HAIR EXTENSION AFTERCARE INFORMATION

After your consultation appointment

After your initial consultation you may feel like there were a lot of points covered, some of which may seem overwhelming and some of which you may not remember! (Don’t worry we have the most important points covered here.) The truth is that hair extensions do require care and maintenance and it’s your stylists job to assess whether you will be a suitable candidate for them.

Before your appointment

Please arrive for your hair fitting appointment with clean, dry hair. It’s important to cleanse your hair twice with shampoo and do not use conditioner, or styling products this will help prevent any slippage. It will also help if your hair is straight. If you have any questions or doubts consult your stylist prior to fitting.

Hair extension appointments can often take up a lot of time therefore it’s recommended to take along a book, maybe some lunch or a snack to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.

Maintenance

The frequency of maintenance visits depends on what type of fitting you will be wearing. For example tape hair maintenance is usually required sooner than keratin tips. As a general guide, 4-6 weeks for tape hair and up to 12 weeks for keratin tips/nano rings. Maintenance visits scheduled longer than these time frames will be at your own risk.

Washing the hair

It is always recommended to use a shampoo suitable for hair extensions, often these may be sulfate free or a specially formulated product created for use with hair extensions. Some professional brand products can work well with hair extensions but it can vary especially since products which are too intense can affect the longevity of the hair by making the bonds/seams/joins slippery. Therefore it is advised to follow the advice of your hair extension technician in these instances.

You should never wash the hair upside down such as over a bath/shower since the hair becomes very heavy, putting strain on your natural hair and scalp. Additionally this can make the hair extremely tangly or matted. When putting shampoo on the hair it should always be done in a smoothing motion, running the hands down and through the hair gently distributing the product instead of massaging in circles as this too will create tangling.

Conditioner should never be applied to the root area, this can cause slippage of the extensions, it should only be applied to the mid-lengths and ends. After washing gently squeeze out the excess water and only use a tangle tamer style brush on the hair (wet and dry) support the root area when brushing and go through, section by section working your way up the hair.

Styling products

Sometimes hair extensions require extra moisture through the lengths and ends since they don’t have their own source of nutrients through the scalp, therefore it can be a good idea to use products which will help soften and protect the hair. However, products which are oil based such as serums as well as ones which are creamy or heavy should only be used on the ends. Volumising styling products such as mousse and hair spray can be applied sparingly at the root area.

Using heat tools

Straighteners, tongs, hairdryers etc can all be used and in some ways are encouraged to be used since they can help smooth and tame the hair and improve the overall appearance of how the extensions blend with your natural hair. Precaution is required around the root area, bonds and joins should not be clamped with hair straighteners or have too much heat applied directly.

It is not recommended to leave the hair to air dry as this can allow water to get into the join and affect the longevity. Ensure that your heated appliances are free from product build up as this can stick to the extensions and potentially discolour them. Overuse of heat styling tools can damage both natural hair and extensions, it is always recommended to throughly dry and smooth the hair before using tongs/straighteners and to style in small sections to avoid going over the same area too many times.

Summer/Holidays

Hair extensions can suffer in the summer, as we know the sun can dry out our hair, the salt water and chlorine don’t generally mix well with extensions either. We strongly advise that if you do swim to ensure that your hair is tied up on top of your head and not to be submerged in the water. In certain areas the mineral content of the water can discolour blonde hair extensions as can some types of sun lotions. If you experience any discolouration it’s advisable to wash your hair extensions with bottled water. As the UV rays of the sun or tanning sun-bed can lighten our hair, we would recommend wearing a hat or a wrap to protect your hair from this occurring.

Lifestyle

If you gym, swim, sauna or partake in sports wearing a helmet such as horse riding or motorcycling you should be aware that although these activities don’t necessarily prevent you from having hair extensions they can affect the longevity of them since increased perspiration can mean that the bonds will absorb more moisture and potentially soften quicker.

Colouring

It isn’t recommended to colour the extensions, however you can still have your own natural hair coloured as normal, within reason. Tinting the roots or having highlights in the parting and hairline area where there aren’t any bonds/extensions is ok. It is definitely not recommended to bleach the extensions, the hair has already been through a gentle process in order to achieve the colour it is and it’s a different method to traditional hair colouring which is why it can end up with unpredictable results.

Sleeping

Brush through your hair before sleeping using a tangle tamer style brush and put it into a loose plait or pony tail (ideally with extra bands midway down to keep the hair together and prevent matting.) Do not use elastic style hairbands, these will snag the hair. The best type of hair bands to use are either covered scrunchies with a soft material such as silk or slinky bobbles. Never go to bed with wet hair as this will cause matting and you will likely end up with extremely tanged hair which can be impossible to manage.

Bonds also need separating regularly at the root area to prevent dreadlocks forming. Due to the natural shedding of your hair this matting can occur easily if extensions are not well cared for.

Lifespan

The overall lifespan cannot be guaranteed since it depends on the individual, their hair type and the care given to looking after the hair. Generally the darker hair tends to last longer since it has undergone less processing. Following the above advice will ensure that your extensions lifespan will be maximised