Caring for Hair When in Protected Styles

Start of week 3 of Urban Twists

A lot of times people feel that when they get weaves or extensions, they can ignore their hair underneath until they take them out. FALSE. You have to care for your hair just as you would if the weave or extensions weren't in. Don't neglect your hair. Below, I'll share some tips on how I am caring for my hair while my extensions are in for the next few weeks.

- I still wash my hair. You must remove build-up, dirt, debris from your hair and scalp for it to be healthy. When I don't have extensions I wash my hair about every week. With the extensions I wash it every 10 days or so.
- I keep my scalp moisturized daily with an all-natural hair oil or hair butter that I purchased from the salon.
- I sleep with a satin bonnet or use a satin pillowcase every night. Friction with cotton pillowcases causes dryness and frizz. This will keep your style fresher and help it last longer.
- When washing my hair, I retwist is (twisting every 2 just like it was when I first left the salon) and thoroughly wet my hair. Using my shampoo, I concentrate on the scalp, lightly massaging it in. I use diluted shampoo (mixed with water) on my actual hair (note: this shampoo is sulfate free and made with natural ingredients to prevent drying). After rinsing thoroughly, I apply my conditioner and let it sit for 15-20 min with a plastic cap. Then, rinse out the conditioner, lightly towel blot and squeeze my hair dry, and let it air dry overnight. I leave my twists in for the next day and then unravel again.

Almost 3 weeks later after washing/conditioning extensions

Also, leaving extensions in for more than 2 months isn't recommended. Some people have done this and it may not have caused an issue, but in GENERAL it isn't a good idea. Your hair can start to lock or become matted so don't overdo it.

The goal of having protective styles is to give your hair a break without allowing it to dry out or become unhealthy, so keep it moisturized and clean and when you take it out, your hair should be happy! :)