Your clients are spending a lot of money on their hair extensions, and you’re spending a lot of time installing them, so you both have a vested interest in making sure they last as long as possible!

There are a multitude of tips and tricks to keep extensions in great shape, one of which is deep conditioning. It’s not an absolute necessity, but deep conditioning every once in a while is a great way to make sure your extensions last as long as possible. Natural hair is lucky since it receives all the oils your scalp produces, which (usually) keeps it healthy and hydrated. Unfortunately, this oil doesn’t reach your extensions, so you have to work a bit harder to keep them hydrated.

To deep condition, first wash the hair with a moisturizing shampoo and rinse. Then squeeze out the excess water—hair should not be sopping wet. Apply a quarter-sized amount of deep conditioner to the extensions and distribute the product evenly, starting at the roots and working down to the tips. Using a wide-toothed comb is an easy way to evenly coat the hair. Most treatments should be left in for about 5 minutes, but always consult the bottle for the proper application method! Rinse thoroughly with cool water and gently squeeze the hair with a towel to remove the extra water. If need be, a leave-in conditioner can be applied afterward. Make sure the treatments are sulfate and alcohol free, since those ingredients will dry out and damage the extensions, which is exactly what we don’t want!

Bonus tips:

Let clients know that they can use deep-conditioning hair masks once or twice a week. The mask should be applied to the extensions and left on for around 30 minutes, then rinsed out. Then they should follow with their regular shampooing and conditioning regimen.

For daily brushing maintenance, we recommend using the Babe Extension Brush because it’s a soft paddle brush that won’t pull or tug on the hair with stiff bristles. Start at the tips of the hair and work up to the root.

Just remember, a little extra TLC keeps your extensions in tip-top shape!