Can You Swim with A Wig? How To Wear a Wig to Swim?

Swimming is a relaxing activity that many women participate in, with most people diving into the pool with their natural hair or swimming caps. But for some women, especially those suffering hair loss, swimming with their wig on is something they have begun considering.

They don’t want to dive into the lake, pool, or beach without a wig covering their head. Also, they’re not sure if it is okay to swim with their wigs on.

With this confusion and anxiety, it has become necessary to answer the big question:

Can You Swim with A Wig?

Yes, you can! 

You can go swimming with a wig, for whatever reasons, although there are a few things to mind. 

First, it is necessary to consider how the water will affect your wig’s integrity, as well as how often you plan to swim. For instance, while swimming once or twice in salt or chlorine water might not affect your wig, swimming regularly in the same water will damage it over time. 

It is not advised to swim with expensive human hair wigs because they will degrade over time, and all your money will go down the drain.

This situation brings us to the question of what types of wigs are suitable for swimming and what wigs are not?

5 Best Suitable Wigs for Swimming

How To Wear a Wig to Swim?

If you’re ready to swim with your wig and you want to know how to do that, you need some skills to wear the wig properly. These skills will help you avoid incidences, such as your wig pulling off when you’re swimming.

Here are a few tips to help: 

1. Choose the right wig glue 

The most important thing to do when preparing to swim with your wig is to ensure that you use the right glue to avoid the lace falling off when you’re swimming.

So, you’ll need to test the glue and see how firmly it holds. You can choose to test it in the shower, bathtub, or a private pool. The point is, expose the wig glue to water for a reasonable period and see whether it comes off or stays on.

A high-quality wig adhesive will stay in water for a long time without getting loose. Some great examples are Walker Tape Ultra Hold, Ghost Bond Hair Replacement Adhesive, and Waterproof Lace Front Wig Glue for Wigs.

2. Wear your wig 

Wear your wig as you normally would, and use the adhesive to hold it firmly in place. Shorter wigs, especially bob wigs are best for swimming because you don’t have to try hard to maneuver them or get them to stay in place.

If you’re swimming with a long wig, braiding it into a ponytail is the way to go for manageability and protection.

3. Use an elastic Band to Hold Your wig tightly

One method many people have used to increase the hold of their wig is to attach an elastic band to the insides of the wig from one ear to the next and then wear it across the nape and fasten the wig to it. You can also use pins and clips to secure the wig further.

4. Use a swimming cap

A swimming cap serves two functions when you’re swimming with a wig. First, it offers extra hold to your wig and further reduces the chances of it falling off.

On the other hand, the cap protects your wig from chlorine, salt, and other harmful substance in the pool, but it must be waterproof to do that. If the swimming cap is not waterproof, it can only hold your wig firmly but won’t protect it from the water.

However, if you want to switch things up, you’re not going to a beach instead of a pool, try scarves or headbands to hold your wig down stylishly.

5. Use an old wig instead of a new one 

The beautiful wig you spent a lot of money to purchase isn’t the best thing to put in the water. Instead, if you have an older wig or material, you can dedicate it to swimming for as long as you need to.

You shouldn’t swim with your day-to-day wig because it will damage fast, especially if you constantly go between swimming with it and drying it.

While you can swim with a human hair wig, we advise that you use a synthetic wig instead of human hair wig because it is cheaper to replace.

6. Wash your wig after swimming 

It is important to always wash your wig after swimming with it because it has come in contact with salt, chlorine, and other things that can damage it. When you wash and condition your hair properly after swimming, you reduce the chances of damage.

Wash it properly with shampoo to remove any residue, and use a conditioner to restore its texture. Comb out all tangles and airdry your wig. 

What Type of Wigs Are Suitable to Swim In? [Wigs You Can Swim In]

You can swim with all your synthetic or human hair wigs, but the question is, which one is better off accompanying you as you dive into the water?

