After you get your hair extensions in, there are a lot of things you would have to start doing in order to protect your natural hair and extensions from as much damage as possible. Starting from your edges that are victims of continuous tugging, to the extensions themselves that you need to be careful of not drying out, having extensions is a process that does not end as soon as they are put in. Throughout the whole time you have them on, you need to take the time and put the effort in making sure you are using the right products and tools.
The Shampoo
The shampoo you use is crucial because it is something you use regularly. Some people shampoo their hair every day and some do it only once a week. No matter the frequency, not using the right product can be very dangerous for your hair extensions.
Sulfate Shampoos
We all use a shampoo to clean our hair with but some shampoos that contain sulfate are dangerous for your extensions. Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is a chemical mostly found in personal care products such as soap, shampoo and toothpaste. It helps wash off the grease from your hair and scalp and that is exactly the problem. Once you remove the grease, your natural hair and scalp can easily produce more. The hair extensions, however, cannot. This results in the extensions looking dry and damaged. When purchasing your next shampoo look for one with a sulfate-free label.
Natural Home Remedies
Just because one ingredient in the shampoo is natural and good for your hair, it doesn’t mean that you have to go make a DIY hair mask at home, which contains only one or two products. Yes, natural products used in shampoos have good properties for your hair but remember that professionals make the formulas. There are specific amounts of the products that are to be used. Using too little won’t have an effect and using too much of something can become harmful.
Buy Salon Shampoo Brands
Nowadays, salon shampoo brands are available at drugstores as well. Even buying the products from your hairstylist is sometimes possible. You should go ahead and spend a bit more on a professional shampoo if you want your extensions to stay healthy and good looking for as long as possible.
Other products
There are other products, besides shampoo that we all use in our everyday lives that can cause damage to your extensions.
Alcohol Containing Products
Using hair products that contain alcohol will only do more damage than good. Hair products that contain alcohol include holding sprays, hair gels, styling sprays and hair mousses. After using alcohol-containing products your extensions will begin to shed, will be more tangled and will loose their shine. When purchasing hair products look for the ones that do not have alcohol listed as an ingredient or at least have it listed as one of the last products. The further a product is listed on the ingredients label, the less of it there is.
Type of Hairbrush
Believe it or not, the type of brush you use for your extensions is of great importance as well. The brush you use for your natural hair is not good for your extensions. There are brushes designed especially for extensions. You should look for boar bristle brushes. Instead of the typical wooden or plastic bristles look for ones that are made of hair and make sure the bristles are extra-soft. This type of brush is great for delicate and damaged hair, so it is perfect for extensions.
Hair Curlers and Straighteners
If you have not invested in good quality hair extensions, you should expect them to be sensitive to heat, meaning they could burn if you straightening or curling tools. If you wish to straighten or curl your extension make sure you protect them by using heat protection product and put your straightener/curler at the lowest temperature possible.
In conclusion, one should put in the extra time to take care for their hair especially in case they have extensions. The extensions cannot reproduce oils, so be extra careful not to dry them out. If the tips mentioned above are not applied continuously the extensions are to be damaged much faster, which would ultimately result in you being able to enjoy the extensions for less time than intended.
