My NBR Journey Continues...
March 1, 2021
Now that you are home from your NBR hair extension application appointment, I want to remind you about a few important hair care tips. First, the number one thing to remember as you brush, wash and style your NBR extensions - don't put tension on the rows. You do not want to pull hard on your extensions and place stress on your natural hair.
The best hairbrush to use with your NBR extensions is a Wet brush. When you are ready to brush out your hair remember to start from the bottom and work your way up. Hold your hair with one hand as if it were in a ponytail and use your other hand to brush the extensions from the bottom up remembering not to put tension where your rows are connected to your actual hair.
Wet brushes are very inexpensive. There is no need to spend a lot of money on a brush for your extensions; however, once a year you will want to replace your Wet brush because the bristles tend to soften.
Brush your hair before you get into the shower to help eliminate any matting and knotting. You also want to brush your hair everyday before you go to bed. At this time it is also good to moisturize the extensions with a little bit of Argan oil. Braid the extensions to help prevent matting and knotting while sleeping.
Just like when you do not have extensions, you want to use a good quality shampoo that is sulfate free to protect your hair color and your extensions. I am currently using Wella's LuxeOil products, and Danielle White the creator of NBR extensions uses Unite products along with other hair care lines.
When shampooing your extensions, take a small amount of shampoo and use the pads of your fingers not your fingernails to massage in the shampoo. I like to begin at the nape of my neck and work up to the top of my head. I take a pea-sized amount of shampoo and massage my scalp between my hair line and my first row.
I then take another pea-sized amount of shampoo and massage between my first and second row. I make sure to clean gently underneath the rows without adding tension to the rows. Finally, I massage shampoo into the top of my hair and work the lather through my extensions
After my hair is well cleaned, I rinse the shampoo. I like to separate my hair into sections as I rinse in order for all the shampoo to be removed from my hair.
Once I have cleaned my hair well with shampoo, I then add a good quality conditioner. Depending on your hair type you may want to use only a small amount of conditioner on the ends of your hair. For my hair which is drier, I like to make sure I condition well all over my hair.
Your extension hair is going to need a conditioner that is moisture rich or designed for dry hair. This may be different than what you have used in the past, as moisturizing products may weigh your hair down, but remember I like to think of your real hair and your extension hair as two different fabrics. In the shower, gently work a moisturizing conditioner through the extension hair. If this conditioner tends to weigh your natural hair down try to apply it only to the extensions, and definitely keep it away from your scalp.
Once the conditioner is worked into your hair, be sure to rinse well like you did with the shampoo. Again, make sure not to add tension to your NBR rows as you condition and rinse your hair.
To keep your extensions in good shape I highly recommend doing a deep conditioning treatment at home once a week. This will help keep your extensions from drying which can lead to knotting and matting. I am currently using Wella's LuxeOil Keratin Restore Mask and Enrich Moisturizing Treatment.
After you towel dry your hair, apply a few pumps of Argan oil to your extension hair. Argan oil helps to smooth the cuticles of the hair and moisturize the extensions.
It is also good to apply a leave in conditioner to the extensions. This will help detangle the extensions when drying the hair.
At this point I also apply Wella's Perfect Me to my natural hair in the crown and hairline sections. Perfect Me is a lightweight beauty balm lotion that adds shine, moisturizes, tames fly-aways and helps repair and protect from the heat of styling tools. Perfect Me is not a must, but it is a product I find works well for my hair. As I mentioned it protects my hair when I blow dry, and I also like that I cannot feel the product in my hair once it is dried.
For NBR hair extensions it is important to remember the less heat the better. Following this rule, I like to take all of the natural hair on the top of my head and gather it into a bun. I clip the hair into place with my Wet alligator clip letting the hair underneath hang loose. I leave my hair like this while I go about my normal routine allowing my hair to air dry.
Air drying your hair will help minimize the heat damage to your extensions. If you do not have time to allow your extensions to air dry, then rough dry your hair using your fingers until your hair is about 90% dry. As my hair gets dryer, I then gently use a brush to smooth my hair. Remember as you do this to not put tension on your rows.
Separate your hair into sections and work from the bottom up. Slowly move your brush down your first row of hair as you blowdry. Then drop your second row of hair and repeat. Slowly and gently work your way up your hair.
If you follow these useful tips for taking care of your NBR hair extensions and use styling tools appropriately, you will have beautiful, healthy-looking hair. NBR hair extensions last longer with less styling and heat. Watch the video below to review these tips and to see a few more styling tricks including a cute and quick styling option.
In next week's blog I'll share what styling tools and products I like to use on my NBR extensions. Sign up to automatically receive my blog updates in your email.
