There is no accessory more practical and easy to use even if you are inexperienced than clip-in extensions. They are very practical and you don’t need professional help whenever you need to maintain them, they come in various versions, sizes and can be derived from both human hair and synthetic material.
However there is a moment in which you can look a little lost when it comes time to make a change or after washing, the issue of heat tools in the extensions can generate a little insecurity because we do not want to damage it but sometimes we do not have time to go to a professional, what can we do?
Natural vs. Synthetic Clip-In Extensions
The first step when it comes to elaborating a cleaning routine or when you need to change the structure of your extensions for a specific occasion is to know what you have. For obvious reasons you can’t treat natural hair the same way you do not treat synthetic hair, nor can you treat mixed extensions or Remy’s hair.
Each extension should be processed depending on its quality, for example, natural hair extensions can be washed using a similar process to the one we implement with ours only that we would do it in a container with enough water and shampoo taking care to tangle them as little as possible.
After cleaning, they are properly moisturized with masks and carefully untangled in the process.
With the synthetic ones, it is not so easy because they tend to be a bit problematic, they tangle quickly and it is better to wash them dry to avoid a mess. It is also not a good idea to moisturize them because the fiber they are made of does not absorb it, therefore, it does not generate any benefit for them.
Heat Tools, Can I Use Them?
As with care and maintenance, the level of heat you can apply depends a lot on the product you have, there is usually no impediment to using heat on natural, virgin, or Remy’s hair.
But this is not the case with synthetic or mixed hair, it is almost impossible to apply heat without damaging them, so it is not recommended, even in professional hands. Synthetic extensions are made in a sense to cover emergencies or low budgets but for a short time, because they have a limited lifespan, unlike natural hair that you can continue to use for a long time as long as you keep it with the necessary care.
Therefore, the answer to your question is yes. You can safely apply heat to your extensions as long as they are made of a material that can withstand it, also taking into account that even if it is natural hair, you should use moisturizers or thermal protections to avoid damage and that these have a longer life.
What Is The Maximum Heat Level?
None, you can apply up to the maximum heat that your tool can reach without any problem, of course, being careful and removing it when necessary. If your extensions are natural, they can withstand the same level of heat as your hair.
But if you have any doubts about this and think that doing it yourself at home could be dangerous, we recommend that you go to your stylist. It is well known that the strength of clip-in extensions is their ease of use without the need for a salon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t leave them in capable hands if you feel they might be in danger.
What Type Of Hair Can Clip-In Extensions Support?
Any type of hair is suitable for these extensions; they are non-abrasive, very light, removable, and invisible. Therefore, if you have weak or brittle hair, they won’t hurt you, they are not a problem for fine hair and no specific length is required to use them.
Warnings About The Use Of Clip-In Extensions
Use factor
Clip-in hair extensions are removable for a good reason, they give your hair a break from the extra weight and allow you to change your look quickly and easily. At the end of the day, you always have to remove them, especially before going to sleep.
Firstly because it is very uncomfortable to sleep with them, you can also tangle them during the night and the worst thing is that they can get caught or fuse with your natural hair so that when you want to remove them you can lose a lot of hair in the process.
Time factor
Another thing to keep in mind is the amount of time you happen with them, clip-in extensions can be used a maximum of three times a week because the constant use and weight can cause weakness in the roots of our hair, as well as discomfort in the scalp.
The most serious consequences of prolonged use can be the beginning of baldness, hair weakness, and hair loss at key points due to excessive tension. Clip-in extensions are very practical and easy to use but we must take into account that our natural hair also requires special care, especially if we want to continue using this kind of accessories.
Tips For Thermal Care
Washing: first of all, you should know that your best friend is shampoos without sulfates or salt since they allow you to eliminate the unhealthy grease that may accumulate in the extensions during daily use. Washing is simple; you just need a bowl of water and a little patience.
Moisturizing: all treatments that include vitamins, nutrition, hydration, protection, and natural oils are very beneficial for our hairpieces as long as we rinse them very well to avoid caking of the strands.
