Regal Envy

With your new hair extensions fitted and feeling like a force to be reckoned with, it can be easy to forget that your hair extensions need just as much, if not more, tender love and care as your natural hair. After paying all the money to transform your luscious locks, it is important to ensure you preserve the hair. Using the right shampoo, along with conditioner, will help to prevent the hair from falling out, bonds dropping and will help to avoid split ends.

We’re often asked ‘what is the best shampoo for hair extensions?’. Luckily for you, it’s fair to say that we have our fair share of experience and expert advice to lend a helping hand.

What Is The Best Shampoo For Hair Extensions: A Regal Envy Guide

As two of the most used products on your hair, finding the best shampoo and conditioner for your hair type as well as your extensions can be tricky. You will need to look out for several things, as some chemicals can damage the bonds and dry out your hair. The key is finding a solution that leaves your scalp and locks looking clean, fresh and shiny while protecting your hair extensions.

After having your hair fitted by your professional extensionist, you will be given a long list of aftercare advice to make sure that you can maintain healthy locks. It is always important to keep this advice in mind and while it may hurt the piggy bank at first, buying good quality and specially designed products is a must if you are to keep that natural shine. But what makes a good hair product? Here is how to know whether a shampoo or conditioner is right for your extensions:

• Best Hair Extension Shampoo
• Best Conditioner For Hair Extensions
• Best Products For Hair Extensions
• How To Wash Hair With Extensions

Best Hair Extension Shampoo

Shampoo helps cleanse your hair, removes all the grease and oil buildup, and adds nutrients to your locks. This is why ensuring that your shampoo has all the necessary ingredients to keep your extensions in tip-top condition is essential. You will be applying shampoo to the scalp, which makes it important to find a product that will clean not only the hair but also protect the extension bonds or wefts. Here’s everything you need to know about finding the perfect shampoo for hair extensions, as well as some tips on how to look after your hair:

What Shampoo Should I Use?

So, the first step is to find the shampoo, which in itself is a task! The best option is to look for a product that has been specially designed for hair extensions, such as our hair extension shampoo. The reason for this is that the shampoo has been designed to hold the bonds together to make sure that they don’t slip while also clarifying the scalp to ensure that no dirt or oil builds up around the bonds. For example, our clarifying shampoo cleanses the hair to protect the bonds and should only be used a maximum of once a week. While these products may be slightly more expensive than your everyday drugstore brands, they will be significantly more protective and effective for hair extensions.

If you know that your hair is more oily or dry, then you should also look into products that are right for your hair type. Everyone is different, which means that while your best friend may be using one high-end brand, it may not work best for you. Some of the best shampoos for different hair types include the following:

• Dry Hair/Itchy Scalp – Always look for moisturising shampoos that promote moisture retention and hydration. If your scalp is flaky, then you may also want to consider anti-dandruff shampoos, as they are often softer on sensitive skin. Healthline has an array of remedies for those suffering from dry hair and itchy scalps.
• Damaged Hair – We all love a bit of heated styling, but it can severely damage our hair. Try using a repairing or fortifying shampoo as these products will contain more protein which will help to strengthen your hair. Hair World Mag has pieced together an article on how to strengthen hair naturally, so we suggest taking a look if your hair is riddled with split ends.
• Oily Hair – Greasy hair is a girl’s worst nightmare when in a rush; there are multiple causes for this to occur, but there are shampoos that can help if you find that you have particularly oily hair. You will need to make sure that the product is light, as heavy shampoos will only weigh down the hair. Also, try and stay away from moisturising shampoos, as this will only add to the oil.
• Colour-Treated Hair – You want to make sure that you are not only protecting the hair to make sure that it doesn’t split, but you will also want to find a shampoo that keeps the vibrancy of the colour while you wait for your next hair appointment. Opt for purple or colour-protecting shampoos, depending on your hair colour. You can find further tips on how to protect colour-treated hair over on The Every Girl.

How Often Should I Wash My Hair?

Having a routine is everything. However, did you know that washing your hair too often harms your hair extensions, even if you only wash it when it looks greasy? In fact, most of the time, our hair looks greasy because it’s used to being washed every other day.

You should aim to wash your hair at a maximum every other day, but that can still be too often. We recommend stretching it to every third day or even every fourth if you can handle it! While it may seem like your hair is too greasy not to be washed more than twice a week, be patient because your hair will start to train itself and produce less oil. For more tips on tackling greasy hair, take a look at our previous article.

