Taking proper care of your hair extensions is imperative and is something you should take very seriously. If you neglect your hair very quickly, these beautiful extensions won’t look so nice anymore, and you must replace them. That means spending more money and time. In case you haven’t bought hair extensions yet, please refer to hair extensions buying tutorial that goes from A to Z.
To avoid this situation and maintain your extensions in a pristine state, you simply need to follow a couple of rules. These tips will also extend the lifespan of your extensions significantly. So, if you want to get the most out of your hair tresses, be sure to follow our advice!
This guide works on all real hair extension types. Including tape-in human hair extensions, flip-ins, i-tip, stick tip, u-tip, keratin, clip-in hair extensions, micro-loops and wefts. Also, if some of these tips need to be approached slightly differently (for cold or hot fusion hair extensions), we note the differences!
There are some differences along the way, but we cover them all.
Quick Access
Combing your hair is one of the most crucial parts of maintenance and aftercare. It may not seem as important, but if you don’t brush your strands regularly, you will experience matting and tangling. That means your extensions will not look good and will quickly become unwearable.
To extend the life of your extensions, you should learn how to properly brush them and what kind of comb to use while doing it.
Types of Hair Brushes
When you brush hair extensions, a double-row steel toothcomb is always better than a plastic or wooden one. These are known to damage hair strands. However, that’s not the best choice anyway! If you want to use a brush, there are a couple of ones you can choose from.
Loop Brush
This is a default choice that every hairstylist or hair store will recommend. The loop brush is used when you need less tension, which means that is great with all hair extension types, even synthetic or curly ones.
Bristle Brush or Boar Bristle Brush
The nylon bristle brush is used to do massive detangling. So, any time that you have human hair that is pre-bonded or in fine strands, this is a great brush to use. To jump on the bandwagon, companies now market such brushes as “made for hair extensions.” Oftentimes featuring dubious claims.
How to Brush Hair Extensions?
You can brush your extensions while your hair is wet or dry. The process is very similar and interchangeable. The general rules are to be very gentle and careful. You should under no circumstance brush aggressively or pull on the strands! This can lead to damage to both the extensions and your natural locks.
The brushing process should be repeated a couple of times a day, which you should not forget to do. If you comb it regularly, tangling will be a thing of the past, and you won’t need to buy new extensions every couple of months.
Dry-brushing is nothing to write about. Just treat it as your hair. The other method is trickier.
Brushing Wet Hair Extensions
- To brush your hair while it’s wet, after washing, you should first towel dry it. Don’t rub it aggressively, as it’s known to cause further tangles or matting. Just tap it gently. You can also use this brushing technique in the shower if you have a little bit of conditioner in your hair.
- After the hair is towel-dry, spray in a leave-in conditioner. It will not affect the bonds of the extensions. Instead, keep the hair soft and manageable.
- Run your finger through your locks to see if you have a lot of knots. Usually, what women do is find a knot and yank at it. The result? Hair extensions either fall out they pull out their strands, something you want to avoid.
- Take small sections of the hair and start from the bottom. Gently untangle it piece by piece. Always hold the section of the hair with your hand and continue from bottom to top. Just be patient, and your hair will be perfectly brushed soon!
Let’s be honest; all extensions tangle, no matter how expensive or high-quality they are. Your natural hair tangles as well, so it’s only logical that extensions do the same thing. Although you can never avoid that completely, you can do something to reduce the tangles!
The same goes for shedding! Your natural hair sheds about 100 strands a day. Even though extensions are attached to a weft when you brush through them, wash them, or style them, they are going to shed at least a little bit. Therefore, any extensions, whether they’re clipped in or the ones that you have bonded in your hair, all have a lifespan, and it’s anywhere from three months to a year or longer. It depends on how you wear, style, and wash them.
Proper Brushing Techniques
The first tip is brushing, of course. So, make sure always to carry a comb in your bag. That way, when you go to the bathroom, you can quickly brush your locks. See the first section of this guide for more tips about brushing.
Sleeping Correctly with Hair Extensions
How do you sleep with hair extensions? Tie your hair in a ponytail or make a braid. This method will prevent the strands from moving around too much and creating knots. The friction of the hairs is what creates tangling, and that can be avoided by tying it down. And, of course, if you have clip-in extensions, always take them out before going to bed; there is no need to sleep with them.
A detailed guide that covers sleeping with hair extensions can be found on our blog.
Using Proper Products or No Products
Lastly, use high-quality products that will help you with preventing tangling. There are so many available so you can find something that suits your needs. We have written an article with more than 8 covered.
Now, to prevent shedding, you shouldn’t use many products or wash your hair often. Most of the time, you don’t need any products on the hair; it is only for special occasions or nights out. Therefore, the fewer products you use on your hair, the less often you need to wash your hair.
