How Long Do Hair Extensions Last?

Hair extensions are designed to enhance even the shortest hair with thicker and longer locks. They provide that confidence boost that everyone is after, but it can be tricky to pick the right option for your hair type, and care for it to make your new hair last longer.

So, how long do hair extensions last? There are many factors contributing to your hair extensions’ retention, with the most important including:

Personal maintenance
The raw material and the quality of your extensions
Salon maintenance

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Keep reading to discover more expert tips on how to properly care for your extensions to result in long and healthy retention.

Types of Extension

The type of extensions you have been prescribed for your individual hair needs comes with different retention timeframes and aftercare advice. This section will go into more detail on these specifics and how long hair extensions should last.

Russian Hair Extensions

Russian hair is unlike any other, luxurious and strong. Russian hair extensions are long-lasting as they are made from one of the healthiest hair types. This is down to the low salt and fat diet commonly seen in Russia.

Russian extensions are strong, nutrient-rich and lightweight, making them a well-worth investment.

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With Russian extensions, you can expect a retention of between one and five years, as long as you follow correct aftercare and maintenance both independently and at the salon.

Russian extensions can come in the following forms:

Read on to learn more about these different types of hair extensions…

Luxury Russian Clip-In Hair Extensions

At our Harrogate salon, we create custom-made Russian, Slavic and European wefts for clip-in hair extensions. Each individual hair is hand-threaded by our team of experts for natural, amazing-looking hair.

The attention to detail that can be found at The Hair Alchemist ensures that, with proper maintenance, your Russian clip-ins can last up to five years.

Micro Ring Hair Extensions

The only truly safe, damage-free method of hair extension attachment for your hair. Micro rings are some of the easiest extensions to maintain, making their retention between one and five years.

Micro rings use no harsh chemicals, and their maintenance appointments cause no damage, further factors as to why micro ring extensions are a great choice for lengthy retention.

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Miniature Micro Rings

Mini micro rings are revolutionary. They allow individuals who never thought they could get extensions, due to having extremely fine hair, to get the hair of their dreams, safely and discreetly.

With our specific attachment method alongside proper maintenance and aftercare, your mini micro ring hair extensions could last between one and five years!

Think our luxury Russian hair extensions are for you? Contact us today to arrange your free consultation.

How Long Will Your Hair Extensions Last?

Choosing a damage-free hair extension attachment is the best way to ensure your hair extension will last for as long as possible. However, some other factors will affect how long your extensions last…

Your Hair Type

Unfortunately, things we can’t control do play a part in how long your hair extensions will last. Hair type, for example, is a very important factor when it comes to recommending hair extensions.

Coarse Vs Fine Hair

Coarse hair is naturally strong and less susceptible to breakage, making it a great hair type for extensions. Coarse hair can also handle heavier extension types, such as micro rings.
Fine hair is generally weak and prone to breakage, so it may require light-weight extension styles only, such as mini micro rings.

Thick Vs Thin Hair

Thicker hair provides a more secure base to the extensions, and also allows them to be blended well and hidden discreetly.
Thin hair requires careful consideration of approach, as damage can be highly noticeable and retention can be shorter.

Curly Vs Straight Hair

Curly hair extensions tend to have a shorter life span as they are more prone to dehydration and tangles due to the perming process they undergo.
Straight hair extensions are easier to maintain, with proper care and can last a lot longer.

The Hair Colour

Hair colours that have had to undergo bleaching when being colour-matched to your natural hair are highly susceptible to breakage and damage, just as natural bleached hair would be.

Therefore, an unbleached set of extensions often has a longer retention time.

To ensure a natural finish, colour matching and blending are incredibly important – Book in today for your very own custom colour blending service.

Length

The longer the extension, the heavier the wefts are, which increases the pressure on your hair follicles – weakening them over time. This pressure causes the natural strands to detach from the hair follicle, a condition known as traction alopecia.

This stress on the scalp can also lead to breakage or slippage due to the tension; therefore, maintenance and aftercare are more and more important the longer your extensions are.

Your dreams of having long, thick hair are still possible! When applied correctly, extensions such as Micro rings are great for adding length as they don’t damage the hair. They are lined with a fine silicone layer, preventing the micro rings from slipping and providing a cushion barrier to protect both your natural hair and the extension.

Book in for your free consultation today, and start the journey towards the hair of your dreams!

