Hair Extensions: Keeping Your Hair Protected

Hair extensions are an easy and fantastic way in which to instantly change your hair with length, volume and texture. However, after they have handed over their cash and left the salon, long hair swishing behind them; many hair extension wearers can often forget that improper care of their extensions can cause irreparable damage to their hair.

Now, this is not to say that wearing hair extensions will damage your natural hair and leave you with balding, thinning hair. Newer forms of extension attachment refrain from applying the extension directly to the roots of the natural hair, and most salons use healthier, safer forms of attachment, such as keratin bonds. Once your chosen stylist has applied your head of extensions, they will provide you with expert advice as to how you can keep your extensions looking great and, how you can protect your natural hair. However, below are some of the main causes of damage to your natural hair and how you can avoid them.

The main cause for damage to the wearer’s hair is through breakage. When our hair becomes stressed due to pulling or snagging, it is more sceptical to breaking. Small breaking of the hair is nothing to worry about as our hair can break naturally throughout the day due to brushing, washing, styling and so forth. However, extreme breakage can result in thinning hair, or balding spots which can take a considerable amount of time to repair. Breakage can be avoided by keeping your hair extensions free from tangling which can add tension to the natural hair. Aim to brush your hair three times a day, with a soft bristled brush. Start from the end of your hair, working upwards. Stop around half an inch before you reach the bond and NEVER brush directly on the bond as this can cause it to become loose.

When washing your hair, always keep your hair down and never rub in shampoo or conditioner. When drying your extensions, never towel rub your hair dry, instead, use the towel to blot out excess water from the extensions. Wet hair is more prone to breaking as it is at its most vulnerable. Hair extensions are extremely vulnerable when wet and errors such as going to bed with wet hair can cause your extensions to become tangled beyond repair. Always thoroughly dry your hair and when going to bed, tie your extensions into a loose ponytail to eliminate the level of knotting caused by sleep.

Your natural hair can also become damaged during the removal process, but this is predominately in the case that you have gone to an inexperienced stylist or you have chosen a less than favourable method of attachment. An experienced stylist will be able to remove the extensions painlessly, leaving no trace whatsoever of the extension or the bond. Never attempt to remove your extensions yourself as in many cases; you will require special chemicals and solutions in order to easily loosen the bonds. Opting to pull out your hair extensions can also cause your hair to be pulled out from the roots and repeated trauma can cease hair growth altogether.

The same rules of hair extension maintenance applies to all forms of hair extensions but your stylist will always provide you with thorough advice on how to care for your specific type of extensions. Just a small dose of TLC for your extensions will not only make them a worthwhile investment, but will also protect your natural hair helping your hair to look great- with or without extensions.

For a full list of hair extension services available at Inanch London click here.

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Tags: bonds, hair extension, hair extensions, long hair, natural hair, roots, shampoo, stylist, tension, texture, thinning hair