Top 6 Ways to Care For Your Hair Extensions

Today, we're diving into my top 6 must-have aftercare tips for your hair extensions. Hair extensions are a great way to add length, volume, and even color to your hair; however, to keep them looking salon-ready, beautiful, smooth, and healthy, you have to be committed to giving them that extra bit of care. Here are my top 6 tips for caring for your extensions at home, including some of my favorite tried, tested, and proven products to keep your extensions looking their best since they were in the salon.

How to detangle your hair extensions?

To detangle your hair extensions safely and effectively, you may need a special brush that has two layers of fibers: nylon and boar bristles.

A regular massage brush will not do the trick. Its bristles are too coarse and may pull on the hair extensions, potentially damaging them in the process. If your goal is to detangle the root area thoroughly, avoid them at all costs!

However, you should never avoid the process of detangle your hair roots. Not regularly detangle your root area may cause the hair near the extensions to get tangled, so never skip this step. I wrote an article that reviews the various types of brushes, their uses, and compatibility with hair extensions. A boar bristle brush is perfect for this task. It will help you detangle your hair extensions, and your scalp will enjoy a great massage at the same time!

When detangle your hair, gently detangle the ends of your hair extensions first, then work your way down to the ends of your hair extensions. Always detangle your hair in a downward motion.

Divide your hair into two sections at the nape of your neck. Detach each section from the nape of your neck to the ends of your hair to better work out the tangles at the roots.

Make sure to keep your hair close to your scalp, in this case, I mean the part that is being combed. This will help you avoid pulling on your roots unnecessarily if the ends are tangled.

Don’t rush it. Rushing through a few strokes won’t untangle all the tangles. Make sure your root area gets enough time and attention.

A proper combing routine should take 3-4 minutes at most. Enjoy your scalp massage! Always comb your hair before bed and in the morning when you wake up.

Straight extensions: Frequent combing throughout the day will reduce those pesky tangles and improve the overall appearance of your extensions. Curly/wavy extensions: Just repeat this process once or twice a day. In the morning, you may want to follow up with a curl refreshing routine. 

Which Shampoo is Best for Hair Extensions?

So, you’ve got your dream extensions in and learned how to comb them properly; but now it’s time to wash your hair. What products are best for your beautiful new hair? Well, the best shampoo (and conditioner) for hair extensions must be sulfate-free. Ideally, it should also be suitable for color-treated hair. Take a look on your bathroom shelf – you probably already own something suitable. Not finding what you need? Overwhelmed by the variety of hair care products in your local store? Don’t worry! In my blog, I review the best types of shampoo and conditioner for hair extensions in more detail, so be sure to check that out after reading this post. 

What hair care products are good for extensions?

Your hair care product kit should include more than just a bottle of shampoo and a tube of conditioner. Both your natural hair and your extensions need extra nourishment. This is very important. Using only a standard shampoo + conditioner combo puts your hair at risk for over-drying. Unfortunately, if this happens, you won't notice until after you remove your extensions. And you don't want to wait that long!

If you have blonde, highlighted, or dry, damaged hair, you should pay extra attention to the care of your extensions.

If any of these apply to you, your hair definitely needs some extra love and nourishment. Otherwise, you could be facing serious over-drying and breakage on your natural hair. The good news is that this worst-case scenario is completely avoidable.

If you're looking to speed up the growth and regrowth of your natural hair while keeping your extensions silky smooth, here are some more care products to incorporate into your routine:

Hair masks are a great way to moisturize, tame, and soften your hair, restoring it from the inside out. Hair masks are able to penetrate deeper into your hair than regular conditioners; therefore, these two types of treatments are not interchangeable.

Leave-in conditioners will make your hair smoother and help you detangle those stubborn split ends.

If you use a blow dryer or heat styling tools like curling irons or straighteners a lot, then a heat protectant is an absolute must for you. This product will protect your natural hair and extensions from over-drying, as well as damage caused by high temperatures. Even if hot tools aren’t a part of your daily routine, a heat protectant is a must-have in any proper hair care toolkit.

