Number One: Wrapping

Always wrap your extensions at night. Unless you can take your extensions out before bed (clip-in extensions), you absolutely must wrap your hair. This can be done with a hair cap, a hairnet, or a silk hair scarf. This is important because it will prevent your extensions from tangling. In your sleep, you move around. This not only causes your hair to tangle more, but it will also pull on your extensions. This is particularly bad for tape-in extensions since it will cause the wefts to move and even come out. This will also prevent strands of the hair from coming out of the extensions. Since your hair can also stick to the fabrics of your sheets and pillowcases, your hair can break. Wrapping your hair in silk and satin materials will help prevent your hair from becoming dry at night.

Number Two: Brushing

Invest in a good hairbrush. A loop brush has loops for bristles. This helps the brush to go through hair without cutting or damaging it. If you cannot find one in a store near you, you can purchase one online. If you do not have one, you can use a wide-toothed comb. The hair will be weaker when it is wet, so make sure that you brush your hair before you wash it and then wait until your hair is dry to brush it again. Brush your hair before wrapping it before bed. Start by brushing the ends of your hair. Then, slowly work upwards towards the roots. If your hair happens to get overly tangled, wet it and put a small amount of detangling conditioner in it. Then carefully work knots out. First, try to work them out with your fingers, then move to a brush. Hopefully, if you take care of your extensions, it will not get to a point where you need to do that.

Number Three: Washing

For sew-in extensions, wash your hair every few days, as often as you would usually wash your natural hair. For other types of extensions, use your best judgment as to how often they should be washed. They will not need to be washed as often as your natural hair. Use a gentle shampoo without alcohols or sulfates. Wash gently. Do not wash them as vigorously as you would with your natural hair. Avoid washing them directly where they are attached. Start from your scalp and work gently towards the ends. Apply conditioner away from the scalp. Using hair oils can help moisturize and strengthen your hair. For more information on hair oils, check out our blog post on them.

Number Four: Styling

Avoid applying heat to your hair. If using a blow drier, use the low-temperature setting while and heat protection. If you want your extensions dyed, get it done by a professional. Avoid bleaching your hair extensions as it can damage them. Be careful whenever you are styling your hair. Do not tug on the extensions or do anything that can compromise the wefts.

If you follow this advice, your hair extensions can look amazing for a long time. If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to contact us!