So you’ve finally taken the plunge and invested in some gorgeous hair extensions made of real, natural human hair. Its been carefully applied using our revolutionary keratin bonding treatment, and now it’s time to enjoy you’re beautiful new mane of hair. If you want to get the most of your new hair for months to come, proper care is crucial. Follow these tips to keep your hair extensions in the best possible condition.

1. Be careful when you style. You’re bound to want to experiment with your longer hair, but be cautious when using hot irons and other styling tools on your extensions. Don’t let the heat come into contact with the bonds in your hair as it could damage them.
2. Brush gently. Brushing your extensions is important to keeping your hair looking glossy and fresh, but brushing too vigorously could lead to breakage. Try not to pull at the hair, and use a specialist brush designed for hair extensions to give your locks the attention they deserve.
3. Shampoo wisely. We recommend detangling your hair with conditioner or by brushing softly before you shampoo your hair. It’s important to shampoo with sulphate free products free of paraben’s and harsh chemicals. Shampoo gently rather than rubbing hard at your scalp as you may have done with your natural hair. Wash in separate sections to get each area of the extensions thoroughly clean, and be careful to avoid tangling as you go. Gently comb your hair after washing to detangle straight away, then style as you see fit.
4. Use a deep conditioner. Soft, manageable hair is easily achieved if you use a good quality deep conditioner. Investing in great hair products is always sensible – they’ll leave your hair looking shiny and beautiful while keeping you free from tangles. Try not to over-condition your hair though, as this can weigh down your extensions and cause them to get greasy more quickly after washing.
5. Take a styling break. Try not to leave your extensions wet, you will need to dry them off, especially where the bonds are.

Dry on cool. If you do feel compelled to blow dry and style your hair, or can’t face a chilly day with wet hair, opt for a cooler drying temperature to reduce the amount of heat applied to your hair. This is especially important around the bonds to your extensions – make sure you use a cool setting at the roots and then move up to a higher heat as you move down if you’re in a rush.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women around the world get hair extensions. This can range from do it yourself; the women who chooses to bring a friend over to glue in their extensions, to those who head to their local salon to have them professionally done. Before you decide which option to choose, you might want to take these few things into account:

1. Where is your new hair sourced from?

I know this seems like a weird question, but have you ever stopped to consider that your potential new style accessory was in fact real hair? So, where is the real hair that is being added to your current doo, coming from?

If you are picking extensions from China (sometimes labeled as Malaysian or Brazilian) then most likely you are getting hair that has been shed and collected at hair salons. It might be tempting to buy the cheaper stuff from china, but the fallen hair is not going to give you the quality look you are going for and will matt quickly.

At Sydney Hair Extensions, they only use responsibly sourced hair from temples in India. Pilgrims travel to these temples in order to show their devotion to the residing deity. The barbers remove the healthy beautiful hair and package it for auction. The proceeds of these auctions go directly back to the temples.

2. How long will it last?

After you have decided to get extensions and made sure that you are getting them from a reliable source, you will want to choose a method that keeps you looking beautiful for the longest time possible.

High quality extensions like the “Great Length” hair extensions at Sydney Hair Salon can last for up to 6 months, while allowing you to swim and do everything else you normally would. The lower quality salon extensions can last close to the same time, but you will have to go back in and have them tightened and adjusted every 3-6 weeks.  The other disadvantage with these is you will have to strictly follow the dos and don’ts for hair extensions otherwise, they wont last as long as you want them too. Glue in extensions will last for 3 months maximum, and again you are going to have to follow the special maintenance tips to the letter.

3. Do you like the stylist?

Your stylist is going to be with you for the entirety of this process. They will help to make sure you have the best extension experience you can possibly have. If you opt for the lower quality salon extensions, they will be helping you every 3-6 weeks to maintain your new look. Make sure that you hit it off with your hair’s new best friend so that they can do the best job possible for you.

You will be surprised about all the problems that pop up for the unprepared person, when it comes to taking care of those beautiful hair extensions that your stylist spent 3 hours putting in. There are measures you must take when you have just spent time and money to have these beautiful extensions put in, as well as some things you should not.

Don’t

STOP!!! Put the brush down. Depending on the kind of hair extensions you get, you will not be able to brush them with a regular brush without loosening them and destroying your stylist’s hard work. You need to be careful with your new hair and the longer you have them, the more matted and tangled they will become.

Do

Make sure to pick up an extension brush. This specialised brush will help you to avoid looking like a mad scientist. If you chose ‘Great Lengths’ hair extensions at Sydney Hair Extensions then you are encouraged to brush them daily to avoid matting. This is one of the secrets that allow you to get 4 to 6 months use out of them. It is even possible to blow dry and straighten them.

Don’t

Don’t jump in the shower just yet. Your new hair does not have the ability to produce oil to protect it from the environment and will go downhill quickly if you wash it straight away. Let’s face it, your hair extensions wont last if you jump in the shower before, at least, 48 hours have passed since you had them put in, and when you finally do please don’t scrub.

Do

Limit yourself washing your hair to once every 2 days or more and make sure to use high quality shampoo and conditioner to give your extensions as long a life as possible. They must be sulphate free. After your shower, style your extensions with thermal heat protectant solution to prevent your hair from getting scorched by the sun.

Don’t

For those of you who like to swim, feel free to continue doing so but we recommend that you wet your hair with tap water before going into the beach water or into a pool. The golden rule is to shampoo your hair straight after swimming. Don’t let your hair come in contact with salt or chlorinated water. The harsh chemicals will make short work of your beautiful new locks.

Do

Finally, when it is time for bed you must braid your hair or put it in a high ponytail so it doesn’t tangle or matt. However, if you opted for the ‘Great Lengths’ from Sydney Hair Extensions then it won’t be the end of world if you do get a few tangles or matts.  With the unique characteristics you find in ‘Great Lengths’ you can brush, style, and make your extensions look amazing with a lot less work.

The holiday season is upon us and that means you will be seeing family and friends that you may not have seen in quite a while. You’ll want to look your best, to astonish your best friend from high school or your younger sister that stole your clothes when you were kids. 

Your time is precious!

The problem begins with, how do you go about doing something, which has the potential to really amaze people around you, all without spending too much time? Of course, you could go out and get a brand new wardrobe for several thousand dollars: new dresses, new shoes, new accessories, etc.  By the time you have filled your closet and shoe rack you might not be as happy as you thought you would when you left the store.

You could instead take to opportunity to try out hair extensions. Overall not only can you save money, but also time and energy. When you have a holiday coming up, you are going to need all of the time, energy, and money that you can save and a weekend of shopping, to find everything you think you need, is exhausting and expensive.

Choose Something Unique

Choose hair extensions, to look your best and impress your friends and family.  You will need a good chunk of time to have your extensions put in, an average of 2 hours.  However, when you use quality extensions like the ones offered at Sydney Hair Extensions they will last 4-6 months before needing to be removed.   Meaning you will have lots of free time once your new extensions are in to create and develop your new look, prior to your debut at holiday parties.

Your extensions can be as versatile as your imagination. Use celebrity photos as inspiration and choose not just one, but several looks that will work for you. That way you will be able to change your look for each party you attend and wow someone, even if they had been at another party with you.

No matter how many parties you are planning to attend, or how many friends you will be seeing this season, you will want something that will be able to impress everyone around you. The holiday season is the time to give yourself the gift of a beautiful look that is totally your own and rivals any celebrity walking down the red carpet.