Articles | Caring for Hair Extensions

Depending on what kind of hair extensions you have, you've probably spent a good amount for it. Although they will not last forever, you obviously want them to last as long as possible. Here are some tips on how to take care of your extensions.

Tip #1 Use a mild cleanser and conditioner. Check the label of the extensions for what kind of products would be suitable for use on them, or discuss it with your hair professional. Mild shampoo is usually the best. Make sure that you clean in between tracks, to keep your hair looking and smelling good. Use conditioner on your extensions after every shampoo. This is because unlike your natural hair, it has no access to the natural oils that your scalp produces. In addition, use cool water to wash it out, in order to reduce knots.

Tip #2 Avoid blow drying human or synthetic extensions. Human hair extensions must be treated very carefully because they have already undergone a great deal of processing to make their color and texture uniform. Feather hair extensions, on the other hand, can be blow dried just like natural hair.

Tip #3 Visit a salon to undo and redo wefts regularly. If you have wefts, you need to go to the salon every 6 to 8 weeks for maintenance. The hair professional will detach your wefts from where they are sewn onto the braids and then check each braid for damage or product buildup. Each braid would then be carefully undone, and redone. The last step of the process is sewing the wefts back onto the tracks. If you haven't had your extensions done yet and are scouting for options, make sure you include these upkeep sessions when comparing costs between the different choices.

Tip #4 Visit a salon to address re-growth. For extensions that were attached using the individual strands method, re-growth will cause the extensions to loosen from your natural hair. When this occurs, usually after two to four months, you need to go to a salon to have the extensions removed. They will also cut off a couple of inches from your natural hair if the glue and other substances have caused split ends. If your hair extension is a different color from your natural hair, you also need to go to the salon so that they can dye your re-growth to the same color as your extensions. They will cover your extensions while they do this.

Tip #5 Be gentle on your extensions. Treat them with respect. Remember that you paid good money for them. Comb the knots out carefully instead of yanking on them. Make sure you work out the tangles before shampooing, sleeping or swimming. This is so that you have fewer tangles to work out after bathing or upon waking. Note that having to untangle the knots in your hair causes undue stress on the extensions and reduces their life span.

With the proper TLC, you can make your hair extensions last as long as possible.