If your wig has been in storage for a while or hasn't been brushed in years, it's no surprise that the once smooth hair are now tangled and unmanageable. Human hair and synthetic hair wigs both become tangled and difficult to detangle over time. However, you may not want to throw away your wig just yet, even if it is hopelessly tangled. If you take the time to clean, comb, and let your wig dry, you can make it appear as good as new. In this guide, we'll explain how to remove knots from a wig with a brush.

What you need to Brush a Knotted Wig

You can get by with just a comb, a spray bottle of water, and some conditioner. A wig head is not required but can be useful.  Collect the following items:

• Any kind of wide-toothed comb, but preferably a wig comb.
• If your wig has bangs, a fine-tooth comb.
• An empty, or nearly empty, spray bottle.
• To have a wig head and a means to attach the wig.

Get the wig ready

The wig must be placed on the wig head. It will be much easier to work on the wig if you can place the head on a camera tripod or some other tall item. In the case of excessively long wigs, this is an invaluable aid. Just put your wig down on a flat surface like a table or counter if you don't have a wig head.

If your wig is particularly tangled, soak it in warm water. Fill a sink halfway with warm water. Remove your wig from its wig head (if using) and soak it in water for 10-15 minutes. Wring out any excess water from your wig and replace it on your wig head. If the wig is particularly dirty, add a squirt of shampoo to the water. If you do this, make sure to thoroughly rinse the wig with clean water before you go further.

Condition and comb

Get your conditioner ready. Fill your spray bottle with water until it is three-quarters full. Finish filling the bottle with conditioner. The ratio of water to conditioner should be about 3:1. Be sure to give the ingredients a good shake before using. Another option is to apply a leave-in conditioner or a wig detangler. These items are safe to use without first diluting them with water. You may also use fabric softener on synthetic wigs. The ratio of fabric softener to water should be 1:3.

Get out your spray bottle, and use the nozzle to apply a mixture of conditioner and water to the ends of your wig.

When styling a wig, impatient people often try to apply too much power on the comb in an effort to speed things along. The tangles become even worse as a result of this. With a sectioning clip, separate individual strands of hair so that you can detangle them without having to deal with the rest of your hair. First, use your fingers to try detangling the wig and separating the larger knots. When detangling, it's best to begin at the ends and work your way up so you don't wind up pulling the knots deeper into the hair.

After that, you can start combing or brushing your hair. A wide-tooth comb, detangling brush, or Tangle Teaser with short, parallel bristles will work wonders. In contrast to their usefulness for style, fine combs are not ideal for detangling because of the damage they cause to the hair's individual strands. Similarly, most human hair brushes aren't great for brushing synthetic hair wigs because they're designed to remove tangles. The material from which synthetic hair is manufactured, stretches, deforms, and snaps if pushed too vigorously. Do not apply excessive force when brushing the wig.

Continue spraying and combing, making your way up the wig.  Once the bottom seven to 10 cms of the wig have been combed through, saturate the next section with conditioner-water, and resume combing. Continue this process until the entire wig has been combed through.

Do not pull or yank at the wig, since this will simply cause more knots to form. Instead, gently comb through the knots to remove them.

Styling

Wigs with bangs require special care; use a fine-tooth comb to detangle the hair and style it as desired. After wetting the wig, carefully reposition the hair into the desired general style before drying it. You may want to spray clean water over the entire wig if you have used a lot of conditioner, especially if the wig is not synthetic. This further dilutes the conditioner, which helps to cut down on the oily residue.

Don't remove the wig from the wig head until it's completely dry. Comb the wig out gently every 30 minutes. Your wig should be entirely dry in two to three hours. Use a blow dryer set to low heat if you're in a rush. Be cautious, as this is a common way to damage your wig.

Once you're done styling the wig, set it with hairspray or hair lacquer. This keeps it tidy and defined. And spritz the wig's tips and underneath with hairspray. Hairspray prevents static and binds hair strands.