How to Take Care of Your Hair Extensions in the Summer

Summer is just around the corner and we honestly can’t wait for long lazy days spent in the sun, by the pool and on the beach, and fun outings with friends. It can’t come soon enough! In the meantime, it’s perfect timing for a refresher on summertime hair care tips for your hair extensions. Much like the summer season, your hair extensions are beloved and you undoubtedly want to make sure they are taken care of and not at risk of becoming damaged in any way.

Below you will find the tips you need to protect your hair extensions this summer and keep them healthy and long-lasting.

Protect Your Hair When Swimming

We’d never tell you to avoid the pool or ocean this summer, but with hair extensions, you need to take a bit more precaution to protect them before you take a dip. The hair on your extensions can be treated like your regular hair, but it’s the bonds and tape that need extra care. Water and moisture from sweat can wear away at the bonds on hair extensions and it’s best to avoid too much contact with water, such as letting them soak. Pat dry your extensions at the root as soon as you get out of the water, and consider rough drying them with a hairdryer, letting the rest of your hair air dry.

SHOP AMAZING BEAUTY HAIR EXTENSIONS

To avoid tangles when you go swimming, put your hair into a low bun or braid to keep the hair together, but avoid ponytails, which put too much strain on the bonds.

Avoid Heat Styling Tools

Apart from using the warm setting on the hair dryer to rough dry hair after swimming or showering, avoid using excessive heat tools like straighteners and curling irons. Instead, try unique braided styles and use no-heat styling methods, such as putting your hair in buns or braids to create waves.

When you must use a blow dryer or hot tool, use a heat-protectant product  to protect your locks from the heat.

Avoid Sea Salt Sprays

Salt from the ocean and sweat can weaken bonds on hair extensions, and so it’s especially important to avoid using sea salt sprays near the roots of your hair extensions. We recommend a curl-enhancing product that you apply on damp hair or no-heat styling methods like buns and braids to create beachy waves. If you must use a small amount of a sea salt spray to achieve beach-perfect waves, use it only on your mid-length to ends and avoid the roots.

SHOP TAPE IN HAIR EXTENSIONS

Keep Lotion Away

Like moisture on bonded hair extensions, contact with oils from lotion and sunscreen can weaken the tape on tape-in hair extensions. When applying lotion on your face, avoid getting too close to any extensions that are near your hairline. After applying lotion and sunscreen, be sure to wash and dry your hands very well to remove any oily residue and avoid touching your hair too much, especially at the roots.

More Conditioning, Less Shampooing

In the summer, keeping your locks hydrated is your biggest priority. The heat from the sun, chemicals in pools, and the salt in sweat and the ocean can all dry your natural hair and hair extensions. Use a conditioner after each time you shampoo and a leave-in conditioner between washes. But, avoid the roots of your hair to avoid damaging and weakening the tape and bonds. A detangling product is also a great tool to reduce tangles, which is typically meant for the mid-shaft and ends of the hair.

Along with taking care to condition, it’s best to limit how often you shampoo your hair since shampoo can strip hair of its natural oils and cause dryness. Aim to shampoo only two to three times per week, and even just once per week if you can swing it.

SHOP CLIP IN HAIR EXTENSIONS

Brush That Hair

During the summer, it’s important to brush your hair extensions every day to avoid them from getting (and staying) tangled and knotted. A special brush designed specifically for hair extensions can help you to avoid nagging at the tape or bond, since the teeth of regular brushes can yank on hair extensions. Whichever brush you use, take extra care to remove tangles on the ends of your hair.

We hope these top tips for taking care of your hair extensions in the summer will help you to protect your precious locks and keep your extensions healthy all summer long!

Do you have any extra tips and hacks that we didn’t share? Let us know in the comments!

For extra tips and ideas for taking care of and styling your hair extensions, visit our hair blog and use the Shop By Look tool to find the right products that go with your favorite style!