AfterCare Fun!
When I first started wearing weave, I had no idea that it was possible to take out the extensions and wear them again. I had spent hundreds of dollars just to throw it away after a few months. So much money wasted when all I had to do was perform some simple aftercare on my extensions.
I discovered weave aftercare a few years ago when I spent a lot of money on extensions for the first time. I talked to some friends of mine that wore weave regularly how they kept their hair looking new and fresh all the time. They mentioned that they took out their extensions, washed the, dried them, and reinstalled them.
Most of them wore high-quality hair that lasted a long time. After that, it all made sense. I wouldn’t have to spend tons of money just to achieve a new and fresh look! Aftercare is essential when attempting to maintain your looks.
When your weave is stale, a little aftercare might be all you need to gather your look together. Also, if you just want a break from weave but don’t want to throw away your hair, aftercare is the best way to do that. Let’s get into it!
How to Take Care of Your Weave After it is Taken Out
Weave, bundles, and inches.
Whatever you may call it, taking the proper steps to care for your hair extensions is essential! It is stressed to care for installed extensions as if you were caring for your hair, but what about when you take those extensions out?
Before storing your hair away until your next install, make sure to cleanse the wefts and hair to prevent shedding, tangles, and dryness.
Today, we are going to show you how to bring your weave back to life after uninstalling it!
Taking Our Your Weave
Sometimes when we as women decide to uninstall weave, we may not be thinking about how to care for the extensions after we take them out, because we now have to worry about our natural hair.
If you took the time to invest in human hair extensions, then you must also take the time to invest in care and patience. You can use most high-quality hair for up to one year, and when you take the time to “bring your hair back to life” it can be rewarding.
So how do you get those beautiful tresses to look fresh and revived?
These next few steps could be what you need to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to extending the life cycle of your gorgeous extensions.
This my personal technique but know that you don’t have to follow it in this exact manner.
Step 1: Before Removing the Weave
Post takedown gently combs through the hair with a wide-toothed comb (for more curly styles use your fingers to comb through the curly tresses) to remove any tangles or knots. You may also take this time to sort your extensions, depending on the length.
This step has helped me when it comes time to wash and deep condition the hair and helps you to stay organized during the washing process.
Step 2: Clean the Weave
Next, you will grab shampoo to cleanse the wefts of your extensions to remove dandruff or buildup.
When working the shampoo into the wefts use your pointer finger and thumb to massage the product in, and to lift up any dirt. When you are shampooing your hair, focus mainly on the wefts.
Make sure you cleanse the extensions one at a time. For my beauties that are on a budget, Garnier Fructis carries a wide variety of shampoos and conditioners that are under five dollars. I have invested in the Triple Nutrition shampoo and conditioner, and it revives my extensions as if they were brand new every time.
You can find the shampoo and conditioner at your local grocery or drugstore, and leave the store paying no more than nine to ten dollars. The best part about the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition line is that it is paraben and sulfate-free, which will aid in moisturizing and strengthen your hair.
Who wouldn’t love that?
Step 3: Wash out the Shampoo
After shampooing, rinse the tracks under cold water until all of the soap suds are washed away.
You can guide the shampoo off of the wefts while rubbing in a back and forth motion under the cold water with your pointer finger and thumb.
If needed, please repeat the shampooing process to ensure that all dirt, dandruff, and buildup is no longer present.
Step 4: Condition Your Weave
Then, apply a generous amount of conditioner to the tracks and hair one at a time.
Using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to gently comb through the hair and distribute the conditioner evenly through each stand. If a section of your extension is dry simply run it under the cold water again, and then apply the conditioner.
Lay the hair into a plastic bag to deep condition for up to 20 minutes, do not lay the extensions on top of one another to prevent tangling.
For better results, use a handheld dryer for a deeper conditioning treatment, or place the hair into a hairdryer on cool or low heat. I have noticed that the hair comes out softer and shinier after applying heat to the extensions.
Step 5: Rinse Your Weave
After 20 minutes, rinse with cold water, and use an old t-shirt or your hands to squeeze any excess water out.
Try not to clump up the hair together or ball it up when doing this step. Squeeze out the water in a downward motion, working your way from the top to the tips of the hair. After squeezing out the water you can either let the hair air dry or use your handheld dryer to make time go by faster, but it is important to protect the hair before carrying on with either step.
Use a light heat protectant or oil to seal the ends of the hair and the wefts; the Tresemme Heat Tamer is a great option.
This heat protectant aids in protecting the hair from the potential damage of heating tools, and seal in shine and moisture.
Step 6: Dry Your Weave
Finally, hang the hair up to air dry. To do this, you can use a clothes hanger with pants clips on both sides to clip onto the tracks.
If you do not have hangers with clips already attached then you can also use a clothespin and clip it onto the hanger. After hanging up all of your extensions place them in an area that is well ventilated, and high enough for the hair not to touch the ground.
After an hour and a half check on the drying process, do not leave the wet hair out for more than four hours to prevent any moldy smell.
If your hair is not dry in time, you can finish the drying process with a handle held hairdryer.
Step 7: Properly Store Your Weave
Storing hair extensions is not hard but it should be something you take seriously if you want it to last for another install.
Once the hair is fully dry, you can place your extensions into a bag or bundle them back together, securing each bundle with a hair tie or rubber band. A lot of our clients use our custom hair extension packaging which is a nice touch for their clients to store the weave.
Now the hair will be fully prepped for the next time that you set up an appointment with your favorite hairstylist! You can also use these simple steps when you are caring for wigs as a weekly wash routine.
What ways do you take care of your extensions after removing them?
Please share this article or comment below to share your questions and thoughts!
Remember This
Overall, aftercare is essential to maintaining your weave and optimizing your look. I love utilizing aftercare whenever my hair is feeling a little stiff and is in need of a wash.
Since, it’s difficult to fully shampoo, condition, and dry weave without dampening your cornrows underneath, aftercare is a great way to cleanse that hair. Also, it’s important to know that aftercare is best after a certain period of time. Typically for me, it takes about 2 to 3 months for me to get tired of the extensions I’m wearing.
However, you don’t have to wear them for that long. I know some people that take out their weave after four weeks of wearing it. It all depends on your own personal experience and what you want! Don’t be afraid to switch up your aftercare routine as well. Some people like to use certain kinds of shampoo and conditioners.
It all depends on what you prefer. Do you have a favorite aftercare technique? How long until you perform an aftercare routine? Let us know in the comments!
