You’ve invested in high-quality, 100% Remy human hair extensions because you want to look great and feel confident. You can only get the most out of your investment if you commit to thoughtful hair extension care. If not, you might damage your gorgeous extensions, resulting in thinning and fallout. 

We’ve created this guide to ensure you understand what not to do while taking care of your hair extensions. Continue reading to discover the most common hair extension mistakes people make, which shorten the life of their clip-ins. 

Mistake #1: Sleeping In Your Extensions

We understand that you need your beauty sleep! Even so, the biggest mistake you can make is sleeping in your clip-in extensions.

Although we designed our clips to be gentle on your scalp and existing hair during wear, sleeping is a different story. Many women use extensions to add volume due to thinning or hair loss. If you sleep in your clip-in extensions, the clips will tug on your hair, exacerbating the issue.

Sleeping in extensions leads to pulling a tugging on the hair and scalp. This might cause thinning, breakage, and even balding, which is stressful and unnecessary. Your extensions should make you feel confident and stylish, not cause you extra stress! 

Thus, we advise you to remove all extensions before hitting the hay for the night. Comb them out and store them safely until the next day. This will extend the life of your extensions and your natural hair! 

Mistake #2: Not Storing Extensions Correctly

It’s the end of a long day of working, socializing, or partying, and you’re getting tired. You want to crawl into bed the minute you get home! You read the previous tip, however, and know you shouldn’t sleep in your extensions. 

Instead, you remove them and throw them in your purse. You’ll deal with that later! 

Unfortunately, the bottom of a purse, or the glove compartment of a car, is not the ideal environment for your extensions. They are more likely to tangle, which requires maintenance. The more you need to untangle the hair, the more damage your extensions will sustain.

Over time, this can impact the appearance of your extensions, making them look dry and damaged. It will also shorten the life of your clip-ins. 

Instead, brush out your hair extensions with a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush. Keep them in a cool, dry location, out of direct sunlight. Make sure they are completely dry before you store them. Most women keep their extensions in a shoebox, hair hanger, or hair storage bag. 

Mistake #3: Not Washing Your Extensions

You wouldn’t go months without washing the hair on your head. Why would you go without washing your extensions?

Although extensions don’t tend to get greasy or oily, we still expose them to the elements during wear. Like your natural hair, they can pick up scents and germs from the environment. If you want to keep your clip-ins looking fantastic, you need to wash them about once a month. 

Here are our must-follow tips for how to wash and care for clip-in hair extensions: 

• Use lukewarm water 
• Handle your extensions gently
• Don’t scrub vigorously near the clip
• Choose sulfate-free shampoos only
• Condition the middle and ends with a sulfate-free conditioner
• Gently squeeze out the moisture before air drying on a microfiber towel
• If you need to speed up the process, use a blow dryer on low heat

Mistake #4: Styling With Sticky Products

Your extensions make it possible to achieve styles that you couldn’t manage with thinning hair. We don’t blame you for reaching for all of your favorite tried-and-true styling products. We recommend pausing before taking out the hair spray, gel, and mousse, however. 

While these styling products get the job done, they tend to be sticky. Over time, they leave residue behind, which coats the hair. If you use these products often, your extensions might show visible build-up. 

You can combat this by washing them more often. Unfortunately, frequent washing can also damage your extensions. 

Instead, save the sticky sprays and gels for special occasions, or omit them entirely. Your bouncy volume will look so spectacular that you won’t need many products! 

Mistake #5: Not Using Heat Protection

One of our favorite benefits of 100% human hair extensions is that you can style them like your natural hair. That means you can straighten, curl, or crimp them for a night on the town. 

All human hair is susceptible to heat damage, however. Too much heat with too little protection makes hair brittle and can lead to breakage. Constant heat styling is one of the quickest ways that shiny human hair extensions lose their luster. You might accidentally singe those delicate locks.

If you want to keep heat styling, pick up a heat protectant spray. Both your natural hair and your extensions will thank you! Choose a natural, sulfate-free product for the best results. 

Extend the Life of Your Extensions With Thoughtful Hair Extension Care

The secret to long-lasting human hair extensions isn’t magic—it’s basic, consistent hair extension care. Familiarize yourself with the mistakes above so you don’t accidentally damage your hair or your luxury extensions. The right maintenance will ensure your gorgeous clip-ins provide confidence and style for years to come!

Are you ready to make an investment in your hair? Women across the country are falling in love with The Lauren Ashtyn Collection’s luxury hair extensions. Shop our collection and discover why luxury and confidence go hand-in-hand.