Why do Hair Extensions Tangle?

So maybe you are struggling with brushing your clip-in extensions, or you’ve been wearing permanent extensions for a while, and all of a sudden they have become impossible to style and brush.

Here are the top four reasons why your hair extensions might tangle:

1. Poor Quality Hair Extensions

This is the case 90% of the time. Unfortunately, most hair extensions on the market today are extremely poor quality. Cheaper hair extensions are made by collecting fallen hair off the ground, out of hair brushes and even mixed with horse’s hair (yes you heard that right). Because the hair is all mixed, extension companies will place the hair in an acid bath and completely dissolve the cuticle from the hair, leaving it dry and in horrible condition. Then they coat the hair in layers of silicone to make it appear shiny and healthy, and stop it from tangling.

The problem is that after a few weeks of wearing and washing, the silicone will wash away, leaving you with a tangled, dry, unmanageable mess. At this point, there is nothing you can do to restore the hair. One of the top ways to tell if this is happening to you is if you brush the hair and then 15 minutes later you have a big ball knot around your neck. To avoid this, look for hair extensions that say 100% cuticle intact, or no silicone, or virgin hair extensions. Even though these extensions will cost you more initially, they will last 10 times longer and they won't want to make you rip your hair out.

2. Proper After Care

If you're experiencing only mild tangling, you probably aren’t brushing and conditioning your extensions enough. Remember that the ends of your extensions need to be conditioned well, as they don’t get the natural oil from your scalp. Try spritzing them with leave in-conditioner or using an oil product on the ends. Just keep the oil away from the bond area.

3. Your Own Hair is Tangling Under the Extensions

If your own hair tends to tangle a lot, or it’s just tangling between the extensions, spray with a leave-in conditioner and brush thoroughly.

4. Regrowth

When your extensions grow out, you may feel little knots, or dreads, between your scalp and where the extension piece is attached. This is normal. Don’t try to brush these out -- it will make it worse. Just leave it alone. When your stylist removes or touches up your extensions, they will comb this area out. These little "dreads" are caused from not being able to brush that area, and all your shed hairs being caught in the bond instead of falling away as they normally would.

Hopefully this information will help you determine what’s happening with your hair. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.