How to Take Care Of Hair Extensions
Hair Extension Dos & Don’ts
You just got your new hand tied hair extensions and your hair looks AMAZING! (Or maybe you’re thinking about getting extensions and want to know more before you commit.) Now that you have your dream hair and have invested in these high-quality hair extensions, you want to keep your locks looking great! That’s where this hair extension care guide comes in. As a hair extension stylist, I’ve been working in the industry for over 17 years and in that time I’ve learned a few things that can help you take care of your hair extensions to prolong their life and keep your hair looking amazing. In this guide to hair extension care, I’ll cover my top tips for taking care of your hair extensions - the dos AND the don’ts. These tips are focused on hand-tied hair extensions, but they’ll apply to most types of human hair extensions.
Do Hair Extensions Require A Lot Of Maintenance?
Before we get started, it’s important to know that while your hair extensions can be low maintenance, that doesn’t mean no maintenance. There are definitely things you’ll want to include in your daily hair extension care routine that are going to help you keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, and prolong the life of your extensions. As an added bonus, the better you care for your hair extensions, the less damaged your natural hair is likely to be AND you may be able to go for a longer period of time in between your move-up appointments. In short, taking care of your hair extensions will require a hair care routine and does take some maintenance, but it doesn’t have to be a lot, and you can still enjoy a more low maintenance hair care routine even with extensions.
How to Take Care of Your Hair Extensions: The Dos
Brush Often
Just like your natural hair gets tangled, hair extensions will tangle too, but there are things you can do to lessen and prevent tangling - brushing is one of those things. When you have hair extensions, it’s important to brush them often. I recommend brushing your hair twice a day as a minimum. Brush your hair extensions in the morning and before bed every night to detangle anything you’ve built up during the day. It’s also a good idea to brush your hair if you feel it becoming tangled at any point during the day. You may want to make it a habit to carry around a brush or a wide-toothed comb with you during the day, so you have it if you need it. I recommend using an extension-safe brush with boar bristles and flexible bristles, like this one.
How you brush your extensions is important too. To prevent breakage or shedding, you’ll want to place your hand at the top of your row or weft while brushing your hair. This will prevent excess pulling or tugging as you brush out your hair. It’s also a good idea to start brushing your hair from the bottom, removing any tangles, and working your way up to the top of your head from there. This method can also help to reduce the amount of pulling on your extensions.
While brushing your hair extensions, just remember to be gentle. As with your natural hair, the goal is to detangle without breaking, so try not to yank the brush through the hair, but be patient and gentle when brushing your hair extensions. Rough brushing over the tops of your rows can cause looping at the seam of your wefts. When this happens, your hair extensions will need to be replaced.
Lastly, don’t ever brush your hair extensions when wet. When your extensions are wet, they are more vulnerable to breakage. Instead of brushing your hair when wet, feel free to brush prior to getting your hair wet.
Limit How Often You Wash Your Hair
On that note, let’s talk about washing your hair. If you’ve ever wondered can I shower with hair extensions, or how often should I wash my hair when I have extensions, you are not alone. This is one of the most common questions people have about taking care of their hair extensions. When it comes to washing your extensions, this is where you want to be more low-maintenance. My recommendation is to wash your hair twice a week when you have extensions.
If you wash your hair more, you’ll risk drying out your hair extensions. When your extensions are drier they can break easier, which can lead to more shedding and require you to replace your extensions more often. This is why I recommend just twice a week for washing your hair.
When you do wash your hair, I HIGHLY recommend double shampooing for optimal scalp health! Once you’ve shampooed make sure to rinse your hair really well to ensure you don’t leave any product residue in your hair. You’ll also want to condition your hair. Conditioner should be used from mid shafts of your hair to the ends, never or only very little towards the root area or scalp. When you condition, focus on damaged or known dry areas of your hair.
And, as I mentioned, you can also brush your hair BEFORE you get it wet (not after!). Washing and conditioning are important pieces of hair extension care, but what you use on your hair has an impact too.
Hair Products Matter
Whether you have extensions or not, the products you put in your hair make a difference in the health of your hair. That’s why you’ve likely heard of sulfate free shampoos or know about hair product build up in your hair. These things you know impact your natural hair also make a difference when you’re trying to take care of your hair extensions. So what products should you be using (or avoiding) to keep your hair extensions healthy?
