How to Care for Your Natural Hair While Wearing Extensions

Wearing hair extensions are very common these days. For many women, hair extensions offer them a lot of versatility and the much-needed protection to their natural hair. However, it is unfortunate that some ladies usually forget about caring for their real natural hair beneath. Most of them almost forget to take care of their natural hair beneath while mainly focusing on the extensions they have on. This is something that often leaves some of them disappointed when they finally remove the extensions because in most instances they often find their hair damaged.

It is equally important to care for your natural hair beneath the extensions just the same way you care for the extensions. While having extensions may mean that certain parts of your natural hair are covered and obstructed, there are still options available for you to clean them. So how exactly can you care for your natural hair that's beneath the weaves or extensions you are wearing?

To find out more about how you can care for your natural hair while wearing extensions keep reading this article:

Prepare your scalp and hair

It is always a good idea to prepare your hair and scalp on the first instance before you add the extensions. To start with, you may need a break from chemicals, dyes, and curl relaxers as they can work to weaken the hair and cause breakage. Always ensure that your hair is clean, properly conditioned, and is also clear of any dead skin cell buildup. If you don't remove impurities from your hair before extensions are added, chances of dryness, itching, and flaking may be felt after extensions are added. Thus preparing a proper base for wearing hair extensions is a must.

For ladies who have dry and flaky scalps, using medicated shampoos containing selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione can really be of great help. These can be left on the hair for at least 15 minutes then can be rinsed thoroughly with clean water. They can then wash the hair once again with shampoo and condition. This hair cleaning process should make your hair to be clean and ready for extensions to be applied.

Clean your hair with a good quality shampoo

One of the most obvious care you would give your hair is to clean it with some good quality shampoo. Yes, it is advisable to shampoo your hair regularly even while you are still wearing hair extensions or weaves. If you want to achieve the desired results, it is best to direct the shampoo on the scalp. You will need to gently massage the shampoo on the scalp as you slowly work the shampoo down on the hair weave. As you wash your hair, try to keep your extension hair as straight as possible to prevent any chance of matting or tangling.

Moisturize and condition your hair

Never forget about your hair below the extension and moisturize and condition it just like you do the extension hair. If you wish to achieve deep conditioning, apply conditioners that are thin because these will reach your scalp easily. Please note that when the conditioners reach the scalp your natural hair will have got the right conditioning even if they are covered with the weaves or hair extensions. This will enable your hair to keep on growing healthy and strong like it is supposed to be. Never neglect your natural hair that is near your scalp for the excuse that you can't access it.

Apply products with vitamins on your hair to nourish it

Ensure that you keep your natural hair healthy at all times and for this, you need to have the right vitamins and supplements for your hair. Giving your natural hair the right vitamins and supplements often bring about robust growth and thus you get strong and healthy hair. The best products that you can use to do this could be natural Argon oil which can be applied directly on the scalp by the use of an applicator bottle with a nozzle tip. Other great hair products that you can use include; jojoba, grape-seed or coconut oil.

Always ensure that your extensions are not too tight

The one thing that most women with hair extensions usually get wrong is wearing hair extensions that are too tight. When the hair extensions are too tight, lots of tension is put on the hair follicles and this can make your hair fall out easily. Worse is that hair extensions that are too tight, can even cause permanent hair loss on the wearer's head. For this, always ask your hairstylist to make the extensions feel comfortable for you during application.

Don't forget about your extensions

Even as you care for your very own natural hair, don't forget to care for your extension hair as well. You will need to keep the extension hair clean by washing it well according to the manufacturer care manual instructions. Apart from cleaning the extensions, you will also have to keep combing it regularly. This helps to prevent the hair from easily getting entangled. At night when you are going to bed, you may have to secure the extension hair by putting it under a satin cap or scarf. If its natural hair extension that you are wearing, you can just treat very much like you would treat your natural hair. Just ensure that you steer clear of using heavy products on the extension or even exposing it to lots of heat.

Follow your hairstylist care advice

The natural hair that you have beneath the hair extension doesn't stop growing because you are wearing the extensions. It keeps growing and in fact, half to one-inch growth is often experienced under the weave. For this, it is very important for you to follow the instruction manual given by the manufacturer of the hair extensions. When it is time to remove the extension, always ensure that you visit your hairstylist in time to have the extension removed to allow proper growth and development to your natural hair. The most general removal timeline for most hair extensions is usually between six to eight weeks. Don't stay too long with hair extensions once they have outlived their recommended expiry date.

When using shampoo to do washing please do this

It may be a good idea to dilute the shampoo that you use for the washing of your hair and the extensions. The reason for this is to prevent any chance of concentrated shampoo interfering with the chemical bond used on the extension. Always ensure that you rinse the shampoo well with clean water and not leave any traces of it on the hair or extension.

You can dry clean as well

If you find uncomfortable washing your hair in between the weaves, you can still clean your scalp without water. You can do this using baby wipes by gently rubbing on your scalp to remove the grease and dirt accumulated there. Ensure you do this at least once every week.

You can also use cotton wool pads and dip them on warm water then squeeze dry. You will then use the cotton wool pads to clean your scalp. Please note that the heat generated from the cotton wool pad greatly helps to pick up grease and dirt from the scalp. One thing to bear in mind though with this method is that it only works to clean the scalp and not your actual hair.