Properly Caring for Hair Extensions

Let's face it, you just spent a whole lotttttt of money on your hair and you want to make it last as longgggg as possible! Am I right??

Using the right products on your hair will not only make your extensions last longer but it will help your own natural hair to be healthier & grow better! Yay! So let's make a pact that you are going to take the absolute best care of your hair & the extensions! Perfect! Let's dive right in!

1: Don't use garbage on your hair? Seems stupid right? You have no idea how many clients think that Suave & Pantene products will be able to keep their extensions looking nice.....FALSE. Professional products should be the ONLY thing you allow to touch your hair extensions. More specifically, Moisturizing & sulfate free professional products. Your hair and the extensions require moisture to keep them healthy and strong.

My absolute favorite shampoo's and conditioners are:

Oribe Gold Lust

Oribe Intense Moisture & Control

Unite 7 Seconds

R & Co Atlantis

All of them are: Sulfate free, Gluten free, Paraben Free & Vegan

2: Go as long between washes as you can!

Hair extensions come with what is called a "Coating Sealant" that makes the hair smooth, silky and soft. The more the hair is washed, the more that sealant gets stripped out. Once the sealant is stripped out, the hair is more prone to damage & split ends.

I recommend washing 1 time a week or longer if possible. This will make a HUGE impact on how your extensions hold up!

3: When washing your extensions, do so in SECTIONS. This will ensure a more even clean.

When scrubbing extensions, avoid going up and down with your fingers. This will put more tension on the wefts. Instead, move from the sides in, with your fingers making a "v" shape to clean on top and bottom of the row. Also it is best to take the shampoo and gently massage it onto the base of the weft. Make sure to rinse thoroughly. This will prevent buildup and flaking.

-Start with the bottom row ( if you have more than 1) and section from the top of the bottom weft and BELOW. Then shampoo & rinse.

-Move to the next row (Most people only have 2 so this will be your top row) and section off from the top of the weft and BELOW. Then shampoo & rinse

-Now for everything ABOVE the extensions. This area is technically your "crown" section. Shampoo this area twice. Not once but TWICE. This will help your hair be able to go longer between washes.

-Once the shampoo process is finished, apply your conditioner from the EARS DOWN. and let that sit on for about 10-15 minutes. Applying from the ears down will ensure that your hair won't get weighed down by the moisture or cause you to get oily fast.

Letting your conditioner have amble time to sit will help to keep your natural hair feeling as good as the extensions. Therefore, making them blend a lot better!

4: After Washing use REALLY good leave in products!

I recommend using 1 in each category for the absolute best results.

Leave In Conditioners:

Oligo 18 in 1 leave in conditioner

R & Co Sun Catcher leave in conditioner

Unite 7 seconds detangler

Moisture Creams:

R & Co Waterfall

R & Co High Dive

Oribe Supershine

Unite 7 Seconds Blowout Creme

Oils:

Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil

R & Co Two Way Mirror Smoothing Oil

Unite U Oil

Hair Masque ( Use about 2 times a month for about 20-30 minutes)

Oribe Gold Lust Masque

Oribe Intense Mositure Masque

R & Co Television Perfect Hair Masque

Unite & Seconds Masque

Unite Re:Unite Treatment

5: Proper Drying- Air drying or blow drying.

Hair extensions take a long time to dry, whether it's air drying or blowdrying. I recommend air drying till your hair is about 80% dry and then going in with your blow dryer and round brush to smooth everything out and get all of the textures consistent.

If you do decide to fully blow dry your hair, blow dry with your fingers till the hair is about 60-70 % dry and then introduce your wet brush. Brush your hair and blow dry with the concentrator/ nozzle pointed downwards. Then introduce the round brush at about 80 % dry.

6: How to wear your hair when sleeping 101

First off, let me point out one thing, see those little baby hairs at the base of your neck? They seem to always break off and never grow and it is so irritating!! That is caused by repetitive friction on those areas.

The way to fix that is by transitioning to wearing your hair in 1 or 2 braids. This will keep the baby hairs from breaking off, your extensions from matting & tangling. Braiding your hair will also help to blend your hair in with your extensions and will help to maintain your hairstyle with minimal or no heat at all!

Before braiding your hair at nighttime, I apply about 1-2 pumps of oil through my mids and ends to keep them super nice and moisturized.

7: Vacay Care Matters!!!

Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you get to neglect your hair extensions. These tips are really quite simple but will completely save your hair extensions.

-When in oceans, pools or lakes ( any water) make sure to wear your hair in braids. This will prevent matting, dreading and crazy tangles. If you don't sometimes they cannot be untangled and you will need to get new hair. When in doubt BRAID YOUR HAIR.

-When applying sunscreen, pull your hair completely off of your skin until the sunscreen has 10000% dried. Sunscreen can tint hair extensions a pinkish color, especially on blonde extensions and sometimes cannot be removed.

-If you do any self tanner or get a spray tan, make sure that you wear your hair up until the tan has completely set and dried fully. Self tanner can also tint your extensions so be careful!

8: What you can & cannot do color wise.

Hair extensions go through extensive processes to get to the color they are when you get them. After they are colored, they get coated in a sealant to keep them feeling soft, silky and smooth. That sealant eventually wears off after time and washing. Due to the extensive color processes & the sealant hair extensions cannot be lightened.

When extensions are lightened, they can start to melt or break off. So I recommend getting extensions perhaps a little lighter then we can always color them darker if we need to.

Extensions can be darkened with demi and semi colors since they aren't stripping like lightener is.

So if we want to go darker, root your extensions or add in more dimension, we totally can!

9: Brush Brush Brush!

I see people who seem too afraid to thoroughly brush their hair because they are worried that they will "pull out" or "loosen" or "wreck" the extensions. However, if you do not correctly brush your extensions, they will dread, get matted and break off!

So to avoid damage, I recommend using a Wet Brush or an Olivia Garden Brush to brush your hair. The bristles are flexible and have a little give to them so they don't just tear through the hair.

When brushing, be aware of wear each weft starts. You can brush your hair that is about the extensions normally just be careful not to force the brush bristles through the top of the extensions.

With each weft be sure to brush the top of the weft to avoid tangles! If you need to section your hair to brush it completely then please do so! It is important to brush your hair at least 2 times a day to keep the extensions nice!

10: The Importance of Hair Masques

Hair Masques are the best way to keep your hair feeling soft, silky and healthy. This will make sure your hair continually stays moisturized and maintained with the correct protein. I recommend doing a hair masque 2 times a month for about 20-30 minutes.

My favorite masques are:

Oribe Intense Moisture & Control

Oribe Gold Lust

R & Co Perfect Hair Masque

Unite 7 Seconds Masque

Unite Re:Unite Treatment

I hope you learned lots on how to properly care for your hair extensions! If you have an questions about hair extensions, feel free to contact me here on the website or on Instagram @becthestylist

Xoxo,

Bec