Looking After Your Hair Extensions: 5 Top Tips

We all know, hair extensions are not cheap…and if they are, there is probably a reason for that, such as poor quality! For many women who treat themselves to a new set of hair extensions, they want them to last! In that case, it is essential to care for the hair extensions correctly.

Just a little bit of extra daily care and minor modifications on how you do things can go a long way. To prevent any damage to your extensions and natural hair you need to keep on top of your maintenance cycles.

At Emilly Hadrill Hair & Extensions, we explain specific aftercare guidelines for each of our clients. Depending on your hair type and the type of hair extensions you have, aftercare can vary slightly. However, for those of you who are thinking about getting hair extensions and want to know what is involved in the aftercare, here are some hair extension aftercare tips for you:

1) How to Brush Your Hair Extensions

Tools: A natural bristle paddle brush or a hair extension loop-brush

Method: Separate into two sections left side/right side, start by brushing out any tangles by working your way up the hair to the roots. When you brush close to the roots, you can brush over the bonds using a soft bristle brush for tape extensions. For micro-beads gently brush through the bonds if you’re using a loop brush.

Frequency: Every Morning and night

2) How to Wash Your Hair Extensions

Tools: Hairbrush, good quality shampoo and conditioner

Method: Brush your hair thoroughly before you wash it. Make sure that when showering you don’t have the shower pressure on full force. Wet your hair and shampoo in a downwards motion. Massage your scalp in-between the bonds with your fingertips. Ensure that you rinse all of the shampoo out to prevent residue from building up. Then add the conditioner through your lengths. Rinse the conditioner out, pat dry with a towel to remove excess water. Add a heat protector or leave-in moisture product if you are planning to blow-dry.

Tip: Mix some water with conditioner in a spray bottle and spray your hair extensions through the mid-to lengths before you wash your hair extensions; this will help prevent over drying from frequent washes.

3) Styling Your Hair Extensions

Tools: Hairbrush, crocodile clips, heat protection product, hot curling or iron wand, etc.

Method: Use heat protection products first to protect your natural hair and extensions from potential wear and tear and heat damage. Avoid using hairspray. Always ensure that your hair is 100 percent dry before applying any heat tools. Use clips to neatly work on individual sections at a time. Style as desired, curl, crimp, straighten, blow-dry etc…

Tip: Avoid holding heat near the bonds at the roots of your hair for too long.

4) Sleeping with Hair Extensions

Tools: Hair tie & hairbrush. A silk pillowcase is advised.

Method: Brush your hair, put it in a plait to sleep. You can also sleep with a satin pillowcase which will help prevent matting because of the smooth surface.

Tip: Never go to bed with wet hair. Ever!

5) Dyeing Your Hair with Extensions

Remy hair extensions can take colour really well. You can colour your hair with the extensions attached. Dyeing your roots, or running a full semi-permanent colour through the hair is usually fine. The most important rule to remember here is, don’t ever try to lighten your extensions. If you do, your extensions will become dry. The only exception to this rule is virgin hair; 100 percent virgin hair extensions can take the process of lightening reasonably well.

Tip: If you want to dye your hair while wearing extensions, try to arrange it just before your maintenance is due. Dyeing your hair can often cause extension bonds to slip, so you should schedule the colouring in time with maintenance to avoid slippage.

If you have any specific questions for looking after your hair extensions, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below or visit Emilly Hadrill Hair & Extensions at any one of our salons in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney areas.