Tips on taking care of hair extensions

Let’s hustle our bustles! Today we’re talking about hair extensions. Fun! There’s no reason not to love hair extensions… until they become broken, undone or we ruin them one way or another. The problem is: gorgeous extensions stay gorgeous only if we properly take care of them. Which is a lot easier said than done, because they need a bit more TLC than our regular, luscious hair. You ready to dive in? Here are a “few” tips you need for making sure your hair extensions give you your money’ worth.

1. Hair Care Product

   PLEASE, for your sake (and your hair’s sake) – please make sure you get the right hair product from your salon for your extensions. Be adamant about avoiding products that use sulfate or parabens, which destroys the adhesive bond more rapidly. (Not to mention they can strip the colour and essential oils from the extensions and your own hair. Anything with sulfates and parabens is a big no-no for your hair.) Here is a list of a few haircare products your stylist should give you; if they don’t, feel free to ask them for these:

   • Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo
   • Drybar High Tops Self-Grip Rollers
   • Revlon Texturizing Cleanser for Synthetic Hair
   • Clynol Salon Exclusive
   • Racoon Xtend Luxurious Shampoo
2. Maintain Proper Brushing

   Always—no matter what—get a soft-bristle brush, a nylon extension brush, or a looper brush (when your hair gets tangled; it will get tangled at some point, so be ready for this). To brush properly, treat your extensions just like you do your own hair: start brushing from the bottom up. Pay attention not to put stress on the hair – this’ll ruin all the hard work you put into keeping it long and gorgeous. Pulling too hard creates breakage, which might pull an extension out.

3. Washing

   After you get your hair extensions, it’s highly recommended you wait 2 days or so (48+ hours) before washing your hair. Ask your stylist for instructions about proper hair-washing etiquette. (These are professionals who make a living knowing everything about hair care.) Here’s the rub: You must keep your hair plus scalp clean. Otherwise your hair will tangle in all the sweat and dirt that can build up over 2 days – and believe me, all it takes is 2 days, especially if you’re always on the go in this crazy rat race world. When you’re washing, specially-formulated shampoo is a must. This shampoo is made specifically to be used for natural human hair extensions. Again, seek counsel from your stylist about those shampoos.

4. Sleeping

   When I wear extensions and go to sleep, I always make sure to wear my hair in a low braid. This keeps the extensions from tangling, which is an absolute mess in the morning to get rid of. (Not to mention painful – we know how bad untangling is on just our real hair, right? Maybe you even know the pain of synthetic hair tangling with your real hair. It’s a nightmare!) Another sleeping tip: never go to sleep with tape in hair extensions. Just as you wouldn’t with your regular, normal hair. For the same reasons: you want to avoid matting and prolong your beauty investment as long as possible.

5. Avoid Excessive Heat

   You and I both know that heat (hairdryers, curling irons, flat irons, etc.) is our hair’s biggest enemy. Our hair gets damaged easily, giving us broken ends and horrible frizz. Sadly, the same goes for hair extensions. If our extensions get too much heat, especially near the roots, the adhesive (on the tape tabs) weakens/melts, and our “hair” falls out. Not much fun is that? Not to mention how much of a waste of money those hair extensions will become.

Conclusion

Whether you’ve worn hair extensions before, or are simply shopping around, I hope you’ve found something useful. Hair extensions are a beauty investment – and when properly cared for, can make you look absolutely stunning. There is no substitute for feeling like you’re on top of the world.