We’re breaking down all the tips on how to keep your hair extensions staying beautiful in the summer. And even if you don’t wear extensions, these tips will still keep your hair healthy and gorgeous!
If you’re new around here, I’m Ashley, and long before the blog my career started as a hair stylist (back in 2007 omg!) where I focused on luxury hair extensions.
In 2019, I founded Rich Stylist Academy which is a high level business mentorship exclusively for hair extension professionals.
So, we know a thang or two around here about fabulous, luxury hair, and how to keep yourself looking like a million bucks! 😉
So here is every detail you need to know about how to take care of your hair extensions in the summer! 👙
Overall Hair Extension Maintenance Tips
💜 Brush Gently and Daily: Wearing extensions requires that you pay extra care to how you brush as well as taking care of your extension attachments, especially if you’re wearing keratin bond extensions. We naturally shed 100-150 hairs a day, so when you are wearing a full head of extensions, your natural hair is still shedding, but trapped in your extension attachments. Brushing daily keeps your natural hair healthy and keeps the lengths and ends of your extensions smooth and soft.
Be sure to have an extension-friendly brush. When brushing your extensions, place one hand on the base of your extensions, holding firmly to avoid tugging or pulling at the base of your extensions and scalp. Start brushing the ends of the hair first and slowly work your way up the mid-strands, towards your roots. You’ll also want to run the bristles through your attachments at the scalp daily. This will prevent your naturally shed hairs from wrapping around each other.
In the summer, it’s natural to be a bit more casual with your hair, but make sure you’re not going days & days with your hair damp without treating and brushing it properly. 🙂
**If you’ve let the lengths of your hair air dry, it’s still important to lift up the hair and at least give the bonds a brush (when its’s dry!). It’s not necessary to brush out your waves/curls daily if you’re wearing it in its natural texture.
💜 Use Professional Products: Your extensions are only as good as the products you apply to them! We cannot stress that enough! Use professional sulfur & sulfate-free shampoos to keep your extensions healthy. (an example of a sulfur shampoo would be dandruff shampoo – don’t use while you’re wearing extensions, especially fusion bonds)
💜 Shampoo & Blow Dry Properly: Gently use your fingers, massaging into the scalp in a downward motion. Avoid vigorous scrubbing and tangling the hair while in the shower.
It’s a great idea to use a soft towel to dry, but even if you don’t have that, just be GENTLE and don’t be crazy as hell rough drying your hair with a towel.
💜 Deep Conditioning: Treat your extensions to a deep conditioning treatment once a week to keep them hydrated and shiny. This needs to be applied to the mid-shaft and ends only; do not apply to the scalp where the extension attachments are located.
💜 Keep Hair Attachments Dry & Minimize Friction: Consider drying your hair using a microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water after shampooing. Also a silk pillowcase can do wonders while sleeping (and it’s better for your skin!). Hair glides easily over a silk pillowcase without any friction to rough up your strands.
💜 Be Gentle With Heat: When using hot tools, be sure to apply a professional heat protectant spray before curling or flat ironing, AND there is typically no need to put the temperature on the highest temperature! Start on low / medium for healthy, happy extensions.
💜 Pro Tip / Schedule Maintenance: If your extensions require maintenance, please be sure that your maintenance appointment with your stylist is scheduled to ensure your extensions stay in top shape. 💕
Summer Fun Hair Care Tips
💜 Use Mineral Sunscreens: Only use sunscreens that do not contain the chemical avobenzone. In some cases, this chemical can drastically alter the color of your extensions. Mineral sunscreens typically are best suited for extensions.
💜 Minimize Chlorine and Salt Water: You do NOT need to avoid the water. If you are wearing a type of hair that cannot go in the water at all, I would recommend upgrading to a higher quality. Simple as that.
Yes, chlorine and saltwater do have a drying effect on hair extensions, but this doesn’t mean you can’t prep your hair for water activities.
- Before swimming, prep your hair by applying a leave-in conditioner from mid-length down to the ends which helps to BLOCK moisture from pools / ocean from soaking into your extensions.
- Place your hair in a braid or two to avoid excessive tangling and your hair having an Ariel moment in the water. You’ll look glam AF as a mermaid with your hair flowing under water, but once that hair is out of the water, there is a high likelihood of major tangles and matting.
- Immediately after your swim, rinse your hair with clean water. If you can shampoo your hair immediately, even better. {shampoo, condition the ends, and use a HAIR DRYER to dry your attachment points}
- You can allow your hair to air dry, but please keep your attachments dry.
- You can continue along with your current hair care product routine in the mid-shift and ends and blow-dry the whole head if desired.
💜 Avoid Sleeping With Wet Hair: Before going to sleep, braid or softly place your hair in a top knot to keep your extensions from tangling or matting. A low braid is better for strand by strand extensions & tape-in hair, and a loose top knot may be best for wefts. Your hair is at its weakest when wet, so sleeping with wet hair can lead to damage. Extensions like tape-in extensions also need to be dried so the tape doesn’t stay tacky and slip off while your head is moving on the pillow a night.
💜 UV Protection: Your extensions need protection from UV rays just like your skin. Invest in a good UV protection product for your hair. Apply a uv shield or spritz it on before heading out into the sun to prevent color fading and damage. I LOVE the Joico Protective Shield, and it’s also one of the top products I used when my hair was bleached to keep it healthy.
💜 Anti-humidity Spray: If your hair / your extensions react unsightly to humidity, then an anti-humidity spray could change ya life! Spritz it on before heading out into the elements to keep your style smooth and sleek..
💜 Keep Cool: If you’re going to be in the sun for extended periods, consider wearing a hat or a head scarf to protect your extensions from direct sunlight. Not only does this protect your hair, but it also keeps you cool and stylish!
Have fun in the sun, babes!
Proper care for your hair extensions makes them look healthier, vibrant, and more natural, and helps increase the longevity of your extensions, allowing them to last longer – ultimately getting the most out of your investment.
Hope you found this breakdown helpful! See you on the next post!
💜Ashley
PS – I think you’d like these other hair posts;
8 Daily Rituals For Hair Growth
Pro Tips To Easily Get More Hair Volume