Since AiryHair extensions are made of the natural human hair, you can dye and curl them. However, our hair has been processed to even out the color, and technically, it is no longer considered virgin hair. Therefore, we don’t recommend doing that alone, as one needs a very skilled hairstylist. Inappropriate treatment can and will make hair dry, resulting in falling out and tangled hair.
If your hair does not match the color of the extension, you can instead dye your natural locks. This is a much easier and safer thing to do, and you don’t have to worry about ruining your extensions. You can get advice about what hair color to use from your stylist.
Curing or straightening your locks should be done as little as possible if you have extensions. Mostly because the heat could damage them over time. But occasional use of hot tools should be fine, and it’s a good way to blend in your extensions better. Matching the texture of your natural strands will result in a seamless mix, and nobody will ever notice that you have extensions.
Now, this is a topic that has tons of misinformation online, bet it from “qualified” hairstylists or YouTube fashionistas.
How Often Should You Wash Extensions?
Despite what you might think, you should wash your extensions very rarely. The reason why you wash your natural hair so often is oils that come from the roots of the hair and make it greasy. Extensions don’t have a scalp, so there’s nothing that makes them oily or dirty. That happens only if you use a lot of products on it.
We generally recommend that you wash AiryHair extensions only after 30 wear cycles. That’s once a month if you wear them every day. That might not seem like enough, but trust us, it is optimum.
How to Properly Wash Hair Extensions
Wait 24-48 hours after fusion attachment before wetting them to ensure proper adherence. You should get shampoo everywhere, especially around your scalp area where the braids are. Scrub lightly to make it perfectly greasy-free and clean. Because of the braids and extensions, the scalp area may be hard to reach, but if you wait for a couple of moments, the shampoo will get in there. Don’t forget to wash your ends as well. Rinse thoroughly because shampoo residue can have the same effect as dirty hair.
Saltwater and chlorine can also damage your extensions, so protect them under a swim cap. Washing your hair right after every refreshing dip will remove any harmful chemicals that infiltrate your cap.
Washing real human hair extensions like clip-in or flip-in is even easier. Mix a little shampoo in lukewarm water. Soak extensions for 10 minutes without swirling them in the solution to avoid tangling. Rinse under cold running water to lock in moisture. Wring out excess liquid gently, and that’s it.
What Hair Products to Use?
We ask our customers to use a high-quality, mild shampoo. You should be careful when choosing which products to use because some of them might not be right. Anything that has a lot of different chemicals or is very harsh on the hair is not good. The more natural the shampoo is, the better. You want something that will moisturize and revive, as well as give shine to the hair. A good example of mild shampoo is baby shampoo.
It is also recommended that you use a leave-in conditioner that is suitable for your hair texture. It will restore the shine of your hair and keep it healthy for a long time. You should avoid any other products like hair spray or too much oil because that will require you to wash your strands more often, which is not good in the long run.
Now that we have learned to properly wash hair extensions, the next step is drying.
How to Blow Dry Hair Extensions?
Although it is recommended that you leave your hair to air dry naturally, sometimes you simply don’t have time for that. In that case, use a blow dryer at a low temperature and apply a heat protectant.
It’s not as simple as you might think, and with hair extensions applied, rules change.
- First, concentrate on removing moisture from the roots of the hair, where the extensions are attached.
- Section off your hair in four parts and clip it away.
- Take one section of the hair and place a round brush underneath it and the nozzle of the blow dryer over the hair.
- Make sure that the airflow is facing down, and the blow-dryer should follow the brush down to the ends of the hair.
- Repeat this process on all the different sections until your locks are completely dry.
Styling Hair Extensions
Since extensions are genuine human hair, they can burn as easily as your own. Use a thermal protectant spray before styling with hot tools to prevent frizz and heat damage. Set your curling or flat iron to about 350 degrees. Some tools can reach sweltering readings up to 500 degrees, but don’t let yours exceed 380. Instead of pausing your iron on a clamped section, let it glide through strands quickly to avoid scorching effects.
This applies only to extensions that are non-permanent, like clip-ins and flip-ins. When not wearing tresses, please store hair extensions in the original package and put them in in a cool, well-ventilated place. To use them again, simply take them out and shake gently. You should also brush your extensions before storing them and tie them into a ponytail.
Hair extensions should be completely dry before placing them into storage. Extensions that are stored wet are much more likely to break down and have a buildup of mildew. Avoid just taking your wefts and sticking them into a box. Be more careful with this process to have nice hair when you take it out.
With proper care, hair extensions can last up to 6 months. The lifetime of hair extensions is determined by you. That’s why you should take your time and do the maintenance. This will save you a lot of money and time.
