Caring For Hair Extensions

It's important to start with what not to do... AVOID these nasties like the plague. They aren't exactly great for your natural hair and they won't do your extensions any favours:

1-Hair Perming: the chemicals are harsh and can dry the hair and cause it to frizzle. TIP: If you really want a perm do the water test. This is easy, just add a few strands of hair to a bowl of water. If the hair sinks then it is taking in water and is therefore too processed/unhealthy to be permed.

2-Permanent Hair Dyes: Once again, the chemicals won't do your hair any favours.

3-Ammonia or Peroxide bleach: these harsh chemicals are bad enough for your natural hair so keep them away from extensions.

4-Shampoos high in alkaline: dries out the hair and can cause it to become brittle and hard to manage.

5-Reconstructive conditioners: these are ok to use on the tips but if you have glue in or micro ring extensions then keep the conditioner away from the roots as you can get extension slippage.

I also recommend staying away from cheap haircare products which you can buy at supermarkets. They won't do your hair extensions any favours. Best to go to a specialist supplier of hair care brands or visit your salon. They should be able to give you some good advice. Personally, I think Paul Mitchell and KMS California are pretty good brands.

There are plenty of really good hair care products on the market. I think that you get what you pay for when it comes to hair care products. Don't spends hundreds on extensions and then scrimp on the shampoo and conditioner by getting a cheaper brand from the supermarket.

Have a chat to your salon and get their advice on a product that is right for you. Personally, I have found the Paul Mitchell and KMS California brands to be quite good for hair extensions.

Buy a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair soft, manageable and looking great. You'd only want to add these every couple of weeks as you can get build up and also tangling by using leave-ins too often.

Tip: Instead of adding hair conditioner in the shower, consider using a spray in conditioner after the shower. This reduces the chance of getting conditioner near the roots which can cause hair extension slippage.

Don't rush too much when washing your extensions. Slowly add water to the hair and give it a brush gently before washing. When you're washing, never rub the hair together beacuse you could be faced with a tangled mess at the end! Gently massage the hair and scalp using a downward flow. After washing, flood your head with warm water and then gently squeeze out the excess water.

When you dry your hair don't rub it, just pat it dry. If you decide to use a blow dryer, set it to a cooler setting and dry the roots first. You can use warmer settings closer to the tips of the hair. It is a good idea to dry the hair in sections: you can wrap the hair around a brush and dry it that way. Don't have the dryer too close to your hair!

You'll need to brush your hair a lot more frequently when you have long extensions added compared with short hair.

Buy yourself a soft-bristle brush which has wide teeth or a paddle brush. You should brush the tips first and work your way towards the roots gently.

If possible, try to avoid using heat (blow dryers, straighteners) on your extensions as this will reduce the life of your extensions. I said the word TRY because lets be honest, most us us can't go for long without our trusty straightener. If you do use heat on the hair, use a spray in conditioner before and after applying the heat.

Special Note: Just a reminder to anyone who has synthetic extensions, don't ever use heat on your hair, it will frizzle and you'll have to remove them! This hair care info relates to human hair extensions.

A couple of other things to remember:

Sleeping: Don't go to sleep when your extensions are wet. Your hair needs to be completely dry and tie your hair up to reduce tangling.

Exercise: If you decide to go swimming, wear a cap. Chlorine isn't really that good for your extensions but a cap will help. If you go swimming at the beach, it's recommended to have your hair up and use spray in conditioner after swimming. For any other forms of exercise it is also recommended that you have your hair up or in a ponytail.

A quick note if you're going to have micro ring (loop) extensions added. Before application, shampoo your hair and make sure it is dry and that you haven't used any conditioner. This reduces the occurence of slipping.