Adding length and volume to your hair does not mean forgoing proper care by washing the added strands. However, as with any cosmetic product, you need to follow certain rules to ensure your locks do not lose their luxurious appeal before their recommended wearing time elapses. Our piece on how to dry tape-in hair extensions should help you maintain your look after washing.

Proper Hair Care for Tape Extensions

Why Are Tape Hair Extensions Popular?

The best tape-in hair extensions offer numerous advantages over clip-ins or wigs. They are not uncomfortable to wear, for starters, as their method of attachment to your own hair relies on medical-grade glue on an adhesive strip. In addition, you will be in any pain with them on or risk damaging your natural hair since they do not pull on your stands.

Furthermore, the tape hair extensions blend well with existing follicles allowing you more freedom in how you choose to style your hair. The variation is more breathable and lightweight than clip-ins or wigs. However, unlike their counterparts, tape extensions are tricky to do by yourself. Consequently, you will need a professional stylist, preferably a licensed cosmetologist, to help you install them.

Why You Should Keep Your Tape-in Hair Extensions Clean

Your scalp produces natural oils (sebum) that assist in keeping the hair and skin underneath it moisturized and healthy. In addition, it forms a protective barrier to help keep your skin looking young and preserve it from the negative effects of the elements. Plus, disease-causing bacteria cannot penetrate the skin pores to bring about an infection since the sebum keeps them out.

Unfortunately, when sebum builds up, your beautiful hair will lose its shine and appear greasy and unhealthy. Also, you can expect issues with dandruff, excessive itching and damage to the hair and scalp. Consequently, washing your hair is critical to maintaining its health.

How and When to Wash Your Hair Extensions

The adhesive strips on tape-in hair extensions are not susceptible to water damage, so you should wash them. If you are using human hair extensions, washing your hair every day helps ensure that it remains healthy over its life span. However, the tape bonds should remain oil, dirt and moisture-free to help them last longer.

Ideally, you can have tape-in human hair extensions for twelve months. Still, overwashing (three to two times a week should be sufficient with a hair mask treatment weekly) can compromise the adhesive glue, so you will need specific shampoo and conditioner to keep it clean. Additionally, the tape hair extensions can dry out quickly when you frequently clear out the sebum your scalp secretes. Eventually, once your hair has grown significantly, you need to see your stylist so that they can remove them with a special solution that ensures you are not uncomfortable during the process.

So, how do you deal with freshly washed hair extensions?

How to Dry Hair Extensions

Once you are out of the shower, it is critical to resist the urge to brush your hair. Ideally, even brushing natural hair while it's wet causes breakage. Hence, you should avoid doing so when wearing hair extensions. After all, the moistened tape bonds are weak, soft and can slip off.

Furthermore, although letting your own hair air dry naturally is recommended, having tape extensions means finding an alternative. When the tape is exposed to moisture for long periods, the glue weakens. Blow drying wet hair, especially the roots, helps maintain your new strands. However, you can allow the rest of the length to dry naturally.

You will need to aim the blow dryer at your head instead of the extended strands. Still, remember that this method solely applies to human hair extensions, as synthetic ones can melt when you blow-dry them because of the excessive heat. Avoid a hair-dryer appliance for this case, and use a dry towel to gently work at the roots as you pat and rub carefully.

Moreover, avoid letting your hair dangle by bowing your head when blow-drying. The added weight of the drying motion can cause the tapes to slip when they are in a wet, softened and weak state. Similarly, you should avoid sleeping with wet hair as it will get pulled as you toss and turn under the covers. Also, ensure you tie up your dry hair extensions to prevent tangles that put a strain on the tapes.

Frequently Asked Questions on Drying Tape-in Hair Extensions

1. How do you dry tape hair extensions quickly?

If you have synthetic hair extensions, try to avoid using a blow-dryer as the direct heat can cause them to melt. Instead, using a dry towel to pat and gently rub the roots helps clear out the moisture close to the scalp as you let the rest air dry. Alternatively, you can aim your blow dryer to target the scalp when wearing real hair extensions, but remember to keep this process short.

2. Can you let your tape-in extensions air dry?

You can let tape extensions air dry, but you need to ensure that the roots do not retain moisture while the rest of the strands take their time to dry. Staying with wet hair for extended periods can cause the tapes to lose their grip and slip off. Hence, towel or blow-drying the roots should be a priority when you step out of the shower.

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