Maintenance with your stylist

In-salon maintenance is imperative to ensuring healthy and long-lasting extensions. See below our expert guide to the timeframes of your appointments, which you can expect from one of our treatment plans, here at The Hair Alchemist:

One month post-fitting	Health check
Three months post-fitting	Maintenance appointment
Every two months after the above	Maintenance appointment

Personal Maintenance

If you aren’t looking after your hair properly, how can you expect it to last?

In this section, you can find expertly recommended best practices and advice for maintaining your hair at home, to make sure your hair extensions last up to five years!

Heat styling

As our extensions at The Hair Alchemist are 100% human hair, they will react in the same way to heat as your natural hair. Overheating your extensions regularly can lead to breakage and snapping.

Use a heat protectant, or opt for a heatless hairstyle.

Activity Level

Certain activities can damage your extensions. Be sure to keep them healthy by avoiding the following:

Swimming

The chlorine and other harsh chemicals can not only damage your hair, but also change the tone if bleached!

Swimming can also cause matting and tangle extensions.

If you are planning to swim with your extensions in, be sure to consult your hairdresser first to find out how to prevent damage to your hair and extension type.

Tight Hairstyles

Slicking back your extensions creates tension, which can result in breakage. Be sure to wear loose hairstyles like braids for working out/exercising.

Our Top-Tips

hair extensions in Leeds Sometimes, the routine things that are the quickest and easiest make the most impact on your hair extensions and how long they last! Read on to learn some of our expert top tips that can take less than five minutes:

Brush often

Improper brushing results in tangles, and before you know it, you have a mat in your extensions. Take time and care when brushing your hair to avoid snags and breakage.

Hydrate

The hair in your extensions doesn’t have the natural oil supply from your scalp that your own hair does; therefore, more work needs to go into hydrating the extensions to keep them soft and manageable.

When hair is dry, it can become brittle and snap; this is the same with extensions.

Precise Conditioner Placement

When washing, don’t apply conditioner near the roots of your hair, as if it gets on the root of the weft, the extension can slide off.

So, How Long Do Hair Extensions Last?

With the correct aftercare and proper maintenance, you can expect your extensions to last you between one and five years, depending on factors such as hair thickness, activity level, and even extension colour.

Learn more about what hair extensions will be best for you by contacting our expert team today.

Why Choose The Hair Alchemist?

We believe our clients deserve a service that is not just the best but legendary. Our process goes beyond any other salon, with a comprehensive consultation to ensure we achieve your desired look, a custom colour blending service and unrivalled hair extension fitting and aftercare expertise.

Unlike most Russian hair extensions salons, which use branded hair, we work directly with collectors to source it ourselves. We handpick the softest and shiniest strands, so you can be sure you’re getting the very best.

Don’t just take our word for it! Check out our Client Gallery to see our amazing transformations and testimonials.

FAQs

How do you wash hair extensions?

When it comes to washing your hair extensions, the process is generally the same. You should, however, be careful to avoid the hair extension bonds during washing, as this can cause hair extensions to slip.

You should aim to wash your hair 2 to 3 times a week.

Pop a little shampoo on your hands and massage very gently into the scalp, and rub the shampoo into the ends of your hair.
Using your shower head, rinse the shampoo from the roots. Part your hair to ensure you rinse all the shampoo from the micro rings, as leftover residue can cause build-up and slippage; you can then rinse the remainder of your hair.
Remember to always condition the ends of the hair and not the roots. Conditioning the roots may cause the microring attachments to slide out.

Only use our recommended products for hair extensions. They have been tried and tested for years by our staff and clients. Using other products can cause damage to your hair extensions and to your natural hair.

After washing, you can leave your hair to dry naturally, but try to ensure the bonds have dried, as leaving them wet for a prolonged period of time can cause them to deteriorate.
If using a hairdryer to dry your hair, use a heat protection spray and dry on a gentle heat setting. Always support the bonds when drying or brushing your hair, avoid pulling and do not go to bed with wet hair, as this can result in hair breakage.

For more information on washing your hair extensions, read our blog on hair extension aftercare and maintenance.

What is the best method for brushing hair extensions?

Again, brushing your hair extensions is very similar to how you would normally brush your hair; you simply need to be mindful of the bonds. In order to ensure you do not catch the micro rings, you should brush the ends first and work your way up by holding your hair gently. Always support the bonds when brushing, avoid catching the rings and use a specially designed hair extension brush. For more information on brushing your hair extensions, read our blog on hair extension aftercare and maintenance.

For more information on our frequently asked questions, see our FAQs page.