As lovely as hair extensions can be for an instant change in your looks, they can also be terrible for your natural hair - to the point where you're googling "Help! Hair extensions ruined my hair!". With all that extra length and added volume comes the inevitable science that is an added weight to your scalp, which is precious and delicate already, causing major stress on your follicles from the strain of all that weight from your hair extensions - this is where hair extensions can ruin your hair.

Regardless of the method used for applications tailored to each style of hair extensions that are available, hair extensions are attached to your hair - tugging at your scalp as well as your hair and because of this fact, hair extensions CAN ruin your hair but the damage can also be avoided. The tension from wearing hair extensions can lead to traction alopecia which is a type of alopecia caused from when pressure has constantly been put on the roots which has damaged your hair follicles. The most damaging factor of hair extensions is the application - if it's not done correctly by someone who is specialised in the particular type of hair extensions you're getting, you could end up with less hair than you started with. However, it's not always the hairstylists fault because if you're not taking the time to do your own research in how to apply hair extensions from home such as clip ins or a halo, you yourself could cause some serious damage to your hair. 

Hair extensions are a product that can change your entire look in a matter of minutes, even seconds. However, hair extensions are not for everyone. We'll be the bearer of bad news without beating around the bush and tell you that if you suffer from serious hair loss, hair extensions are not for you - hair extensions will only make things worse. You'll find people with "normal" hair are those with just the right amount of density on their heads can get hair extensions. The easiest way to know if you have thin or "normal" hair is when you pull your hair back as if you were putting it into a ponytail, if you see instant gaps from your scalp it's likely that you have thin to fine hair and should be careful when using hair extensions. However, if you notice full patches of hair missing or hardly any hair around your scalp - hair extensions are not for you. Although they'll hide your thin hair and bald patches, in the long run you'll have larger problems to solve because wearing hair extensions for so long would have exacerbated the problem. If you're someone that is willing to have thin, fragile, damaged hair for the rest of their life without actually fixing the issue, then by all means hair extensions will be your best friend but just know that hair extensions will ruin your hair. Like we said, we won't beat around the bush. 

Weekly hair treatments can do absolute wonders for repairing your hair from damage caused by hair extensions. There are so many hair masks on the market but the brand that really sticks out for us is Olaplex! You see the name tagged in all the salons, boasted by so many trusted professionals and anyone in between because Olaplex does the job and does it right. With a combination of professional only products as well as products made for you to take home from the salon, Olaplex is known to repair broken bonds and reseal your hairs structure. At home we recommend using Olaplex No.0 intensive bond building treatment, No.3 hair perfector treatment followed by No.4 shampoo and No.5 conditioner - Olaplex range goes beyond No.5 all the way up to No.7, finishing the range on a bonding oil. Always ask your trusted hairstylist before starting a new haircare routine but we'll be surprised to know if any trusted professional doesn't recommend Olaplex.

Try your best to lay off the heated tools if you have severe damaged hair, especially if you've just had hair extensions removed. Heated styling tools can cause serious damage to your hair because it's breaking down the hair shaft causing bonds to split and the hair to become brittle and dry. If you avoid using heated tools to style your hair for a long period of time, your hair will recover much faster and will prevent further damage. There are so many products on the market now to help with styling your hair without heat, our favourite being the TikTok trick of heatless curls where you braid your hair around a bath robe sash overnight - you'll wake up with beautiful waves without absolutely any heat needed! 

Are you brushing your hair enough? If you are wearing hair extensions or have them in semi-permanently, it's important you take exceptional care of them to avoid damaging your natural hair when wearing hair extensions. Brushing your hair multiple times throughout the day using a gentle brush will assist in preventing tangles and knots in your natural hair and in your permanent hair extensions. Let's say you have semi-permanent hair extensions in your hair like tape, if you leave knots you are adding further weight in one particular part of your scalp because having hair clump together in one spot is adding weight in one section of your hair which will not help your hair loss. Frequently brushing your hair throughout the day will also equal to the vital nutrients coming from your scalp will reach the bottom of your ends where it's the most dry. Whenever you're putting hair extensions in your hair, make sure your hair is completely free of knots or tangles this applies to both temporary and semi-permanent hair extensions. 

Sunscreen isn't just for your body and face... sunscreen for your hair is also a must! Using sunscreen on your hair will mean that you're protecting your strands from deadly UV rays that can dehydrate your hair and make it more prone to breakage - not to mention, the sun is known to fade your hair colour. We recommend products such as Aveda's Sun Care Protective Hair Veil which is full of nourishing ingredients like green tea extract, shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E which all condition the hair and make strands look shiny, soft, and smooth + protects it from the sun!

Amongst your multivitamin of a morning or protein powder, why not add a hair supplement to the mix? Taking hair supplements will help with stimulating hair growth. We are firm believers in JSHEALTH Hair & Energy vitamins and have tested this product ourselves and firmly trust the process and science behind these magic supplements. JSHEALTH promises the support of healthy, thick and strong locks which has been scientifically proven to support hair growth and prevent hair loss! Not to mention this vitamin will help boost your energy, it's a win-win.

Throw out your fabric pillowcase and invest in a silk pillowcase! If you didn't already know, sleeping on a fabric pillowcase means that your pillowcase is sucking up oils from your hair and your skin (yikes, all those precious dollars spent on your skincare to only be absorbed by your pillowcase). Sleeping on silk means that the products you put on your face and in your hair STAY in place all the while keeping your hair from frizz and split ends because your sleep won't involve any friction that normally happens from sleeping on fabric pillowcases. We have tried and tested Slip Silk Pillowcases and have seen major differences in the state of our hair.

Your diet also plays a vital role in the health of your hair so put down the processed foods and pack your diet full of protein, iron, zinc and biotin which can be found in beans and lentils. Protein and iron help your hair to grow stronger and thicker because it nourishes your hair follicle. Studies suggest that zinc and biotin can help prevent hair loss and encourage more hair to grow. 

Remember to put in the hard yards and do your own research. Google will be your best friend and so will reviews - also your trusted hair stylist. Hair extensions are an investment but can also make your hair a lot worse if you don't have the suitable hair type or the application is wrong. We strongly believe that hair extensions can be the answer to having longer, thicker hair but for the future of your hair and knowing it could get worse, hair extensions aren't always the answer. Your answer is patience, a well diet full of nutrition and the help of products to battle hair loss and encourage hair growth. We roughly have about 150,000 to 200,000 hairs on our heads and we lose around 100 strands a day, each hair strand is said to be programmed to return back approximately 22 times and last for 6 years - so when you're applying hair extensions you could be shortening those regrown hairs and lessen its life span because it's being pulled out quicker. 

Think of your hairs future and not right now, learn your hair type and what is the absolute best solution for your hair loss and hair growth journey, everyone is different. Don't let hair extensions ruin your hair for the sake of right now, use hair extensions to help boost your confidence during the times of your hair growth journey - make researched, educated decisions.