Hair Extension Aftercare: The Five Products That Matter and Two Ingredients to Avoid

A Guide to Hair Extension Aftercare

Hair extensions aftercare is covered by five products: sulphate-free shampoo, a matching conditioner, a weekly deep-conditioning mask, a heat protection spray, and an extension-safe brush. 

The two ingredients to avoid are sulphates and alcohol. Extension hair receives no natural oil from the scalp. So, it needs targeted moisture and protection to stay soft and wearable for months on end. 

Why Extension Hair Needs Different Care

The question of how to look after hair extensions is a crucial one, because extension hair isn’t “just more hair” alongside the wearer’s natural hair. 

Hair extensions need to be cared for in a different way to natural hair, because they don’t receive any sebum from the scalp. As natural oils never reach the lengths, the extension hair starts drier and stays that way without external moisture. 

Extension hair being subject to more washing and heat than natural hair can further contribute to the lengths drying quickly, especially towards the ends. 

The attachment area needs protection, too. Seams, tabs, bonds, and clips can be put at risk from product buildup and mechanical stress. 

Product One: Sulphate-Free Shampoo

The importance of using a sulphate-free shampoo for hair extensions should never be underestimated. Sulphates can strip oils and weaken adhesives on tape-ins and bonds. By contrast, a sulphate-free shampoo with the right formula will cleanse extensions without this harsh stripping effect. 

The UK-based Cliphair brand’s Quench the Thirst Deep Moisture Shampoo is priced from just £12 and has been formulated with extensions specifically in mind. 

Clip-in extensions should generally be washed every 10 to 12 wears, unless they genuinely need cleaning sooner. Permanent extensions normally need to be washed once or twice a week. 

Washing extension hair upright, instead of piling it on top of the head, will help prevent water and product from forcing their way under tabs and bonds. 

Product Two: Matching Conditioner

Even the best shampoo for hair extensions can only do so much; a matching conditioner is important too, for keeping hair pieces in the best possible condition. The latter provides the regular moisture that extension lengths need after cleansing. 

Cliphair’s Deep Moisture Conditioner, priced at £12, is an excellent example of this category of product. 

Applying the conditioner from the mid-lengths to the ends, and keeping the product away from tabs, clips, bonds, and tape, will help achieve great results while ensuring the attachments stay secure. 

Once the conditioner has been applied, it should be left for one or two minutes, before being rinsed completely. 

Product Three: Weekly Deep Conditioning Mask

A well-chosen weekly hair mask for extensions will give dry lengths a more intensive conditioning treatment than everyday conditioner. This effectively replaces the moisture that the extension hair cannot produce itself. 

The Quench the Thirst deep-conditioning hair mask from Cliphair is priced at £15 for 250ml. It should be applied to towel-dried mid-lengths and ends only. Then, it should be left for 10 to 15 minutes before thorough rinsing. 

Cliphair’s hair mask has a sulphate-free formula and is designed for use on hair extensions. It boasts several key ingredients, including avocado oil, coconut oil, fig extract, and honey. The mask targets dryness, frizz, and split ends without weighing the hair down or interfering with attachments. 

Used once a week, a deep-conditioning mask can visibly improve softness and help extensions last longer, whether they are clip-ins, tape-ins, or permanent. 

Product Four: Heat Protection Spray

Heat protection spray deserves to take pride of place among the various hair extension products a given person might keep in their bathroom. 

Extension hair scorches faster than natural hair when heat is used. This is because extension hair lacks the scalp’s natural protective oils. 

Heat Protection Spray, available from Cliphair for £11, should be sprayed evenly through damp or dry hair every time a hairdryer, straightener, or curling tool is used. This helps reduce the breakage, colour fade, and brittle feel that appears after repeated heat styling. 

Permanent, clip-in, and tape-in extension wearers all need this step before they allow any hot tool to touch their hair. 

Product Five: An Extension-Safe Brush

Advising that a hair extension brush should be “extension-safe” might seem like stating the obvious. However, all too many extension wearers struggle along with an ordinary brush with bobbles or stiff bristles. This can pull at seams and create tangles. 

Cliphair’s Detangling Brush, priced at £10, is a good example of an extension-safe brush. It has soft, flexible bristles and an anti-slip grip. This helps ensure it effortlessly glides through all hair extension types, including both wet and dry hair. 

Once an extensions wearer has a suitable brush, they should make sure they use it morning and night on both their natural hair and their extensions. It is important to brush from the ends upward, working slowly through any knots. 

The Two Ingredients to Avoid

Steering clear of both sulphates and alcohol is an essential part of hair extensions aftercare. 

Sulphates are cleansing agents that can strip the limited moisture left in extension hair, in addition to loosening tape and bonds. Alcohol dries the cuticle even further, leaving the hair rough and vulnerable to breakage. 

Knowing how to read an ingredients label is important here. Wearers should look for “sodium lauryl sulphate”, “sodium laureth sulphate”, or high placements of alcohol (such as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol). 

After a month of the wrong shampoo, extension hair typically feels straw-like, in addition to tangling more easily and losing shine. Switching to sulphate-free and alcohol-free products can help reverse much of this damage within a few washes. 

A Weekly Aftercare Routine

The secret of how to look after hair extensions isn’t much of a secret at all: extension wearers need to invest in the right products and make consistent use of them. 

When	What to do	Product	Time
Daily	Brush gently from the ends upwards	Detangling Hairbrush	2 to 5 minutes
Before bed	Brush again to reduce tangles, and loosely braid or tie back	Detangling Hairbrush	2 to 5 minutes
Wash day	Cleanse, condition the mid-lengths to the ends, and rinse	Shampoo + Conditioner	8 to 15 minutes
Weekly	Apply mask to mid-lengths and ends, leave on	Hair Mask	10 to 15 minutes
Monthly	Check dryness, tangling, and ends	Full routine	10 minutes

FAQ

Can you use normal shampoo on extensions once? 

Consistent and effective hair extensions aftercare needs to include, if possible, never using normal shampoo on extensions at all. Even a single wash with a sulphate shampoo strips moisture and can weaken bonds or tape. 

How often should you mask? 

For most extension wearers, using a deep-conditioning mask once a week for 10 to 15 minutes will be sufficient. Those with fine hair may prefer to mask every 10 to 14 days to avoid heaviness.

Guest Article.