Hair Extension Protection From The Pros!

Have you been discoloring your hair extensions?

Extensions are thought of as an easy way to get the dream hair that you have always wanted, and in many aspects they are just that! But one thing that can afflict lighter shades of extensions more often than darker tones is discoloration. Now, this is not something anyone wants to plan for when they begin their new hair journey, but especially in South Florida where we might be spending more time in the pool, in the sun, and using sunscreen, it is something to be aware of and plan for. 

With that being said, I hope that everyone is wearing their sunscreen while out and about. Did you know that your sunscreens and lotions can be part of the culprit of discoloring your hair extensions? There are actually two main ingredients to look out for when shopping for new sunscreen to protect your hair.  Avebenzone (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) is an oil soluble ingredient used to aid in the absorption of full spectrum UVA rays.  Octocrylene is the second ingredient to check for, which is usually also listed if Avebenzone is present as it works as a stabilizer to prevent it from degrading quickly with light exposure. If you are looking for some new sunscreens that don’t include these ingredients, look towards mineral based products. SunBum, Biossance, SuperGoop and Coola all have ranges of mineral sunscreens that offer great performance. 

Protect Those Tresses

An easy option to protect your tresses? Wear a hat! If you are going outside, covering your hair with a hat is a good option to help protect it from the sun's rays. The same way that overexposure to the sun can damage our skin, the same exposure affects our hair. Sun damage can cause dry, brittle hair, broken or split ends, frizziness and discoloration. UV rays act in a similar manner as bleach does on the hair, which can strip color and damage the cuticle. 

So the real question is, should blondes be the only ones who are concerned with this? Not necessarily. Due to the nature of processing that goes into all hair extensions, any color is susceptible to color fade, and dryness. That being said, lighter tones such as blondes have less pigmentation than their darker counterparts. Due to the lack of pigment, there is less color saturation which leaves room for external factors (sunscreen, chlorine, salt, minerals) to affect the tone. Having lighter hair also makes it more noticeable to the eye when there is tonal variation on the hair. So make sure to prep your extensions before spending the day in the sun, the same way that we prep our skin to protect it.