5 Hairstyle Extending Hacks You Are Probably Not Using

What if you could get a week or two more out of an old style without having to re-wash your hair? Some of us prefer to have the drama of wash day be limited to once a month or twice a month and so having solutions for styles can be pretty convenient.

That does not mean we plan to change our hair style on a daily basis either, all it means is that we have to get innovative about making styles last.

This post is important for those of us practicing low to no manipulation methods monthly, or those of us who want to preserve protective styles for longer than three days.

Here are 5 hairstyle extending hacks that you might find useful every month:

1. Shower steaming your old curly styles or blasting your hair with a Q-redew* to re-soften your hair allowing your style to last longer

The coolest thing about our curly hair is its ability to conform. Natural hair loves moisture and when you steam your hair you are actually moisturizing your strands and preparing them for your next style.

A Q-redew* can be a girl’s best friend because it steams your hair and it detangles at the same time. Your hair will be fully moisturized with just water alone. All you would need to add is a sealant and a styler for your next style, no need to wash your hair all over again.

2. Tie or pin your hair down in the direction you want it to fall instead of pineappling

This is a pretty neat trick because believe it or not pineappling is not for everyone. If you want your twist-out to fall a certain way or remain stretched all you have to do is pin it in the direction you want, almost like you would when you wrap your straight hair.

If you want to keep your twists as neat as possible you can do light jumbo twists in your hair but you still will have to pin the twists down to keep your hair in the direction you prefer.

Once you have set your hair, tie it down with a silk scarf* and put a hair bonnet over your scarf for good measure. In the morning all your have to do, is remove your pins fluff and go.

If your hair needs a bit of moisture, do not hesitate to add some the best part is you will already have your style preset even if you have to touch up with a moisturizer.

3. Taming the frizz with a mist of water and a scarf

If you watch a lot of style tutorials you will notice some women like to tame their hair with moisture and then use the scarf to set the style and help the hair lay flat.

This works well for braided styles when you want to keep your edges neat and under control. I prefer to use a satin scarf for this because it works well and it does not dry out your hair especially after just adding water.

Leave the scarf on for at least 15 minutes before removing to go about your day. If you do this daily you might be able to extend the style at least by one week.

4. Temporary spray color to give you a new twist and refresh an old style

Spray color is a lot of fun, and there are many to choose from so you can get as creative as you want to. If you have an old style that needs a bit of revamping you can add color for flare especially in the frizzy areas.

When you do this your style moves from frizzy to funky really fast and that is always a great thing.

5. Lay edges down overnight with gel/butter and a satin scarf

Neat edges can make any hairstyle seem like new so if you have a butter or gel that you like to use then why not start the process overnight so that you do not have to do it in the morning.

The trick with this one is to make sure you have enough product to keep your hair in place. If you are anything like me then wild sleep can disturb the gel and shift the hair which defeats the purpose.

I prefer to set my hair about 15 minutes or so before bed, allow the product to ‘dry’, and then head off to sleepy land. That way my style is set and all I am doing is preserving it over night.

Once you have the knack for extending your styles, you might be tempted to get as much out of them as possible. We would still urge that you figure out when it is absolutely time for you to wash your hair and do so.

Even though extending a style can be super convenient we still have to ensure that we are cleansing our scalp and keeping it very healthy as well.

What are some of your hairstyle extending hacks? Comment below!