How Do I Maintain My Synthetic Hair Extensions While Swimming?

Synthetic hair extensions are a perfect short-term solution to boost your hair volume and length. These extensions’ weather-resistant and style holding capacity greatly benefit users seeking healthy, thicker hair. Although synthetic hair is a temporary solution, it can last up to three months with proper care. This article will specify maintenance tips for swimming – precautions to take before, after-care routine, and must-do-tips while swimming.

Getting your synthetic hair extension wet is okay! Well, you can even wash and condition them! But swimming with synthetic hair extension is a very different scenario. You never know how long you will be in the pool, you may jump into salt water, or the pool may be concentrated with sanitizing agents (chlorination). These factors may cause significant harm to your extensions if you don’t have proper precautions. 

5 Before-Swim Precautions to Protect Your Synthetic Hair Extension

When talking about maintaining synthetic hair extensions while swimming, preparation is more important. The precautions you take will make a huge difference in either making or breaking your extension. 

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Comb Your Extension

Comb your hair extension thoroughly to remove matted strands. Use a tangle teaser brush and gently run through the extension. Avoid tugging too hard; use minimum effort to avoid shedding. 

Take A Quick Shower to Saturate Your Extension

When you dip your dry hair in the pool, it will absorb chlorine and salt very fast, resulting in breakage and damage. So, shower under non-chlorinated water before you start swimming. Showering can assist in preventing chlorinated water from infiltrating the hair. Wet strands absorb less chlorine/salt from the pool water since they are already saturated.

Apply Leave-in Conditioner

Apply a deep conditioning treatment to your extension before jumping into the pool. A leave-in conditioner will keep your extension hydrated and saturated, preventing saltwater/chlorinated water from getting into the strands.  

Coat a Protective Layer Using Natural Oils

Chlorine attacks with natural oils covering your hair, so imagine what it can do to your extension, which doesn’t have natural oil coatings. When it comes to hair extensions, oiling is a vital step to protect against chlorinated water. 

Natural oil penetrates the hair shaft, preventing water from entering the cuticle and reducing cuticle swelling and drying. Natural oils can fill the spaces between cuticle cells, preventing chlorine from penetrating. Everyday natural oils like coconut oil and olive oil can help minimize protein loss and reduce further damage caused by chlorine water. Natural oils can help protect your own hair as well as synthetic extension.

Ensure Your Extension is Secured 

Make sure the extension is secured perfectly on your head before you get into the pool. If you come across any loose extensions, fix them up and make sure it is clipped properly. You don’t want to spend your time in a pool looking for your extension!

2 Tips to Protect Your Synthetic Hair Extensions while Swimming

There are just two important tips to follow while swimming; a swim cap and tying up your hair. There is nothing much you can do while swimming because you got to focus on your strokes or otherwise you may drown!

Wear a Swimming Cap

A swimming cap may not be your favorite, but it is the best approach if you want to protect your hair extension. It is perfect for protecting long hair and synthetic extensions from chlorine and saltwater. It will keep your hair dry and healthy while diving and swimming underwater. Use a right-sized swimming cap for your head – don’t use tight ones because it may pull your hair extension.

Tie Your Hair Up

Flowing hair may be the way to go for an evening stroll or a date night, but it is not a good thing for swimming. Swimming with loose hair results in tangled strands. So, always put up your hair when going swimming. Braid your extension, or put it up in a high bun. Putting your hair up is necessary, even if you are wearing a swim cap. First, you gather your hair up and then put on a swim cap. Wetting your hair can also cause your extensions to tug on them due to the water weight. It’s also a good idea to tie your hair up to avoid the damage caused by tugging.

5 After-Swim Tips to Maintain Your Synthetic Hair Extension

Now that you know what to do before-swim and while swimming care tips, it’s just as vital to stick to an after-swim care routine to keep your hair extensions in good condition!

Remove the Extension and Wash with a Shampoo

Wash your extension with shampoo as soon as you get out of the pool. The longer you keep, the more chances the chemicals will get to penetrate the strands. Rinse your extension well to ensure the chemicals are squeezed out.

Dry Your Extension

Make sure you don’t leave your extensions wet for a longer duration. Dry your synthetic extensions as soon as you are done washing them with shampoo. If necessary, use a blow dryer to make the extensions dry faster.  

Detangle Your Hair Extension

Eliminate any extra chemicals/products or tangles by combing your hair with the detangling brush. But confirm that your extension is completely dry before brushing. Combing your wet extensions right away can damage the texture and style. Follow the tips in sequence, and your extensions will be perfect (1. shampoo, 2. dry and 3. brush your synthetic hair extension).

Condition Your Synthetic Extension

Pool water might have stripped moisture and luster from your extension while swimming. So, use a leave-in conditioner to revive the softness and luster of the extension. Besides, a leave-in conditioner will moisturize your hair and add shine.

Apply a Hair Mask Treatment

You might be thinking a hair mask is just a waste of money and time for synthetic extensions. Yes, you are right if we consider the nature of the extension. However, a nourishing hair mask is crucial if you are a regular synthetic extension user and a passionate swimmer. Getting into the pool with synthetic extension frequently will make the strands dull and reduce the natural sheen. So, treat your extension with a nourishing hair mask, not every time but after four to five swimming events.

Conclusion

Synthetic hair extensions are artificial strands sensitive to external weather conditions. They are a little delicate compared to real human hair extensions, so the time invested in their care increases. It’s important that we understand the making of these extensions and take precautionary measures accordingly. To help you with the process, Diva Divine Hair Extensions is creating Extensions and Wigs that are heat prone and, compared to other brands, can tolerate the external weather conditions better. You can shop for these extensions on their website. You can also explore one of their top-selling products, Indigo synthetics wigs, to see the quality yourself.