Keratin bonds don't fail on their own. They fail from matting at the root, and matting comes from three things: not brushing properly, conditioner on the bonds, and going to bed with wet hair.
Get those three right and everything else is detail.
Brushing
Twice a day, minimum — morning and night. Use a soft bristle brush or a proper extension brush, hold the hair above the bonds in one hand to take the tension off your scalp, and work from the ends upwards.
Never drag a brush from root to tip through extensions. You'll pull on the bonds and, worse, push shed hair down into a knot at the root. Your own hair still sheds while it's attached to a bond — brushing is how it gets out instead of tangling.
Washing
Two or three times a week is plenty. Every day strips the hair, and unlike your own it can't replace its own oils.
- Use a sulphate-free shampoo. Sulphates break down keratin bonds faster.
- Wash standing up in the shower with the hair hanging down, not upside down over a basin. Piling it on your head is how it mats.
- Shampoo the scalp; let the suds run down the lengths.
- Keep conditioner and masks off the bonds. Mid-lengths and ends only. Conditioner at the root is the single fastest way to loosen a bond.
Drying
Dry the roots properly every time. A damp root section is where matting starts, and it's the mistake we see most.
Rough-dry the roots on a medium heat with your fingers separating the bonds, then dry the lengths however you like. If you air-dry, still blast the root area until it's dry to the touch.
Sleeping
Never go to bed with wet hair. Plait it loosely or tie it in a soft, low ponytail — not a tight one, and not with an elastic that catches. A silk pillowcase genuinely helps; it's not a marketing line, there's just less friction.
Heat
Extension hair is real hair, so it styles like yours — but it can't repair itself and it isn't getting anything from your scalp. That means heat protectant every time, and keeping irons and wands away from the bonds themselves. Heat directly on a keratin bond will soften it.
Swimming and the gym
Chlorine and salt both dry the hair out and can shift blonde tones. Wet the hair with clean water and put a leave-in through it before you get in, tie it up, and rinse properly afterwards.
Sweat at the root is fine as long as you wash and dry it properly — it's leaving it damp that causes the problem, not the sweat.
What not to do
- Don't pick at the bonds. Ever. It's the fastest route to a bald patch.
- Don't try to remove them yourself.
- Don't put purple shampoo on the bonds — mid-lengths and ends only.
- Don't leave them past their move-up because you're busy. Overgrown bonds tangle, and that's when hair gets lost.
When to come back
Three to four months for bonds. Book the appointment when you have the set fitted, not when you notice they've grown down — by then you're already in the matting window.
See the keratin bond menu or meet Jack, our extensions specialist. Consultations are complimentary.
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