i have a few little tips for everyone to consider when putting in or maintaining your current extensions, that i have come to live by! i still have the only hair i've ever used and it is in absolutely fabulous condition despite having 2 installs, both lasting about 4 weeks, and a coloring session! [i purchased the sassy collection, silky straight 18" in color #1]

 

anyways, consider this:

 

i ONLY use mane-n-tail products to care for my extensions. i have found that the deep moisturizing shampoo and conditioner as well as the detangler extend the life of my extensions by a mile! i washed my extensions every 2-3 days and it never loosened the bonds or dried the hair out. i only had lifting on the edges of the wefts after about 3 1/2 weeks. [i did use the "tab" method when attaching the wefts by folding about 1/2 to a full centimeter of the edges under and then blowdrying on high/hot. this extended the wear by probably 2 weeks]

 

you can get the mane-n-tail products im talking about at sallys for about $3-3.50usd [oh and btw, get a sallys card! you can save up to a dollar and that really counts when you're purchasing many products!]

 

anyways, i also have trimmed the extensions. they were 18" at the time of purchase, and after installing/washing once i trimmed the ends about a centimeter to a half inch. this also extended the life of my extensions. after that small trim, even blowdrying didnt make them frizzy & i blew them dry after every shower and flatironed them every day. i also used a large barrel curling iron. yet still, they're in perfect condition even after 8 weeks of wear, a coloring, and heat styling daily!

 

 

just for future reference, my extensions were installed using proclaim glue purchased at sallys, about 1/2 in from the root & heat set with a blowdryer to make a firm hold. i washed my hair once every 2-3 days and blewdry/flatironed to style. i only used mane-n-tail moisturizing shampoo and conditioner... and sprayed with the detangler when hair had been towel dried. this gave the hair a certain sheen and made them look like new every day. i used a regular brush, but held onto the hair while brushing. i braided or put in a pony tail to sleep in the first week just to make sure i didnt drag them out before they had time to truely bond with my hair. to take down, i used a paintbrush to coat only the bonded area with proclaim glue remover oil [also purchased from sallys], left on for about 5 minutes then heated them up a little using my blowdryer to really get them gooey [this made it easier to get the residue out as well] and then slid the extensions out. i then used a cheap clarifying shampoo i got at the dollar store to wash my natural hair with and most of the residue was gone. i then saturated my hair in conditioner, let sit for 3 minutes, rinsed, and used a medium tooth comb to get the rest out. [after the conditioner, anything left came out quick with the comb] i never had any of the residue left to try and get out after this!

 

enjoy! & be watching for my post for my very first diy fusion install!!! 

 

Thanks so much for posting your tips! It is very generous of you to take the time to do that. I highlighted some of your tips that I think are really important and effective in my experience also.

 

I especially agree with your take on wearing a ponytail the first week. I do this too. I think pulling on the extensions too soon after installing (particularly while sleeping) will affect the length of an install.

 

I love the fact that you let the conditioner do a lot of the work in getting the residue out of your hair as well! I try to do this too. I notice that a good deep conditioning will pretty much get any tape/glue boogers out & I don't need to tug on my hair or panic! Trimming the hair is good for it too.

 

Thanks again for sharing!