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Hair extensions are an investment of both time and money. This article discusses how to protect extensions overnight by wrapping them in a pure silk scarf from Mulberry Park Silks.
If you’re rocking hair extensions, this blog is for you! You know the commitment wearing extensions entails: time (at least half a day in the hair salon), money (hundreds up to thousands of dollars depending on the type and length hair), and regular maintenance (moving your extensions up as your hair grows to protect your hair follicles from the extra weight).
Of course, loving the way your hair looks makes every bit of that commitment worthwhile. But you also want to do absolutely everything you can to make your extensions last and stay beautiful. And that includes wrapping your hair for sleep in a 100% pure silk scarf from Mulberry Park Silks. Read on to learn more, including a stylist and hair extensions expert weighing in on why our silk head wrap is a fantastic idea.
What Are Hair Extensions?
However your hair extensions are attached, it can take several hours to install them. The cost of hair extensions will vary with the type of extension used, the quality of the hair, and the length and thickness. Generally, human hair extensions are more expensive than synthetic ones. So, it's important to take good care of them to make them last as long as possible.
Why Aftercare is Essential for Hair Extensions
No matter the type or length of hair extension you have, what you do after leaving the salon will make a big difference to how your extensions look and how long they last.
“Aftercare is essential,” says Shantella Rios, hair extension expert and owner of Tamed by Tella, a salon in Montclair, NJ that specializes in extensions.
Along with regular salon maintenance to move extensions up to accommodate for hair growth, there are several best practices to follow to preserve your extensions:
- Wash carefully. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines for technique and water temperature, and avoid scrubbing your extensions. Instead, focus on washing your scalp with a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo.
- If you’re brushing, go gently with a soft-bristled brush or wide-tooth comb to detangle.
- Avoid heat styling if your extensions are synthetic hair, as curling irons and flat irons can melt the fibers. If you have real human hair extensions, use a heat protectant spray and low heat only.
- Don’t sleep with wet hair, which can cause extensions to tangle and lead to damaged hair.
- Always wrap your extensions when you sleep to prevent tangling, frizz and breakage. When it comes to hair extensions, your standard cotton pillowcase is also not doing you any favors. Cotton is naturally absorbent, and pulls essential moisture away from your scalp while you sleep. It also contains tiny fibers that can tug at your hair and extensions, causing frizz and breakage.
“You want to wrap your extensions to protect your investment,” Rios adds. “If you’re buying quality hair, you want to make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect your extensions just like you would your real hair.”
A Mulberry Park Silks Bandana-Style Scarf: The Best Choice for Wrapping Extensions
If you’ve wrapped your hair in a bonnet or scarf overnight, you know that it protects you from damage from your cotton pillowcase. But the material your scarf is made of may matter the most. Unfortunately, the majority of “silky” scarves are not genuine silk, but made from satin—a petroleum based synthetic fabric.
Make no mistake: Silk and satin are NOT the same. When you examine the differences, it is abundantly clear that you should use only a pure silk wrap like this bandana-style head scarf from Mulberry Park Silks.
- Silk is a natural fiber, while satin is a petroleum based synthetic fabric woven to have a smooth surface.
- Silk is breathable and moisture wicking, while satin traps moisture and stays wet, which is a terrible environment for your hair and extensions.
- Like your hair, silk is protein based. This means silk will keep your hair naturally moisturized. In fact, silk protein, known as fibroin, is a popular ingredient found in many salon conditioning treatments.
- Silk is hypoallergenic and resistant to mold, dust, and mites. Silk accessories and bedding are a wonderful choice for anyone with sensitive skin or allergies. Satin, on the other hand, is susceptible to collecting these environmental pollutants.
You can learn more about the difference between silk and satin here, and more about why a pure silk head scarf is best here.
A Mulberry Park Silks Headscarf: Finest Quality, Extra Safety, Easy Care
Along with being hypoallergenic, a head scarf from Mulberry Park Silks is made from the highest quality silk in the market, Grade 6A. And while silk is naturally hypoallergenic, we’ve also taken an additional step for safety; the fabric used in every product we make is certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® as tested to be safe from harmful substances. Our silk scarf is also easy to care for; you can wash it either by machine or by hand with a gentle, enzyme-free detergent like Heritage Park Silk and Wool Laundry Detergent. Read these care guidelines.
Best of all, our pure silk headscarf comes highly recommended by the experts, including Shantella Rios.
“Using a product like the headscarf is a wonderful addition to your extensions. Your hair is a natural fiber and using [the] 100% silk headscarf is going to protect the hair,” Rios says. “There’s no friction that’s going to cause split ends.”
To learn more about why silk accessories and bedding are wonderful for your hair, skin, and overall wellness, visit our informative Silk Insider Blog. You’ll also want to check out our Silk Glam Band collection, which is a great way to pull your hair back and protect your edges while applying makeup or doing skin care, as well as our collection of luxurious silk pillowcases and supremely indulgent silk bedding.
As always, the Mulberry Park Silks team is here to answer any and all of your questions about silk, from picking the right bed linen and accessories to silk care and more. Give us a call or drop us an email any time.