Caring and Maintaining your Hair System

What you Need:A

Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner (Required) Wide Tooth Comb and Vent Brush (Required) Satin Pillow Case (recommended)

Knot Sealer (recommended)

UV Protection Spray (recommended) Leave in Conditioner (Required)

Extended Wear Hair System Attachment Tips

After showering or working out, the bond might seem like it is weakening. This is expected, your hair system is still attached securely, but the bond has softened a bit due to extra heat and moisture.

Don't touch the hairpiece and as your body cools, the bond will harden again.

Airborne dust will attach itself to the toupee adhesive in the front edge of lace units and may become visible over time. Immediately after a shower is the easiest time to clean this area because the hairpiece adhesive is pliable. Spray a liberal amount of water on the tip of a double folded tissue. Hold your hair system back with one hand and wipe the edge of the lace using the saturated tissue with the other hand. This trick will help keep your lace front edge invisible at all times.

Hair System Shampoo and Conditioning

What's the most important thing you should know about shampooing your hair replacement system? In short, it can do more harm than good.

On the other hand nobody wants to smell or touch a dirty head so shampooing is a necessity for hair wearers. Our general rule is to do it only when you need it (or 1-2 times per week at most). Any more and you risk drying out the hair or causing tangles.

Of course, we don't want you to get bored in the shower. So in addition to shampooing your growing hair we strongly recommend daily conditioning of your hair system.

Conditioning your unit everyday will help to hydrate and strengthen the hair, keeping it healthy and softer longer. In fact we believe in conditioning so much that we also suggest using a leave-in conditioner everyday after showering.

Quick tips for using conditioner on your hair system:

Do it everyday!

Work it into the hair (not your scalp or hair system base) Use a rinse out conditioner while showering

Use a leaveNin conditioner with sunscreen after showering

How To Shampoo Your Hair System Properly and Safely

Shampooing your hair system is an important part of maintaining a natural (and clean) appearance. Unfortunately, it's also rough on the system. Here's a few things you can do to protect your investment and maximize the life span of your hair system.

EMEDA Hair recommends shampooing your hair system only 1-2 times per week!

1.  Work Your Way In

After wetting your hair and head, pour the shampoo into your hands first. Then start by lathering the shampoo into your natural growing hair. Only after you work the shampoo into your natural hair should you move toward and over top of your hair system.

2.  Pat Softly But Don't Rub

With the shampoo covering your entire hair system try and resist the urge to scrub the shampoo in with your fingers, this could damage the unit. Instead use a gentle patting motion to spread around the shampoo. This should also help it get through to your scalp.

3.  Go With the Flow

Once you feel like you've shampooed enough, rinsing is the last obstacle. To avoid tangling, be sure and rinse your entire head with the water streaming in the same direction and while you keep all the hairs facing the same direction as well.

QUICK TIP: You can also use a brush to brush in the shampoo or conditioner into your hair system but make sure you do this gently.

Keeping Your Hair System Soft

Hair softness is all about the sebum, or lack thereof anyway. Each and every one of your natural, growing hairs is constantly being coated with a very fine layer of sebum. This is why your hair feels oily after several days of not washing (not that you’d go that long without washing your hair… right?)

What’s sebum? Glad you asked. Sebum is a natural semi-fluid secreted by the sebaceous gland. Your sebaceous glands are most commonly found attached to individual hair follicles where they can deposit sebum and bring it to the skin surface along the hair shaft.

This sebum coating helps to keep your natural growing hair hydrated, strong and soft. Unfortunately the hair attached to your hair system doesn’t enjoy such a luxury.

When you order a hair replacement system from EMEDA Hair we use only 100% human hair (as opposed to synthetic) and thus there is always a small amount of sebum remaining on the hair strands. But constant wear and cleaning will eventually remove all traces leaving the hair in your system dry and brittle.

What can be done to keep the hair softer for longer?

Maintaining a soft head of hair is a problem we all face. It’s one of those unfortunate and inevitable realities that come along with wearing a hair replacement system. But there are a few tips you might find helpful.

Keeping your hair replacement system from feeling like straw is just as much about what you don’t do as it is about what you do, do.

Don't Do's (or at least try not do to):

Excessive shampooing

Constant swimming and exposure to chlorine Blow drying your hair frequently

Do Do's (if possible):

More conditioning, try leaveNin conditioners Use hair products that contain sunscreen Air dry your hair

In a perfect world your hair system would stay soft forever

But alas, we don’t live in a perfect world. Until then all hair wearers will struggle with keeping their hair as soft as it was the first day.

Preventing Oxidation

As summer approaches, the cold rainy clouds are beginning to part and allow the warmer air and sunshine to peak through.

