As days go by we are seeing an ever increasing demand for hair extensions. They started as a celebrity must have and have ended with more than half the population craving them. They can completely transform your look, giving you added length, volume and even colour but on top of all this they give you confidence.

As you are most probably aware there are many ways in which they can be applied and deciding on the method that is best for you is crucial in order to get the most out of them. There is another aspect that is equally as important as choosing the right extensions and this is ensuring that you carry out the correct aftercare for them.

When you have them applied you should always follow the instructions given to you by your stylist. Your stylist is the person who knows your hair best and they are the ones who will be able to advise you in the best way of how to care for them.

The more care you take with them the longer they will last. If you abuse them they will shed more strands and you could loose more than the normal amount of bonds. One of the main mistakes that people make when it comes to caring for their extensions is they use too much heat on them. Heat is your hairs worst enemy; it damages your normal hair when used too much and it will damage your extensions if used too much.

There are certain steps that can be taken to help you care for them and in effect make them last longer, starting with how you shampoo and condition them. Before you wash your hair you should brush it thoroughly as removing all of the tangles is highly important. Also always wash your hair in a downwards motion so that no tangles build up within it but if your hair is in a dry condition be careful when pouring a large quantity of water over your head as adding water to very dry hair has the potential to make it swell, which can tangle your hair and even have the potential to brake the bonds.

Another important factor to keep in mind is what to do with your hair while exercising and sleeping. You should never sleep on wet hair and always make sure that you have brushed it before getting into bed; it may also be a good idea to loosely tie the hair back whilst sleeping to stop it from tangling. It is important to ensure that the hair doesn't tangle whilst the extensions are in place as allowing them to tangle means that the bonds could become loose and drop out and you will loose a lot more strands from them. Attempting to brush out the tangles will put a large pressure on the hair and will most likely cause damage to the extensions. This is why when exercising you should also keep your hair tied back and also when you are swimming you should ensure that you wear a swimming cap as the chlorine of pool water and the salt of sea water can weaken the bonds.

When it comes to using products you are allowed to but you should stick to the products recommended by your stylist and never overload products as this can cause build up and tangling. You should avoid products that contain alcohol as this can dry your hair out. Try to use shampoo, conditioner and treatments that are PH balanced as these gently but effectively cleanse, protect and condition.

As you can see taking care of your hair extensions will not give you a lot of extra work but that little bit of extra care will make all the difference; a difference that will be highly noticeable