Clip-in hair extensions are a convenient and versatile way to enhance your natural hair, adding length, volume, and style. However, like natural hair, they require proper care to maintain their softness, shine, and longevity. Without the right maintenance, extensions can become dry, tangled, or damaged. Follow these essential care tips to keep your clip-ins looking flawless for as long as possible.
Tips 1：Wash your Extensions
Unlike natural hair, clip-in extensions don’t receive oils from the scalp, so overwashing can strip their moisture. Follow these steps for the best results:
- Simply soak your extensions in water in your bathroom sink. Use tepid water when soaking since hot water can affect the wefts.
- Use a gentle, clarifying shampoo and cover them gently – don’t scrub in the shampoo as you would with your natural hair. Scrubbing it aggressively will just lead to a tangled mess. Instead, wipe the shampoo down the length of each extension weft, and rinse thoroughly with cold, clean water. After shampooing, use a gentle conditioner with a low pH level to smoothen the extensions.
- Apply a hydrating conditioner from mid-length to ends, avoiding the clips to prevent loosening.Apply generously and evenly. You can leave them on for a few minutes or even overnight if you’re not in a hurry. Rinse them completely with cold water to help lock in moisture.
- If you want to detangle the extensions, make sure to only use a wide-tooth comb or an extensions brush with soft bristle before washing them. Don’t comb or brush extensions while they’re wet because you’ll risk tearing out the hair strands.
Tips2：Air dry your extensions
Do not blow dry. Allow your extensions to dry naturally. This is why it’s important not to scrub too hard while shampooing the extensions. Many hair experts do not recommend blow drying your clip-in hair extensions, but in rare occasions where you need to dry them quickly, you can use the lowest heat setting possible. So far, the best way and the golden rule for drying any kind of hair extension is air drying. It is the key in maintaining their softness and quality.
After washing your hair extensions, place them in a clean, dry towel, and wrap the towel around to squeeze any excess water. Then, unravel the towel and leave your extensions to air dry.
Tips 3：Brushing & Detangling
Regular brushing prevents knots and keeps extensions smooth.
- Use the Right Tools: A wide-tooth comb or a soft-bristle extension brush is ideal.
- Technique: Start at the ends and work upward to prevent pulling and breakage.
- When to Brush: Always brush before and after wearing them to keep them tangle-free.
Tips 4:Moisturizing
Use sulfate-free and alcohol-free shampoo and conditioner to cleanse your hair. Chemical-containing products can damage not only your extensions but your natural hair as well. Furthermore, due to the special properties of your extensions, they require extra hydration and moisturizing. Use a hair mask or leave-in conditioner weekly for deep conditioning.
Just like your natural hair, extensions can also grow dry in the colder months, especially when you heat style them frequently, so be sure to moisturize them whenever they feel dry. A little leave-in conditioner or Argan oil applied from the mid-to-ends of your hair should do the trick. On the other hand, you want to make sure not to over-moisturize or apply too much treatment to your hair roots, otherwise your extensions will grow oily and flat. Just use a small dab every once-in-a-while.
Tips 5:Minimizing Heat & Chemical Damage
Using heat tools is a convenient way to create stylish extensions. Even with premium human hair, frequent use of heat tools can damage them. Therefore, if you use heat tools, avoid temperatures exceeding 180°C/356°F and opt for lower temperatures. Also, be sure to use a heat protectant or heat-releasing spray. If you’ve cleaned your clips, wait until they’re completely dry before use.
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right color for your hair extensions, so you might consider dyeing them yourself. We have a dedicated article explaining this, so please read it carefully beforehand. If you’re unsure, consult a professional hairdresser to avoid damaging your extensions. In particular, bleaching your hair is strongly discouraged.
Frequently Asked Questions
With proper care, high-quality clip-in extensions can last 6 months to a year or even longer. By following these steps—gentle washing, careful brushing, proper storage, and minimal heat exposure—you can keep your extensions looking as good as new. Treat them with care, and they’ll continue to enhance your hairstyle beautifully!