Here’s My Go-To Hair Care Routine For Kinky Curly Clip Ins and Weave

In my opinion, hair extensions* that match your natural texture are the best because you don’t have to manipulate your hair to match a different texture, it looks realistic, and it’s a great way to see what certain styles might look like on your hair without ever having to touch your actual hair.

Kinky* curly clip ins* and weaves have all of those benefits and some, but like everything else, there is a set of haircare dos and donts for these types of extensions*. I know it’s very tempting to just throw it in, blend, and go, but it’s going to take a little bit more effort than that if you want to keep your hair looking good for the long run!

Below is my personal go-to hair care routine for kinky* curly clip ins* and weaves!

Before Installation 

Properly prepping your hair before starting any type of style is the key to keeping it healthy and making sure the style comes out how you want it. The process for clip ins and weave are pretty much the same: wash, moisturize, seal, and dry thoroughly.

If you are going to get a weave, make sure your braids and scalp are moisturized and oiled down before laying down a net and/or hair wefts.

For clip ins, simply section of your hair after it is defined, dried, and/or stretched. This will make positioning the clip ins much easier and faster.

I personally do not install and style my hair for 1 to 2 days after washing it because my braids and clips will easily slide out of freshly washed hair.

Products I Use: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, Renpure Vanilla Mint Cleansing Conditioner, One N Only Argan Oil Dry Scalp Treatment

Hair Prep 

Good quality extensions* do not have a smell and won’t have any harmful chemicals or dye–but for good measure, it is always a good idea to wash the hair before installing it in your head.

Using a gentle shampoo and hydrating conditioner, wash your hair in a bowl of warm water or in a clean sink. Do not rub, roughly comb, or tightly twist hair; just do a gentle detangle with either your hands or a wide tooth comb* and then let it air dry on a towel.

If you’d prefer a faster drying method, blow dry the hair with a diffuser so you’ll get a faster dry without all the frizz and losing the curl pattern. Make sure you apply a heat protectant* and curl defining cream or spritz beforehand.

Personally, I find that my extensions* look the best when I treat them exactly how I would treat my own hair. They do especially well when I use a thick deep conditioner* and frizz tamer.

Products I use: Garnier Whole Blends Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Extracts Smoothing Conditioner, OGX Hydrate + Defrizz Kukui Oil Anti-Frizz Hydrating Oil

Installing  

Now installing is the most important part because it’ll either make or break your hair. For weave, braids and hair wefts cannot be done too tight. Tightness can–and will–cause pain, itching, thinning, balding, and breakage.

For clip ins, make sure you apply the clips about half an inch away from your roots and scalp. Direct contact with your roots will not only cause discomfort, but really damaging breakage and thinning.

During my installation, I ask myself two questions: “Would I be comfortable sleeping like this?” and “How will this hold up for long term wear?” Those questions usually help me determine how comfortable and secure my install is.

Care and Styling 

Kinky curly hair tangles, sheds, and dries out way more than my real hair so the upkeep is slightly more tedious. I always have a cream and liquid moisturizer, oils, and holding gel/pomade on hand to use for every style.

From a flat twist out to flexi rod* curls, I always start with sectioning off my hair and spraying it with water. This makes the detangling and defining process easier, in my opinion.

I spritz with water, work a heavy curl/coil defining cream through the hair, and coat each section with a lightweight oil that adds a natural luster.

I then proceed to style and/or blend. If you are blending, do a wash and go, twist out, or braid out. These styles are the easiest to achieve with both clip ins and weave.

After I finished my style, I rub a max hold pomade or light hold gel between my hands and lightly fluff my hair with it. This helps keep frizz and loosening curls under control.

Products I Use: Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Shine Pomade, Jessicurl Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion

The Take Down 

Weave take down is simple: cut the thread around each weft, and then gently undo your cornrows. I tend to have a lot of dryness and breakage, so I combat it by coating my finger tips in a light oil before I take down my braids.

Clip ins*, however, are a little different. You must take these out of your hair before you go to bed every night. The tension on your hair and scalp while you sleep will cause thinning and breakage right at the root. Sometimes it is so bad that you will experience balding near the clip and won’t be able to secure it in that same spot.

Lay down your clip ins or clip them to a wig head or hanger. I wash my clip ins* ever few days so when they are wet at night, I’ll put my towel on a rack and snap the clip ins to the bottom of the towel so they can air/drip dry.

Products I use: The Mane Choice Hair Growth Oil