One of the first few concerns that you may have upon getting your new human hair extensions is how to take care of them. Whether your hair extensions cost you hundreds of dollars or were on the cheaper side, you still will want to protect your investment.
For the most part, taking care of your hair extensions will keep your hair style looking great for as long as possible. By keeping these tips in mind, you can extend the lifespan of your human hair extensions, protect your investment, and make sure that your hair continues to dazzle and impress the others around.
Hair Extension Storage
Obviously, not all hair extensions need to be stored. Many hair extensions are either woven or glued into your natural hair, and therefore have to stay in for months at a time. But many women choose to use temporary human hair extensions. If you are one of these women, your biggest challenge in preserving the longevity of your extensions is making sure that you have properly stored them.
These steps should be taken when you store your temporary human hair extensions:
- Gather all of the hair together carefully.
- Gently brush the human hair extensions. Start at the bottom and stroke down towards the tips of the hair. Repeat this until you brushed the entirety of the extension.
- Take a hair tie and secure the hair close to the base of the clip.
- Roll the extensions into a circle.
- Alternatively, knot the hair together if you want to create an easy and fast wave.
- Place the extensions into a dry storage box.
Shedding Reduction
It is perfectly natural for human hair extensions to shed. After all, your natural hair will shed more than 100 strands in a day. Since your human hair extensions are made of actual human hair, they are going to shed somewhat during the time that you own them. This is particularly to be expected while you are brushing or styling them.
While brushing and styling are necessary parts of using hair extensions, there are still ways you can reduce the amount of shedding that you do.
- Do not wash your extensions too much, in order to prevent them from drying out because this will prompt them to shed more.
- Don’t overuse products. Instead rely upon the natural healthy shine that your human hair should already have so that you can limit the amount of washing you do.
- Use lighter hair sprays instead of extra strength. This will reduce the amount of times that you will have to wash your hair extensions.
- Try alternatives to heating tools when curling your hair. Pinning your hair into curls will result in less overall shedding than curling irons.
Tangling Reduction
There are some ways to prevent tangling of your hair extensions when you purchase them. For example, Remy hair is much less likely to tangle than non-Remy hair. But all hair is capable of tangling, even natural human hair. This is to be expected.
With hair extensions, tangling may result because your extensions have rubbed against your natural human hair. The best way to avoid tangling your hair extensions is to make sure you brush them thoroughly and regularly. Do not skip brushing your extensions simply because you are trying to reduce shedding.
Dying
Although synthetic hair extensions cannot be dyed since they cannot handle the harsh ammonia and bleach that is required, human hair extensions can absolutely handle the dye process if you decide that you want a change in color for your extensions. Poorly dying your hair can result in a reduction of your extensions’ overall lifespan.
There are certain steps you can take when dying your extensions that can result in a longer lifespan for them.
- Whenever possible, seek the help of a professional hair stylist who has experience in dying human hair extensions.
- Try to avoid any type of dye that requires the extensions to be bleached first. Although your extensions can handle it, this will still result in a greater amount of damage which will reduce your product’s lifespan.
- Generally try to dye your extensions a darker color instead of trying to go lighter.
Washing
It is true that the less you wash your hair extensions, the longer they will last. It is also true that human hair extensions need washed less often than your natural hair does, because the extensions are not producing oil. For this reason, temporary extensions can frequently go up to 20 years before you have to wash them. For semi-permanent hair extensions, obviously you are not going to be able to go that long.
The exact number of times that you wash your hair will depend upon your own personal routine and the needs of your natural hair. You will also want to pay attention to your extensions. If you notice a drastic increase in difficulty when it comes to styling them, it is time to style them.
Use products that keep them as hydrated as possible, and make sure to stay away from hair products that include harsh chemicals such as sulfate and alcohol to prevent excess drying and breakage.
