How to wash human hair clip-in extensions

There are a few things you need to take into consideration though, such as what shampoo to use and how to let the hair dry for the best hair extension care but we will get into that throughout this blog. 

• Step-by-step guide
• Conditioner
• Air Dry
• Drying with heat

Washing hair extensions isn’t as annoying as washing your own hair.

You can take your time and it can actually be quite therapeutic. There are a few things you need to take into consideration though, such as what shampoo to use and how to let the hair dry for the best hair extension care but we will get into that throughout this blog.

First things first. You don’t need to wash your human clip-in hair extensions as often as you wash your natural hair! Due to the fact your human hair extensions don’t produce hair oil naturally, they don’t need to be washed as often. Usually, you would know when they need a wash because you can feel product build up on the extensions and you can see that they don’t look as fresh as usual, it’s just like judging when your real hair needs a wash. Usually, you wash the clip-in hair extensions every 10 to 15 wears or 15-20 wears if you don't wear them as often.

When it comes to washing your extensions you don’t need to do it in the bath, a sink basin will do just fine and it will actually be easier for you to wash them in a more controlled space.

What you need

• Sulfate free shampoo
• Deep conditioning mask
• Wide tooth comb
• Towel
• Heat protectant

Your Step-by-step guide to washing and maintaining your human hair extensions

Step One: Shampooing Your Hair Extensions

Fill up your sink with warm water.  Stay away from hot water if it is too hot you run the risk of damaging the extensions. Once the sink is filled submerge the extensions in the water. Get your sulfate-free shampoo and apply it to your extensions. Sulfate-free shampoo means your hair won't have any harsh chemicals on it that may change the appearance of the hair.

Massage it into the extensions for about two minutes and then submerge the hair extensions back into the water to rinse off the shampoo. You are then going to repeat this step. Shampooing twice means your extensions will be super clean. It really makes a massive difference shampooing twice. If you haven’t tried it, try it on your real hair and you will feel the difference immediately.

Now that you have double shampooed. Empty your basin and rinse off the shampoo thoroughly ensuring there is no residue left in the hair.

Step Two: Applying Conditioner To Your Human Hair Extensions

Take your deep moisturizing conditioner. This can be a deep-conditioning hair mask that you can leave on for 5 to 10 minutes. This is the best option usually as you can infuse the hair with all the moisture and nourishment that they need so that they don’t get that your natural hair does get. Comb the conditioner through the hair using a wide tooth comb. Leave this for the recommended amount of time. Then rinse out with lukewarm water. 

Step Three Plan A: How To Air Dry Your Human Hair Extensions

Now that you have washed your hair the best option would be to let them dry naturally. Take a microfibre towel and squeeze the excess water out of the hair gently. Then leave to air dry on a towel, usually overnight is best. Leave the hair extensions air dry. Air drying reduces the amount of heat that you apply to the hair. This therefore reduces the amount of heat damage that is applied to the hair. Keeping the hair as healthy as possible is key to them lasting longer.

Step Three Plan B: How To Dry Your Hair Extensions With Heat

Now if you can't wait overnight for the extensions to dry and you need them ASAP you can dry them with heat. First, use a towel to squeeze out the excess water left in the hair. Once you have as much water out as possible with the towel, gently comb through the hair with a wide tooth comb, starting from the bottom so that you aren’t increasing the number of knots in the hair.

Neal and wolf heat protection 

When you have combed the hair, apply a generous amount of heat protectant spray to the hair. Make sure you cover all areas of the hair for maximum protection. Once the hair is saturated, you can now use your blow dryer. If your hair drier has a cold setting start off with this first to reduce the amount of heat damage. If you do not have a cool setting use the lowest power setting on your hair dryer and keep it about 30cm away from the hair. Waving the hair drier side to side while drying the hair should speed up the process. This is because the hair is being moved about more while also being dried instead of just staying in the same place. The movement will speed up the overall process of drying. It is essential to follow these steps to treat your hair with proper care.

Once the hair is dried you can apply a moisturising dry oil or a light leave-in conditioner. This will just add extra moisture to the hair. More moisture will reduce the amount of dryness and reduce hair breakage that can occur in hair extensions. When you then go on to style the hair with heat tools after, lightly re-spray the hair extensions again for double protection. Then when using heat styling tools put it on the lowest heat setting to prolong the life of your extensions and prevent damaged hair. Following this correct aftercare accurately, will extend your hair extension life overall.

If this blog post helped why not spend a couple of minutes reading some of our other articles? We have dedicated posts to aftercare, styling and maintaining human hair extensions and synthetic hair extensions.