There are several factors that come into play, but with the right preparation the answer is, yes. You can swim in a lace front wig.

Enjoying a fun filled day by the beach or pool on a beautiful day sounds like an amazing way to relax and recharge. But if you're wearing a lace front wig those relaxing thoughts can quickly spiral into thoughts of all the things that could go wrong while wearing your wig.

Why Wear a Lace Wig to Go Swimming

Now, we at Model Lace Wigs and Hair are strong proponents of living your life just the way you would if you had your own natural hair out. That’s the whole point of wearing a lace front wig after all: not letting insecurity or hair loss impact your life in any sort of negative way.

But as previously stated, going for a swim while wearing a lace wig or hair system can certainly be done, however, it must be done under the right conditions and with some expectations in mind.

With that said it's important to understand how to prepare and what to be aware of when swimming with your lace front wig applied to your head. 

Lace Front Wig Adhesives for Swimming

A good application and solid adhesive are key to keeping your lace wig from floating off your head mid back stroke. Typical medical grade liquid adhesives, wig tapes, wig liners, and straps are not created to keep your wig firmly attached to your head when exposed to water.

Make sure to buy waterproof wig glue or tape so that you can enjoy water activities without worrying about your appearance.

Here are some of our Top Picks for Waterproof Lace Front Wig Adhesive

Want to learn more? Check out The Best Lace Wig Adhesive For Long Term Wear featuring Walker Ultra Hold and Walker Great White.

Additionally, if you're anything like me and not quite a fan of liquid glue you can use tape alone as long as you apply a minimum of two layers of wig tape and are wearing a headscarf for extra security. 

For example: While on vacation in this photo below, I was wearing a 22 inch lace front wig that was a fairly thick density. I had my natural hair under a wig cap and used two layers of wig tape from ear to ear in front. Then put on a head scarf securing my wig in place while I was in the water.

I unexpectedly went under the water several times and thank Sweet Baby Jesus my hair was secure all day without a worry. 

Remember: Even if your lace front wig is extremely well attached, the pressure of diving or jumping can rip your wig off your head, leaving you in an awkward hairless position.

 
How to Prepare Your Lace Wig Before Swimming

Before you head to the pool, lake or ocean apply a leave in conditioner and brush your lace wig and give yourself perhaps a flattering side braid to keep all the hairs in place. 

For extra security wear a swim cap or headscarf to make sure everything stays securely in place.

How to Care for Your Lace Front Wig After Swimming

You could be thinking by now “What’s so bad about swimming while wearing a lace front wig? I clean my wig with water all the time” and you would be somewhat correct. The key word there being somewhat.

The thing is, water in itself isn’t harmful in any sort of way to a lace wig or a hair system. The real culprits are chlorine and salt:

-Chlorine: Used mainly to treat swimming pools, chlorine a substance that is extremely rough on lace front wigs/hair systems, natural hair or synthetic hair alike. This chemical is used to rid swimming pools of pollutants, keeping them clean and sanitary. Now imagine what that does to hair fibers. Scary stuff.

-Salt: Salt can and will wreak havoc on your hair. Here’s the thing, the water content in your wig’s hair is what makes said hair shiny, elastic, and stretchy. Take all that moisture away and all you’re left with is dull-looking, fragile, brittle hair that will easily break off when placed under the slightest levels of stress.

Wash/Rinse your lace front wig as soon as possible after swimming and apply a leave in conditioner. Never sleep while your lace wig is wet always make sure she's completely dry.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, repeated exposure will damage the hair in your lace front wig, just as much as it would damage your own hair. Especially when chlorine exposure is combined with sunlight. It is best to wear a wig cap when swimming, but in addition to that you have to make sure that you use a mild clarifying shampoo and quality deep conditioners.