Hair System Cleaning & Maintenance
Just as the hair on your head needs to be cleaned and cared for to remain healthy, the hair system that you attach to your scalp also needs a proper cleaning routine.
Shampooing Your Hair System on Your Head: Instead of massaging or scrubbing as you would with your natural hair, you should scoop up the lather you built up from your natural hair and pat it into your scalp. This patting motion both cleans the hair and your scalp without damaging your system.
How to clean your hair system when it’s removed
Once your hair system has been attached for a little while, there could be a buildup of adhesive residue that could get into the hair itself and cause damage if not cleaned properly. As part of hair systems consultations in Toronto, we recommend that a thorough and proper cleaning regimen is applied to your hair system.
What you’ll need to clean your hair system:
- Adhesive remover (We recommend 22 Solvent Citrus Adhesive Remover spray)
- Dishwashing liquid
- A mild shampoo that is a quality brand and geared to colour-treated hair
- Conditioner (We recommend WS Moist Repair Revival Crème)
- Towel
Steps to cleaning your hair system:
1. Spraying solvent around the front of your system, gently pull on the hair to lift the front your hair system away from the tape.
2. Once the front is pulled back and the tape removed from your head, continue to spray the solvent around the perimeter of your head.
3. Once the system is off, pull the tape away from the rest of your unit. Gently peeling, not rubbing, it off. Spray solvent throughout in order to loosen tape completely.
TIP: If you have a lace front, do not pull tape from the lace or you will be pulling out hair.
4. Spray solvent throughout the unit to remove any residue, using your fingertips, gently make sure that the tape or adhesive is removed.
5. The magic of dish soap is that it dissolves grease and glue. There are 100’s of uses for dish soap, but we’re going to use it to gently massage into your system to dissolve any residual glue.
6. Using a comb, gently detangle any knots from the bottom of the hair through to the top.
7. Use a towel to gently rub off any residual residue and then carefully comb again, this time inspecting for any tangles or leftover glue.
8. With lukewarm water, rinse your system and apply a tiny bit of shampoo (a dime-sized dollop, like the bottle suggests, should be more than enough).
You should be applying zero friction during this stage. You’re not rubbing or scrubbing, you’re just gently massaging your hair system by running your hands through it.
9. Rinse completely and apply conditioner. You can leave the conditioner on for a few minutes if you like.
10. Rinse completely, again using lukewarm water.
11. Pat dry with a towel, preferably wrap your unit in the towel and gently squeeze. Remove your unit from the towel, shake off any excess and run your fingers through it before leaving to air dry.
Clean your hair system to make it last
Despite the natural degradation of hair, you can make your unit last longer simply by taking care of it. Shampooing twice a week or less, and thoroughly removing and cleaning it every 2-3 weeks.
We tell all our clients to avoid heat styling aids such as hair dryers, straighteners, and curling irons and to make sure that if they’re using any styling products that they are gentle on the hair and approved for use on a hair system.
If you’re unsure of the steps to take to properly clean your hair system, or know that you could be doing a better job cleaning your hair system, our hair technicians are available to help walk you through the best methods of cleaning.
We can also discuss products that are better for your hair, for your system, and for your style. Get in touch with us today to discuss ways that you can look your best, while properly taking care of your hair system.
