Wearing hair extensions is one of the easiest ways to transform your hair from blah to beautiful. But unfortunately, no matter what type of hair extension you choose, you may run into roadblocks. What do you do when they just won’t blend and look natural? How do you know if you chose the correct length or color?
As your friendly online hair experts, we’re here to fill you in on all the details. You can chalk up most hair extension fails to either low quality extensions or improper care. We believe that with a little bit of guidance, your extensions will give you the dream hair you’re looking for.
Common Hair Extension Mistakes
Let’s get into some of the fails of hair extensions that we notice frequently. We aren’t discussing this to shame anyone, but rather to help you troubleshoot your hair. At The Lauren Ashtyn Collection, we believe that every woman deserves the hair that makes her both feel and look good! Fixing these hair extension mistakes will give you increased confidence and comfort in your extensions.
Choosing the wrong color and choosing the wrong length are two of the most common hair extension failures, and thankfully, both are easy fixes. When purchasing extensions, select the closest color and length match available. Then take them into your salon to have your hairdresser perfect your match.
A note on hairdressers: your hair stylist knows best. Just like a doctor, they spend years studying and perfecting their craft. If these tips don’t help solve your extension issues, your hairdresser will likely have further ideas for you.
Troubleshooting Hair Extension Mistakes
Another common issue is overly shiny or tangled extensions. Both problems occur often when wearing synthetic extensions. Their main draw is their low price point, but unfortunately this reflects in the quality and longevity of the hair as well.
Sleeping in your extensions is another major no-no. This can cause breakage and tangling and have an impact on how long the extensions last. Instead, you should remove your extensions and gently detangle with some leave-in conditioner at the end of the day.
If your hair extensions are causing bumps on your head, you’re likely clipping them too high. Try to clip your extensions about 1 cm below your part. This will give them a better grip and make them much more subtle.
Another issue is extensions getting product build up, making you wash them more than once a month as a result. If you have this problem, you may be using the wrong products. Extensions don’t produce natural oils, so drying products like dry shampoos and salt sprays can cause damage and residue. Keep the dry shampoos exclusively for your natural hair and stick to light, nourishing products for your extensions.
Ignoring your environment can cause build up, as well. If you live in a city with poor air quality, sweat a lot, or have hard water, these can affect your extensions.
We recommend using hair masks and oils to restore moisture and not wearing extensions during workouts. If you have semi-permanent extensions, a silk scarf is a great protective option. If you have hard water, try washing extensions in filtered water or turning the tap cooler.
Lastly, caring for your extensions improperly can cause extreme issues. Good quality extensions are an investment, and you should treat them as such!
No matter what type of extensions you get, you’ll need to learn proper upkeep. This blog post holds a wealth of information on natural beaded row extension maintenance! Find tips for tape-in extensions here.
In fact, proper hair maintenance is so vital for those with extensions that we’ll get into all the details. Continue reading to learn how to care for clip-in extensions like a hair professional!
How to Properly Care for Your Extensions
Hair care is crucial, and this applies to your extensions, too. Many of the common mistakes we see people making with their extensions come down to improper care. The following hair extension tips are our best hair care practices. Follow these tips and you will keep your extensions looking new and beautiful.
You should only wash your extensions around once a month, or when they get smelly or have noticeable build-up. Since your scalp oils don’t penetrate your extensions, they won’t get clean nearly as fast as biological hair.
We recommend only washing your hair extensions while they’re off your head. They won’t grow back like your natural hair, so TLC is of the utmost importance. Wash your extensions in a fully clean sink or bowl, taking care not to wet the clips. Gently massage in your shampoo and conditioner and rinse lightly.
Detangle your extensions with a wide tooth comb while conditioning. Don’t vigorously drag a brush from the clips to the ends like your mom did when you were a kid! It hurt your scalp back then, and it can cause breakage to your hair extensions now.
When drying your extensions, avoid wringing or rubbing them with a towel. We recommend air drying for the best results.
Always apply heat protectant spray when heat styling! Human hair extensions can handle anything that your biological hair can. However, too much heat is harsh and damaging to both.
Invest in Luxury, 100% Human Hair Extensions
High quality hair extensions won’t solve every mistake. However, they will drastically improve the appearance and longevity of your dream hair. Hair type truly matters, and selecting good quality extensions and caring for them well will eliminate most issues.
At The Lauren Ashtyn Collection, we make our clip-in hair extensions, toppers, and wigs with real human hair. We choose European Remy hair because of its fine quality and ability to blend with natural hair. By hand-tying each strand to our unique micro-mesh base, we ensure the most natural, gorgeous, wearable extensions.
