Getting a weave for your hair is an excellent idea to update your look and allow your real hair to rest in braided tracks underneath the extensions. In today’s hair extension market, there’s a variety of weave types to choose from, and each has its own set of care instructions according to the material it’s made of.
However, most weaves still have general guidelines that you can follow to keep your hair in top condition and make it last longer. Guidelines include how to style your hair to avoid common mistakes and to create fashionable updos and freefall styling techniques no matter the weave type and length.
Here are four great tips for styling and maintaining your weave:
- Accessorize With Headpieces
You may think that it’s not practical to style your hair with accessories when wearing a weave because you want to keep your tracks hidden underneath. However, there are plenty of ways and decorative products you can use as accessories without exposing tracks. These are mainly pieces that sit flat on your head or can be bunched and clipped or swept and parted sideways.
Ever since Christina Jenkins invented the modern weave in 1949, women have used extensions to elongate hair for styling and achieve looks that highlight beauty and prioritize convenience. You can do this by placing a simple headband or a jeweled headpiece on the crown of your head. If you want to add clips, beads, and cuffs for embellishment, you can sweep your hair over your ear and fasten it on the flat section. As long as your accessories let your hair hang low and blend well, you should have no problem with open tracks.
- Treat Your Weave Like It’s Your Real Hair
The most important maintenance tip in taking care of your weave is to treat it as if it were your own real hair. This has been the advice of many professional hairstylists since it’s how they’ve managed to keep their weave stocks in good condition. So, this means your weave should be washed, conditioned, moisturized, brushed, and styled like your regular hair routine.
Many salon stylists and the hair extension industry advise washing and conditioning your hair at least every two weeks if you have a human hair weave and ideally once a week for synthetic weaves or if you work out frequently. Post-cleansing stage of applying a moisturizer and brushing your hair should be a daily care habit even if it’s just a quick spritz and comb down to smoothen the hair and keep it looking neat. If you have a curly hair weave added, use a soft low manipulation brush like a detangler comb to keep your curls intact.
- Avoid Causing Friction
The true secret to retaining your weave’s silky and neat tresses is to reduce or preferably avoid producing friction. Friction can be caused by rough and dry material coming into contact with your weave and rubbing against the hair strands. What could result is a weave that has a lot of static, frizz and tangles, as well as flyaway hairs that lead to the infamous disheveled weave look that’s difficult to fix once it happens.
However, you can lower or prevent this by keeping your hair strands hydrated, conditioned, and moisturized. Additionally, take care of your weave when you sleep or after washing with fine textured fabrics. Sleep with a silk pillowcase or place a bonnet over your head. Then you can wrap your weave in a microfiber cloth or a soft cotton towel to pat your hair dry instead of the rigorous rub down.
- Apply Heat Correctly
It’s no doubt that using heat is the best way to create some of the most elegant and trendy hairstyles. The same can be said for weaves, as heating tools can be used to produce straight, curly, waves, volume, and updos alike. The key to getting this done right is the amount of heat your weave is exposed to and how long it should be applied.
You can use a heat protectant spray or oil and make sure it’s evenly distributed through your strands. These thermal protectants form a barrier in your hair to prevent breakage and damage that causes fallout and matted hair.
So, when using a curling iron and a hairdryer, always set the tools on the lowest heat temperature. If you have a clip-in weave and use a straightening iron, be sure to glide it from the top of your strands right through and avoid clamping down on the tips, or it might loosen the clips and make your hair uneven.
Conclusion
The most essential tips for styling and maintaining your weave are all about applying the same hair care routine you follow for your regular hair, such as cleansing and keeping your hair hydrated and moisturized. Styling your weave without exposing tracks can be done as long as you use the right tools and high-quality products and stay committed to looking after your weave.
