Five simple ways to care for synthetic hair extensions

Human hair is costly and some women opt for synthetic hair which is cheaper. However, in order for them to last and look good at the same time, you must take good care of synthetic hair.

Here is how to take care of your synthetic hair extensions:

Washing: You can wash your hair every two weeks. However, as long as you don’t use any products like hairspray, you can get away with washing it once a month.

Brush out the synthetic hair thoroughly before washing. Fill a basin/sink/ with cold or lukewarm water. Don’t use hot water because it can alter the style.

Add a squirt of shampoo in the water then place your piece and swish it through. Always use very light, gentle shampoo or baby shampoo. There is also shampoo made specifically for synthetic hair.

Be gentle with the hair and avoid combing through with your fingers as this too, can alter the style. Let it sit about ten minutes. Remove and rinse gently. Always rinse in the same direction as the hair lies.

Never wring it. Squirt a generous amount of conditioner into the hair then swish it through clean water. Let it sit for about half an hour. Gently rinse without wringing it.

Lay your synthetic hair onto a towel then fold the towel over and around it to remove the excess water. You can now hang the hair piece up to dry. It dries faster than human hair.

Conditioner: Use a very oily conditioner, like a deep conditioning treatment. Rinse off 90 per cent of the conditioner leaving just a little to prevent tangling.

Drying: The best way to dry your synthetic hair is air drying. Never blow dry it as this will cause unnecessary tangles, ruining your extensions. Simply wrap the hair up in a towel, and let it sit dry without interfering.

Once dry, use a bristle brush to remove the knots. You can then apply some leave-in conditioner. Once it is completely dry, use an oil-free shine spray made specifically for synthetic hair to prevent it from looking dull and dry.

Heat: If your hair came in a package that said ‘like human hair’, you can straighten it but on a low temperature setting, otherwise the hair will melt.

Storage: If you are going to put your hairpiece/wig/weave away for a considerable length of time, wash and condition it before storing it. Once dry, store it in a box (not a plastic bag that could cause humidity leading to bad smell) with a lid in a place.

Although synthetic hair extensions may never look as ‘real’ as human hair, with the right care, no one will tell that your synthetic isn’t real.