Through this detailed guide, you’ll learn how to repair your hair after the intense usage of extensions.
My name is Lori, and I have hair extensions. Since I started wearing hair extensions six years ago, I have tried different types of hair extensions, from clip-in, tape-in, to glue-ins.
Over the years, I found that wearing extensions will somehow cause damage to our hair, such as breakage, split ends, and hair loss.
This condition pushed me to look for methods and solutions to repair and nourish my hair day by day.
That is why I decided to share my experience with you. In this guide, I’ll help you naturally repair the common damages of extensions. The methods you’ll find in my guide are the same ones I used in my lifetime to repair my hair.
Keep reading to discover more.
How to Repair Hair After Extensions
Extensions are a fashionable solution to enhance our charm on particular occasions. Unfortunately, these beauty tools have an unpleasant downside: they can severely damage our hair.
Clip-in, tape-in, glue-in, and sewn-in extensions have all an aggressive and stressful impact on our hair follicles. The latter develops inflammation, and this, in turn, can lead to breakage, thinning, and hair loss.
If you find that you are experiencing breakage, split ends, or hair losses, or even alopecia, after applied hair extensions, the best solution is to use natural and soft methods to repair your hair. Here are the most important ones.
Go for a Haircutting
To repair hair after extensions, the first, important, golden rule you must follow is to look for the help of your hairstylist. Not only to remove extensions but also to cut the split ends.
Avoid taking out the extensions by yourself unless those are easy-to-apply clip-ins because you would end up inflaming your scalp further.
Haircutting is, instead, a powerful method to renovate and stimulate hair growth.
Wash Your Hair Properly
Our hair is an organ that needs constant nutrition. After the first step of haircutting, now is the time to nourish our scalp from the outside and inside.
Choose the Right Shampoos and Conditioners
Let’s start with washing your hair with the right shampoo and conditioner. Don’t use chemical products when you wash your hair. For effective nutrition and repairing, choose shampoo containing coconut oil, glycerin, and panthenol, and hair conditioner containing almond flowers & shea butter.
I tried similar products to repair my severely damaged hair. Most of the time, my hair would become soft, full, and shiny again within one to two weeks.
Ingredients
This positive outcome depends on the ingredients I just mentioned above. Coconut oil, almond flowers, and shea butter nourish and strengthen hair follicles.
Glycerin is a vegetal substance with a moisturizing effect that reduces scalp inflammation.
Panthenol is the name of Vitamin B-5. This vitamin is necessary to produce keratin, which, in turn, is the primary component of our hair!
Time and Temperature
When you shower, keep the conditioner on your hair for around five minutes, to facilitate its complete absorption.
For a long-lasting repairing effect, I suggest that you become accustomed to washing and rinsing hair with cold water. Coldness has the power to strengthen the hair stem and repair split ends. This effect results in a reduction of breakage and thinning, as well.
Try Soft Hairstyling
After washing, dry your hair with a natural cotton towel, performing a slight massage. This serves to stimulate blood circulation in the hair follicles. The massage is particularly beneficial for the health of your hair because it doesn’t cause any traction on your scalp.
In summer, let hair dry naturally. In winter, use an ionic hair dryer with temperature regulation. Ionic dryers usually contain a moisturizing effect that makes hair soft, full, and shiny.
Sometimes, our hairs become very fragile after applying hair extensions, in such cases, try to avoid using further hair styling tools at this stage. No combs and not even brushes! Once, I used a boar bristle brush, but it still caused a lot of broken hair.
The traction caused was just too much for my hair. And I could not feel it at all, after all, I would suggest you comb your hair manually. Yes, you understood perfectly! Use your hands only.
If you have very thin, dry or damaged hair, manual hairstyling is softer than other tools and this helps repair and strengthen hair.
Use Nourishing Oil
After drying, apply a nourishing oil. There are several oils that work pretty well in repairing damaged hairs.
One of the oil I love very much is 100% pure sweet almond oil. Initially developed for skin stretch marks, this oil is highly effective to repair damaged hair. In the past years, I tried Linseed and Argan oils, but they turned out to be ineffective for me.
Furthermore, on wet hair, the effect of oils fades soon after drying. That is it is better for you to use the sweet almond oil only after drying your hair.
100% natural sweet almond oil is rich in Vitamins B and it helps to replenish your hair with the substances lost for the usage of extensions.
Dietary Tips to Repair Hair after Extensions
A healthy diet is also essential for restoring healthy and strong hair. Most of the hair damage caused by extensions comes from the traction (and inflammation) of the scalp and hair follicles, you need to regularly eat food with anti-inflammatory effects.
Below, I will share my diet that saves me from damage caused by hair extensions.
Usually, I will start my morning by drinking two glasses of warm water to clean my liver, and warm up my system.
Then, set aside the usual coffee, and drink organic fruit juice with lemon, carrot, and orange. I drink this juice every morning. It contains vitamins A, C, and E, a powerful mixture with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. After 15 days, you’ll have given your hair new life!
Try to add some food with a rich amount of Vitamin B to your breakfast, I love organic seeds such as nuts and almonds. Vitamin B is the fundamental ingredient to restore the health of the scalp and increase the keratin in the hair stem.
Avoid processed food, refined sugar, and saturated fats. These foods will trigger severe inflammation in every corner of our body, including hair!
FAQs
Should You Give Your Hair a Break from Extensions?
It depends, if it is your first time having hair extensions done, even if you have very healthy hair, it is a good idea to give your hair a break. Or at least, have a hair treatment done before applying your next extension.
If you find your hair sheds more than usual or they become very fragile and dry, you should give them a break too.
But if you are experienced users of hair extensions and have healthy hair, there is no need to take a break in between,
Is it Normal to Lose Hair after Extensions?
It is normal to have a slightly more than usual amount of hair shedding after removing your extensions, as mentioned, hair extensions will somehow cause damage to your hair.
However, if you are experiencing a lot more hair loss after extension, that’s not normal, in such a case, better to go and visit a doctor.
Bottom Line
I suggest that you follow all the tips or methods for repairing your damaged hair after extensions, they worked really well for me. Most of the time, it takes less than a month and my hair would become shiny and soft again.
For sure it would be a great idea for you to check with your hairstylist and family doctor to make sure your hair, skin and diet is fine for you and will not cause allergy.
Leave a comment below if you have any great recommendations too!