HAIR EXTENSION AFTERCARE GUIDE

Caring for Your Hair Extensions: A Comprehensive Guide

Hair extensions are a beautiful investment, and with proper care, they’ll enhance your look for months to come. Follow this guide to ensure your extensions remain luxurious, vibrant, and long-lasting.

STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION:

• Check if you are satisfied with the quality of the hair extensions purchased: length, color match, etc.  (Once fitted any discrepancies will not be able to be rectified) 
• We advise you to wash your hair (preferably with clarifying shampoo) and use NO conditioner or products of any kind on your hair prior to fitting. This is very important to achieve a good strong bond on any bonded extensions and to avoid slipping on micro rings or weft fittings.

DO NOT SHAMPOO HAIR FOR 24-48 HOURS AFTER COMPLETING THE HAIR EXTENSIONS APPLICATION. 

Keep in mind that hair extensions, although made of human hair, will not last forever. Because there is no root, there is no source of moisture or nutrients. This means that excessive use of heating tools will shorten the life of your hair extensions. 

Paying close attention to labels is very important when it comes to keeping your hair healthy and helping your hair extensions last longer. Avoid silicone-based products as well as products that contain Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulfate (SLS). SLS are cleansing agents used in most cleansing products like shampoos and toothpaste. With constant use, these sulfates slowly strip away the color and moisture of your hair leaving it dull and dry.

Oil the mid to ends of the hair at least once a day.

Everyone’s hair is different! Some people’s hair will last a few months without any hair extensions sliding off; unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. This depends on your natural hair type.

Keeping hair extensions for a long period of time is not recommended. They must be reapplied every 2-4 months to ensure no damage occurs to your own natural hair.

HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS EVERY DAY TO HELP THEM LAST LONGER:

• Before washing hair, brush gently, supporting the connection point starting from the bottom up towards the roots.
• ***when washing your hair never turn your head upside down as this may cause tangling*** 
• Shampoo gently using your fingertips to massage in shampoo, letting the product run through the hair. Follow by using conditioner applying at the mid-lengths to the ends of the hair. Do not apply hair conditioner directly on the connection point, that might cause the hair extension to slide off.
• Hard water can strip natural and extension hair of color and nutrients.  If possible, use soft water or a water filter.
• We advise all our hair not to be dyed/silver shampooed due to the hair already being processed to the shade selected, although it may be done at the customers’ discretion by first doing a test strand to maintain the quality of the hair. 
• Dry shampoo is recommended if you have oily hair or need to wash your hair more than 3 times a week. It will instantly make your hair look and feel fresh and clean without having to wash it.
• Never rub the hair to dry it with a towel but softly pat the hair downwards to remove excess water. Do not wrap your hair in a towel.
• Never brush the hair when it is wet, only use a wide tooth comb to untangle the hair.
• Never leave the hair to air dry as this may cause matting within the hair or bonds that have grown out.
• Use a heat protectant on damp hair before using a blow dryer.
• On a warm setting, blow dry the hair in the downward position making the cuticles of the hair lay flat.
• Heated rollers or straighteners can be used to smooth and style the hair. Make sure that the heating tools are not touching the connection point. Contact with heat might damage the connection point causing it to loosen up.
• Avoid Brazilian blowouts, bleaching, and perms on extensions.

BRUSHING AND DETANGLING:

• A loop or soft bristle brush is recommended as it is gentler on the hair.
• After washing, when hair is still wet, gently separate extensions with fingers to prevent tangling. Using a wide tooth comb slowly work from the ends of your hair coming gently upwards. Remember to hold the extensions in the root/connection point area.
• Do not brush hair extensions when wet because it results in more breakage at the root and unnecessary shedding.
• Brush a few times a day to prevent tangling. Section hair and brush in between extensions.

SLEEPING: 

• Always sleep with hair in a low braid or ponytail to prevent tangling. Create a loose braid/ponytail to avoid tension on the natural hair.
• Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase.
• *** NEVER go to sleep with wet hair ***
• *** ALWAYS make sure hair is completely dry before going to bed***

CLIP-IN HAIR EXTENSIONS:

*** NEVER go to sleep with your clip-in hair extensions ***

SWIMMING, TANNING BEDS, and SUNSCREEN:

• Always protect the hair when tanning or using sunbeds by wrapping it in a towel. UV rays may dry out the hair or cause the color to fade.
• Avoid getting the hair wet in swimming pools, hot tubs, and salt water. Salt water and chlorine will severely dry out your hair extensions and strip hair color. If this cannot be avoided, always wet the hair first using tap water, apply conditioner, and put the hair in a loose braid or create a loose high bun before swimming in the pool to help avoid tangling. 
• Avoid applying sunscreen on your extensions. Sunscreens containing the ingredients Avobenzone (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) and/or Octocrylene, can cause hair extensions to turn a shade of pink or orange.

LIFESPAN:

• We cannot offer a definitive lifespan due to this being a consumable product. We can only give a guide, but the biggest factor in lifespan is the care given by the end user.
• Following this guide will maximize your hair extensions’ lifespan and should give an approximate lifespan of 6 months.
• Lighter shades will have slightly less lifespan due to higher processing to achieve their color. The light shades will also require more care to increase their lifespan.

NATURAL HAIR SHEDDING PROCESS:

On average, we lose around 50 hairs per day as part of our natural process. However, when you are wearing hair extensions, shed hair that would normally come out during brushing or in the shower will still be attached to the extension and will not come out until the extension is removed. When the hair extensions are removed, the shed hair is combed out and it appears as though a lot of hair is coming out all at once. There’s no need to be concerned that your hair is falling out during this process, as this is simply the naturally shed hair being released during the removal process.