Extensions aftercare: the honest version

Extensions need brushing twice a day, washing with sulphate-free shampoo only, and they cannot go to bed wet. That is the honest version. Skip those three and you will be back in my chair sooner than you wanted, paying for a maintenance you could have avoided.

The short version

Brush morning and night with a proper extension brush.

Sulphate-free shampoo only. Sulphates strip the bonds.

Never sleep on wet hair. Loose plait before bed.

Tape: 6 to 8 weeks between appointments. Nano: 8 to 12. Weft: 6 to 10.

Heat protectant every single time you use heat.

Why aftercare matters more than the install

I can fit a beautiful set of extensions in one afternoon. What you do in the eight weeks after that is what decides whether they look like a £600 investment or a £600 mistake. Aftercare is 80 percent of the result.

It is also the bit nobody warns you about properly when you book. So here it is in plain terms.

Brushing: do it twice a day, do it right

You need a proper extension brush. A loop brush that goes between the bonds without pulling them. Not a Tangle Teezer or a paddle brush from home. £8 to £15 on Amazon, lasts forever.

Hold the hair at the root with one hand. Brush from the bottom up with the other. Bottom inch first, then middle, then top. If you start at the scalp and rip downwards you will pull bonds out and create matting where the natural hair meets the extension.

Morning and night minimum. Once more if you have been to the gym or out in wind. Matting starts at the nape and behind the ears, and you will not notice it until you wash your hair, by which point it is a 30 minute detangling job.

Washing: this is where most clients get it wrong

Sulphate-free shampoo only. I cannot say this enough. Sulphates strip the bonds whether they are tape, nano, or weft glue, and once a bond starts breaking down there is no fixing it. Look at the back of the bottle. If it lists Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or Sodium Laureth Sulphate, do not buy it.

Wash every 3 to 4 days at most. Daily washing is fine for your natural hair but extensions do not refresh the same way. They have no scalp connection so they cannot self-regulate oil.

Shampoo at the scalp only. Conditioner from the mid-lengths down, never on the bonds. Rinse with cooler water at the end, it seals the cuticle and stops frizz. Towel-dry by squeezing, never rubbing.

Sleeping and styling: small habits, big difference

Never go to sleep with wet hair. The bonds soften when wet and rolling around on a pillow will twist them into matted knots overnight.

Loose plait or a low silk-scrunchie ponytail before bed. Silk pillowcase if you can stretch to one. It reduces the friction that causes the mid-lengths to fluff up.

Heat protectant every time you use straighteners or a wand. I recommend Wella EIMI Thermal Image or anything by Olaplex. The bonded section near the root cannot take direct heat above 180 degrees, so keep the iron below that and stay an inch off the bonds.

Hair dryer on medium heat, not high. Section the hair when you blow-dry so you can see what you are doing.

Swimming, sea, sun cream all wreck colour and weaken bonds. Wear a hat or rinse the hair before you go in the pool so it absorbs the cleaner water first, not the chlorinated. Chlorine and extension bonds do not mix.

When to come back in

Tape: every 6 to 8 weeks for a re-tape. The tape can usually be reused once before needing fresh tape.

Nano: every 8 to 12 weeks for a move-up. Nanos sit longer because the rings travel with your natural growth.

Weft: every 6 to 10 weeks for a re-sew or re-bond, depending on type.

If you wait beyond those windows you risk traction damage on your natural hair where the bonds have grown out and started pulling at an angle. The NHS guidance on hair loss covers what traction alopecia looks like and how to spot it early. It is rare with proper aftercare but absolutely real when extensions are left in too long.

We see clients trying to push it to 14 or 16 weeks to save money and it never works out. You spend more fixing the matting than you would have spent on the move-up.

We stock the shampoo, conditioner, and brush you need at the salon. It is cheaper than chasing brands online and we know what works with the bonds we use. If you are going home with new extensions, ask us before you leave and we will sort you out.

If you have extensions due a move-up, or you are thinking about a first set, call us on 01582 730381 or book online. Nano £55 an hour, tape £60 to £70, weft £70 to £80. We are at Shop 660, Jansel House, Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton.

Tasha