Human hair and synthetic wigs both have their strong points as it concerns swimming, and you’ll need to consider both before choosing one to swim with.

Human hair is more resilient than a synthetic wig, so it can go into the water more times than the synthetic wig without getting damaged. Human hair wigs also feel freer on your head, and they will tangle less than synthetic wigs.

However, synthetic wigs are more affordable than human hair, so they are easier to replace in the incidence of damage, even though they will damage faster than human hair wigs.

Also, synthetic wigs get tangled easily and can be a bother to comb when you get out of the water. It could also lose its quality faster than human hair.

In the end, water, especially salted or chlorinated ones will damage your hairpieces, whether human hair or synthetic hair. It only comes down to how soon the damage will happen and how easily replaceable the wig is.

Like we said earlier, you shouldn’t go into the water with any expensive wig, whether synthetic or human hair.

1. Can You Swim with A Lace Wig?

Yes, you can!

But like we said, when swimming with a lace wig, you must choose a waterproof adhesive to hold it firmly. You must always ensure that the lace is trimmed off properly to avoid it flipping out in the water.

However, although the adhesive can hold the wig in place throughout the period when you’re swimming, your lace will eventually lose viscosity and stability when you spend a long time under the water with a lace wig.

2. Can You Swim with A Synthetic Wig?

Yes, you can swim with a synthetic wig. 

As we have explained before, a synthetic wig is advised for swimming because it is a very affordable option and can be easily replaced if it gets damaged.

Also, synthetic hair can return to its original style with some work after you detangle, wash, condition and air dry it.

3. Can You Swim with A Headband Wig?

No, Not without some extra support.

While headband wigs are fancy to wear when you visit the beach or even to the pool, they only depend on tension from the headband to keep the wig in place. They also don’t have lace that can be glued to keep the hair in place.

As a result, it is a poor choice for swimming because the pressure of the water will make it come off. The band lone is not enough to keep the wig secure when you’re swimming.

So, it’s best to not swim with a headband wig. However, if you want to swim with one, then you have to apply glue under the band to give it some extra hold. 

4. Can you swim with a full lace wig?

Yes, you can. But not preferred.

The nature of a full lace wig is very similar to that of a lace front wig so it can work well. You can apply glue all around the head, but particularly at the front area of the lace and behind to keep it firm and stable.

Although you can swim with a full lace wig, most full lace wigs are expensive, which would be a financial loss to you if it were to get spoilt.

Also, the thin lace material that surrounds the wig is very prone to tearing. So, it is best to not swim with a full lace wig even if you can.

5. Can you swim with a sew-in wig?

Some women opt for sew-in wigs over glued wigs because they can carry them for long without having to do many adjustments. 

Considering the use of threads to fix this wig which improves its hold and stability, a sew-in wig is firmer than many other options when it comes to swimming, especially when it is sewn right.

However, we still cannot rule out the need for an adhesive. Is best to test the wig first and then see whether you can go on without glue or you’ll need to add some glue.

6. Can you swim with a closure wig?

Yes, you can.

About 2/3 of the closure wig is made of lace, which is good because it can be glued for firmness just like lace front wigs.

Closure wigs have lace surrounding the front area where you can apply the adhesive, although you’ll have to be more careful with the application to ensure it fits properly.

7. Can I swim with a toupee?

Yes, You can swim in a toupee.

Many people dealing with hair loss wear toupees to cover the spot where they have experienced hair loss. 

You can get into the water comfortably with a toupee and enjoy your swim. But it is important to take proper care of your toupee after swimming because the salt in seawater and the chlorine in pools can damage your toupee in the long run.

Final Words:

Swimming with a wig is possible, but as we have outlined above, the kind of wig you’re swimming with and how often you’re getting into the lake or pool will go a long way to determine how long your wig will last.

If you have to swim with wigs, follow the tips we gave you above to ensure that your wig stays firm when you’re swimming and remains in good condition even after swimming.