The reason your hair produces oil in the first place is to clean the hair and provide nutrients, so you want to make sure that you’re not getting rid of all those nourishing natural oils. There are many ways you can reduce the appearance of oily hair, such as using a dry shampoo in between washes or through the following:

• Use a clarifying shampoo
• Wear your hair up
• Rinse with apple cider vinegar
• Avoid using heated tools too often

Best Conditioner For Hair Extensions

After washing your hair and before your relaxing bath, it is always important to make sure that you add a touch of conditioner for hair extensions. As your hair extensions will be made from 100% human hair, they will need the same treatments as your natural hair and will also be prone to the same damage, such as split ends. This makes it really important to find a conditioner that thoroughly protects your locks, and here is how to do it:

What Conditioner Should I Use?

When choosing conditioners for hair extensions, it is important to do your research before putting your hands in your pockets. There are hundreds of hair masks and deep conditioners that you can choose from, but only a handful are good for hair extensions.

Due to conditioners adding oil to the hair, some can cause micro or nano-ring bonds to loosen, prompting the hair extensions to fall out. This means you want to find the perfect balance between nourishing the hair and protecting the extensions.

The best conditioners for hair extensions contain lots of protein and coconut oil. The protein will help to rebuild any damaged hair while also strengthening the natural hair; this is particularly important for those looking to grow their natural hair and are wearing extensions for length. On the other hand, coconut oil helps retain a lot of moisture, adding nutrients and moisture to the hair. If you are looking for optimal hair results, we would advise using our specially designed hair extensions conditioner with our hair extension shampoo.

How Should I Condition My Hair?

A mistake that many of us make is lathering our hair from roots to tips with conditioner in the hopes that it looks fabulous 24/7. However, especially when it comes to hair extensions, you will actually be doing more harm than good. Never apply conditioner of any kind to the roots of your hair for two main reasons: the first is that the roots already contain a lot of nourishing oil, so all you will be doing is making your scalp more oily, and the second is that it can cause the bonds to slip. Instead, only apply a generous amount of conditioner to the ends of your hair extensions and gently brush through using a professional detangler before rinsing using lukewarm water to lock in the moisture.

Best Products For Hair Extensions

Many products are now available to help you maintain those luscious locks, and it’s worth investing in a few to keep those bonds tight and extensions looking healthy. Washing your hair can take a lot of nutrients out of it, making it important to put it all back in without making it look greasy again. So here are some of our top products that we think you should add to your hair care routine:

• Oil For Hair Extensions – Add a pea-sized drop of argan oil to your hair to keep it looking shiny while adding moisture to dry hair.
• Hair Mask – At least once a week, treat your hair to a nourishing hair mask that not only does good but smells amazing!
• Leave-In Conditioner – Apply to dry or wet hair to add another layer of protein, but make sure not to add it too close to the bond.

If you don’t want to buy a new hair mask and instead prefer making your own, take a look at our previous article for some of the best DIY hair masks that you can easily make at home!

How To Wash Hair With Extensions

When washing your hair extensions, it is essential to take care of them as best as you can, as this will ensure they last for as long as possible. Washing hair extensions does not involve the same process as washing your natural hair, so if you want your new shiny locks to keep their same look, you must update your washing process.

There are a few tips that we recommend following when washing your hair extensions to minimise any damage or a lacklustre look; these include:

• Brush Them Out – To minimise the risk of knots, thoroughly yet gently brush extensions from the bottom to the top. Our experts recommend only using a wide-toothed comb or a soft bristle brush to ensure you don’t damage the extensions.
• Be Careful – Make sure you are gentle and aren’t pulling on the extensions too hard for the whole process. We also recommend only using lukewarm water when you’re washing your extensions.
• Shampoo & Conditioner – From here, the steps to washing your extensions are really the same as washing your normal hair; make sure not to condition your roots and then thoroughly wash the product out!

How To Wash Clip-in Extensions

Those with clip in hair extensions should follow the exact same steps as outlined above but reduce the frequency of their washes. While typical hair extensions require washing 2-3 times a week, clip-in extensions only need washing once you notice a build-up of product. You can generally wash them every 4–6 weeks, but you might need to wash them more often if you style them frequently or add new products.

After washing your hair, allow the extensions to air dry or purchase a micro-fibre towel. If you’re in a rush and need your hair to be dry as soon as possible, apply a heat protectant and use a hair dryer, however; we recommend only using the dryer on the cool setting to not damage the hair.

Taking Care Of Your Hair

Making sure that you have a few products at hand to combat those greasy hair days, as well as ensuring that you maintain healthy and well-protected hair, can help you to look flawless no matter what your day brings.There are a host of products from all ends of the budget scale, making it easier for you to find solutions that work best for you. However, it is always important to do your research first, and it is always recommended that you use high-quality and professional products for maximum results! Take a look at our other hair products to find one that exactly matches what you need.