Beautiful hair with shine and smooth texture and well-groomed is a center of attraction for everyone. Every human being, especially women, has a lust for fine-looking healthy hair. They love to flaunt their crowning glory like a celebrity. Long and well-maintained hair, enhance the beauty and personality of the woman. But today everyone is in hectic schedule meeting deadlines, assignments to complete and taking care of home one thing that is neglected is taking care of hair. Thus it results in hair fall, lack of shine and unhealthy thin mane
Despite enormous care, your natural hair cannot come out to be perfect. However, it does not mean that you will have to go without long lustrous hair. Thus the solution for this problem is hair extensions. Most of the celebrities use these extensions to increase their glam quotient. These extensions do require lots of maintenance and care, just like your natural hair. For good-looking extensions, you need to learn to maintain them.
Types of Hair Extensions:
There are different types of hair extensions applications.
1. Clip-In Hair Extensions
Clip-in wefts, also called clip-in hair extensions, are available in strands of contoured pieces attached at the base using either fabric or silicone. The clips are attached to the base and are available in ready to use format. Thus all you need to clip the extensions to your natural hair. They are the least permanent option as they can be opened and removed very quickly. It just takes some minutes to apply them and remove them.
2. Microlink Hair Extensions
Micro hair extensions are also known as micro bead hair extensions or micro loop hair extensions that can be attached to the hair by applying them to tiny wefts of hair on small sections of the natural hair with a small silicone-lined bead. After this, a small tool is used to secure the bead to the hair and tightened to hold it in its place. The extension doesn’t need any heat or glue to apply it, but if not done perfectly it can damage the natural hair. The process takes 2 to 4 hours to apply and if the hair is not removed properly it can pull out the natural hair also.
3. Fusion and Pre Bonded Hair Extensions
Fusion hair extension is also known as bonded, or pre-bonded hair extensions are fused to natural hair with the help of an adhesive. It takes 4 hours to apply the extensions. In this hair extension, the dresser will use a machine that resembles a hot glue gun and will glue your hair to individual strands of the natural hair.
4. Tape In Hair Extensions
They are pre-taped extensions and just need to be taped or glued on either side of the hair. Usually, tape-in is used to align them with the hair and can be removed with the help of glue remover. They can again be applied with glue. It takes one hour to apply it and if any heat product is applied to the roots, the adhesive material can harm the hairs so one needs to be careful.
5. Sew In Hair Extensions
These are applied by braiding the natural hair in the way of cornrows first, then with the help of a needle and thread, the extensions are sewn in the braid. The option of using hair extensions is available for people with thick hair as it doesn’t suit people with thin hair.
Types Of Hair Used For Making Those Extensions:
The hair extensions are made either of real human hair or synthetic fiber.
Human hair extensions as the name sounds are made of real, human hair collected from the hair donors. Remy hair or the outer layer of the hair is kept intact and flowing in the same direction at the time of the collection of hair. This helps in absolute no tangling and ensures that the hair extensions are smooth and silky throughout their life.
Synthetic hair, on the other hand, is made of various synthetic, blended fibers and has no trace of human hair. The fibers used are very fine, plastic fibers that are made to resemble real human hair.
Both the real and synthetic hair extensions are available in various styles, colors, and different types of applications. Synthetic fibers are stiff and move in a very different way as that from human hair and don’t mix well with natural hair. Synthetic hair comes at a cheaper rate but can get easily damaged from Sun, heat, or any other reason. However, human hair extensions, if taken care can last for more than a year, but then they are expensive as compared to synthetic hair extensions. Human hair needs to style and taken care of just like natural hair. Synthetic hair on the other side cannot be styled like natural hair. However, both natural human hair extensions and synthetic hair extensions need care and protection to increase their life and make them appear more natural and part of the natural hair only.
Care Tips For Each One Of The Hair Extensions:
Since there are different types of hair extensions, there are various tips to maintain them as they have different requirements.
Here are a few tips for maintaining them:
1. Washing Permanent Hair Extensions:
Take this fact out of your mind that they are extensions. Treating the hair extensions just like your natural hair will prove its worth. The hair extensions are sewn, micro linked, or taped to your scalp; thus, you can wash them in the shower just like your natural hair.
{A} Use Sulfate Free Shampoo
Wash them gently so that the link is not loosened. Washing them harshly and in the opposite direction of their growth will loosen them. The shampoo that you are using should be moisturizing. Remember if your hair extensions are glued or clipped along with your hair, they should be removed and washed separately. Using a sulfate-free shampoo is required. This is so because sulfates are the cleaning agents in shampoo that cause it to foam and clean but then they dry out the hair and this is bad for the extensions. The body is constantly producing new oils for the natural hair to nourish them but then the extensions lack this benefit, and if they are further washed with a sulfate shampoo, they will become dry and brittle. Sulfate shampoo will result in split ends in the hair.
