Continuing with my series on permanent hair extensions, today I want to tell you how to take care of natural hair ring extensions at home. Ring extensions divide into micro ring (the ones I wear) and nano ring.
In this post I tell you my opinion about microring extensions. And more generally, here I talk about everything you need to know about fixed natural hair extensions: types that exist and which ones work best depending on what you are looking for.
When I first put on the extensions I had no idea how to take care of them. I didn’t know what to wash them with, what to comb them with, how maintenance was done, etc. But after a year with them I have learned a lot. And I have also taken some scare along the way I want to tell you.
Putting on extensions is a considerable expenditure of money, so it is important to pamper them well from day one.
These are the general recommendations (and proven by my experience) to keep natural hair ring extensions, which are the ones I wear. However, you will notice that many tips also apply to other types of extensions.
How to care for natural hair ring extensions
These are the 5 tips to follow to take care of ring hair extensions.
1. How to sleep with ring hair extensions?
To sleep with your ring extensions, it is best to make two braids. In this way, the hair is fastened and does not rub excessively.
If you collect your hair in a low ponytail, the area of the ring, the one that is attached to the head, will be protected, but the rest of the hair, no. And in this way the ends will be opened and the hair will be damaged from the root.
2. How to wash ring extensions?
Shampoos and conditioners for extensions.
The ring extensions are glued with keratin. This glue is what keeps them together. When you use products with certain chemicals, the glue that binds them together can fall apart. On the other hand, it can also deteriorate the hair itself.
For example, traditional shampoos, with sulfates will modify the color of the extension. In the event that you wear dyed or discolored extensions.
On the other hand, I will also tell you that sulfate-free shampoo will surprise you if you have not used it before. It makes less foam and will give you the impression that it cleans less. But in the long run, it protects your ring extensions more.
Remember also that the oils in conditioners and masks also cause the extensions to loosen and the ring to slip. Therefore, apply these products only from mid to tips, not at the root. At the root we only apply the shampoo.
Rubin of Switzerland shampoos are a specific option for washing hair with extensions specifically:
How often do you wash the extensions?
Ring hair extensions are the easiest to wash. More than curtain ones, for example. However, it is a heaviness, equally. And you will also notice that washing them deteriorates them. This is due to the use of products, rubbing when rubbing them and also the use of dryer and irons.
So I recommend that you only wash your hair when you need it. I’ve talked about it with other girls and for some reason hair with extensions requires less washing. When I wore the clip extensions I washed them very little, and you could tell that the hair was much better preserved. But ultimately, the important thing is to follow a routine that suits you.
Finally, never go to bed with wet hair.
3. Natural hair ring extensions: how to comb them
Avoid wearing forks that rub or pull the rings. You’ll also notice that it’s best not to wear high pigtails, let alone suspender bows. It is best to wear your hair up but without any tension.
For example, to be at home, I usually wear it collected only at the top with a clip clip. But this clamp I leave super loose so that it does not put pressure on the hair.
When I drive I carefully place my hair in front of my shoulders in two strands, and above the belt. If he let it fall on his back freely he would rub against the seat.
Every night and every morning I detangle my hair gently. I start at the tips and work my way up carefully to the root.
It’s an exercise that takes me several minutes so I take advantage of doing it while watching Netflix. Or just while I reflect in front of the bathroom mirror! Who wants meditation when you can do “untangling therapy”?
In general, avoid tangles and knots in extensions. There are also brushes with flexible spikes, which helps to detangle hair more easily with fixed extensions.
There are specific brushes for extensions like the one I leave below, but in reality anyone with separate and long spikes can serve:
4. My extensions lose hair!
Hair extensions and developer
With the extensions, not everything has been a bed of roses. I went through a time that generated a lot of stress last Christmas, when I went to have maintenance and discovered when I got home that the extensions were falling apart.
I did it in a salon in Spain that I had never tried for extensions, because I coincided there the appointment to upload them.
They removed them without problem, but when it came to putting them back in my hair, something happened that had never happened to me. When I got home I started to see that my hair was slipping and peeling off the ring. I didn’t drop the full extension, but loose hairs fell out.
I was very scared. I had to shoot a campaign for a shampoo brand I collaborate with on Instagram and I was running out of hair! I tried to ignore it and hope it would stop falling after a while. I tried to get on with my life.
But I couldn’t ignore it. The next day I went back to the hairdresser and told them what was happening to me.
The problem apparently was that the keratin that binds the hairs inside each strand had dissolved.
No one yet knows for sure what happened, but the hypothesis is that the coloration products and developer have been able to dissolve the keratin of the extension. And only when removing the rings is when the hair has separated.
How to bleach or dye your hair when wearing extensions
Be that as it may, try to give yourself the color or do the discoloration only when you do not have the extensions on. This will save you from spoiling the extension from oxygenating the extension.
That is, take the appointment to remove the extensions first. After they make you the color. Or you do it at home, whatever. And once you have the color, put the extensions back on you. My advice. And I wish I had known sooner because I haven’t been able to find any information about it on the internet.
5. Pull up rings extensions every 2-3 months
At first my extensionist recommended me to do it every 8 or 10 weeks, but for me personally 3 months (12 weeks) is what best suits me.
Every 3 months is when I give myself the extensions, so it is perfect for me to take them off, give me the color and then put them back on.
It is important not to let more time pass because the lower ring, the more it can rub and therefore fall.
Anyway. The extensions for me have been a before and after. They have helped me get that Barbie hair that I have always liked so much. But I also have to admit that they require maintenance that many people are not willing to assume.
If you have decided to wear them, go ahead! But remember that they are your babies and you have to take care of them and pamper them as they deserve. Now you know how to take care of natural hair extensions with rings and any other type of fixed extension, so go ahead!
Much love,
Deliria Rose
