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Jun 13, 2024
Hair care is the secret to wig or extension longevity. The way that you wash and care for your extensions will make a significant difference in how long they last. Thoughtful, loving care will keep your extensions healthy and beautiful!
Extension care is crucial. But don’t let this scare you off from buying hair extensions! Although care is important, it isn’t rocket science. We’ll give you advice for washing all types of hair extensions, from our human hair clip ins to synthetic tape ins.
Keep reading to learn how wash day can make your extensions look, feel, and wear better!
Advice for Washing Human Hair Extensions
You should treat your human hair extensions the same way you would treat human hair. However, we want to remind you of one important exception. Extensions won’t grow back! Therefore, tender loving care is especially crucial for protecting them.
The best option for washing extensions is extension-specific hair products. However, you can use the same products on human hair extensions as you do on your hair. If you do, be extra choosy with ingredients. You should avoid the following:
- Alcohols
- “Fragrance”
- Mineral Oil
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Polyethylene Glycols
- Silicones
- Sulfates
- Triclosan
We warn everyone against using these ingredients for human hair, whether it’s in extensions, in a wig, or on your head. The above list is full of chemicals that will dry and damage your hair or harm your health.
Now that you know some don’ts for hair extension care, here’s what you should do.
Only brush your human hair extensions with a wide tooth comb or soft bristle brush and be gentle! Make sure that your sink or bowl are fully clean before washing your hair extensions. Again, prioritize gentleness. Use nourishing hair masks, allow your extensions to air dry, and always use heat protectant before heat styling.
![Hands installing brown balayage hair extensions on a woman’s head.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0437/4341/2382/files/Hands_installing_brown_balayage_1024x1024.jpg?v=1718644899)
Advice for Washing Clip In Hair Extensions
If your extensions don’t bond to your roots, such as clip in extensions, never wash them on your head! Additionally, you should never sleep on your clip ins. Taking them out after every wear and combing and caring for them will increase the number of wears you’ll get between washes.
Because hair extensions don’t produce oil like head hair does, you won’t need to wash them as often as you wash the hair on your head. However, this lack of natural oil also means that extensions can dry out more quickly.
Gently remove your extensions before brushing them out and cleaning them. Avoid the clips and knots with your brush. You should also hold the extension by the clip when washing to avoid getting it wet.
The below wash instructions are specific to clip in extensions, but you can adapt as needed. Also find our advice for washing bonded, synthetic, and tape in hair extensions at the end of this blog!
Instructions for Washing Hair Extensions
- You should watch your extensions around every 30 wears, or once a month. If you notice that they’re smelly, hard to style, or building up product, it’s also time to wash. We recommend washing your hair extensions after exposure to smoke, sweat, or other strong odors, as well.
- Prepare everything you’ll need:
- A clean sink or bowl
- A wide tooth comb or soft bristle brush
- Gentle shampoo and conditioner
- A hair mask (optional)
- Use a wide tooth comb or soft bristle brush to gently comb and separate your extensions.
- Fill your bowl or sink with lukewarm (not hot) water. Hold your hair extensions by the clips to avoid getting them wet. Dip them into the water to wet them from almost the top to the bottom.
- Gently massage your extension-friendly shampoo into the wet hair. Rinse thoroughly, then lightly squeeze out the excess water.
- Generously apply extension-friendly conditioner from mid-lengths to the ends of the extensions. We recommend leaving this to soak in for a bit.
- Rinse thoroughly, and gently squeeze excess water from hair. You can also pat them dry with a soft towel, but don’t rub, wring, or twist the extensions.
- Optionally, you can now apply a hair mask for extra moisture and protection. Generously apply from mid-lengths to the ends and comb through with a wide tooth comb. Allow to sit for the recommended amount of time. Rinse thoroughly and gently squeeze or pat hair try.
- Always allow your extensions to air dry for the best results. If you’re short on time, you can use a hairdryer on a low, gentle setting. Always use a heat protectant before using a hairdryer or heat styling tools!
Washing Tape In Hair Extensions and Synthetic Hair Extensions
Although we don’t make or sell tape in extensions, caring for them is still crucial. Bonded extensions and tape ins require even more care than clip in extensions! Be extra delicate in your brushing or washing.
You should only wash semi-permanent extensions like tape in and bonded wefts once or twice a week. Dry shampoo can help prolong your style.
We love the tips in this blog for washing synthetic hair extensions. And yes, companies do make synthetic-specific hair products! For more advice on extension care, click here.
Selecting the Best Hair Extensions
High quality products deserve high quality care. Our 100% Remy European human hair extensions are the best of the best. Our most popular extensions are The Lauren Ashtyn Collection Full Volume Hair Extension. This extension is 12-18 inches in length and hits about 2-3 inches past the shoulders.
Our Full Volume Hair Extension is especially for women suffering from minimal to severe hair loss and/or thinning. It has a 5-inch by 6-inch base that clips in around the entire crown area. This gives you full coverage, maximum volume, fullness/body, and length.