Some many tutorials and videos explain extensions aftercare in detail. That way, you can find a routine that fits you and your type of extensions best. There is no excuse not to do it. To prolong the lifetime of your hair extensions, we recommend buying two or more sets of the same item. This will allow you to treat them properly without rushing and / or damaging hair.
If you don’t take care of your extensions properly, don’t despair, there still might be a chance to restore them into shape. If you neglected them and didn’t brush or wash them, they’re probably in a bad state and not wearable.
The Casual Method
Repairing hair extensions that are damaged takes a lot of time and effort. For extensive tips on how to fix messy hair, be sure to check our article on this very subject. Still, here is one of the simplest ways to repair extension damage.
- Use a tangle teaser and a loop brush to get rid of all the knots and tangles. Be very thorough and patient.
- Place your extensions in warm water and add some conditioner in it.
- Leave it overnight, which should moisturize extensions.
- Take hair extensions out of the water and dry with a cotton or paper towel.
- Follow hair brushing tips and comb the hair. Let it dry overnight.
Many women that bought from our competitors complain of dry or damaged hair extensions. It can be a result of poor quality, dyeing hair often, too much exposure to the sun, hot tools, or simply not properly caring for your hair.
Of course, everybody would like to have perfect, shiny, healthy, and voluminous hair, but sometimes that’s just not the case. There are many different products you can buy to treat your dry extensions and even some procedures your hairdresser offers. However, those are often very expensive. That’s why many people turn towards more natural, homemade remedies that are much cheaper. So, if you want to restore the health of your hair, look at these ingredients! These you can use to make your homemade remedies, and your extensions will be restored in no time!
Olive Oil
Olive oil is the go-to base ingredient for DIY homemade recipes for hair. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and E, that help combat DHC. Essentially, it’s the hormone that wears down the hair follicles and leads to hair loss. Overall, olive oil helps protect keratin, which is a natural protein that makes up most of the hair, and it also helps with moisturizing your hair.
You can use olive oil as a mask that you rinse out, or you can heat it and make a hot olive oil mask. You can also just put a few drops on your split ends to help with dryness and your styling as well. Olive oil can also be used as a base for your homemade remedies! Lastly, you can add other ingredients to make your hair mask.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is somewhat like your hair’s natural oil. It protects the scalp from irritation and bacteria. Plus, jojoba oil is full of saturated and mono-saturated fats for ultimate moisturizing! Especially if you heat it for a hot oil hair or extensions mask treatment. It also fights dandruff and promotes hair growth.
Eggs
Another popular home remedy for damaged hair is raw eggs. They are loaded with protein which helps hair growth and can also help to straighten your extensions. Eggs in your hair is one of those treatments that you want to be sure that you completely wash out.
Mayonnaise
Sure, you can mix previous ingredients, eggs, and oils to create the perfect homemade remedy for your hair. However, you can also simply use natural mayonnaise because it already includes all those ingredients and many more.
You get a ton of benefits with only one product that you have at home. Mayonnaise is like a classic hair mask because it provides deep nourishment. It softens strands, and it can even help protect from the future use of harmful styling products. Mayonnaise is full of omega fatty acids, which are good for moisturizing.
Furthermore, the vinegar can help restore pH balance to hair, which helps promote overall hair health. Simply put natural mayonnaise on your hair, let it sit for 30 minutes, and make sure to thoroughly wash it out.
Avocados
We all know how tasty avocados are! However, do you ever think you can use them for your hair extensions? Avocados are full of so many vitamins like A, D, E, and B6, plus proteins, amino acids, and a whole lot of other healthy substances.
Avocados can help moisturize your hair, promote new growth, prevent dandruff, and revitalize your extensions. Simply mash them up, add some olive oil or jojoba oil, and you got yourself an awesome homemade remedy for your extensions.
Honey
This is another great ingredient that is usually mixed with other ingredients to create a healthy treatment for damaged hair. Honey is full of vitamins and minerals, so it adds shine and increase hair volume. It can even strengthen hair follicles and has antibacterial properties.
Yogurt
This is another healthy ingredient for your homemade remedy. Yogurt can be a very good base in which you can add all other ingredients. It is full of different vitamins, protein, and moisture-friendly properties. Yogurt can help nourish your extensions and simply make them shiny.
Conclusion
Taking care of Remy hair extensions is not that hard! Make these a part of your daily routine and your locks will last you months. Use a mild shampoo with high-quality, leave-in hair conditioner. Let the hair dry naturally, but if you must use a blow dryer, blow-dry the hair on the lowest setting. And when storing your hair extension, brush it out first, use a case, and don’t store the hair wet
