Clip-in hair extensions provide you with the liberty to achieve the desired look immediately.
While the clip-in hair extensions are of top-notch quality, they need good maintenance and care to assure that they last for a good time. As a common rule, you need to wash the hair extensions when there is a lot of product build-up.
- When Should You Wash Your Hair Extensions
- Do Hair Extensions Need To Be Washed After Curling?
- Steps For Washing Clip In Hair Extensions
- Items For Washing Clip In Hair Extensions
- Why Should You Use Alcohol-Free Or Sulfate-Free Hair Products? (Be It A Shampoo, Conditioner Or Hair Mask)
- Conclusion
When Should You Wash Your Hair Extensions?
If you feel like your hair extensions are becoming very difficult to style, this could probably be an indication that your extension has a lot of product (hair gel, spray, hair cream) sitting on it. It immediately needs to be rinsed.
The best method is to clean them after 30 wears. You can also clean them when you feel that they have become frizzy and are difficult to style. Washing them once a month is also fine.
Do Hair Extensions Need To Be Washed After Curling?
Unless the hair extensions have many product build-ups like hairspray or gel, hair wash is not required. You could brush out the curls gently with a wide-tooth comb that has soft bristles. You can use a hair straightener to straighten the hair. Make sure to use a heat protectant spray.
Using products like hair wax, hair gel, hairspray, can clog up your extensions due to their sticky consistency. You will be required to wash your extensions more if you use these products more. Even if you use these in your natural hair, the products are likely to get transferred onto the extensions.
To assure that they are often clean, you can follow the below-given steps.
Steps for Washing Clip in Hair Extensions:
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Brush the Extensions
It is important to brush the hair extensions before washing them. This reduces the chances of getting tangled up. Use a soft-bristle brush or wide-tooth comb to brush the hair gently.
Brush from bottom to top to eliminate any knots without plucking the hair out. Later, put the wefts on top of each other in a bundle to be ensured they do not intertwine with the clips.
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Add Shampoo into the Sink
Keep your sink ready by tidying up before washing the hair extensions. Now plug the drain and fill it with lukewarm water. Put 3 pumps of alcohol-free, colored-hair friendly, moisturizing, and sulfate-free, shampoo in the sink.
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Apply Shampoo And Conditioner To Every Weft
Apply shampoo on the hair extensions. Holding the weft, submerge the hair into the lukewarm water. Use gentle strokes to wash the hair. Do not let them tangle up. Handle them gently during and after the wash. Place each weft aside on a towel. Repeat the same method for every weft of the extension.
After shampooing all the wefts, use a conditioner from top to bottom. Leave it for about 5-10 minutes. Gently, rinse them out completely.
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Use a Hair Mask
Much like your natural hair, good quality hair extensions must be pampered, cleaned and taken care of. Keep them moisturizer and soft by applying a deep conditioner or hair mask into each weft. Apply it from top to bottom.
You can also bundle the hair extensions and put them in a shower cap overnight. This will enable the hair mask to get absorbed into every strand. The moisture will be sealed properly keeping the hair soft and shiny.
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Wash Them Out
Rinse the weft out properly. Ensure that there is no soft feeling or slippery texture after conditioning. Always remember that left-on hair products (be it conditioner, shampoo or mask) on the hair extensions can make them greasy. Rinse with cold water to lock the moisture in the hair strand. This will keep the hair extensions silkier, shinier and softer.
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Allow Them To Air-Dry
When the hair extensions have been rinsed properly, remove all the excess water. Do not rub the hair with a towel. This would develop more tangle and damage in the hair. Air-dry the hair extension instead and utilize a good quality microfiber towel.
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Blow-dry
If you are in a hurry and need to blow-dry your hair extensions, make sure to apply a heat protectant or a heat protectant spray before blow-drying. This would expand the lifespan of the hair extensions. The most crucial thing is to assure that you blow-dry your hair in a cool setting. This will prevent heat damage.
Brush the hair only when it is 90% dry. During blow-drying, begin by concentrating on drying the weft first. Then dry the length of the hair.
Blow drying the hair in different directions could tangle the hair. Blow-dry the hair downwards. This will smooth the cuticle and also avoid the hair from getting tangled.
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Comb the Hair Extension
Do not comb your wet hair. This hair is in a very weak state when wet. However, to make sure that the hair extension dries straight, brush each weft gently using a wide-tooth comb. Brush from bottom to top.
After combing, allow the wefts to dry. You are ready with clean hair extensions that are smooth and ready to get clipped into your hair.
Items for Washing Clip In Hair Extensions
Hair extensions do not have a natural source of hydration just like natural hair. Therefore, maintaining the extensions nourished and moisturized is important. Good hair products make a huge difference in maintaining the texture of extensions whether they will stay soft, tangle or be manageable. Use Shampoo, hair mask and conditioner to clean them.
Buy products mainly created for damaged and dry hair. Such products will help keep the hair strands nourished and healthy. Also, use products with ingredients that enhance moisture to the hair. These ingredients could be coconut oil, castor oil or argon oil.
Why Should You Use Alcohol-Free or Sulfate-Free Hair Products? (Be It a Shampoo, Conditioner or Hair Mask)
Buying alcohol-free & Sulfate-free products is important as they are crucial to upkeep the health and texture of the hair extensions. Sulphates and alcohol are ingredients that strip the natural oil of the hair. This will make the hair weak, dried and more susceptible to matting and tangling.
Conclusion
Investing in good quality hair products is a must. Make sure to check the ingredient list thoroughly. The products should not contain the ingredients that have been listed below:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, SLS, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ethanol, Alcohol Denat, SD Alcohol 40, Propyl, Propanol, and Isopropyl
It is advisable to wash them once a month or after every 30 wears. Safeguard them from tangles, knots and damage and enable them to last longer by providing them with the maintenance and care they require.
By following the steps mentioned above, you can ensure that they are squeaky clean. This will also restore the shine and moisture in the hair.