Applying Heat to Your Hair Extensions Properly
Posted by Donna Bella on
Most hair extension wearers will opt for human remy hair because it can be styled just like natural hair. Synthetic hair extensions don’t do too well with heat, therefore they should never be styled with a heating tool. Because remy hair is made out of human hair, it has more flexibility to be styled and can take the heat when it comes to using styling tools. Keep in mind that constant styling with a heating tool isn’t too healthy for your natural hair, either, let alone your hair extensions. If you can give them a break from the blow dryer, the curling iron, and the straightener, your hair will thank you for it by lasting longer. We just wanted to give you a couple tips on using those heating tools. You probably are aware of them, but the following is the “proper way” to apply heat when it comes to your extensions...well, your natural hair too.Just because there’s a high setting on that tool doesn’t mean you need to go that high. The best thing to do when choosing a setting for your hair is to pick a lower setting and do a test strand. If you feel it’s not curling or straightening the way it’s supposed to, then adjust the heat by increasing it in small amounts to where you feel it is the appropriate temperature.
Heat Protectors and oils. Before blow drying a wet head, make sure to apply a couple pumps of a blow dry primer. These primers usually contain a certain amount of heat protectant and can cut your drying time in half (less heat is always good). By applying the right blow dry primer, you protect your hair from color fade, breakage, and frizz. Now here’s where it gets tricky: do you apply a heat protecting serum right before taking the straightening iron/ curling iron to your locks? The answer is no. If you’re applying serums to each strand before placing it into the heat tool, you’re doing more harm than good. If your hair is wet with anything, like water, oil, spray, etc... you’re basically frying your hair. The proper way to apply heat protectants is to distribute the product throughout the hair and let it set before applying heat.
Wand Vs. Curling Iron. Why are so many switching over to a wand? The answer is simple—it styles faster. The wand takes less time than the original curling iron and that means less heat time on your strands. The wand was designed to give you the curls you get from a curling iron in less time, and it’s easier to use than the iron...after some practice that is.
The main things to remember when it comes to heat styling tools are settings, protection, and using the right tools. If you have a secret to styling hair please let us know. We always enjoy hearing feedback from our Donna Bellas!