Brushing + Maintenance

Brush your extensions often to prevent tangling.  Use an extension brush or wet brush to gently brush starting with the ends and work your way up.  Hold the base of your extension application at the scalp with one hand while brushing with the other to prevent pulling as well as protect the application area and seam of the wefts from being brushed.   As far as drying + styling,  the less you use hot tools and dry heat on your hair the better.  Do apply hair serum or oil morning and night.  

Washing

Gently remove tangles before washing.  Use moisturizing sulfate + paraben free shampoo and conditioner as well as filtered water (certain unfiltered water contains metals + minerals that can cause extensions to harden, dry out or even break off, shortening their longevity).  While shampooing, don’t forget to work your lather gently between your rows.  While washing mid-lengths + ends it is not necessary to lather aggressively, just a gentle working down of the shampoo is ideal.  Use a heavy moisture conditioner to saturate from base to ends.  Let your conditioner sit for at last 5 minutes.  Before or while rinsing, you may choose to gently comb the conditioner through with a wide tooth comb.  Do wash your hair at least once a week to prevent the hair from tangling or matting…  don’t wash it every day or it will dry out sooner.

Masking

Apply a deep conditioning mask once per week to maintain moisture for your extensions.  Do not use a bond altering/building,  keratin or protein based mask.  These are for restructuring hair and can make extensions feel stiff, dry + tangly.  If you’re only washing once per week, use a conditioning mask every time!

Drying

Towel dry using a cotton or microfiber towel to blot excess water from your hair.  Spray with leave-in conditioner or detangling spray and use an extension brush or wet brush to detangle while extensions are damp.  Apply hair oil. Use a low/medium heat setting and smooth by aiming the dryer downward from roots to ends while drying. Do not air dry.  Air drying can cause extensions to swell and potentially tangle.  Make sure to dry the base of the application 100%. This will prevent potential tangling + matting.

Styling + Products

Use only sulfate-free and paraben-free spray leave-in-conditioner/detangler, hair oil or moisturizing serum + heat protection on extensions to keep from drying out.  Extensions lack the natural oils created at our scalp, so keeping them moisturized is key.  Make sure the hair oil you're using has no yellow/orange tint as it can tint the extensions + also make sure it does not have any hold or sticky residue.  This will act like hairspray on your extensions and may cause tangling.  Set your blow dryer, curling iron + flat iron on medium to low heat settings.  A hot tool that is too hot can dry out the hair or even burn it causing a yellow tone and it cannot be repaired.  Say no to dry texturizers, sea salt sprays + dry shampoos and only use light hold hairsprays minimally to finish your look + never before heat styling.  Just remember: dry products = dry hair.

Sleeping

For a longer hair extension lifespan, we recommend using a small amount of your hair serum or hair oil and apply to mids + ends.  Lightly detangle starting from the ends and working your way up.  Braid extensions loosely  before sleeping + sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase.  Do not go to sleep on wet hair extensions.  This will cause swelling, which leads to tangling, matting + shedding.

Swimming  

Brush and wet your hair first, then apply a leave-in conditioner or small amount of regular conditioner.  Braid or put in a bun before swimming + rinse immediately once you're done.  Pools, lakes + oceans contain different minerals that can affect the quality of your extensions.  So yes, you can go swimming with hair extensions.  You just need to be mindful to protect them from the elements.  Of course keeping your extensions from getting wet when swimming is the most ideal situation.  Use a mineral based sunscreen + avoid sunscreens containing avobenzone or octocrylene, which have been found to turn extensions a peachy tone.