While hair extensions can be beautiful and make your hair look amazing, if not properly taken care of, hair extensions can make your whole head of hair look like an absolute mess. So if you’re going to make the investment to get hair extensions, you’re going to want to ensure that you know how to care for them and keep them looking good. Because there are different types of hair extensions, some of the rules will vary. However, in general, the following tips will work for more than just one type of hair extension. So to help you have the best hair possible, here are three tips for caring for your hair extensions.
Washing Your Extensions
To keep your extensions healthy and looking good, you’ve got to be extra careful with how you wash them and the products you use on them. Especially with human hair extensions, certain chemicals that can be found in many shampoos and conditioners should be avoided. Samantha Faragalli, a contributor to InStyle.com, shares that you should try to only use shampoos that are sulfate- and paraben-free. This is particularly important when washing your roots. By steering clear of putting these chemicals in your hair, your extensions will have a longer and healthier life.
Styling Your Extensions
Depending on the type of extension you’re using, the rules for styling your hair will vary. In general, it’s a good idea to try to avoid using heat to style the hair. Just like with your natural hair, too much heat can be very damaging to the integrity of your hair. HairExtensionGuide.com shares that hair should only be styled when it’s completely dry but that you should be very careful when blow drying so your hair doesn’t get exposed to too much heat. If you’re concerned about using heat on your hair extensions, make sure you talk to your stylist to ensure they use the type of extensions that will work best with your desires for styling your hair.
Maintaining Color and Shine
If you’re not careful with your hair extensions, they can become dull very quickly. Their gorgeous color and shine can quickly fade when left without proper maintenance, which means you’ve got to be super vigilant when protecting those attributes of your extensions. Especially during the summer, Jelena Jovanovic, a contributor to AllWomensTalks.com, recommends wearing a swimming cap to protect your hair when in a pool or the ocean. This will keep harmful chemicals and salts off your extensions so they can better retain their color and shine.
If you’re considering getting hair extensions but aren’t quite sure about what you’ll be taking on with regards to maintenance and care, use the tips mentioned above to help you make an informed decision.
