Remy hair is real human hair, so it wants much the same care as your own. The difference is the joins: the rings or tapes at the root are where extensions are most easily stressed, and most aftercare comes down to protecting them.
What follows applies to nano ring, micro ring and tape-in fittings alike, with the differences pointed out where they matter. If Jaz gives you care instructions for your own fitting, hers come first.
Washing without stressing the joins
Wash with your head upright, in the shower, rather than tipped forward over a basin, so the hair falls the way it grows and does not knot at the root.
Work shampoo into the scalp with your fingertips rather than scrubbing, and let it run through the lengths as you rinse. Put conditioner and any mask on the mid-lengths and ends only. Conditioner at the root can loosen tape adhesive and make ring joins slip.
Rinse thoroughly. Product left sitting around the joins is one of the commonest causes of matting near the root.
A gentle shampoo and a light conditioner are all most fittings need. Heavy oils and rich masks are best kept to the ends: near the root they can make tapes slip and leave residue around rings that is hard to rinse out.
Brushing and detangling
Brush at least twice a day, and always before washing and before bed. Start at the ends and work upwards a section at a time, holding the hair just below the joins with your other hand so the brush never pulls on them.
A soft-bristled brush or a loop brush made for extensions glides over the rings or tapes instead of catching on them. Avoid fine-toothed combs near the root.
If you find a small tangle at a join, ease it apart with your fingers rather than brushing through it. Left alone, small tangles turn into matting.
Run your fingers gently along the scalp now and then, between the rows. It separates any joins that have started to cling together and tells you early if something feels different.
Heat styling the lengths
Remy hair can be curled and straightened like your own, but it does not get natural oils from your scalp, so it dries out faster if it is overheated.
Use a heat protector on the lengths, keep straighteners and tongs at a moderate setting, and keep the heat away from the joins themselves. Metal rings hold heat, and tape adhesive softens with it.
When you blow-dry, dry the roots first on a cooler setting so the joins are not left damp, then style the lengths.
At night and day to day
Never go to bed with wet or damp hair. Dry it fully, brush it through and tie it in a loose plait or a low, loose ponytail so it cannot tangle while you sleep. A silk or satin pillowcase reduces friction.
For swimming, tie your hair up, rinse it straight afterwards and condition the lengths, because chlorine and salt water dry hair out.
Tying your hair up is fine. Keep ponytails loose rather than scraped tight, and change where you tie it so the same joins are not pulled every day.
Knowing when it is time for a move-up
Your own hair keeps growing, so the joins move down with it. As they do, they carry more weight further from the scalp and become harder to hide and easier to tangle.
When the joins have visibly grown down, or the hair at the root is starting to knot, it is time for a move-up. How soon that is depends on how fast your hair grows and the method you wear. Jaz will tell you at the fitting what to expect.
At a move-up the rings or tapes come down, your own hair is tidied up and the same extension hair goes back in at the root. If a fitting has been left too long or someone else fitted it, maintenance, refitting and removal covers that too.
Questions readers ask
Can I colour my extensions at home?
It is best not to. Remy hair takes colour differently from your own hair, and dye near the joins can affect the rings or tapes. Ask Jaz first if you want a change of colour.
How often should I wash hair extensions?
Two or three times a week suits most people. Washing more often dries the lengths out, and washing less often lets product and oil build up around the joins.
What should I do if a ring or tape feels loose?
Leave it rather than pulling or re-pressing it yourself, and get in touch so Jaz can look at it at a maintenance appointment.
Your next step
If your extensions are not sitting right, or you are not sure whether a fitting is due a move-up, send Jaz a short description through the form on this page: what is in your hair, who fitted it and how long it has been there. She will call you back to arrange a time to look at it in Wolverhampton.
