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Looking After Your Hair Extensions: Expert Top Tips
Your aftercare routine will play a vital role in the longevity of your hair extensions, which is why it is so important to understand how to look after your hair extensions correctly.
There’s lots of information available online regarding the correct care and maintenance of hair extensions, however, with many offering conflicting or confusing advice, it can sometimes be difficult to know what routine to follow.
Here we identify the key elements that form a good hair extensions aftercare routine, which should help to keep your hair extensions in perfect condition throughout the time you are wearing them.
Separate Your Hair Extension Bonds Daily
Without a doubt, this is the most important part of your aftercare routine. At least once a day, preferably in the morning, you will need to separate each bond with your fingers to ensure they are sitting separately. This may sound like a long task, however in reality it only takes a matter of minutes. This will prevent the bonds from tangling at the root and will make the hair extensions quick and easy to remove at the end of your 3-4 months of wear. This may sound like a simple or obvious piece of advice, however not separating your bonds is one of the number one causes of tangled hair extensions, therefore even if you only commit to one thing when looking after your hair extensions, let it be this one.
Make sure you check out our full guide on how to separate your hair extension bonds.
Wash Your Hair Extensions Correctly
Washing your hair extensions correctly is essential to appropriate hair extensions care. If you stick with your regular routine which you use for your natural hair you may encounter some problems, but if you are not informed of the proper way to do it, who could blame you?
Firstly, you must ensure you are always using the recommended aftercare range for your hair extensions. This will ensure that the shampoo and conditioner do not affect the hair extension bonds, causing them to slip or come loose, and does not affect the quality of the hair. We stock a full range of aftercare products, including a full hair extensions aftercare set which we recommend purchasing with your human hair extensions, including shampoo and conditioner.
Now that you have the correct aftercare, you will be able to wash your hair extensions without worrying about how this may affect the hair quality, but there are still some additional tips to take note of. You will need to ensure that you only wash the scalp with shampoo, and the conditioner is restricted to the mid-lengths and ends only. Try to wash your hair in warm, not hot water, as the temperature can have a negative effect on both your natural hair and the hair extensions, especially if you enjoy a scorching hot shower. Make sure that the water is flowing down your back in an upright position, as flipping your hair over can cause tangling issues.
Looking for more advice on washing your hair extensions correctly, check out our full guide on how to wash your hair extensions here.
Brush Your Hair Extensions Gently
Whether you have just washed your hair, or are brushing it dry in the morning, you must take great care to do this gently. Take your time to slowly brush your hair, removing any tangles patiently without pulling on the hair extensions. Always use a hair extension hairbrush to ensure that you do not get this caught in the bonds which can be uncomfortable.
Make sure you check out our full guide on how to brush your hair extensions. It’s also worth checking out our hair extension bobble which will help to avoid your hairband pulling on your extensions.
Never Sleep With Your Hair Extensions Wet
Wet hair can promote tangling and matting, therefore it is very important that you never sleep with your hair wet or damp. It is very tempting to fall into bed with semi-dry hair, but your hair extensions will be very difficult to brush in the morning if you do choose to do this, putting pressure on the bonds and the cuticles of the hair. When washing your hair you must always ensure you have enough time to dry them fully before getting into bed.
Check out our article on why sleeping with wet hair extensions is not worth the risk.
Secure Your Hair Extensions Before Sleep
To make your hair easy to brush in the morning, securing your hair extensions before you sleep is essential. This will make styling your hair the following day much easier, stopping you from having to detangle your hair which can put pressure on the hair extension bonds. If you share a bed, this will also stop the hair extensions from becoming trapped or pulled during the night.
Check out our full article on how to sleep with your hair extensions here.
Attend Regular Hair Extension Maintenance Appointments
Always keep up to date with your maintenance appointments. These are recommended every 4-6 weeks and are very important when it comes to keeping your hair extensions looking great and being in a healthy condition. We would recommend after your fitting that you schedule in with your hair extension technician regular checks every 4-6 weeks and that you stick to your appointments.
Learn about the importance of hair extensions maintenance appointments here.
Use Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatments On Your Hair Extensions
As well as your recommended shampoo and conditioner, you should also be applying a regular intensive treatment to your hair extensions. Hair extensions receive no natural oils from the scalp to help keep them soft and healthy, therefore it is your job to supply this moisture to your hair. The best way to achieve this is with oil-based products, particularly if they are natural products.
It is recommended that hair extensions are treated with intensive treatments at least once a week to help keep them in their best possible condition.
Wearing Hair Extensions On Holiday
If you plan to take a trip whilst wearing your hair extensions, you will need to be very wary of the water you expose your hair extensions to. Too much chlorine in a pool can cause your hair extensions to feel brittle, and the minerals in sea and shower water can in a worst-case scenario cause discolouration, therefore limit the exposure to these elements as much as possible.
When on holidays, hair extensions need even more care than they do at home, so be sure to check out our hair extensions holiday advice here.
Looking After Your Hair Extensions Is A Full Time Job
Looking after your hair extensions is a very important process, and by following these basic steps your hair extensions should stay in the best condition possible throughout the time you are wearing them. Always ask your hair extension technician to provide you with aftercare advice after your hair extension fitting, and make sure that they are happy for you to contact them if you have any additional questions.