Don't let the summertime REDS get you down

Harmful UV Rays from the sun can cause the hair in your hair system to turn orange or red in color. This change is called oxidation and though it is a gradual process, if you spend time outdoors, it could affect you and the natural appearance you're used to getting from your hair replacement.

What is oxidation anyway?

Oxidation is a chemical reaction that affects the color hues in your hair anytime oxygen is present and the molecules are exposed to UV light.

In other words, anytime you're outside in the sun! This chemical reaction causes damage to the outer layer of the hair shaft, in both human and synthetic hair.

How does oxidation affect your hair system?

Your hair system may begin to take on a red hue or color tint. This is most often a direct result of losing the green color pigments in the hair shafts of a hairpiece.

These color pigments become exposed to the elements and turn red because oxidation causes the outer layer of hair follicles to peel back. Imagine the trunk of a palm tree... this is what the hair follicles in your system look like after oxidation has begun!

What else can be done to avoid oxidation?

Assuming you aren't able to stay indoors 100% of the time, you'll always face oxidation issues with your hair system. However, these days buying online, direct from the factory has become easy and affordable. So easy in fact that many hair wearers are opting to simply order a new unit when oxidation starts.

Ok, so oxidation is bad. Now what?

An ounce of prevention = A pound of protection.

Many hair replacement products contain UV protectors to help block most of these harmful rays and some even contain antioxidants to help neutralize the process entirely. Using these products doesn't mean oxidation will never be an issue, but they will help.

Every man and woman wearing a hair system should have a variety of products to help deal with oxidation. You'll probably develop your own preferences eventually, but for now the list below is a great place to start.

Also, if you'll be spending long periods of time outdoors you may want to consider wearing a hat or baseball cap. Anytime you can protect your hair system from direct UV sunlight will help to extend the time it takes to oxidize.

Detangling Tips for Hair Replacement Systems

When the hair in your hair system gets tangled, it can mean a lot more than just a few extra minutes of combing in the morning.

By detangling your hair system the wrong way, you may inadvertently be diminishing the condition and life span of your investment.

Safe, Do It Yourself Tips

Simple, safe and effective tips that every person wearing a hair replacement system can use to get minor hair tangles out.

Before getting into the shower, wet your head and brush all the hairs toward the same direction. This adds moisture to the hair strands and will ease friction while washing.

If your hair is tangled before you get in the shower it helps to dilute your shampoo with just a little bit of water before applying. This will also make it easier to rub the shampoo in to the hair.

Using a wideNtooth comb or a specially designed Vent Brush in the shower while you shampoo will help prevent hair strands from intertwining and getting caught on each other.

Prevent System Hair Loss

Friction and bacteria are a dangerous duo that can wreak havoc on your hair system. But you can fight back! Together or on their own, friction and bacteria can cause physical trauma to your hair. Limiting this trauma will help prevent hair in your hair system from falling out and keep it looking its best for longer.

Cut Down On Frictions

Hair replacement systems are vulnerable to friction because they lack a substance called Sebum. Sebum is a natural oil secreted by the follicles of your growing hair to lubricate and protect the hair shaft against friction and static.

A major cause of friction comes from sleeping with a pillowcase made from coarse materials. The constant contact with linen leads to hair breakage. Most times, simply using a satin pillowcase will dramatically reduce the level of friction and extend the life of your hair system.

Avoid wearing hats or helmets for extended periods of time. This will also help to lengthen the time bonding adhesives stay effective.

Friction is also caused by excess combing and brushing. Using a lubricating agent like water or leave in conditioner which will moisten the hair and reduce friction while you're in front of the mirror stylin' the doo.

Keep Out Bacteria

Bacteria build up will destroy hair structure and cause it to weaken and break. The knots where the hair is tied into the system are most vulnerable as they tend to hold and retain moisture.

It is better not to use rinse type conditioners that contain hydrolyzed proteins like panthenol (pro-vitamin B5). Instead, spray on leave in type conditioner may be a better alternative as it tends not to collect in the hair system knots as easily.

However, using a shampoo that contain these hydrolyzed proteins is recommended. This is because the hair in your hair system will absorb the proteins during the cleaning process and the excess is more likely to be rinsed away.

Use a Knot Sealer

Everyone knows that styling products are a great way to keep your system looking great, but did you know these products can also weaken the knots in your base over time? Stuff like shaping crèmes and hair sprays seep into the knot, loosen them and cause the hair to fall out. So a knot sealer can slow or even stop hair loss by locking the hair knots to your base with a thin, silicone-based layer of protection. With regular use, a knot sealer could virtually eliminate hair loss in your unit.

Stuff to Remember:

Friction and bacteria are the bad guys Use a satin pillowcase when sleeping Avoid wearing hats or helmets

Avoid excessive combing of dry hair

Do not use rinse type conditioners that contain protein Do use shampoos that contain protein

Use a knot sealer to lock hair knots to your base.