When Can You Wash for the First Time After Your Fitting?

Straight after a fresh fitting, give the bonds time to settle before their first wash; we recommend waiting at least 48 hours. Washing too soon can disturb newly placed attachments, so resist the urge to jump straight in. After those first couple of days, you’re free to follow your usual hair washing routine. 

How Often Should You Wash Hair Extensions?

For most clients, two to three washes a week is the sweet spot. Washing daily strips moisture from the hair and adds unnecessary wear to the bonds, while leaving it too long allows oil and product to build up around the attachment points.

Between washes, a light spritz of dry shampoo at the roots, like the Colour Wow Insta-Wow Advanced Dry Shampoo or the K18 Airwash Dry Shampoo, will keep things fresh. You should always rinse after a sweaty workout or a swim, as sweat and friction at the root can soften the attachments over time.

Step One: Detangle Before You Wash

It’s a good idea to brush your extensions through before you wash your hair. Wet hair is more fragile than dry hair.

Using a soft-bristled brush like a Tangle Teezer, start gently at the ends and work your way upwards, holding the hair at the top to prevent pulling at the connection points. Once the lengths are smooth and tangle-free, you’re ready to wash.

Step Two: Get the Water Right

It’s important to always wash with your hair falling naturally downwards, not flipped to the side or upside down over a bath or sink. Flipping the hair forward bunches the roots together and pulls at the bonds, which can cause tangling at the attachment points.

Keep the water hot rather than overly hot. Very hot water can lift the hair’s cuticle and put extra stress on keratin and tape bonds, making the extensions more prone to slipping. However, if the water is too cool, it’ll be more difficult to remove product buildup.

A local note for our London clients: our water is hard, which means more mineral buildup clings to hair over time. If your extensions ever start to feel dull or coated, hard water could be the culprit. We suggest investing in a shower filter, like Hello Klean.

Step Three: Shampoo Properly

Choosing the right shampoo is half the battle. We recommend a salon-quality clarifying or volumising shampoo, and steering clear of heavy, hydrating formulas as they can leave residue and cause slipping around the bonds.

A few of our go-to shampoos:

• For fine, silky hair – Semi Di Lino Volumising Lo Shampoo
• For normal hair – Colour Wow Colour Security Shampoo
• For oily hair – Semi Di Lino Purifying Lo Shampoo
• For thick, dry or frizzy hair – Joico Youth Lock Shampoo
• For dry scalps – Maria Nila Heal Shampoo

Apply shampoo first to the areas of your scalp with no connections, and once it’s lathered, let it run down the lengths. Guide it gently through the roots downward with your fingers, never scrubbing at the connection points, especially not in a circular motion.

We always recommend washing twice: the first wash lifts surface oil and product, and the second properly cleanses the scalp. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

Step Four: Condition and Treat the Lengths

Conditioner is essential for keeping extension hair hydrated, but where you apply it is key. Work it through the mid-lengths and ends only, keeping it away from the roots and bonds. Conditioner at the attachment points softens them and encourages slipping and product build-up.

We’d also suggest a weekly nourishing mask through the mid-lengths, again avoiding the roots. Left on for a few minutes, it keeps the hair feeling silky.

A few of our go-to conditioners:

• For fine, silky hair – Joico Youth Lock Conditioner
• For normal hair – Joico Colorful Conditioner
• For oily hair – Semi Di Lino Illumination Conditioner
• For thick, dry or frizzy hair – Joico Hydrasplash Conditioner
• For dry scalps – Maria Nila Heal True Soft Conditioner

Step Five: Rinse, Squeeze and Towel Dry

Rinse thoroughly, as any product left sitting around the bonds is a recipe for build-up and slippage. Make sure you get behind the ears. Then, rather than rubbing, gently squeeze the excess water out with a soft towel; a microfibre one is ideal, as it’s much kinder to the hair than a rough bath towel. It’s also important that you don’t wear your hair up in a towel turban, but wear it more like a veil, with the hair still falling down.

Step Six: Drying the Right Way

While the hair is still damp, separate it gently with your fingers, then brush through carefully from the ends upwards.

The most important rule here is to dry your roots fully. Going to bed or leaving the house with damp roots softens the bonds and increases the risk of shedding, slipping and matting. If you’re using a hairdryer, keep it on medium heat, use a heat protectant, and finish the roots.

Does the Method Change How You Wash?

The core rules work for every method, but there are a few small differences worth noting:

• Tapes: Be especially gentle around the panels and keep oil-based products well away, as oils break tape adhesive down.
• Micro bonds: These keratin bonds dislike very hot water, so keep things at a good temperature and dry them thoroughly.
• Micro rings: Take extra care brushing around the beads and avoid heavy conditioner near the rings so they don’t slip.

Whatever your method, the golden rules don’t change: gentle hands, nothing heavy at the roots, and dry attachments every time.

Caring for Your Extensions Between Washes

A few simple habits will protect all that good work:

• Heat protection, every time. Before any straighteners, wands or hot tools, use a protectant such as GHD Bodyguard to shield both your extensions and your natural hair.
• Sleep loosely. A loose plait or low ponytail stops knots and tugging overnight.
• Tie back for the gym. A low ponytail or braid reduces friction at the roots when you exercise.