What does “box hair” mean?
You might be expecting your wig to look perfectly straight or styled out of the box, but the reality is that it might need a little help before it’s ready to hit the town. Sometimes a synthetic wig will have kinks or bends in the fiber which affect the style’s silhouette or how the hair falls. This is called “box hair”, also known as “cold set” or “cold crimp”, which are industry terms that just mean that the fiber experienced temperature fluctuations while it was being shipped or stored in its box, causing it to change shape. It can also happen during travel or when the wig is stored in a box or bag.
How to remove “cold set”
Minor cold setting can be smoothed out with a little bit of warm water and a comb. Simply fill a spray bottle with warm water, mist the area where you want the fiber to relax, and gently comb through with a wide tooth comb. Allow the fiber to air dry.
More “cold crimp” solutions
For more stubborn cold crimping, you’ll want to break out a wig steamer. Use your wide tooth comb to smooth the fiber as you follow it with the steamer hose aimed at the area of concern. Allow the fiber to air dry and completely cool in the desired shape.
If your synthetic wig is heat-friendly, it can be styled using hot tools like a flat iron or curling iron and these methods alone will remove any unwanted crimps.