Hello lovely! I’m excited to start a series where I answer all the burning extensions questions.

I talk a lot about many of the typical hair extensions questions on my instagram @styledxmelissa. Everything featured here, I also discuss in our consultation and/or during extensions application and re-application appointments, but sometimes things go overlooked, or if you’re a lurker {and I don’t mean that in a bad way} trying to get some information before taking the plunge into an extensions journey, you might be asking some of these same questions.

The first one I thought I’d start with is ‘Can I go to bed with wet hair?’

I’ve chosen to begin with this particular question because it is a very important one and probably one of the most common questions that guests are surprised about.

As a stylist, I didn’t realize just how many people actually didn’t know that you should never go to bed with wet hair… extensions or natural hair!

Let me break it down:
Wet hair is compromised.

Why is wet hair compromised?
Hair in a wet state is more porous, making it more susceptible to breakage and damage from just about anything. It is also more stretchy and doesn’t snap back into shape easily.

How is compromised hair affected?
Compromised hair, especially wet hair, can lead to alopecia {hair loss}, matting, breakage… and breakage, matting, and/or hair loss isn’t usually within or among the extensions. Matting generally occurs between the scalp and the extensions point of attachment. Hair loss and/or breakage will occur to your natural hair. 

When sleeping with wet hair, there can be friction, moving, and the hair cuticles are open. The fact that hair is at its most compromised state when wet is why we DON’T EVER GO TO BED WITH WET HAIR. As I mentioned above, this isn’t just the rule for extensions, but for natural hair too.

There is another reason though that affects your extensions and that is mildew. Trapped moisture is a breeding ground for mold production.

I know it’s tempting when washing at night to just lay in bed and forget about it. I mean who wants to spend time drying all that hair after a long day? If you do wash at night, you will want to dry throughly before going to bed. Air drying is an option only when you’re going to have a full day to let your extensions dry.

If you don’t want to dry all that dream hair before bed, but feel like your hair is greasy, opt for a dry shampoo and wash when you can give your hair a thorough dry or enough time to air dry. Even when opting to air dry, be sure your point of attachment is fully dry before bed.

Other best practices to get acquainted with:
✓ Use a silk pillow case or a silk bonnet. 
✓ Wear low, loose braids or low ponytails for a protective night style. 
✓ Brush, brush, brush hair before bed, in the morning, and throughout the day. Be sure to be careful and not brush at the point of attachment. This is something we go over during consultation and again at your application appointment.

Have an extensions question? Drop it in the comments and we’ll work to answer it in one of our extensions questions episodes.