use the gift/plastic card to scrape any excess residue off with gentle, short vertical strokes.

After removing most of the excess residue, place your unit back into the solvent container for two to three more minutes.

Step 4: Rinse the hair system

Moving your system from the solvent back into the sink, squirt a liberal amount of dish soap onto the base while it is still dripping wet with solvent. At this point, any remaining adhesive residue, if any, will have lost all tack.

Gently glide the nail brush across the edge of the base and out through the hair — all the remaining adhesive residue should slide off easily. After a few minutes of brushing, rinse your system with high-pressure, lukewarm water down through the base. (Repeat this step a second time)

If adhesive residue remains in your hair system, you probably didn't soak it in the solvent long enough. Go back and repeat that step.

Step 5: Shampoo and condition the hair system

Finally, after rinsing thoroughly, rewash the unit, this time using a mild shampoo to balance the acid level. Lastly, use a wig conditioner like the Beautimark Intense Recovery Conditioner for long-lasting hydration and a soft, smooth hair look.

You can use a wig comb when applying shampoo and conditioner through the hair. For the best results, we recommend a vent brush.

Your unit should now be clean and free of old adhesive residue. Wipe it with alcohol and leave it to dry on a wig stand or somewhere away from direct sunlight.

Once that’s done, you're ready to reattach and begin wearing the fresh (like new) system!

If you prefer a visual explanation of how to clear your hair system, you can also view our video tutorial below: