Take Care of Hair Extensions: Some Helpful Tips

Your hair extensions are an important accessory. They will last longer and keep looking good if you take good care of them. Develop a care routine from the start after buying your extensions. Learn more about how to take care of hair extensions in the following guide. This information applies to most human hair extensions.

Also read: Dealing With Hair Loss To Boost Self-Esteem

1. Avoid Using Toxic Products

Some types of chemicals used in shampoos can be harmful to hair extensions. These chemicals are added to hair care products to clean hair, enhance hair appearance, or for other hair improvement goals. Some of these chemicals include:

• Ethanol
• Alcohol denat
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• SLS
• SD Alcohol 40
• Propyl
• Propanol
• Isopropyl

Avoid using hair care products with these chemicals for your extensions. This preventative care will help keep the extensions healthy and increase their lifespan. Avoiding these chemicals, even for natural hair, is highly recommended. These ingredients remove natural oil from hair. It creates problems like tangled, matted, and drier hair.

2. Avoid Using Sticky Hair Products

Some of these products include hair gels, creams, sprays, and others. They are formulated to keep the hair together and give it a shiny appearance. They may be good for those applications, but can damage your extensions. You will have to use a harsh shampoo to clean the extensions if you use any sticky hair product. Use minimum hair care products on the extensions so you do not have to wash them often. Overwashing causes the extensions to dry and look frizzy. Learn how to take care of hair extensions better.

3. Brush the Extension Hair Properly

Hair extensions are not your natural hair, so you have to be more careful when brushing them. You can brush your natural hair anyway, and if something goes wrong, it will come back to its natural condition due to its inner strength and properties. That is not the case with extension hair that does not receive any nutrients.

To brush your extensions, first hold all your hair together. Start at the bottom by removing the tangles at the lower end. Move up a few inches at a time while brushing. Do not brush the hair when it is wet because it can break easily. Brush the extensions before washing or when they are dry. Use a special extension brush to brush the extensions. This brush has a different design to avoid damaging the wefts of the extensions.

4. Preventing Matting and Entangling

These problems are not only with extensions but also with natural hair. Some brushing throughout the day is needed to prevent the matting and entangling of extension hair. These problems are caused by sweat, body heat, and movements of both the hair and head. Human hair itself keeps matting and clumping if it is not brushed frequently. Heat and sweat on the scalp and nape create problems. Sweat is not only salty but acidic as well. Frequent head movement, when not relaxing, is normal but causes the hair to entangle. Hair and extensions also entangle when the weather is windy, hot, or full of humidity. Hot air causes the hair to dry.

Brush your extensions throughout the day using an appropriate extension brush. Keep your hair tied up on windy days. Use appropriate hair care products to prevent entangling and matting. These products make your extensions manageable and keep them soft. The products are designed to prevent damage and dryness of hair. They also work for extensions. Products containing moisturizing ingredients like natural oils recommended for hair care are perfect for this purpose. Avoid using products that contain sulfur and alcohol. These ingredients remove natural oil from the hair and scalp.

5. Prevent Extension Hair Shedding

Similar to natural hair, hair extensions also shed strands of hair. They are made with human hair, so they retain some properties of natural hair. Do not be surprised if you find your extension shedding its hair. You can minimize this shedding by preventing dryness of the extensions and brushing them gently. If you brush extensions vigorously or when they are entangled, it will lead to a lot more shedding. The hard brushing actions pull and remove hair strands from the root where they are plugged in. Develop the good habit of brushing your extensions before and after their use. It will prevent the breakage and shedding of the hair.

6. Remove the Hair Extensions before Going to Bed

The extensions get entangled quickly, and their clips can be damaged if you go to sleep without removing them. When removing the clip-on model extensions, start from the top and proceed to the bottom. This will limit the entangling of hair with the extensions during the extension removal process. Use a sleeping cap or soft fabric scarf on your head when going to bed. These hair extension tips will prevent your extensions from tangling or looking frizzy.

7. Do Not Apply Excessive Heat

Your extensions are made with human hair, but they no longer receive nutrients from the inside as natural hair receives. The extensions are going without adequate nutrients and oil, so they are not comparable to natural hair. It means they cannot withstand unnecessary heat. Normal environmental heat will not damage the extensions for a long time. However, that is not the case when you apply extra heat from a heating device like a hair dryer.

Heat will damage the look and texture of the extensions. If you want to get the same effect as heat-styled hair, you can try a spray or other styling options. If you have to use a heating tool to style your hair extensions, first apply a heat protectant cream or spray before styling. It will prevent the extensions from going dry and getting damaged.

8. Proper Storage

Clip-on hair extensions should be stored properly. It will increase their lifespan. Use an appropriate box or bag to store them. Before storing them inside a container, wrap each weft around each other and secure them using a soft tie. You can avoid the clips getting tangled in extensions by storing them in a ponytail form. Follow your extension maker’s care and storage instructions.

Hair Extension Tips

Also read: HOW TO MAKE HAIR SILKY AND STRAIGHT NATURALLY

Washing the Extensions

Keeping your extensions moisturized and nourished will prevent many problems. Hydrate them whenever possible to prevent them from drying and losing their soft feel. They do not receive natural oil and nutrients like natural hair, so they use appropriate external nourishment. The shampoos and conditioners you use for this purpose should be sulfate and alcohol-free. You can apply the conditioner before and after shampooing.

When washing extensions, be gentle and avoid rubbing them harshly. Use cold water to rinse the extensions. It will help retain its moisture. Once the extensions are washed, remove excess water gently by hand before drying with a blow dryer.

How to Dry the Extensions?

Apply a heat protectant on the extensions if you want to blow-dry them. When drying extensions this way, keep the drying unit at a lower setting to prevent the hair from getting damaged by heat. Let the hair dry properly before you brush it. Wet hair is more susceptible to breakage than dried hair.

First, loosen the entangled extension hair with your fingers. Start drying at the root and proceed down to the ends. Blow-dry your hair from the top to the bottom to prevent it from tangling. It is better to first air dry your extensions. After washing, you can use a soft towel to squeeze out excess water without being harsh on the hair. Apply a small amount of hair oil on extension hair to keep it manageable, soft, and smooth.

Dyeing Extensions

Hair extensions are available in various shades of hair color. Buy the set that matches your hair color. Most extensions have multi-tonal coloring, giving the hair some low lights and highlights across the extension. This coloring technique gives extension hair depth, dimension, and volume. The extensions blend well with natural hair, especially when you have a few shades off in your hair.

It is possible to color your extensions if you are unable to find extensions matching your hair color. It is better to visit a well-known hair care salon like Aveda Hair Salon to color your extensions, where you will receive professional hair extensions in NJ from a trained and experienced hair artist. Inform them about your extensions beforehand to receive expert advice and guidance in choosing the best color for your hair.

Unnecessary bleaching can damage the hair. Bleaching is not recommended for hair extensions because the set has already undergone bleaching during the making process. You may also not get the same result as expected because the hair is already dyed.

Conclusion

Hair extensions are available for short, medium, and long hair. They add volume and length to your mane. Whether you are using sewn-in or clip-in extensions, you have to follow a good care routine to keep them looking their best. This routine will keep them healthy and retain their color, shade, shine, feel and look. The above hair extension preventative and after-care steps are necessary if you want to prolong the lifespan of these extensions.

Learn how to store and take care of hair extensions by following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Avoid using hair care products that can be harsh on the extension’s quality, color, and look. You will prevent damage to the extensions. Using the right products will prolong their life and keep them usable for a long time. The extensions will blend well with your natural hair and improve your overall appearance. Your personality will come out all-natural and attractive. You will feel confident when going out and meeting people.

Medical Disclaimer: All the content available on the website is just for informational purposes. It’s not a substitute for any Professional advice. Don’t take it personally. As a medical student, I’m just trying to use my information through my content, and please keep in mind it’s not written by a professional doctor. Use the data just for educational purposes.