How to Revive & Restore Your Hair Extensions

We get that buying hair extensions is a big investment – that’s why we're answering one of your most asked questions today... how to revive them. 

Reviving your old hair extensions will add longevity to your set and replace the moisture lost to bring them back to life. 

Our extensions can last anything from three months to a year depending on how much you wear and heat style them, but with this tutorial, you'll be able to make them last much longer.

We're going to show you how to replace the moisture and repair and soften your hair extensions in 11 easy steps.

Firstly, here’s what you’ll need:

• A sulphate free shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hair mask
• Silicone Spritz
• Wide-tooth comb or Tangle Teezer
• Towel
• Hair straighteners

To start, fill a bowl or your sink with warm water and apply a few pumps of a sulphate free shampoo. We're using the Tigi Bed Head Colour Goddess, as it’s nourishing and gentle on the hair. 

Next, you want to swish the shampoo into the water until it’s fully mixed.

Once you’re done, start washing your hair extensions. You’ll need to do this weft-by-weft while making sure not to tangle the hair in the water. The washing process can be a little time consuming but doing it weft-by-weft helps clean your set without causing any tangles or knots.

Soften Your Extensions with Conditioner

Next, you’ll need to fill your sink or bowl with boiling water, before adding two tablespoons of conditioner. We used the TIGI Bed Head Colour Goddess Conditioner from the same range as the shampoo as it's really nourishing.

Conditioner is key to softening your hair extensions – adding moisture to keep them looking and feeling healthy and less likely to become dry and brittle.

A Nourishing Silicone Spritz

Next, you’ll want to add a drop of silicone spritz into the water. This is amazing at reviving hair extensions and adds loads of moisture and shine. The boiling water will open the cuticles and cleanse the hair while allowing the conditioner and silicone to deeply nourish your set and repair any damage.

You’ll want to place your set into the water using a spoon to make sure it’s fully submerged. You’ll then need to leave it in the water for 10 minutes so the cuticles can fully open and the conditioner and silicone can sink into the hair.

Apply A Hair Mask

When the 10 minutes is up, carefully take your set out of the water and place your wefts flat onto a towel. 

You then want to apply a nourishing hair mask to each of the wefts. We used the TIGI Bed Head Colour Goddess Miracle Treatment Mask which combines keratin, Provitamin B5 and natural oils. 

It’s important the products you choose are designed to add as much moisture to the hair as possible, as this will really help to soften and revive your old set of hair extensions.  Once you’ve applied the mask to each weft, leave this on the hair for 30 minutes.

Time to Detangle

Once your mask is done, rinse each weft in cold water to remove the conditioner and shampoo. The cold water will help to close the hair cuticles and seal the moisture from the conditioner, silicone spritz and hair mask that you’ve applied. 

Gently wash each weft individually, making sure to avoid tangling the hair in the water. Once you’re done you can then lay your weft flat on a towel before moving onto the next one.

When all your wefts are clean you’ll want to gently remove any tangles using a tangle teaser or a wide-tooth comb. You want to start from the ends of the hair and work your way up to avoid causing any damage. 

You'll want to apply a spritz of silicone to give the hair an extra boost of moisture before leaving your set to dry overnight.

The Next Day…

In the morning, when your set is completely dry you’ll need to prep it with a heat protectant before you can style it. We love the Color Wow Dream Coat for this, as it protects the extensions from heat and humidity while adding loads of shine.

To complete the reviving process, straighten each of your wefts. This will help to seal in the silicone spritz and give you a really glossy finish. You're done!

Ready for a new set? Shop our range of clip-in hair extensions to find the perfect length and identical colour match for your hair today.