Brush twice a day, sleep with your hair in a loose braid on silk or satin, wash gently with sulfate-free products, never go to bed with wet hair, and come back every six weeks. Those five habits are what keep extensions looking right for the nine to twelve months the hair is meant to last.
Everything below is the routine we give our own extension clients. None of it is complicated — it is simply the difference between hair that looks new in month eleven and hair that tangles by month three.
Every day: brush, and keep the ends hydrated
Brush at least twice a day with a soft-bristle or extension-safe brush. Tangling is the most common way extensions start to look tired, and it is almost entirely preventable.
Use a leave-in conditioner or serum to keep the extension hair hydrated. It is not growing out of your head, so nothing is conditioning it from the root — the moisture has to come from you.
Washing: gentle, and not too often
- Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, every time.
- Focus on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Don’t over-wash. Washing less often helps the attachment points stay secure.
At night: braid it, and never go to bed wet
Never go to bed with wet hair. Then sleep with it in a loose braid or ponytail, on a silk or satin pillowcase. Both cut down the friction that tangles hair overnight.
Heat styling and color
You can heat style your extensions. Use a heat protectant and keep your tools at a moderate temperature — high heat shortens the life of the hair and can weaken the attachments, so choose low settings whenever you can.
You can color them too, but always leave the color to a professional, who can match shades and tones without compromising the attachments. And if you are planning a big lightening, do it before you buy your hair: extension hair cannot be lightened along with you, so a match bought today will be wrong once your base changes.
What we send you home with
Every new extension client goes home with an at-home care tote, including a large shampoo and conditioner made specifically for extensions. We carry two lines for looking after color and extensions: Kevin Murphy, and the Brazilian Blowout extension care line. Your stylist will set you up with a routine for your hair.
The appointment that protects your own hair
Come back about every six weeks. Your own hair grows, so the rows sit further from your scalp over time, and a stylist moves them back up. A move-up is $200; about every other visit is a full reinstall instead, at $400, and your stylist tells you which one you need.
Skipping it is not a way to save money. As the row travels away from the scalp, the weight of the extension pulls on less and less of your own hair — and that tension is exactly what causes the breakage people blame on extensions. Here is what extensions cost across the whole first year.
The five mistakes we see most
- Going to bed with wet hair.
- Washing too often, or with a shampoo that has sulfates.
- Styling on high heat without a protectant.
- Coloring extensions at home.
- Stretching the time between move-ups.
Quick answers
How often should I brush my hair extensions?
At least twice a day, with a soft-bristle or extension-safe brush, to stop them tangling.
Can I sleep with wet hair extensions?
No. Never go to bed with wet hair. Sleep with your hair in a loose braid or ponytail, on a silk or satin pillowcase.
What shampoo should I use on extensions?
A sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends. Avoid over-washing so the attachment points stay secure.
Can I color or heat style my extensions?
Yes, but leave color to a professional, and use a heat protectant with tools at a moderate temperature. High heat shortens the life of the hair.
How often do extensions need maintenance?
About every six weeks. A move-up is $200 and a full reinstall, when your stylist advises it, is $400.
Hair extensions at Eutopia: methods, prices and how to book →
Every extension service starts with a consultation. Book yours here.