{B} Use Conditioner
Each strand of hair has a protective cuticle layer, and this layer gives the hair required shine. The cuticle layer gets broken throughout the day, and then to repair hair, you must condition it. Conditioners give the hair much-required shine and bounce. For the extensions, you need to use conditioners on them as to leave in all during the day. This helps them to fight the harshness of the environment and maintain their shine and quality.
{C} Wash the Extensions 3 to 5 times in Week
Do not wash your extensions daily or once in a month. Rather the ideal wash times should be three to five times a week. Over washing the extensions will dry them. The day’s when you don’t wash them rinse them gently and use mild conditioner on them. This will make your hair bright and shining.
{D} Dry Your Hair
Dry your hair thoroughly before going to bed. Sleeping with wet hair extensions can prove to be damaging for them. It will result in tangles in them as you will move while you are sleeping, and they could get stuck with natural hair and damage them. If your natural hair lies below the extensions, make sure that they also dry, or they could get an unpleasant smell. However, using direct heat to dry the hair will be causing damage to your extensions. Use heat protectant spray since it can work wonders for your hair and stop the natural moisture from escaping your hair. Before drying, the extensions use some heat protectant on them. Even on hot days, it is required that you use a heat protectant on them. Heat protectant spray creates a protective shield around the hair and helps it to shine all day long.
2. Washing Clip In Human Hair Extensions:
{A} Make a Bath for the Hair Extensions
In half a cup of lukewarm water put sulfate-free shampoo and mix them thoroughly. Thereafter in a sink, put water and mix diluted shampoo in it. Gradually add hair extensions to it and comb through the extensions for a few times. Remove tangles and let them soak for 10 minutes. Don’t swirl the extensions in water as it will result in tangles. However, the weft and clips should be kept out of the water to keep them dry. If the weft gets wet, they can swell up and the clips can rust, causing the extensions to go bad.
{B} Rinse and Condition
Gently take out the extensions and rinse them under running cold water. Remove extra water and spread the extensions on a soft towel to thoroughly dry the water after rinsing apply conditioner to them. After conditioning dries them thoroughly, this will give shine and care to your clipped hair extensions.apply the conditioner directly to extensions and comb it in the hair, from the top weft of each conditioner comb the conditioner towards down. Place the extensions again on the towel and fold it in the towel. Let is rest for an hour. Thereafter rinse the conditioner and then apply a leave-in conditioner. Then leave them on a fresh dry towel and let them dry naturally for 12 hours or more. Once they are dry, comb them thoroughly to straighten it.
{C} Wash Once Every Six Weeks
It is required that you wash your hair extension that has been clipped once every six weeks.
3. Care In Between The Washes:
{A} Brush Your Extension
It is required that you brush your extensions regularly irrespective of their type, daily. Brushing will remove tangles from the extensions and spread the essential oils between the strands. Brush them smoothly so that they get to shine and luster. Use a paddle brush for brushing the natural hair and its extension.
{B} Refresh Your Hair
It is required that you refresh your hair between the two washes. Just take some essential oil in a bottle and dilute it with water. Whenever the extensions start drying out, just use some spray and refresh them. Coconut oil and rosemary oil are great oils for refreshing the hair extensions.
{C} Remember Wearing Swim Cap
Chlorine water and salt water can be very damaging for the extensions and natural hair. Wearing latex hair cap while swimming in chlorine water to protect your hair.
{D} Change the Extensions
Keep changing the extensions regularly every ten to 12 weeks; the sewn hair extensions should be replaced. If they are kept longer, the hair growing under it will become matted. Keep the hair extensions as long as they look healthy and can retain their shape. Get your hair extensions sewn by an expert, and the hair clips when not in use store them in soft, breathable cotton material to maximize their life.
{E} Heat Protectant Spray to be Used
Heat Protectant spray adds moisture to extensions and, at the same time, locks the natural moisture in it. Thus spray some on your hair extensions before going out on a hot day.
Love your extensions and treat them as a part of your body. Take care of it to the fullest, and they will embrace you with love. Hair extensions make you look and feel beautiful, thus boost your confidence. As you see your glorious mane, it is bound that you will feel more attractive and love yourself without any ifs and buts. Also, the hairstyles that you had always adored will now become a part of your hairdo. Soon after application of the extensions, you will feel that it’s your natural hair and the daily task of maintenance will become simple and just a way of life.
