From time to time, you will want to maintain them with an occasional shampoo and conditioning routine. In this video, you will learn all that’s needed to perform an easy at-home washing! Whether you have clip-ins, invisible wire, or ponytail extensions, these steps can be followed! The same is true if your extensions are made with human hair or synthetic hair.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to wash your hair extensions after every use. Because they are detached from your head, they are not exposed to the natural oils produced by your scalp. If you like to style your hair often with products like hairspray or gel, your extension will need a washing around every 15-20 wears. This is due to product buildup. If you wear a more natural look with minimal products, you can easily get away with washing your extensions between 20-25 wears.
Let’s dive right in so you can keep your extensions healthy, shiny, and looking their best!
Here is what you will need for the washing process…
- A shampoo and conditioner that is free of alcohol and sulfates.
- A wide-tooth comb or paddle brush.
- A sink or tub to wash the hair extensions in.
- A towel that will be placed on a flat surface close to your working area.
That’s it!
As a special treat from time to time, you can apply a deep conditioner treatment or hair mask. This is a great idea because your extensions don't get the moisture they need from your scalp. Whenever you choose to add this step to the process, all you gotta do is grab your favorite hair mask and add it towards the very end of this process!
For those who have synthetic hair extensions, it’s the same steps but go ahead skip the use of a conditioner and hair mask since synthetic hair cannot absorb moisture or hydrate.
- The very first step is to brush your extensions free of any knots or tangles.
- Now, fill your sink or tub with lukewarm water. You can also use a bucket if it’s more convenient for you. Add shampoo to the water and give it a little mix with your hand.
- Lay a towel out over a flat surface that is near your sink or bucket. You will use this towel as an area to place the wefts as you wash, condition, and dry them.
- Take one weft in your hand, holding it by the base. Submerge it in the water. Don’t worry if you get the clips at the base wet, your extensions are water-proof! Try to avoid letting the weft loose in the water as this can lead to tangles. Rather, maintain a firm grip at the base. Use your other hand to work the diluted shampoo water through the hair with your fingers. Working from top to bottom, remove any buildup or residue. Then, rinse away the shampoo with clean lukewarm water. Gently squeeze out any excess water from the hair extension and place the weft flat on a towel. Continue this process with the rest of the wefts until you have shampooed and rinsed them all. We like to arrange the wefts on a towel from biggest to smallest!
- Now that our extensions are clean, it's time to condition them. Empty your sink of the diluted shampoo water. Holding one of our wefts over the sink, take a fair amount of conditioner with your other hand and apply it directly on the hair, working the product from top to bottom with your fingers. Lay the conditioned hair weft on the towel to allow more time for the conditioner to absorb into the hair. Do this with each weft, one at a time.
- Once all wefts have been conditioned and given some time to absorb the product, begin rinsing them with cold water. This cold-water rinse locks in moisture and helps close the hair cuticle. Gently squeeze excess water from each weft and lay them flat over your towel.
- If you wish to add a deep-conditioning hair mask to this process, you can do it now! Apply the hair mask in the same manner that you applied the conditioner. Starting from top to bottom, massage it in with your fingers. Ideally, you’ll want to leave the product in for a minimum of 2-4 hours, or even overnight! You can brush out your wefts with the mask applied so they can soak in the product tangle-free. If you do this, just be sure to do so gently as wet hair is more vulnerable than dry hair. If you have a shower cap, go ahead and place your extensions inside the cap for extra insulation during the mask treatment.
- After the hair mask has done its work, it’s time to rinse! Thoroughly rinse out the hair extensions one at a time while gently running your fingers through the hair.
- A splash of cold water at this point will also lock in moisture and help close the hair cuticle. After rinsing, gently squeeze out any excess water from each weft before placing them flat on the towel to air dry. We recommend you allow your extensions to air dry this way overnight.
- After your hair extensions are fully dry, you can give them one last brush through.
- You now have fresh and clean extensions that are ready to use! If you want to style them with hot tools, don’t forget to add a heat protection product first!
CONCLUSION
Again, hair extensions do not need to be washed after every use. Actually, the less you wash them… the longer they’ll last! To extend the time between washes, try to minimize their exposure to styling products that will cause excessive build-ups, such as moose or hairspray.
For easy reference… remember that washing your extensions is quite similar to washing your hair! Shampoo first, condition second, a hair mask from time to time for extra moisture, and allow them to air dry! And don’t forget that it’s highly recommended to use sulfate-free and alcohol-free hair products to avoid drying out your hair extensions.
And, as a reminder… if you have synthetic hair extensions all steps are the same except you get to skip the use of conditioner and hair masks because synthetic hair does not absorb moisture or hydrate.