Hair extensions are a luxury and fashion accessory. There is no such thing as wearing quality hair extensions for 6 months without any maintenance or re-tightening. Furthermore not having your hair attended to at least every 5-6 weeks is not a good idea.
When you have your hair coloured you have to return at least every 6-8 weeks to have the roots touched up. To maintain that flawless look, you need to take good care of your natural hair and your extensions.
The hair extensions are temporary and add volume, color, length. Having your hair extensions professionally maintained by your qualified stylist will ensure you have no problems. You will need to visit your hair extension stylist at least once a month.
Wash your extensions gently. Your fake hair soaks up oils produced by your head naturally. This can make your extensions greasy and fibers may fall out. Before washing your hair, brush it until all knots are removed. To wash them, soak them in warm water in the bathroom sink. Cover them with a clarifying shampoo and rinse out with cold water. Do not comb or brush extensions when wet because this will rip out hairs and lead to their shorter life. Don’t save on shampoo. After your shower, feel free to dry your hair the same way you would have dried your own natural hair. It’s highly recommended to use an ionic dryer.
Keep them moisturized, especially when you style extensions often. When your extensions are dry, comb a little bit of leave-in conditioner evenly. Don’t overdo it because they’ll become greasy easier than your natural locks.
Make extensions tangle-free. Gently untangle dry extensions with a wide tooth comb. Remember to brush your hair at least twice a day to prevent tangles. Brush and braid your hair before you go to bed.
Only use stylers when your extensions are dry. Never blow dry extensions. You can always put them in when the rest of your hair is dry. If necessary, curl and straighten extensions for about half the time it takes the rest of your hair. Put them on your head when you’re done styling your natural hair. This will keep hairs from falling out.
• If you can, get two sets of the same extensions. Keep one pair “just for curling” and one “just for straightening.” This will cut down on style time and damage.
• You may be able to use heated appliances on your hair extensions, however, you should check with your stylist first. If your extensions are made from a low quality synthetic, then it is unwise to blow dry or use heated styling tools. If you have high quality synthetic hair, or are using human hair, you should be able to treat them in much the same way as your natural hair. However, keep heated styling tools away from the bond attachments.
Only wear extensions in a ponytail if they were made to. Some extensions will fall apart in a ponytail. Read the labeling when buying new extensions to see if you can use them in a ponytail. If it doesn’t say whether or not you can, best be on the safe side and not use them in ponytails.
If you want to re-style or dye your hair, always go to your hair extensions stylist. Never dye your extensions or use chemical processes – like perms – at home. At home, chemical processes run the risk of damaging the hair extensions. Let your hair extension specialist handle any dye jobs.
When it comes to styling your hair it totally depends on the type of lengthener you have. If you have real hair, most of your styling tools can still be used in the same fashion. However, with some types of synthetic hair extensions, more care is needed. As with everything else, talk to your stylist. He or she will be able to tell you all of the styling rules specific to your type of extension.
To style hair extensions, use a looper brush, or a smooth styling comb. Start at the ends and gently work your way up, brushing or combing in a downward motion. Use alcohol-free styling products on hair extensions. Avoid over-use to prevent product buildup.
Generally, heated styling appliances can be used ONLY on 100% human hair extensions. Use conditioning ionic ceramic heat styling tools whenever possible. Always do a test curl first, and use the lowest temperature level that is effective. Overuse of curling irons, flat irons and blow dryers will shorten the life of human hair extensions. Heated curling or straightening irons should never be used on synthetic hair.
With summer coming you will not want to miss out on dips in the pool or ocean because of your new hair. Be sure to always wear a swim cap made of latex. Carefully comb out any tangles that may be present starting from the bottom and working your way up. Once the hair has been detangled braid the hair in two braids to ensure that all of the hair is protected and tucked neatly under the cap. Following your dip, be sure to wash your hair immediately to remove any damaging chemical that may have snuck under your cap.
When it is time to remove the hair extensions you can do it in a couple of different ways. The quickest way would be to cut them out, however, that would leave with quite a short do. A more preferable method would be to let your stylist take them out. If you have synthetic locks, the area that is bonded will be heated up slightly which will loosen the glue’s hold on the hair. With natural extensions a special solvent is applied to the connection which helps to release the bond. If everything was done properly and your natural hair and scalp is still in good condition, you may choose to have new extensions added on the same day. If there is damage to either, it would be advisable to fix the problem before adding more hair.
