How to Take Care Of Hair Extensions？
Do Hair Extensions Require A Lot Of Maintenance?
Before we get started, it’s important to know that while your hair extensions can be low maintenance, that doesn’t mean no maintenance. There are definitely things you’ll want to include in your daily hair extension care routine that are going to help you keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, and prolong the life of your extensions. As an added bonus, the better you care for your hair extensions, the less damaged your natural hair is likely to be AND you may be able to go for a longer period of time in between your move-up appointments. In short, taking care of your hair extensions will require a hair care routine and does take some maintenance, but it doesn’t have to be a lot, and you can still enjoy a more low maintenance hair care routine even with extensions.
How to Take Care of Your Hair Extensions: The Dos Brush Often
Just like your natural hair gets tangled, hair extensions will tangle too, but there are things you can do to lessen and prevent tangling - brushing is one of those things. When you have hair extensions, it’s important to brush them often. I recommend brushing your hair twice a day as a minimum. Brush your hair extensions in the morning and before bed every night to detangle anything you’ve built up during the day. It’s also a good idea to brush your hair if you feel it becoming tangled at any point during the day. You may want to make it a habit to carry around a brush or a wide-toothed comb with you during the day, so you have it if you need it. I recommend using an extension-safe brush with boar bristles and flexible bristles.
How you brush your extensions is important too. To prevent breakage or shedding, you’ll want to place your hand at the top of your row or weft while brushing your hair. This will prevent excess pulling or tugging as you brush out your hair. It’s also a good idea to start brushing your hair from the bottom, removing any tangles, and working your way up to the top of your head from there. This method can also help to reduce the amount of pulling on your extensions.
While brushing your hair extensions, just remember to be gentle. As with your natural hair, the goal is to detangle without breaking, so try not to yank the brush through the hair, but be patient and gentle when brushing your hair extensions. Rough brushing over the tops of your rows can cause looping at the seam of your wefts. When this happens, your hair extensions will need to be replaced.
Lastly, don’t ever brush your hair extensions when wet. When your extensions are wet, they are more vulnerable to breakage. Instead of brushing your hair when wet, feel free to brush prior to getting your hair wet.
Limit How Often You Wash Your Hair
When you do wash your hair, I HIGHLY recommend double shampooing for optimal scalp health! Once you’ve shampooed make sure to rinse your hair really well to ensure you don’t leave any product residue in your hair. You’ll also want to condition your hair. Conditioner should be used from mid shafts of your hair to the ends, never or only very little towards the root area or scalp. When you condition, focus on damaged or known dry areas of your hair.
If you wash your hair more, you’ll risk drying out your hair extensions. When your extensions are drier they can break easier, which can lead to more shedding and require you to replace your extensions more often. This is why I recommend just twice a week for washing your hair.
And, as I mentioned, you can also brush your hair BEFORE you get it wet (not after!). Washing and conditioning are important pieces of hair extension care, but what you use on your hair has an impact too.
Hair Products Matter
Whether you have extensions or not, the products you put in your hair make a difference in the health of your hair. That’s why you’ve likely heard of sulfate free shampoos or know about hair product build up in your hair. These things you know impact your natural hair also make a difference when you’re trying to take care of your hair extensions. So what products should you be using (or avoiding) to keep your hair extensions healthy?
Use Sulfate Free Hair Products
Why is sulfate free important for your hair extensions? Hair extensions are more prone to dry out than your own hair because they aren’t being replenished with oil or nutrients like your natural hair is. This means anything that is likely to cause your extensions to dry out should be avoided. Sulfates can dry out your extensions, making them more prone to damage like breakage or shedding. So it’s important to choose only sulfate free hair care products. If you are in a dry climate, like we are here in Bend and Central Oregon, choosing products that keep your extensions hydrated is even more important.
Use Oil Regularly
Oil for your hair extensions is an important part of keeping them hydrated and preventing all the negative consequences of dry extensions. How much oil you use depends on the amount of hair and hair extensions you have, but start with less and you can always increase the amount you use. When you apply oil to your hair extensions apply from the mid-shaft to the ends of your hair.
Hair masks are another great product you can use to help keep your hair and extensions, fully hydrated. I recommend using a hair mask once or twice a month in place of your conditioner to get the maximum benefit. If you are heat styling your hair, be sure to use a heat and UV protectant before any heat styling. High heat can burn and discolor blonde extensions and this damage is unfortunately irreversible.
You can also use salon professional styling products like hair spray, texture spray, or dry shampoo with your hair extensions. If you do, I always say less is more! And if you are using heavier styling products, be sure to double shampoo to ensure you remove all products from your hair.
You may also want to know：
1. How much does Hair Extensions Cost?
2. What is Injection Tape in Hair Extensions?