Human Hair Extension Care Tips To Help Yours Last Longer

Last updated on : April 27 2022

Hair extensions are the perfect solution to many different hair problems. They add volume, length, and thickness to your hair, allowing you to wear your favorite styles confidently. Remy human hair extensions, in particular, blend beautifully with your natural hair and are undetectable when worn correctly. 

While these beauty products can solve most of your hair woes, human hair extensions require special care and maintenance to look their best. 

Fortunately, treating your hair extensions with a bit of extra care can help you avoid damage and problems and ultimately maximize the extensions' lifespan.

High-quality hair extensions like the human hair extensions from ZALA are investments that will elevate your appearance from the moment you put them on. The volume, length, and natural movements of real human hair extensions add character to any hair. And, proper care and maintenance of these extensions will make your investment even more rewarding.

Here, we're revealing the essential hair extension tips to make your wefts last longer. Even though these tips are focused on clip-in human hair extensions, they're also helpful for other weft types, such as tape-in human hair extensions and halo human hair extensions. 

1. Store Your Hair Extensions Properly 

Failure to store your hair extensions correctly can shorten their life. It often results in tangles and hair breakage, which will eventually render the extensions useless over time. 

The good news is that correctly storing hair extensions is quite simple and won't take much time or effort.

After taking out the wefts, close the clips and carefully run a brush through the locks before stowing them away. Many high-quality hair extensions come packed in a box or with hair extension hangers. 

It is a good idea to use the box or hanger for storing the hair extensions. 

In case you don't have the box or hanger, you can store the wefts in a shoebox or an airtight container. The idea is to avoid exposing your extensions to direct sunlight, as the UV rays can cause issues like fading and dryness. 

Be sure to put away the hair extensions in a dry, cool place. 

Also, dry the wefts out entirely if you've washed them to avoid bacteria and mold growth problems.

2. Brush Your Hair Extensions

Brushing is an essential part of maximizing your extensions' life. 

But the conflicting information about the frequency and the best approach for brushing hair extensions may confuse you. So let's make it easy for you by breaking it down. 

First, always use a loop brush for your hair extensions. Looped bristles prevent pulling, tangling, and snagging. That means you can rest assured that your wefts will remain smooth and healthy. 

Avoid using a traditional brush because it can pull the hair, causing damage. If you don't have a loop brush, you can use a wide-tooth comb in the meantime. 

Second, when washing the extensions, hold them at the base with your hands and apply gentle descending strokes.

Once the extensions are dry, start brushing them at the edges and gradually work your way towards the base.  

Do not brush the wefts when they're moist. The hair strands are more likely to tangle and break when they're wet. If the extension is damp, let it dry naturally instead of treating it with heat or a blow dryer to minimize damage. 

Many people make the mistake of brushing their extensions only when they want to store them. 

However, it's a good practice to brush them frequently to prevent knot formation. Tangle-free hair looks beautiful, and it helps the wefts to last longer.

3. Be Wary Of Using Many Products

Although hair products are suitable for human hair extensions as they are for your natural hair, treating extensions with too many products can cause irreparable damage and hair breakage. 

Remember that hair extensions are not naturally growing hair, so they don't receive your scalp's nourishment as your natural hair does. To that end, they also don't require as many products.  

Applying too many products to hair extensions means more product build-up, which can, in turn, reduce their lifespan. 

So, make sure to use products moderately and only when you have no other option available. For example, it makes sense to apply a heat protectant before treating the extension with heat tools. 

Since the wefts typically curl faster than your natural hair, be sure to set the heating tools at low temperatures. You can also safely apply some hair oil to the hair's edges, as it will help prevent split ends.  

When buying products, double-check the ingredients to make sure they don't contain sodium lauryl, sulfates, ethanol, propyl, SLS, and other harsh chemicals. Always choose alcohol- and sulfate-free shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products for your extensions. 

Doing so will maintain your weft's health and help it last longer. 

4. Wash Your Extensions Carefully

Don't wash your hair extensions too often, as washing can disintegrate the hair. 

Conversely, the same could happen if you don't wash the extensions for a very long period. 

So, how frequently should you wash your extensions? 

Most hairstylists agree that you should wash hair extensions after every 25-30 wears when you feel like they've gotten too much product build-up, or they become difficult to style. 

Many women think washing their extensions is a good idea because they're used to doing the same with their natural hair. Yet, because hair extensions don't receive oil from the scalp, they're naturally dryer than your normal hair. 

A helpful rule of thumb is to use your best judgment to determine when your extensions need a wash. The less frequently you wash the wefts, the longer will they last.

If your extensions' cuticle is unbroken, you can wash it in warm water with shampoo so the product can penetrate the cuticle. As you rinse, use cold water, so the cuticle is locked while the dampness is still there. 

Some stylists also recommend washing hair extensions with conditioner alone and omitting shampoo. 

After washing your extensions, avoid rubbing them with a towel. Instead, pat the wefts lightly and leave them to air dry. 

Keep in mind that the more products you use, the more frequently you may need to wash your extensions, and thus, the faster they'll age. 

If you want your extensions to last as long as possible, it's, therefore, a good idea to cut back on your hair product usage.

5. Avoid Sleeping And Exercising With Hair Extensions

Sleeping and exercising cause tangling of natural hair, and the same goes for hair extensions. 

To prevent tangles and knots, make sure to avoid sleeping and exercising while wearing extensions. 

Always remove the extensions before sleeping because friction against the pillow can damage the wefts and your natural hair. 

Clip-in hair extensions are straightforward to install and remove. 

That means you'll have no problem removing the extensions before going to bed and putting them back in when needed. 

Not removing the extensions can also cause the clips to become loose, making the reapplication process difficult.  

Also, the sweat released during work-outs can cause matting. It may even trigger bacterial growth if you don't wash the extensions immediately. 

6. Dyeing Your Hair Extensions

Most renowned hair brands offer hair extensions in multiple colors and shades, so you don't have to worry about whether the wefts will match your natural hair color or skin tone.

If your extensions are too light to match your natural hair color, you can always dye them darker. 

Dyeing is safe and adds character to human hair extensions. It will make the blending between the wefts and your hair look natural. But make sure to go to a salon to get your extensions dyed by a professional. 

Your DIY dyeing skills might be good for your natural hair, but coloring extensions is tricky and must be performed only by a stylist with experience in this area

Avoid bleaching human hair extensions because they've likely had color applied at the production level. 

Using bleach on wefts already colored can be challenging. The final color probably won't come out as expected since the pre-applied dye and bleach can react with one another.

Fortunately, choosing the right color online has never been easier, thanks to sophisticated color matching tools. 

Final Thoughts

Using these tips, you can make your human hair extensions last from eight months to a year and potentially even longer. The more care they receive, the longer and more beautiful your extensions' lifespan will be. 

How long human hair extensions last also depends on how often you use them. Washing them frequently, using lots of products, and treating them with heat tools will naturally shorten the life of human hair extensions. 

The crucial thing to keep in mind is that hair extensions lack natural hydration, unlike your natural hair that gets moisturized with the oils produced by your scalp.

As such, it's vital to keep your extensions moist because dryness can shorten their lifespan. While you can treat your hair extensions like your natural hair, following the tips given above will help prevent damage and allow you to enjoy them for as long as possible. 

Buying hair extensions is an investment that can help you look and feel great for months to come or even longer. Never do to your wefts what you wouldn't do to your natural hair, and give them a little extra care to make your extension experience enjoyable and rewarding.

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