Caring for your weave can be tricky – the most common rookie mistake is using all the same products used on your natural hair on your hair extensions. It would seem that if a product works well and keeps your real hair looking great then surely it should do the same for hair extensions. This is not a hard and fast rule at all, in fact just the opposite is true is some cases! Here are a few tips to keep your hair looking its best.
- Less is more! While we work very hard to keep our real hair moisturized and then seal our moisture in with oils, weaves don’t require that kind of maintenance. In fact too much product will weigh down the hair and cause it to look greasy and stringy. Use as little product as possible, no more than what is necessary.
- Braid or Twist Curly Hair Nightly. Keep the frizz at bay, the tangles tamed and the crinkles and coils curly! Similar to natural hair, knots and tangles will wreak havoc when sleeping with the hair loose or even if it is covered with a scarf or bonnet. Braiding and twisting keeps the hair in its best condition and will cut back on your styling time in the morning.
- Wash and condition regularly. Yes, weave is less maintenance than your real hair in certain aspects but it still requires regular washing and conditioning. Especially when wearing virgin hair extensions, shampooing and conditioning revitalizes the hair, removes product buildup and keeps it looking fresh.
- Snip the ends. Most virgin hair has tapered ends, the same as hair growing on a person looks. When wearing your extensions, snip away the last half inch to give a full look with blunt ends for straight hair and a uniform curl completely to the ends in curly/wavy hair.
- Cover it up. Sleep with a satin scarf or bonnet. For our real hair we are concerned with robbing the hair of moisture, and with extensions, satin causes less frizz and roughness. Sleeping on cotton will only age your extensions faster making them appear haggard and worn.
- Fold, don’t cut your wefts. Sew (or glue) your extensions by folding over the ends rather than cutting them to avoid shedding. In addition to shedding being annoying, it also wears your extensions out faster. The more the hair sheds the less full the wefts will be. Nobody wants to end up with thin, scraggly hair extensions!
- Lay off the heat. When you are wearing curly virgin hair extensions, treat it just as you would your natural curls. While its obviously better to use direct heat on the extensions than your real hair, it can still cause the curls to loosen and even straighten. If you want to wear primarily straight hair, purchase a straight texture. For curly styles, if you want to be able to reuse the extensions for multiple installations, it is better to keep it in its natural state as much as possible.
