Hair Extension Care 101

New to the world of hair extensions? Not a problem! Here are some basic tips on keeping your hair extensions looking as beautiful as they did when you stepped out of the salon.

Washing

Now that you have your beautiful hair extensions, it’s time to learn how to properly take care of them. If you have clip-in extensions, you should brush them before attempting to wash them, that way they won’t get tangled during the washing process. Plug your sink and fill it with lukewarm water and a few pumps of shampoo that you would use on your natural hair. Once you have your bubbly water, apply shampoo onto the hair and submerge it into the water. Be sure to hold the extension by the weft and wash the hair with gentle strokes. After the wefts have been shampooed, add some conditioner, and rinse them thoroughly. If you’d like, you can even add a hair mask. Again, treat the extensions just as you would your natural hair. And if you’re wearing another method of extensions, simply wash your hair as normal. It’s best to use sulfate-free products as they don’t create much lather and will keep the extensions from slipping so quickly.

Drying

Drying your hair extensions is just as important as washing them. In fact, it’s the step right after washing. There are two ways you can dry them: air dry or blow dry. Before choosing the direction you want to go, be sure to towel dry your hair first by squeezing the excess water in the towel. Avoid rubbing your hair dry, as the cuticles will roughen up and create tangles. When air drying, just be sure to brush through your hair as you would with your natural hair. Air drying is pretty simple—just let it naturally dry as you would your own hair.  If you want to blow dry, use a good heat protection spray and start at the roots. Focusing on the roots will ensure the installation is firm and won’t slip while styling. Blow dry your hair in sections using a round or paddle brush with the nozzle pointing downward to create a gorgeous smooth finish. You can begin styling once everything is dry!

Brushing

Brushing your extensions is just as important as brushing your natural hair to keep it from tangling. For brushing, you can use a paddle brush, round bristle brush, or a wide tooth comb. You always want to start from bottom to top, that way you’re removing each tangle a section at a time, rather than starting from the top and pulling the tangles all the way down. That method can cause damage to your natural hair and the extensions. Bottom from top will reduce the pull and strain on the bonds and weft. Without brushing, your natural hair and hair extensions can become tangled and matted together and that’s the last thing you want. Brushing daily can prevent this from happening.

Tangling

The last thing anyone wants is tangled hair, but we understand that can happen at times. Don’t freak out if your hair extensions are tangled! There’s a simple solution to help with that problem. If you find yourself in a situation with tangled hair, the best thing to do is get a great detangler and an even better detangling brush. Make sure your hair is dry while brushing. Wet hair will stretch and make the tangling so much worse! Brush your hair from bottom to top, removing the knots and tangles from the ends, rather than bringing them down from the roots and causing breakage and damage to the extensions and your natural hair. We advise doing this in small sections to reduce the strain on the hair. To prevent tangling and matting, brush your hair daily, preferably in the morning, after showers, and before bed.

Styling

There are so many great hairstyles you can wear with hair extensions, and you shouldn’t worry about putting heat to your hair if you’re using quality human hair. Synthetic hair is quite different. Putting heat on plastic is something you want to avoid. But if your extensions are human hair, you can definitely put heat on it, but you want to treat it as if it were your natural hair, which means using heat protectants and putting your styling tools on low heat settings. Like natural hair, using high temperatures can result in damage overtime, and the same applies with your extensions. You want your hair extensions to last a while and taking the proper precautions will ensure that.

Sleeping

After a long day, flopping into bed and falling asleep sounds heavenly, but going to bed without properly caring for your hair extensions can damage the hair. If you’re wearing clip-in extensions, just take them out and hit the hay! But if you’re wearing another method, it’s best to take some extra steps before bedtime. Brushing your hair at night will definitely help reduce tangling and matting. The best way to sleep with extensions is securing them in a loose braid or pulling them into a gentle ponytail using a snag free hair band. And if you’d like, you can invest in a silk pillow or satin scarf. Silk pillows will reduce friction in the hair and a satin scarf will keep your hair in place overnight. Whatever you choose, just remember do not go to sleep with wet hair. Sleeping with wet hair will result in a tangled mess when you wake up.

Use these tips to keep your extensions healthy and long lasting!