The Most Common Aftercare Mistakes

We at Hair Flair Extensions, often tell people to treat their extensions the way you would treat your natural hair, and to not overthink things. The quality of our European hair and the method of installation makes them very easy to work with, however there are a couple of rules that will help your extensions last longer and simply look better. Please read on to find out the most common aftercare mistakes and how easy it is to avoid them!

Sleeping with wet hair extensions

Do yourself and your extension technician a favour and do not fall asleep before your hair extensions have fully dried. Your hair is at its weakest when it is wet, so when you go to sleep with your hair wet or damp the roots can become intertwined, and will dry that way. Over time this will cause matting, because your bonds will becoming tangled. For you, this will mean a longer, and more painful maintenance appointment as your extension technician will have to spend a lot of time detangling (a lot of girls charge by the hour too.)

Conditioning your scalp

Another common mistake is over conditioning; rather, conditioning the bond and scalp area. After your extensions are installed, feel free to wash it normally, but you must remember to only condition from the mid lengths to the ends. If you put conditioner on the bonds they will break down faster, product will begin to buildup in the bonds, and the extensions will fall out easier since they’ve been lubricated. This also includes putting oil right on the bond area.

Brushing too rough

Avoid taking your brush and yanking from the scalp downwards. It’ll cause stress at the bond and could pull the extension out prematurely. Instead, start by brushing at the ends and working your way up. When you get to the top, hold the actual bonds as best as you can to complete brushing. Also choosing a correct brush will make it much easier to brush through your bonds. Consider getting a soft bristle brush that will allow you to brush right over the extensions.

Too much heat

Never allow the hot stream of air from your dryer to sit too long in one place (near the bonds) as this can melt bonds over a period of time. A better idea would be to dry your extensions first using the cool setting. Same goes with your other heat tool; straighteners, curling rods/irons, etc. Avoid hitting the bonds with your tools - if you allow your heat tool to sit right on the bond it will melt the bond into your hair and the bond can be broken this way. Always heat style after the extension bond.

Over-toning and purple shampoo

Purple shampoo and toner are the #1 reason you will see blonde bonds breaking down. These products are usually not sulphate free and can cause the bond to strip and disintegrate rapidly. If you need to use toner or purple shampoo to maintain your colour try to do so below the bond area and make sure you are rinsing well.

Not having maintenance done

One of the most important factors in having great looking extensions is making sure your regularly attend your maintenance appointments. By going over the recommended period of time you are more likely to have more tangling, matting and product buildup that needs to be removed. This will result in your extensions not feeling as comfortable as they should and can make your scalp itchy.