As a brand that recently won The Best in Black Beauty Award by Essence for our kinky curly I-tips extensions, we take pride in our expertise in curly hair extensions. But we’ve noticed some questionable advice circulating online about using curly hair extensions, which has left us concerned about how people are handling their extensions.
With insights from our celebrity stylist and founder, LeAna McKnight, we've crafted this expert guide to help you navigate the world of curly hair extensions confidently and effectively.
Curly hair extensions 101 – how to pick your curly hair extensions
Before we get into using your extensions, you first need to know how to pick extensions that accentuate your beauty. It’s not just about finding 100% natural or virgin hair extensions. There’s a bit more to the process.
To help you out, here’s a summary of the steps we went over in our recent blog post on how to pick your new curly hair extensions.
- Know your hair type and curl pattern
- Check your hair density and length
- Understand the types of hair extensions available (wigs, I-tips, weft bundles, clip-ins) and how they can impact the style you’d like to achieve (e.g., thinner hair that wants more volume or fine hair wanting more density and texture).
- Decide on the expected style you want and if you want the end result to be kinky/curly or kinky/straight.
Then go ahead and pick a curly hair extension that will fit what you want to achieve.
Following this process ensures you can find a hair extension that blends in seamlessly with your hair.
For example, do you want to do a microlink hairstyle and have 4C hair? Then look for 4C type kinky curly I-tip hair extensions that will blend in well with your hair type and texture. Everyone will be wondering how you got such growth and volume overnight and admiring your new tresses.
When to wear curly hair extensions
One of the concerning trends we’ve seen is recommendations for hair extensions for every hair issue. You’ll see persons recommending getting extensions if you’re having hair loss or other hair-related problems.
But stop and think first before you even consider putting in an extension, as this might make the problem even worse. If you have traction alopecia, adding in hair extensions could worsen the situation if the style places tension on your hair.
For certain other issues, you should seek professional help before resorting to extensions.
As an example, consider other types of hair loss. This is an intricate issue and should be reviewed and a course of action provided by a certified professional, like a doctor or dermatologist.
Knowing when to use extensions is key.
Now, if you got a bad hair job and want to hide the results? Then of course hair extensions would work well here. If you want to leave your hair out, try keratin I-tips for a seamless blend that can hide any problem areas.
The overall recommendation is to only install extensions if they won’t make any problems you have worse, and you’re in a position to care for your hair and the extensions.
How long to wear your curly hair extensions
Wearing extensions for longer than the advised timeframe is a recipe for disaster. The suggested timeframe for each style is as follows:
Clip-ins and wigs:
Remove them daily and store them appropriately until your next wear. For wigs, this can be on a suitable wig head stand. Or lay both extensions flat in an appropriate container like a silk storage bag.
Sew-in extensions:
Best suited for 6-7 weeks with regular and consistent wash days during that period. And ensure to cover with a quality satin bonnet at night to prevent tangling and matting while you sleep.
Microlink hair extensions:
Best suited for 11-15 weeks. You have direct access to the scalp to care for the hair. And you can visit your stylist for link adjustment services to ensure the style continues to look awesome. To preserve, make sure your cover your hair with a satin bonnet when sleeping.
How to care for your curly hair extensions
As your hair extensions (well the ones from SL Raw Virgin Hair) are made from 100% human hair, caring for the hair will be similar to how you’d care for your naturally curly hair – with a few exceptions.
Cleansing and Conditioning
For clip-ins, ponytails, and other extension styles that you can put in and take out at will, it’s best to cleanse and condition them separately from your own hair. Ensure that they dry properly before you put them up for storage, and keep them stored away from dust, water, etc.
For other curly hair extension methods that have the extensions affixed to your hair – microlinks, sew-ins – you’ll need to still follow a consistent wash day routine. This will ensure your scalp stays clean, and your hair and the extension are cleansed, conditioned, and moisturized.
Moisturizing
For 100% virgin curly hair extensions, you need to pay attention to moisturizing, just like you would with your naturally kinky or curly hair. As they are not your hair, they won’t have the benefit of your natural oils.
Heat protection
If you use heating tools like flat or curling irons, you should invest in a quality heat protectant. Yes, you need heat protectant even for your curly hair extensions and especially if you bought them from SL Raw Virgin Hair. Our extensions are 100% virgin human hair and require the same love and care to ensure they last as long as we know they can.
Preserving your curly extensions
Before you sleep at night, ensure to secure your hair in a satin bonnet after moisturizing and detangling.
Ensure to brush your extensions with a detangling hairbrush while wet to prevent matting. And apply a leave-in conditioner daily, distributing evenly from the ends and throughout your curly extensions.
When storing your extensions, make sure to lay them flat in a satin or silk storage bag to prevent them from being tangled. Place them in a cool dry area without anything on them to prevent them from being squished or getting wet.
Depending on the type of hair extension, they can last from 1 to 3 years with multiple installs and wears if you care for them properly.
Styling your curly extensions
Depending on the type of curly hair extension, you can easily style just as you would your natural hair.
You can consider perm rod sets with a lotion or custard to get defined curls, straightening with a flat iron, adding curls with a curling iron, heat wand, crimper. If you’re using heat, make sure to add a heat protectant if the hair is 100% virgin.
And if you’d like to style with microlink hair extensions with 100% virgin hair, try our kinky curly I-tip hair, awarded Best in Black Beauty by Essence.