The main rule when it comes to hair care products for your extensions is to make sure you're using products that keep your hair hydrated, rather than drying it out. As I mentioned earlier, dry hair extensions are more prone to breakage. So to avoid excess breakage, there are a few things you can do to help keep your hair hydrated when you're choosing your hair care products.
Use Sulfate Free Hair Products
Why is sulfate free important for your hair extensions? Hair extensions are more prone to dry out than your own hair because they aren’t being replenished with oil or nutrients like your natural hair is. This means anything that is likely to cause your extensions to dry out should be avoided. Sulfates can dry out your extensions, making them more prone to damage like breakage or shedding. So it’s important to choose only sulfate free hair care products. If you are in a dry climate, like we are here in Bend and Central Oregon, choosing products that keep your extensions hydrated is even more important.
Use Oil Regularly
Oil for your hair extensions is an important part of keeping them hydrated and preventing all the negative consequences of dry extensions. How much oil you use depends on the amount of hair and hair extensions you have, but start with less and you can always increase the amount you use. When you apply oil to your hair extensions apply from the mid-shaft to the ends of your hair.
Other Styling Products
Hair masks are another great product you can use to help keep your hair and extensions, fully hydrated. I recommend using a hair mask once or twice a month in place of your conditioner to get the maximum benefit.
If you are heat styling your hair, be sure to use a heat and UV protectant before any heat styling. High heat can burn and discolor blonde extensions and this damage is unfortunately irreversible.
You can also use salon professional styling products like hair spray, texture spray, or dry shampoo with your hair extensions. If you do, I always say less is more! And if you are using heavier styling products, be sure to double shampoo to ensure you remove all products from your hair.
What Products Are Best To Use On Your Hair Extensions
Professional styling products are likely to be sulfate free, but always check the ingredients if you're unsure or using a new product. You can also ask your stylist for product recommendations that are sulfate free and will help moisturize your extensions rather than dry them out. Below are a few products I highly recommend to my hair extension clients to help them keep their hair extensions healthy.
Shampoo and Conditioner
My personal favorites for shampoo and conditioner are:
Goldie Locks Signature Shampoo and Conditioner*
Iles Formula Shampoo and Conditioner
Both of these shampoo & conditioner options are extension safe and help keep your extensions clean and hydrated. For full extension care, I also recommend the Extension Pack from Iles Formula, which contains conditioner, shampoo, finishing serum, and curl revive to keep both your extensions and natural hair healthy and hydrated.
As an added bonus, you can use code MEGAN3 on the Goldie Locks website for 10% off your first purchase. When purchasing Iles Formula products you can use code BEXTENSIONS to get 10% off anytime you shop online.
Hair Oil
When it comes to hair oil I recommend Goldie Locks Signature Serum*.
Don’t forget to use code MEGAN3 for 10% off your first purchase.
Heat & UV Protectant
For heat and UV protection, Unite 7Seconds Detangler is my all-time favorite. It’s one product that provides both heat and UV protection and it’s great with all hair types.
What Products NOT to Use on Your Hair Extensions
Just as important as what you are using on your extensions to keep them healthy are the products you shouldn’t use on your extensions. As we’ve already covered in detail - avoid any products with sulfates so as not to dry out your hair extensions.
You’ll also want to skip using any strengthening or keratin-building products altogether. These products can actually have an adverse effect on your hair extensions because the protein these products often contain can make your extensions more brittle. More brittle extensions can lead to more damaged hair extensions rather than stronger, healthier locks like you might expect. Instead of using a strengthening treatment, use moisture-rich salon professional products only.
Beyond sulfate free products, you’ll also want to avoid the following ingredients in any hair care products you are using: dimethicone, quaternium 80, 95, 16, sodium hydroxide, Moroccan oil, coconut oil, and silicon-based products. This list is always growing and changing, so if you are considering using a new product to use on your extensions, it’s best to check with your stylist to make sure it’s safe to use.
Sleeping With Extensions
When you’re sleeping, you’re likely to be moving your head around during the normal course of your sleep. This can sometimes lead to tangling overnight, which is why I recommend brushing in the morning and before bed. But there are a few other simple things you can do to avoid any unnecessary tangling and subsequent damage to your extensions while you sleep.
Use Silk
To help reduce the amount of rubbing on your pillowcase, you can use a silk or satin pillowcase. Using these more frictionless materials will help reduce matting and frizz while you sleep. The less friction, the less likely your hair is to tangle while you sleep - another benefit of using a silk or satin pillowcase.
