We know, the struggle is real right now. We’re all desperate to get back into the salons, and even though they've now had the green light to open again, some of us can't get to the salons for another month or two.

So whilst we have to stay at home, here’s the lowdown on how to look after your hair extensions, so they’re ready for those last-minute Zoom meetings for work before you can have your well deserved pamper session at your salon.

You won’t see the full benefit of your hair extensions if you don’t follow the proper aftercare. Rather than see all of that money go down the drain, our first recommendation is to wash your extensions correctly. Ask your hair stylist for their recommendations, or check for aftercare recommendations from the online store where you made your purchase.

Be mindful of how you manage the hair when wet

Your hair is at its weakest when it is wet. That goes for both your natural hair and your hair extensions. Treat them the same. We want your Next To Natural extensions to last for a long time, and know that neither you or your hair stylist want to see matted roots or extensions that have fallen out or worn unnecessarily because of poor maintenance, and the detangling efforts that must be made to correct this.

Always brush your extensions with care

At risk of sounding like a broken record, the key to keeping hair extensions in good condition is to treat it like you do the hair on your own head. One place to start is with great hair care tools. The Next To Natural medium styling brush has a dual bristle design, meaning that the brush moves through hair extensions with ease, without damaging extension bonds and detangles and smooths in one action. Our medium styling brush is brilliant for styling and on-the-go hair maintenance. And that’s another recommendation we tell all of our customers. We don’t often realise how tangled our hair can get on the go, when it’s caught up in us taking coats and scarves off, and rubbing against the texture of our clothes. Carry a brush with you, everywhere you go, to keep your waves flowing beautifully throughout the day. Our medium styling brush is super light and a great compact size for your handbag.

Minimise heat damage

As our Next To Natural premium hair extensions are all 100% human hair, they too, are subject to heat damage where overuse occurs. They too are prone to becoming brittle and accumulating split ends. When this happens, you will need to replace your Next To Natural hair extensions, but to improve the endurance of your hair extensions, you can:

●     Ensure you have more than one wig to spread out the need to use heat appliances over time.

●     Consider styling your extensions into styles that don’t require heat all of the time

●     Use your appliances at lower heat settings

●     Apply a heat protectant spray

Pair your natural hair maintenance with your extension maintenance

To keep your extensions filled with moisture, super smooth and beautiful shine, ensure that you give your extensions regular conditioning treatments alongside your natural hair care routine. While you should avoid the roots, you can largely treat the rest of the hair shaft, as you do your own.

Protect your hair

Store your hair extensions properly in a hanging bag or on a mannequin head. Save yourself time in advance, and add serum and brush any knots out before storing, so extensions are ready to go next time. Follow the natural direction and movement of the hair, that way you will protect the hair from breakages. To protect your own hair while you sleep, silk bonnets, scarves or pillows are an excellent consideration to avoid damaging your hair, while you move around in your sleep.

We can’t wait to book our first hair appointment when we can, but in the meantime, we hope that our top tips help make maintenance manageable.