Some people are born with great hair, and others buy it at Facetté.
There’s really only one major difference between the two: maintenance.
In order to keep hand-tied hair extensions looking shiny, smooth, and healthy, you’ll need to add a few extra steps to your beauty routine. Trust us when we say it’s totally worth it!
Hair extensions are the PERFECT way to elevate any look by instantly adding volume, fullness, color, or length. They’re super versatile, and they look good in basically every hair style – up, down, wavy, straight, you name it!
With proper care, you’ll be able to keep your hair looking runway-ready for much longer. Maybe you just received your first extension install or maybe you’re considering your options. Either way, we’ve got you covered with the blog post below.
Keep reading for detailed instructions on how to take care of hair extensions…
How to Take Care of Hair Extensions
Daily Maintenance
Brushing & Detangling
For the most part, day-to-day hair extension maintenance is simple. The biggest change? Remembering to brush and detangle your hair MULTIPLE times a day.
You might even want to carry a brush around with you (our stylists at Facetté Fort Collins hair salon can help you find the best brush for extension care).
Here’s how we recommend brushing your new hair:
- Loosely clip *almost* all hair on top of your head, leaving your natural hair (the hair underneath your lowest row of extensions) down to brush.
- Gently brush the hair from ends to roots, carefully avoiding the actual base of your hand-tied extensions.
- After you brush this layer, you can release another from your clip and follow the same process until all hair has been brushed.
This allows you to detangle the hair from bottom to top without straining the extensions or adding unnecessary tugging to the seams. If it helps, you can even place your hand at the top of the extension row when brushing that section to alleviate pressure.
With more hair comes more tangles, so you’ll need to brush your hair more frequently with extensions.
Securing Hair Before Bed
If you want to know how to take care of hair extensions, you’ll need to make some adjustments to your sleep routine.
With extensions, your hair is more susceptible to tangling – especially while you sleep. That’s why we always recommend securing the hair in a loose, low ponytail or braid before bed.
Again, this will prevent tugging and keep your hair looking smooth and sleek, come morning time. If you want added protection, investing in a silk pillowcase or silk headwrap can make a world of difference keeping frizz at bay.
Protection from Heat Damage
We get it – styling your hair with extensions is a ton of fun! But if you want your hair to last, you need to be applying a heat protectant – preferably salon quality – before using hot tools.
Washing Hand-Tied Hair Extensions
Washing your hair with extensions can be an adjustment, but the end results are definitely worth it! Here are our top tips for extension washing:
- Always brush & detangle your hair before AND after your shower.
- Only use high quality, salon-grade shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate- and paraben-free (Some of our faves include Kerastase and Oribe!)
- Be extra gentle as you work the product into your hair (shampoo can be applied to your roots only, and conditioner can be applied to your ends only).
- Dry your hair carefully by squeezing out the excess water & using a cotton towel to spot dry.
- If you blow dry your hair, use a heat protectant & avoid using a brush until your hair is 80-90% dry. After that, you can use the brush of your choice to style-dry your hair.
- Never go to bed with wet hair.
If you have any additional questions about washing your new extensions, our team of stylists at Facetté The Hair Experience would be happy to walk you through the process.
Special Care for Hand-Tied Hair Extensions
Most of the time, your extension care aligns with your regular hair care. However, there are special occasions in which your extensions require additional treatment.
Here’s a couple situations in which learning how to care for hair extensions vs regular hair can make a huge difference…
Swimming
Water (oceans, lakes, pools) can be especially hard on your hair. If you know you’re going on vacation or planning on swimming, it’s best to condition your hair with a masque or conditioning treatment before and after getting wet.
Hats are also great for protecting color and texture.
Specialty Serums & Masques
It’s common for your hair and your hair extensions to need different things, so you’ll want to pay attention and treat the hair accordingly.
There are specialty serums and products to meet specific needs, and we sell a variety of them at Facetté. Your stylist can point you in the right direction after assessing your hair health. Proper moisture and nourishment are key to prolonging extension use.
Still Have Questions about Hair Extension Care?
No worries! We understand that it’s a big commitment, and that’s why we do everything we can to answer additional questions before any extension installation.
If you’re interested in scheduling a free consultation, we’d love to talk!
