A Guide to Washing Your Hair Extensions
It’s one of those things many of us don’t tend to think about when we invest in high-quality hair extensions – the maintenance that’s required to keep them looking as gorgeous as possible for as long as possible. Luckily, it’s fairly simple and won’t take up too much of your time. With just a couple of these simple tricks, you’ll get the most life possible out of your hair extensions, making them well worth the investment. Here’s everything you need to know about how to wash hair extensions.
Step One: Give them a Brush
Before bringing your extensions near the water, give them a thorough brush. You want to get all those tangles out ahead of time so that strands don’t get knotted while you’re washing them. Use a wide-tooth comb and ensure you’re gentle as you brush. Go from top to bottom and work on getting out all the tough knots that might have built up over time. Once each piece is brushed, lay it on a flat surface to ensure it doesn’t tangle again.
Step Two: Prepare your Sink
Now it’s time to prepare your sink for the washing process. Give your sink a good scrub and rinse beforehand to ensure nothing could get on the extensions. Then, pop the plug in and fill it up with lukewarm water. Add about two pumps of alcohol-free, sulphate-free, coloured-hair-friendly shampoo into the sink.
Step Three: Start Washing
Start with your first weft. Hold it at the top and let the bottom drop into the water. Pop your hand in the sink and gently wash your extensions. Once you’re done, set the weft aside while you finish the rest. Make sure you have enough space so that your wefts don’t get tangled together afterwards.
Step Four: Add Conditioner
Now that the shampoo is completed, it’s time to condition your hair. Add product to each weft and leave it for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing out. Once again, make sure you’re extra gentle with this process.
Step Five: Apply a Hair Mask
Just as you would pamper your own hair, your hair extensions also need a little TLC from time to time. Once you have rinsed out the conditioner, you can add a hair mask or a deep conditioner to each of your wefts. You can leave them there for 30 minutes or even place them into a shower cap and let them sit overnight to truly soak up the conditioner and nourish the hair.
Step Six: Rinse away
Once you’ve left them for time (however long you choose), rinse them off in the sink. You want to ensure you get all the product off so they don’t dry feeling greasy or heavy. The cold water helps seal the moisture and gives you that extra silky shine.
Step Seven: Dry
You’re almost there! Now you want to make sure your extensions have a chance to dry properly before you need them again. Give them a squeeze and get out as much excess water as possible. Forget the towel, as it can damage the hair. Instead, you want to lay each weft out and give it a chance to air dry. This can take some time, so plan ahead based on when you’ll need to wear your hair extensions next. You want them to be completely dry before wearing them again.
When Do I Need To Wash My Hair Extensions?
Now you know exactly how to wash clip-in hair extensions, you might be wondering how often you need to do it. Generally, you want to look at how much product has built up in them. Think about when you added a little hair spray to hold them in place or popped on some heat gel to protect them from the curling iron. Yet, unlike your natural hair, extensions don’t get oils from your scalp, so they don’t need to be washed quite as frequently.
Think about doing it after about every 30 wears, once a month, or when they’re getting difficult to style. Pick which one works best for you and your routine!
If you spend time taking care of your hair extensions, you will get more life out of them. This means they’ll last longer and continue to give you thicker, longer hair for many wears to come. It’s definitely worth the effort!
January 23, 2023
