Does Wearing a Wig Prevent Hair Growth?

If you are new to wig-wearing, struggling with thinning hair, bald spots, or shedding - then we understand why you may ask this question. Your natural hair’s health is a major concern especially if you are trying to grow your hair while wearing a wig. So here comes the big question: 

Does wearing a wig prevent hair growth?

The answer is No and Yes. I will explain why I said that in more detail as we proceed with the article. 

The answer is NO because - wearing a wig does not prevent hair growth. Wigs themselves do not contain anything that can directly cause harm to your scalp and hair. They can serve as protective hairstyles (protective hairstyles encourage growth).

The answer is also YES because - How you install your wig can cause hair damage that can prevent hair growth. Wrong wig installation can cause hair damage like traction alopecia, and other traction-related scalp injuries.

Also, the sanitary level of your wig and natural hair can impact its growth. Poor hair hygiene can result in scalp infections that may further prevent hair growth. 

Do you now see the reason I said No and Yes? In this article, we will look at all you need to know about wig-wearing and hair growth.

How Wearing a Wig Can Cause Hair Damage

Responding to the question of whether wearing a wig can prevent hair growth. We said a yes and a no. In this section, we will discuss in detail how wearing a wig can cause hair damage and prevent hair growth. 

When we talk about wigs, there are different types of wigs and also different types of natural hair textures. Your hair’s texture and health will determine the kind of wig that you should go for. 

For example, if you have thinning edges or bald spots, then frontal wigs that need to be installed using adhesives shouldn’t be an option. You don’t want something that will add tension to your fragile edges. Instead, try glueless wigs will be more friendly for your edges, no glue or gel is needed when put on a glueless wig. Glueless headband wigs are another option you can put on and go if you prefer to slay your natural edges!

Let’s take a look at different ways that a wig can cause hair damage:

1. Wrong wig installation

As I said earlier, wigs don’t directly affect a hair’s health, but how you install the wigs on your natural hair is what can cause damage.

• Using adhesives to attach wigs directly on your hair can cause breakage and bald spots, and eventually prevent growth over time. That is because the adhesive will stick the frontal of the wig to the edges of your hair. It is most risky when taking down the wig. The glued part of the wig might be attached to your hair - which can cause it to pull off.
• Aside from adhesives, scrunching your hair under a wig without prepping can cause damage. That is because the scrunched-up hair can tangle over time. Excessive hair tangle can cause knots to develop, and detangling knots can cause hair breakage.
• Clip-in and U-part wigs can be dangerous to thin/fine hair. The weight of the hair extension can put too much pressure on your hair. Which can further thin it out and prevent growth. U-part wigs expose a portion of your natural hair to constant manipulation. You may need to regularly lay your edges more often than usual while wearing a full wig.

The truth is - the more often you manipulate your hair, the more you expose it to damage resulting from frequent combing and brushing.

Prevention 

You can prevent the challenge of poor wig installation by doing the following:

• Getting the best kind of wig for your hair type.
• Use safety protective gear like the wig cap before wearing a wig to prevent direct contact with your hair.
• Put your hair in simple protective hairstyles that will give you access to care for your scalp and hair.
• If you want to use glue to attach the wig to your natural hair, then let a professional do it. Visit a professional stylist to install and take down the wig. 

2. Poor Wig and hair hygiene 

Not properly taking care of your wig can impact your hair’s growth more than you can imagine. Since the wig is what will have more contact with the environment, that means more direct foreign impact on the hair.

Specks of dirt, dust, etc. can easily settle on your wig. If you don’t clean your wig often, these specks of dirt can be transferred to your hair. That is most likely to happen if the wig has direct contact with your natural hair.

Dust, specks of dirt, and other foreign particles can create a breeding place for bacteria and microorganisms. Microorganisms or bacteria can cause scalp or hair infections. The infected area of your hair might experience impeded growth.

Prevention

• Wash your hair regularly with a conditioning shampoo and moisturizing conditioner.
• Include healthy hair practices like applying essential oils and leave-in conditioners. It will help to add and seal in moisture (important for 4b-c hair texture).
• Wear simple protective hairstyles like cornrows, twists, or simple box braids to further protect your hair from tangling. These hairstyles give you quick access to care for your hair while wearing a wig.
• Properly comb, braid, and pack your wig into a wig bag for safe-keeping.
• Avoid taking off your wig anywhere and at any time.

These are the common ways wearing a wig can affect your hair growth. However, with the prevention tips already mentioned, you are sure your wig is safe and healthy for you to wear whenever you need it.

Reasons Why Wearing A Wig Won't Prevent Hair Growth

We have talked about the two common ways that wearing a wig can affect your hair’s growth. Now, let’s look at how wearing a wig can make your hair grow better. 

