Colouring Your Hair Extensions

A Comprehensive Step By Step Guide to Colour Your Human Hair Extensions

Human hair extensions are great investments because of their versatility especially where colouring is concerned. We suggest the following step-by-step guide in coloring your hair extensions obviously to make these investments double in value. We should emphasize that these steps are not applicable to synthetic hair extensions as these cannot be coloured.

We must also note that human hair extensions cannot be lightened from their original hair colours on a do-it-yourself basis; it must be performed by a professional hairstylist in a salon. However, darkening human hair extensions as well as altering their tones can be done at home using simple tools and techniques.

Choose Your Colour

For your first step, choose a professional hair colour and developer combo from a beauty supply store. You can choose the developer, which can either be a 10-volume or a 20-volume. Your choice in the colour itself can be anything for as long as it will darken or alter the tones of the hair extension’s original color.

Gather Your Supplies

You will also require supplies, which you may or may not purchase along with the hair colour and developer. Gather the following supplies:

• color bowl and brush
• plastic wrap
• tin foil
• gloves
• wide tooth comb
• absorbent towel

You should also organize your workspace so as to facilitate the work ahead as well as to avoid mess after the work is done. A wide table or a large counter will do, which can then be covered with sheets of tin foil to protect it from stains.

Mix the Color

Once your workplace is ready and your supplies are on hand, your next step is to mix the color. Follow the manufacturer’s instructors on mixing the color and developer with the most common instruction being to mix these substances in equal amounts on the color bowl and then mixing with your gloved fingers.

The amount of color depends on the length of your hair extensions. For medium-length hair, 3 to 5 ounces of prepared color is usually sufficient but longer extensions require more mixture.

Be sure that your hair extensions are dry, not wet or damp because the color-developer combo will not hold, so to speak. Comb the extensions until there are no knots and tangles. Lay these on the tinfoil in preparation for coloring.

Apply the Color

Wear your gloves and start applying the color mixture into the strands of your extensions. You have to ensure that the color:

• Completely coats and saturates every strand from the top to the tip;
• Start coloring from the top where the clips are placed and then downwards to the ends so that the hairs’ natural flow is followed;
• Liberally using the color instead of being stingy about it.

Loosely cover the hair extension with the plastic wrap. Allow it to process – bond – for 20 to 40 minutes at room temperature. You can check the process by rubbing a small section with a paper towel every 10 minutes and then reapplying the color again. You will know that the process is finished when the color turns darker.

Rinse

Fold the tinfoil in half for easy transportation of the extensions to the sink. Thoroughly rinse it for 15-20 minutes with cool water at low pressure. Be sure to wash it in the direction where the strands fall and to use a color-safe shampoo.

Lay the rinsed hair extensions on the towel, apply a leave-in conditioner and comb with a wide-toothed comb. Let the extensions air-dry and voila! You have newly-coloured hair extensions.