Loose Braids Or Ponytail
To reduce the amount of tangling at night, I also recommend putting your hair in a loose ponytail, loose top knot, or loose braids before you go to sleep. If doing a ponytail, a low one to the side is recommended. You can use whichever hairstyle you prefer for bed, but the point is to keep your hair from being completely loose. This will help prevent some of the natural friction that happens at night and protect against some of that natural tangling. If you use loose braids at night, you’ll likely have a nice wave in your hair for easier styling when you wake up.
Don’t Sleep With Wet Hair
My last tip for sleeping with hair extensions and it’s important, don’t ever sleep with your hair wet. I mentioned it earlier with brushing, but your hair is at its weakest when wet, so it’s important not to make the situation worse by sleeping on it that way. Seriously, avoid sleeping with wet hair and your extensions will thank you with less frizz and less breakage.
Other Things You Shouldn’t Do With Extensions
I’ve covered the things you should do to care for your hair extensions in-depth and touched on a few things to avoid, but there are a few other things you should know not to do with your extensions to keep them healthy.
Use Excessive Heat Styling
I mentioned it a few times, but hair extensions are more prone to dry out, and styling with heat can just add to the dryness. If you want to keep your hair extensions looking healthy, avoid using heat to style your hair too often. If you’re following the other recommendations in this hair extension care guide, you’ll be washing your hair just a couple of times a week. This will reduce the need for you to blow dry your hair every day and you may find you don’t need to redo your styling with hot tools every day either. Small touch-ups with heat tools are fine on days in between washing but don’t forget to refresh with a new application of heat protectant each time to reactivate those benefits.
I know it’s not always realistic to avoid the heat tools altogether, but if you can reduce your use it’ll do your hair extensions (and your natural hair) good. Air dry your hair as often as you can to avoid blow drying. Use natural styling methods (the braids at night), and if you choose to use heat styling tools, use the lowest temperature setting possible and always use a heat protectant.
Leave Your Hair Up In A Bun
One other thing you don’t want to do with your hair extensions is leave your hair up in a bun or ponytail for multiple days. It can be tempting sometimes, but when you leave your hair up for multiple days at a time, it can cause excessive tangling and matting. So take your bun out at the end of the day and brush your hair before bed to avoid having a tangled mess in your hair.
Use Certain Sunscreens
What does sunscreen have to do with your hair extensions? I mention sunscreen because it’s essential to many people’s skincare routines, but certain types of sunscreens can negatively impact your hair extension color. Sunscreens with avobenzone can actually discolor blonde extensions. Another ingredient to watch out for in sunscreen is octocrylene. So check your sunscreens before you use them because you don’t want to end up with discoloration in your extensions. If you’re looking for an extension-safe sunscreen, I recommend Goldie Locks Sheer Mineral Sunscreen*.
We went through a lot in this hair extension care guide, so let’s wrap it up with a summary of the top dos & don’ts for taking care of your hair extensions. Use these extension care tips as a quick reference when you need a refresh on how to take care of your hair extensions.
Dos of Hair Extension Care
Wear a loose ponytail/bun or braids before going to bed to prevent tangling.
Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to reduce friction and breakage while you sleep.
Brush often, detangle each morning + before bed at night.
Place your hand at the top of your weft/row to avoid extreme pulling or tugging when brushing your hair.
Wash 2X a week for optimal scalp health, double shampooing is highly recommended, & don’t forget to rinse REALLY well.
Only use sulfate free shampoos/conditioners and professional styling products recommended by your stylist.
Oil your mids + ends to keep hair from being dry and brittle.
Don’ts of Hair Extension Care
Never go to bed with wet hair.
Heat styling too often can cause your extensions to become dry and brittle.
Leaving your hair in a bun or ponytail for multiple days can cause excessive tangling and matting. Always take your hair down at the beginning + end of every day.
Avoid sunscreens with avobenzone/octocrylene which can discolor blonde extensions.
Skip using strengthening or keratin-building products altogether. Instead, focus on moisture-rich salon professional products only.
Thanks for reading my hair extension care guide. I hope you find this helpful and that you use these hair extension care tips to keep your hair looking amazing and prolong the useful life of your hair extensions.
If you have other questions about hair extensions, take a look at my hair extension FAQs where you can find answers to some of the most common hair extension questions.
Want to work with me? You can view all my services, or fill in an application for extensions here.
*Please note that product recommendations may contain affiliate links. I only share products I truly recommend.