Journal · Aftercare
Caring for hair extensions: every wash, every night
· 5 min read
A few habits keep extensions looking like your own hair for longer. Washing, brushing, sleeping and the move-up.
In this article
Extensions are human hair, but they don't get what your own hair gets from your scalp. The natural oils that keep your hair soft never reach them, and the tapes, bonds and wefts that hold them in need to be kept clean, dry and away from heat.
None of that makes them difficult to live with. It comes down to a handful of habits, most of which are good for your own hair too.
Your first few days
Your stylist will tell you how long to wait before your first wash. It depends on the method, because tapes and bonds need a little time to settle.
Until then, brush gently and avoid anything that pulls at the roots: tight ponytails, clips, and sleeping on wet hair.
It's normal for extensions to feel noticeable at first, especially at the nape. That usually passes as you get used to them.
Washing
Two to three times a week is enough. Washing more often dries the hair out, and every wash wets the attachments.
Use sulphate-free care. Sulphates strip oil, and extensions have no way to replace it. Ask us which shampoo and conditioner we recommend for your method.
Wash with your head upright. In the shower, let the water run down the lengths rather than tipping your head forward over a basin, which tangles the hair at the attachments.
Keep conditioner off the roots. Apply it from the mid-lengths to the ends. Conditioner on tapes or bonds can loosen them.
Drying
Dry the roots fully, every time. This is the habit that matters most. Damp attachments are what loosen tapes and bonds, and hair left wet at the root tangles and mats.
Dry the root area first, on a low or medium heat, then the lengths. Point the dryer down the hair, away from the attachments.
Never sleep on wet hair. If you wash at night, dry it completely before bed.
Brushing
Brush from the ends up. Start at the ends, work out any knots, then move higher in sections. Brushing from the root drags tangles down onto the attachments.
Hold the hair near the root with your free hand while you brush, so the brush pulls against your hand and not against the tapes or bonds.
Use a soft brush with looped or flexible bristles, and brush before you wash as well as after you dry. Hair that goes into the shower tangled comes out worse.
Sleeping
Sleep with your hair loosely braided, or tied in a low, loose ponytail. Left loose, hair moves against the pillow all night and tangles at the nape. A silk or satin pillowcase reduces the friction further.
Heat styling
Extensions are human hair, so you can curl and straighten them.
- Use a heat protectant every time.
- Keep heat tools away from the tapes and bonds. Start styling a little below the attachments.
- Use a moderate temperature. Extensions can't recover from heat damage the way growing hair eventually does.
Colour
Please don't colour your extensions yourself. Your hair was matched to your shade, and home colour on extension hair rarely comes out the way it does on your own. Talk to us first, so the result still matches.
Swimming and the beach
Salt water and chlorine both dry hair out, and extensions more than most.
- Braid your hair before you swim, and keep it out of the water where you can.
- Rinse with fresh water as soon as you're out.
- Wash and condition when you're home, and dry the roots fully.
Clip-ins
Clip-ins come out every night, so they need less care, but a different kind.
- Take them out before bed. They're not made to be slept in.
- Wash them when they need it, not on a schedule: when they start to feel dry or heavy with product. Wash them laid flat or held in your hand, never wrung out.
- Let them dry flat, then brush from the ends up.
- Store them flat, or hung, in their box or a bag, so the lengths don't tangle.
Your move-up
Tape-ins and wefts move down as your own hair grows. Every six to eight weeks they need a move-up: we remove them, re-tape or re-sew the same hair, and refit it higher. Keratin bonds last three to four months before they come out.
The signs a move-up is due:
- You can see the attachments when your hair moves.
- The hair at the attachments is starting to tangle or mat.
- The extensions feel heavier, or sit lower than they did.
Keep your maintenance appointments. Leaving extensions in past their time is the main reason they tangle, slip or put strain on your own hair. We book your next visit before you leave the salon, so you don't need to work it out yourself.
When to call us
If an extension feels loose, starts to slip, or pulls at your scalp, don't remove it yourself. Call us on 0431 258 149, or send a message, and we'll find a time.
Aftercare at a glance is on the experience page. If you're still deciding on a method, read which method suits you.