Over time, you may also feel the need to use a moisturizing oil to prevent split ends. Using a smoothing oil on the tips of your extensions will keep them nice and soft.

You can use hairspray to secure your favorite style.

Dry shampoo will add volume to the roots of your hair and help control excess natural scalp oil production between washes.

In case you’re wondering, the last three products on this list are optional. Are your extensions curly or wavy? Some additional hair care products you may need: Curl serum will help you create curls and curls and give your curly extensions more definition.

To maintain perfect curls and avoid frizz, you'll need a styling gel or mousse. Important: Remember that hair extension adhesives are very fickle. Be extra careful not to get any oily or silicone-containing products on them! 

How do I wash my extensions?

Apply some shampoo to your scalp. Gently lather and apply evenly to your extensions. Try to avoid rubbing your extensions too hard, but wash thoroughly to remove any residue from any leave-in or styling products you may have used previously.

Rinse well, especially at the root area.

Apply conditioner only to your hair strands.

Make sure to avoid applying conditioner to your extensions, as direct contact may weaken them. This will inevitably lead to them falling out and deteriorating quickly.

Finally, wash the product out of your hair thoroughly. This step is the same as you would with a regular wash.

Tip 1: Remember, the less often you wash your extensions, the longer your extensions will last. Ideally, you should try to limit washing to 1 or 2 times a week. If you need to curb oil production, dry shampoo works well for this purpose. If you choose to use this product, though, make sure you rinse your scalp thoroughly when you wash your hair. Dry shampoo residue is often the culprit for skin irritation and itching.

Tip 2: If you use purple shampoo, be extra careful not to allow it to come in contact with your hair extensions. I can't stress this enough. Purple shampoo can severely damage your hair extensions, causing them to break down and unravel faster. Also don't leave this shampoo on your hair for too long, as your extensions may become too gray, dull, and dry.

Tip 3: If you choose the air-drying method, you should start by drying the root area until your scalp is completely free of moisture. Leaving your hair wet overnight (or your hair extensions wet for an extended period of time) is a major cause of tangles, especially with bonded extensions. 

Can you use hot tools to style your extensions?

Extensions can be curled with a curling iron or straightened with bobby pins, just like your natural hair. That being said, there are some rules and restrictions you should strictly follow for the former.

Whatever you do, make sure your hot tools do not touch the hair extensions! Also, never overheat your root area with a blow dryer. Both of these situations can be extremely damaging to your extensions and can cause your hair to knot, which can lead to tangles.

Before you start curling or straightening your hair, first double check that they are 100% dry. As soon as your hot tools come in contact with wet hair, they will boil it, even if the strands are only slightly damp, and even if you have applied a heat protectant.

Always use a heat protectant when styling your extensions by blow drying, straightening, or curling them.

Be careful with the high heat settings! Remember not to overheat your hair. It's no secret that high temperatures are harmful to your hair. However, the bad habit of constantly overheating and over-drying your hair can also cause a lot of damage to your extensions.

If you want to create natural curls, add volume or maintain definition, then you might be interested in checking out this video on styling curly extensions. 

How to sleep with extensions?

Permanent extensions should be tied up before going to bed. This prevents unnecessary pulling while sleeping. As I already mentioned, never sleep with wet hair as this can cause tangles.

Tips:

Itchy scalp? Don't worry! It's normal to have a certain degree of dryness and itchiness in the first week or two as your scalp is adapting to the sudden increase in the amount of hair. But this unpleasant feeling will lessen over time.

At first, it may feel a little strange to sleep with a wig. But after a few nights, you will get used to it.

Sometimes it may happen that one or two wigs fall off. Don't panic. Be sure to keep these wigs and we will reinstall them with the rest of the wigs at the next maintenance. 

Conclusion

Don't forget to bookmark this page for quick access. I recommend re-reading this post after a week or so so you remember these tips. I hope you found this post useful. But if you still have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. If your hair extensions are causing you more than a little discomfort, be sure to contact me and I will do my best to resolve any issues. I am here to help you and make sure you are completely satisfied with your new hair.

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