Did you know, the way you sleep can affect your hair extensions? It’s true!

To help you keep your extensions healthy while sleeping we’ve asked the experts – our talented team of stylists for their top dos and don’ts.

Many people feel overwhelmed by the thought of sleeping with hair extensions in for the first time, but there’s no need to worry! With a few simple maintenance steps, your hair will stay looking fresh and feeling good. We asked our expert hair stylists Chrissy and Han W for their advice when it comes to protecting your extensions while sleeping, here are their top tips.

STEP 1: Secure Your Hair

If your someone who just hops into bed after a long day, you may want to pay attention to this step. Our senior stylist Chrissy comments, “when you have extensions it’s important to tie them back into a low loose ponytail or low braid, this avoids any pulling on the extensions.” Following Chrissy’s advice is one of the best ways to ensure your hair isn’t taut or being pulled while you sleep.

STEP 2: Silk Is Your New Best Friend

Everyone says diamonds are a girl’s best friend… well we say it’s silk! Silk reserves moisture in your hair while other fabrics, like cotton, soak up the oils in the hair more frequently, creating drier hair. To keep your hair feeling glossy and healthy our senior stylist Han W suggests “I’d recommend a silk pillowcase to everyone! Whether you have extensions or not, they’re great for your hair”. She continues, “Silk pillowcases are such a good investment. They have so many benefits, they can help reduce hair breakage and damage, if you struggle with frizz and split ends, they can also help with that”.

Silk pillowcases isn’t the only thing that can help keep your hair glowing and strong, Han W also recommends silk scrunchies as a great alternative when you’re sleeping. “Regular hair ties might be too tight for some people, scrunchies are a softer alternative that won’t leave a dent in your hair when you sleep”. Another great alternative is a silk hair wrap, it keeps all your hair in one place, this one is good for anyone who wriggles while they sleep. SILKE London is an amazing hair wrap option for anyone wanting to try this out, they’ve been featured in so many fashion magazines, such as Vogue, for their amazing hair product.

STEP 3: No Wet Hair

Sleeping with wet hair is a big no. We didn’t invest in a silk pillowcase to get tangled hair! If you leave your hair wet this can cause tangling and split ends which nobody wants! You should always make sure you dry your extensions thoroughly after washing, making sure the root area is dry first. We always recommend using a heat protecting spray when you use any heat on your hair whether it’s a hairdryer or heat styling. Our top pick is the Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Heat Protection and Frizz Serum which is loved by our stylists!

Top Tip: Be careful not to put too much heat on the connection of your extensions, this could cause your tape extensions to shrink and micro-rings slip out. Opt for a lower temperature on your hairdryer and avoid that area when styling with heat.

With the right nighttime routine, you can protect your hair extensions and wake up to flawless, tangle-free hair every morning! By following these simple tips from our expert stylists – whether it’s using a silk pillowcase or tying your hair up gently – you can keep your extensions looking just like you stepped out the salon. A good nights sleep and gorgeous hair awaits.

For other advice such as can you swim with hair extensions and going on holiday with hair extensions check out the advice page of our blog.

Sarah Mckenna

Sarah McKenna is the founder of Vixen & Blush and The London Hair Lab. Sarah graduated as a research biochemist in 2005 and started a career within the pharmaceutical industry, before becoming a hair extensions expert. In 2010, Sarah gained insight into the hair extensions industry and could see that clients had a very poor value/quality proposition. At that time, poor-quality hair extensions were available, at prohibitively high prices. Sarah left her initial career and set out on a mission to improve the hair extensions industry in the UK, using her research and development skills.

Spending 3 years securing a high-quality and sustainable supply of human hair, Sarah then developed new products and fitting techniques to allow long-term refits of the same hair. In this way, Sarah was able to offer hair extensions services at a more affordable price to clients, while improving the quality of the service for her clients.

With Vixen & Blush starting in 2012 as a 1 chair salon in London, Sarah quickly grew the business to what it is today, a team of more than 20 hair professionals working together as London’s leading hair extensions specialists.