Do you remember the response we gave to the questions; does wearing a wig prevent hair growth at the beginning of this article? 

I gave a Yes and No response. 

We have already looked at the reasons I said yes in the previous section, now we will see in more detail why I said No. To start with, wearing a wig does not prevent hair growth on its own. Rather it encourages hair growth, and I will tell you how.

1. It allows your hair some time to rest

If you have naturally curly hair with a 4b-c texture, then you are more likely to wear weaves and braids. Weaves and braids are cute protective hairstyles, but are the major causes of hair challenges like traction alopecia and baldness (especially when they are tight).

Wearing wigs can help you reduce frequent hair weaves and braiding. It will give your hair some time to rest, which will in turn improve growth. If you are struggling with bald or patchy edges, then wearing a wig is a smart way to regrow them. That is because it will give your hair some time to rest and patchy edges time to regrow.

2. Allows you to change your style as often as you can

If you love to change your hairstyle often, you may re-consider wearing a wig to encourage hair growth. Well, you can also change your hairstyle while wearing wigs. You can style your wig differently depending on the occasion. If you have the money, you can get more than one wig to switch up your looks at different times.

If you don’t have the luxury of funds to buy several wigs, you can opt for an occasional wig revamp. You can also use hair accessories like scarves, hair clips, headbands, etc. to add style and personality to your wig.

You can purchase a variety of wigs, ranging from braided wigs to textured wigs (type 4c hairs), and regular straight wigs. These varieties of wigs will help you experience different hairstyles as you please. 

3. Wigs will help you stretch your relaxer application schedule.

The more often you apply relaxers, the more damage your hair may experience. Stretching your relaxers may be difficult if you are leaving out your hair. 

The new growth might come in the way of styling because the hair will become fuller and thicker. Wearing a wig is great to manage your hair before your relaxer appointment.

Relaxing your hair too often can cause chemical damage - which may in turn weaken your hair and make it more susceptible to breakage.

How To Grow Your Hair Under Wig?

1. Wash your hair regularly

Keeping your natural hair clean is the most important thing to ensure your hair's health. Apply gentle shampoo to wash your hair to clean the dust and build up on your hair and scalp make sure you have a clean base to install a wig.

2. Moisture your hair

It's not enough just washing your hair, moisturizing your hair and keeping your hair well-hydrated are also critical to having healthy hair, especially for type 4 hair that requires much hydration and moisture. In addition, you may face a long-term wig-wearing time of two or three weeks, so please don't skip this step, give your hair a TCL.

Conditioner, deep conditioner, and hair oil are our great friends to moisture hair. You can choose according to your hair demands.

3. Install the wig correctly

Incorrectly wig installing method may damage your edges, making you feel uncomfortable or even tearing your scalp. Try to learn the correct way to install a wig if you want to install your wig by yourself.

4. Give your hair and scalp a break

Whether you install the wig correctly or not, long-time wig-wearing can bring much pressure to your head and scalp, you may feel a headache or itchy scalp. This may lead to hair loss. 

So it's best to remove your wig before go to sleep and give your hair and scalp a break and breath.

5. Well-prepped your natural hair under the wig

Before putting on a wig, well prepping your natural hair is very important. You may do cornrows, braids or twist your natural hair to make sure it is as flat as possible. But please avoid too tight braiding or twisting, as it may lead to traction alopecia.

6. Put on a wig cap

With a wig cap, all your hair is tucked away and you don't need to worry about the glue or gel bothering your natural hair, in addition, a wig cap can provide you a more natural and secure installation.

7. Place the wig in front of your hairline

When putting on a wig, most of us may align it with our natural hairline, but the correct way is to place your wig in front of your hairline. In this way, your edges and natural hair can be well protected and you don't need to worry about the glue or gel to damage your edges.

8. Place wig on dry & clean hair is a must

Please make sure your hair is completely dry before installing your wig. A damp environment can breed bacteria and this will destroy your hair and your scalp.

9. Choose the right hair product

Whether wearing a wig or caring for your natural hair, hair products play an important role in this. Avoid using hair products that contain alcohol that may dry out your scalp.

Final Thoughts 

We hope you now understand why we said Yes and No to the question: Does wearing a wig prevent hair growth? We didn’t give a definite answer because it doesn’t depend on the wig. Rather, it mostly depends on the person wearing the wig and how they handle it. 

Whether or not they choose the wig that matches the texture of their natural, or care adequately for the natural hair and wigs. If you are trying to regrow your hair, then wearing a wig might just be your best route. However, caring for your natural hair and wig plays a big role.

That’s it! We hope you found this information helpful.