Hair extensions are soft, beautiful strands that can help you get fuller, thicker hair appearance. A lot of women spend a lot of money on them to get the perfect look. If you realize damage on the extensions always, then it may not be the quality of the extensions, but the environmental factors and your daily habits. It is possible that you are the enemy number one to your extensions. The following are some of the habits that you should do away with to increase the lifespan of your hair extensions.
Pollutants
Smoke, fumes, smog, and other types of air pollutants can settle on the hair extensions and create a layer above them. This will hide their appearance and make the extensions look dusty and dull. Besides the damaging appearance, pollutants can also dry your wigs. Thus, if you are a smoker or live in a polluted area, you should cover the extensions using a silk cloth or quit smoking.
Improper Washing Habits
Usually, under-washing and over-washing of the hair extensions can cause a lot of damage. Thus, if you do not wash the extensions as required, they are likely to look dirty, bad, and appear lifeless and dull. Also, if you over-wash them, they will lose the moisture and look dry. Therefore, you should wash them at least once per week. Ensure you carry out a natural hair blowout. This is necessary to maintain their appearance and good health.
Using Over-Drying and Harsh Products
It is possible your hair stylist advised you to use conditioners and rich shampoos that are alcohol and paraben-free. This is because products that contain a lot of alcohol are harsh to the extensions and can cause severe damage. Thus, ensure you are gentle on the extensions and use phosphate-free and sulfate-free cleansers. Ensure you check the product labels before buying them.
Cutting or Trimming the Extensions
Trimming or cutting the hair extensions can help maintain them. However, overdoing it can leave you damaged. When you overdo it, you will have damaged, shorter hair. Before trimming the hair, you should hydrate it with natural hair oils. This is necessary to ensure the extensions are not damaged.
Using Harsh Glues
When you use harsh glues to stick the extensions to the hair, this can damage the extensions and the scalp. If you use such glues, then you are likely to damage your natural hair. Thus, ensure you use only glues that are safe.