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Are your hair extensions looking dull, dry and lifeless? Girl, you have a dead weave on your hands. Like your natural locks, a weave is totally susceptible to a bad hair day. There's no need to hide your extensions under a hat, or even hit the salon and get them completely redone. Bring your dead weave back to life with some of the same solutions you'd use on your natural locks.
How Did It Die?
Before you try to revive your extensions, pinpoint how they got damaged in the first place. One common reason for flat, lifeless locks is lack of moisture. Extensions don't benefit from the natural oils on your scalp, so they may need to be moisturized more often than your natural hair. Heat styling is also a huge culprit. Repeated flat ironing, curling and even blow-drying can take a toll on your extensions. If none of these reasons fit the bill, you may just need to take better general care of your hair. Over- and under-washing, using the wrong hairbrush and skipping regular salon maintenance can leave your weave looking worse for wear.
Washing
One basic way to boost life back into your extensions is to wash it properly. Don't wash your hair every day -- once or twice a week is enough. However, do wash it after swimming or exercise. Dirt and sweat can accumulate in your weave, leaving it looking less than perfect. Before you shampoo, gently brush out any tangles. Use a moisturizing shampoo that's free of detergents or silicones that can leave residue on your hairpiece. Wash your hair in one smooth motion from root to tip. A circular washing motion can cause tangles. Give your weave a boost of moisture with either a leave-in or wash-out conditioner.
Styling
Easing up on the heat styling makes a huge difference in the state of your weave. Limit the amount of blow-drying and don't straighten or curl your extensions every day. When you do blow-dry, be gentle with your locks and use a low heat setting. Before curling or straightening, spritz your hair with a heat protection spray. Use appliances with a heat gauge so you don't burn your weave. Apply gel, mousse hair spray and other styling products in moderation. Product build-up is a surefire way to cause tangles and leave your weave looking flat.
More Maintenance
Skip sleeping on loose locks. Having your hair down while you catch those 40 winks not only causes stress on the weft, but is a clear path to a head full of tangles. Braid your hair into two plaits, or tie it up with a soft hair band. When brushing extensions, be gentle and work from tip to root, using a brush with nylon bristles. Make sure to also keep up with regular maintenance. Just because you can keep the same hair weave in for six to 12 months doesn't mean you can skip those salon visits. No one wants to look like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan on a bad hair day. See your stylist every six to eight weeks for a little upkeep.
