Extension hair guide
Learn everything you need to know on how to care for your extensions.
EXTENSION CARE 101
Beautiful extensions start in the salon, but keeping them beautiful happens at home, too. Your daily routine doesn’t need to be complicated—just consistent.
Here’s everything I want you to know about caring for your extensions between appointments.
YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE
Brush + separate your rows
Give your hair a good brush every day, starting at the bottom and gently working upward.
Be sure you're getting underneath your extensions and carefully separating the natural hair between your rows, not just brushing the hair on top.
This is especially important as your extensions grow out. Your natural hair sheds normally while wearing extensions, but some of those hairs stay caught within the installation until your next move-up. Keeping everything separated helps prevent those shed hairs from tangling or matting together.
Keep those ends hydrated
Extension hair doesn't have the same constant supply of natural scalp oils as the hair growing from your head, so the ends can become dry more easily.
Use a lightweight leave-in and/or hair oil that I've recommended to keep the mids and ends soft and hydrated.
Think mids + ends, not your attachment points.
WASH DAY
Before getting in the shower, brush through your hair and remove any tangles.
Use your fingertips to gently cleanse your scalp and work around your rows rather than piling all of your hair on top of your head and scrubbing everything together.
Rinse really well, especially around the scalp and rows.
Apply conditioner through your mids and ends, then rinse thoroughly.
The biggest thing to remember is: clean your scalp without roughing up your extensions.
DRYING YOUR HAIR
After washing, gently squeeze and blot out excess water instead of rubbing your hair aggressively with a towel.
Your scalp and extension rows need to be completely dried after washing.
You can let some of your ends air-dry if you'd like, but don't leave the attachment area damp for hours.
Before blow-drying or using hot tools, always apply your recommended heat protectant.
HEAT STYLING
You can curl, wave and straighten your extensions.
Just remember that extension hair can't repair or replenish itself the way your natural hair can, so protecting it from unnecessary damage will help you get more life out of your investment.
Always use heat protectant, keep temperatures reasonable and avoid repeatedly going over the same section with a hot tool.
PRODUCTS MATTER
Not every hair product is ideal for extension hair.
Stick with the shampoo, conditioner, treatments, leave-ins and oils we've discussed for your specific hair.
Keep heavier conditioning products and oils mainly on the mids and ends instead of saturating your rows.
THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
Brush daily.
Separate your rows.
Hydrate your mids + ends.
Always use heat protectant.
Keep heavy oils away from your attachment points.
Dry your rows completely.
Never sleep with wet extensions.
Protect your hair while sleeping.
Rinse after swimming.
Stay on schedule with your 8–10 week move-ups.