Hair extensions are a great way to add volume and length to your natural hair. They can make you look like you have Hollywood glam locks with no effort at all, just by clipping on some synthetic or mink hair strands.
Over time, without proper care, the extensions could become dry and damaged – not exactly what most women want for their beautiful new hairdos! It’s essential that you know how to take care of hair extensions so that they last as long as possible.
Fortunately, it’s effortless! Here are some tips on how to extend the life of your pricey clip-on.
Contents
Wash with care
Clip-in extensions are ideal for washing your hair because you don’t have to go through the tedious process of dealing with luscious long locks all night. Make sure that the water temperature is lukewarm, not hot or cold. Washing your hair in the shower without rinsing your hair is ideal. What’s more, your hair will get less tangled.
You can use some gentle shampoo on the actual extensions – just be careful how much you use and use it more on your scalp. You can even apply a conditioner making sure they don’t get to the scalp, or your extension may slip.
Stay away from hair products that contain sulfates and alcohol, both of which strip your hair of its natural oils, resulting in matted extensions. Having the right products on hand will allow you to wash your hair without worrying whether shampoo and conditioner will damage your extensions.
It’s best to gently dry your hair with a towel or hairdryer with a diffuser attachment.
Invest in quality extensions
Human hair extensions are more expensive than synthetic, but they’re less damaging to your natural hair – so consider investing in human hair even if you already have plenty of extensions. There’s no need to go overboard with fake hair like many YouTube beauty bloggers recommend (and models in magazines).
Hair extension installations usually take about two hours, depending on the method used (weaves, clips, etc.). However, there is another option if you don’t like sticking long bits of nylon thread into your own hair – clip-in extensions. These are basically fake hair that can be easily clipped onto your ponytail or thrown over your shoulder. You can get them in every color, length, and style you want.
Don’t Let Anyone Else Touch Your Extensions
We know it’s tempting for friends and family to try and touch up your roots in public, but don’t let them! Hair dye and other styling products can damage and soil your extensions if they get onto them by mistake. And it’ll save you time when it’s time for a retouch!
Go Easy On The Styling Products
If you are using extremely high heat, it will lead to breakage and frizziness which can ruin your hairstyle faster than ever.
Styling with extensions should be done only every few days so as not to damage them too frequently or quickly. Ensure before putting them in when they are completely dry. Applying intensely hot air to damp hair may damage them more easily.
Be very sparing when you apply styling products to your hair extensions. It’s best to use heat protection sprays, gels, and creams before using heated tools like straighteners or curlers to take care of your hair extensions. You can also wrap your hair around rollers, but don’t leave them in for too long.
Clean All Your Hair Care Tools
Make sure you clean your styling tools regularly, including combs and brushes. Also, make sure that you wash the caps of any heated tools after every use – this helps prevent the build-up of product residue inside them, which could cause damage to the heating element inside.
Use a Conditioner With UV Protection
Add a conditioner with UV protection to your hair when you’re in direct sunlight, even if it’s winter. Conditioners can help to reduce the drying effects of sun exposure on hair and give you a longer-lasting color too.
Just Say NO To Tugging
Never brush or comb loose hair extensions because this will cause them to come out. Also, just avoid pulling the pieces apart at all costs – buy a pair of good quality seamless tape-in pieces instead!
Keep Them In The Right Temperature Zone
When you aren’t wearing them, keep your extensions in a climate-controlled environment. You can winter-proof them by covering or bagging them while they’re still on their wefts. You can also hang them up by their wefts – this is an excellent way to store clip-in extensions, as you can see how they’ll look when they’re clipped in.
Bleach less
If your hair needs coloring, try and choose semi or demi-permanent colors instead of permanent ones. These wash out gradually over several weeks, so the damage from bleaching won’t be as bad on your extensions.
Treat The Wefts Like Silk
You should handle all hair extensions with care, but wefts can be particularly delicate. Make sure you avoid sharp-edged jewelry, rough pillowcases, and towels that could snag on them easily. Try not to brush the pieces too much if they are left on their own for a long time – minimal styling will help keep them in good condition for longer!
Let Them Breathe
Take your hair out before going to bed at night, or if you want to go swimming or take a shower. It’s a great hair extensions maintenance tip that will prolong the life of your extensions. Besides hair extensions can become damaged after repeatedly being exposed to hair products and hair tools.
Talk to your Hairstylist
Talk to your hairstylist about what they recommend for hair care and maintenance; most will be willing to share some tricks! Check out their website or Yelp reviews before making an appointment – this is the best way to know who you are going to see. After all, they make money when you buy products from them, not just haircuts.
How to Care for Your Hair Extensions – Some More Tips
- Use eco-friendly velvet hangers for storage – they prevent tangling and knotting, which can occur with metal hangers. Plus, they’re good for the environment.
- If you have long hair, take it out before sleeping so that you don’t tangle or break any of your extensions while you sleep.
- Stretch the life of your expensive human hair by taking them out every two weeks and giving them a shampoo/conditioning treatment.
- When removing your hair extensions, always take the very last one out first. This makes it easier to remove because you can just slide them straight out rather than having to work around all of the others.
Bottom line
So, we’ve talked about what you need to do if you want your hair extensions to last as long as possible. You should take care of them equally as you would your natural hair. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming either!
For hair extensions to last a long time, quality is the first step. If you are looking for top-of-the-line 100% Remy human hair extensions, Cliphair is running a great Black Friday deal for you. You can find the deal here.
All it takes is a little bit of care and maintenance every week or so. We hope these tips to take care of hair extensions will help you keep those gorgeous locks for years on end!
It’s great to see a blog about taking care of hair extensions! Using the tips and instructions provided, extensions can live for a long time with a little care. Please keep sharing!
It’s good to know that you should style extensions every few days to prevent damage. My sister is getting extensions at her hair appointment. I think I’ll share this with her and ask her hairdresser for more advice once the appointment is over.
It’s wise to remember that styling extensions every few days will help you avoid damage. At her hair appointment, my sister will receive bespoke extensions. After the appointment, I believe I’ll tell her about this and ask her hairdresser for more advise.
It was a good tip when you told us to maintain our hair extensions well with a conditioner designed for UV protection, even during winter since this will help reduce the drying effects of sun exposure on hair. Speaking of hair extensions, I plan to get them soon since I’m getting married this December, and I thought the gown I chose for my special day would look better if I had longer hair. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for where I can get hair extensions here in Anchorage soon.