Brushing: it can be done in two ways, with freshly washed hair and a flexible and spaced bristle comb or once the extension is dry with a soft bristle brush. Brushing should always be from the roots to the ends using moderate force and rhythmic movements.
If you find yourself in the situation of encountering a very difficult knot, take the time to try to pull it out with your hands gently and delicately without pulling too hard so as not to damage the accessory, you can also help yourself with a product.
Protections: there is a wide range of products that can be extremely useful when it comes to protecting your precious extensions from heat. From hair ampoules to creams or foams, they are all equally valid.
However, it is not only about protection but also about the frequency with which these tools are used because something we must take into account is that it is cut hair without blood flow, so it does not recover in the same way as our hair.
That is why although there is no problem with applying tools; we must take into account that the resistance of this type of hair is not the same.
Are Our Clip-In Hair Extensions Only Used To Lengthen Hair?
No, hair extensions are not only versatile when it comes to changing the length of our hair, but also offer a good option to increase the volume, especially if you are one of those people with very fine hair who dreams of an abundant mane.
Another strong point of extensions is the color; some people do not dare to leap into the world of color. Clip-in extensions are a great opportunity to try partial, full, highlights and highlights that you are afraid to do on your hair without consequences and that you can take out in an instant if you don’t like it.
Clip-in hairpieces cover a wide range of styles, whether for hairstyles, buns, additions, color combinations, among other things that you can do for every special occasion you have pending on your agenda.
And not only that, but they can also be included in your daily routine since you can alternate between hairstyles, loose styles, and colors that match your outfits and then remove them at night and look completely different the next day.
Remi
Depending on the quality of the extensions, they can last a year or a little more, the Premium or Remy versions are the longest lasting because of the cuticle preservation, and all this taking into account if for example, you want to dye them, apply heat, straighten them, etc.
Natural
Natural hair can last 6 to 9 months with good care and moisturizing routines. But it is also possible that they last longer if for example they are used infrequently and do not happen through aggressive processes, they can last up to a year.
Synthetic
They have a duration of two or three months, since their maintenance is complicated and they are not made to have a very long useful life, so it is not recommended to use this material to make permanent extensions, because they can threaten the health of our hair.
How To Avoid Mistreatment When Using Clip-In Extensions And Heat?
Daily care
Although it may not seem like it, the daily exposure of the extensions is one of the main causes of deterioration. The suns, the breeze, pollution in the environment, stress, are serious causes of damage.
If our lifestyle is very busy, it is best to take precautions before going out to avoid discomfort, a look at the weather can give you a clue as to whether you can wear them loose or if it is better to wear them in a bun to avoid generating knots.
Thermal masks and creams with sunscreen incorporated protect us from the harmful ultraviolet rays as well as from the high temperatures of our thermal tools.
It is also a good idea to dedicate a few minutes to a quick brushing to keep them untangled and free of impurities.
Night care
This is one of the most important and unavoidable steps since clip-in extensions must inevitably be removed at night to sleep comfortably as well as to avoid styling disasters.
You can choose to wash them once you remove them with the appropriate products as well as you can simply comb them carefully and thoroughly and then proceed to store them in a silk or fabric sheath that prevents tangling.
A good option to store them is to hang them vertically and cover them with a plastic bag so that they are not affected by dust, you can store them in a closet without taking up much space, and in this way, you do not run the risk of them getting tangled or damaged as it could happen when folded in a package.
Heat and more heat
Another strategy to preserve and care for your extensions when applying heat is to only apply as much heat as necessary. If for example the extensions are damp and you would like to straighten them, wait for them to dry naturally, and then apply the flat iron, as heat, although not dangerous, can gradually dull the shine as the hair extensions do not regenerate due to lack of blood flow and nutrients.
And although thermal hair masks can be a great help, we can always extend the life of these accessories if we are a little more careful when applying changes such as straightening or tongs.
