How to care for hairpieces?
Answering this question is and really should be one of the most important steps in deciding which of them to choose. Sounds a bit odd, I know. But ask yourself – would you be happy with a hairpiece that only looks good for about a month? Probably your answer is going to be: no! Taking care of hair extensions is an ongoing process, girlies, the results of which depend on you, your efforts and knowledge as well as your hair stylist. So, before you decide to shell out a serious amount of cash, thinking that’s all it takes to have gorgeous hair, take a look at these helpful tips on taking care of hairpieces:
BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH
First things come first, so I’m going to open this list of hairpiece care tips with something that ought to be as important as brushing your teeth each morning. Brushing your hair extensions is a regular upkeep kind of thing, something you should do often, right and with a good tool’s help. A soft bristle brush or pro, Looper brush will, therefore, be perfect for that job, helping you to detangle your hair without damaging it. As for the technique of giving your hairpieces a long-lasting, beautiful appearance, believe me, it’s much simpler than it seems to be. Patience and care – that’s all you need! Start at the bottom, as you would with your natural hair, detangling that area first before you move up to work on the top sections. Be gentle with you extensions too, as pulling will cause serious breakage, turning your gorgeous, shiny clip-ins into a frizzy, dingy-looking mess no girl in her right mind would want near her head.
WASH CAREFULLY
While your hair extensions probably get greasy less often than your natural hair, it doesn’t mean that you only need to wash them once in a blue moon. Certainly, washing is essential for their proper maintenance. At the same time, you need to remember to follow a few basic rules that will keep your hair looking good and staying in a good condition. First- detangle before shampooing, second – use a good shampoo and third (and maybe the most important of all) – take it slow. Wet your extensions bit by bit to prevent tangling using a downward motion when shampooing and rinsing them. You can of course follow up with a wide-toothed comb in case they start to knot, but you must be super-gentle.
CONDITION LIKE A PRO
A nice, nourishing leave-in conditioner will be a perfect follow up for your hair-extensions maintenance routine. Spray it on or work it in using the same downward motion, brush out any remaining tangles carefully and voila – your hairpieces are ready to be left to dry. No need to apply a lot of nourishing products at once as this could put your extensions at risk of being over-conditioned which normally isn’t a good thing at all as it will make them look dull and floppy as well as cause them to get dirty again at a much faster rate. Not to mention the extra tangles you’ll have to deal with.
LET THEM DRY NATURALLY
Easier said than done, especially if we’re talking about non-removable hair pieces, but since this is what hair stylists always suggest when asked to reveal a few secrets on how to care for hair extensions, sticking with the “A stitch in time saves nine” proverb might not be such a bad idea. Pros often stress how detrimental excessive heat is to hair extensions and, since I’m sure you’re using it to style yours, laying off and giving poor hair a break may be in order. Furthermore, being 30 minutes early when it comes to washing your hair and letting it dry fully will save you at least as much time in the morning as you won’t have to deal with tangles and odd creases resulting of sleeping with semi-wet hair.
BLOW DRY CAREFULLY
In case you’re not into proverbs and believe the only thing an early bird can hope for is a set of gravity-abiding eyelids, you can at least make room in your routine for one cool blow-drying tip. Use a low-heat setting to dry bonds and surrounding hair first then style/dry the rest of your hair as usual. See? It’s quite simple, it won’t make your life complicated, and you’ll still get to use your blow-dryer with the only difference being the fact that you’re not applying excessive heat to this highly stressed area thus visibly reducing shedding, breakage and the possibility of your bonds getting all sticky.
GO EASY ON YOUR BONDS
Speaking about bonds, let me just point out that tip-toeing around this area is highly advised. You see, all of your careful maintenance of hair extensions goes down the drain (literally) when bonds or overstressed hair around them starts degrading. In order to keep them good-looking and long-lasting, you’ll need to treat them with care not only when blow-drying but while styling as well which. In plain English it goes something like this –“Do not clamp your flat iron over the bonds.” Simple, huh?
STORE WITH CARE
Your clip-ins, wigs or quick weaves need to be stored with love when unused! Only that way you can rest assured there won’t be any unpleasant surprises next time you decide to put them on. Clean, condition, dry and detangle them, and then place them in an air-tight container large enough to contain them perfectly. After all, you don’t want to check on them after a month or so only to find a mouldy, discoloured, messy bundle – don’t you? Oh, and keep reading to find out more about hair extensions maintenance and learn how to care for hair extensions like a pro.
TIE BACK
In case your gorgeous locks can’t be removed before sleep or intense physical activity, you can always sweep them back in a ponytail. Make it a low one in case you won’t be doing much more than just sleeping to avoid not only tangles but creases too, or opt for a high pony while exercising to limit their exposure to sweat.
WEAR A SWIMMING CAP
Taking care of hair extensions in summer needs to include a serious cap-wearing habit as chlorine and salt aren’t your hair’s best friends. I know, I know… swimming cap isn’t exactly the hottest headwear of the season but hey, the same could be said for a rat’s nest which is exactly the way hair you paid good money for is going to look if exposed to these elements on a daily basis.
ASK AROUND
Okay, now this probably isn’t the most ingenious tip out there, but it sure is useful as there are tons of things you can learn from taking other people’s opinions into consideration. Not sure which shampoo, conditioner or brush to use, how to care for hair extensions that have already suffered some damage, or when is the best time to get a trim? Consult a few pros! The advice is usually free, you can learn a lot and, hey, if you’re not cool with what you’ve heard, you can always ask for a second opinion!
GET INFORMED ABOUT YOUR EXTENSIONS
There’s one hyper important thing you need to know if you consider how to care about hair extensions. Are they natural or not? A maintenance of hairpieces differs significantly depending on the material. Human hair can be brushed, straightened, curled, even re-dyed if you decide to change your hair colour, while synthetic strands usually can’t benefit from such things. Some types of synthetic extensions can be styled using heated appliances, although the general rule still says you can’t dye synthetic hair, nor you shouldn’t brush it too much.
BE GENTLE WITH YOUR HAIR
Harsh pulling, wringing or a habit of knotting your hair tightly with no respect for its texture is a no-go if you want your extensions to last long! Furthermore, this might even damage your real hair, causing the bonded length to break off and ruining your chances of having beautiful longish hair after the extensions are removed.