Going on Vacation With Hair Extensions? What to Do Before, During and After Your Trip

Aug 15

Written By Nina Crucitti

One of my favorite questions clients ask before vacation is:

"What do I need to do with my extensions while I'm away?"

Usually followed by:

"Can I swim?"

"Can I go in the ocean?"

"What products do I need?"

And occasionally:

"Should I just not get my hair wet?"

No.

You are going on vacation.

Please enjoy your vacation.

After more than 20 years working with hair extensions, I firmly believe that beautiful hair should fit into your life. You shouldn't spend a week in Italy staring longingly at the Mediterranean because you're afraid of your extensions.

You do, however, need to take care of them.

Travel introduces a few things your hair doesn't encounter during your normal routine. Different water, more sun exposure, chlorine, salt water, sunscreen, humidity, extra styling and sometimes a completely different washing schedule can all affect extension hair.

A little preparation before you leave can save you from spending your first appointment home asking me, "Can you fix this?"

Usually I can.

But let's try not to get there.

Schedule Your Extension Maintenance Before Your Vacation

Timing matters.

If your maintenance appointment is due while you're going to be away, don't try to stretch your extensions an extra two or three weeks just because you're traveling.

Freshly maintained extensions are going to be easier to manage.

If you're wearing beaded rows, wefts, tape extensions, mesh integration or another method that requires scheduled maintenance, we'll make sure everything is secure and sitting exactly where it should before you leave.

This is especially important if your vacation involves swimming, boating, hiking, working out or generally doing more than sitting beautifully under an umbrella with a cocktail.

Although I fully support that vacation plan too.

Ideally, let me know about your travel plans when we're scheduling your appointments so we can build your maintenance calendar around them.

Don't Try a Completely New Hair Routine on Vacation

The hotel bathroom is not where I want you experimenting.

Bring the products you already know work with your extensions.

Vacation is not the time to use whatever shampoo happens to be attached to the shower wall.

Your extensions need consistent hydration, and unfamiliar products can sometimes leave them dry, coated or difficult to manage.

Pack your normal shampoo and conditioner, leave-in conditioner, heat protectant and whatever finishing product I've recommended for your hair.

If you're going somewhere tropical or planning to swim frequently, bring your hydrating mask too.

You don't need twelve products.

You need the right ones.

Pack an Extension Brush

Please don't leave your extension brush at home.

I've had clients remember six pairs of shoes and forget their brush.

Your extension-safe brush is one of the most important things in your suitcase.

Brush your hair thoroughly in the morning, before washing, after properly detangling wet hair and before bed.

If you've been outside all day, especially somewhere windy, brush your hair before going to sleep.

A small tangle today can become a much larger problem after another day of wind, swimming and sunscreen.

Be Prepared for Different Water

This is one of the biggest things people overlook while traveling.

The water at your destination may be completely different from the water at home.

Hard water and mineral-heavy water can leave extension hair feeling dry, coated or difficult to style. On lighter hair, mineral buildup may even affect the color.

If your hair suddenly feels different on vacation even though you're using exactly the same products, don't automatically assume something is wrong with your extensions.

It may be the water.

This is especially worth considering when you're staying at vacation homes, lake houses, older properties or areas that rely on well water.

If you travel frequently to the same destination and notice this happens every time, tell me.

We can adjust your routine accordingly.

Swimming With Hair Extensions

Yes, you can swim with hair extensions.

Prepare your hair before you get in.

Lightly wet your extensions with fresh water and apply a small amount of hydrating mask or your recommended conditioning product through the midlengths and ends.

Then secure your hair in a loose braid.

After swimming, rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as possible.

Don't get out of the ocean at noon and leave salt water sitting in your extensions until dinner.

The same applies to chlorine.

And please don't twist wet extensions into a tight bun and forget about them for the rest of the day.

Your attachment areas need to dry thoroughly.

Be Careful With Sunscreen

If you're wearing blonde or light-colored extensions, sunscreen deserves its own conversation.

Certain sunscreen ingredients can contribute to peach, pink or orange discoloration when they interact with minerals in water.

Be particularly careful when applying sunscreen around your shoulders, neck, chest and back, exactly where long hair tends to sit.

Wash your hands after applying sunscreen before touching your hair.

Be aware of bronzing oils, tinted body products and self-tanners too.

The goal is to come home with a tan.

Not matching extensions.

Protect Your Hair From the Sun

We think about protecting our skin from UV exposure, but your hair is exposed to the same sun.

Long days outside can contribute to dryness, fading and changes in your color.

This is especially important with custom-colored extensions because the extension hair does not have the same biological support system as the hair growing from your scalp.

Wear the hat.

A beautiful oversized hat at the pool is both practical and entirely appropriate.

Think About Your Vacation Hairstyles Before You Leave

Vacation hair should be easy.

You probably don't want to spend forty-five minutes with a curling iron every morning.

Before you leave, think about two or three simple styles you know you can create yourself.

A polished ponytail.

A low bun.

A loose braid.

Soft waves.

A simple blowout.

If you're not sure how to style your extensions up, ask me at your appointment.

One of the things I consider when designing an extension application is how you actually wear your hair.

If you're someone who lives in ponytails, I need to know that.

Your extensions should work with your lifestyle.

Never Sleep With Wet Extensions

This rule does not go on vacation.

Going to bed with wet extension hair creates unnecessary friction and tangling.

Your attachment points should always be completely dry before sleeping.

If you've come back late from dinner and don't want to do a full blowout, that's fine.

Dry the root and attachment area thoroughly.

You can allow some of the lengths to finish air drying if appropriate for your method and texture, but never go to sleep with wet attachment points.

Then brush the hair and secure it in a loose braid or low ponytail before bed.

What About Humidity?

If you're traveling somewhere humid, don't fight your hair all week.

Humidity changes how both your natural hair and extension hair behave.

This is especially noticeable when your natural texture is different from the texture of your extensions.

Rather than repeatedly flat ironing your hair in 90 percent humidity, sometimes the better solution is to work with the environment.

Wear softer styles.

Embrace movement.

Use the products I've recommended for humidity control.

And if you regularly travel somewhere humid, tell me during your consultation.

Texture matching is an important part of creating believable extension hair.

What Should You Do When You Get Home?

Give your hair a proper reset.

Wash thoroughly using your recommended products.

Condition the extensions well.

Use your hydrating mask if your hair feels dry.

Gently detangle everything and completely dry your attachment areas.

Then pay attention to how your hair feels.

If it feels normal again after washing and conditioning, wonderful.

If it still feels coated, unusually dry, tangled or looks discolored, don't start experimenting.

Contact the salon.

We can determine whether you're dealing with mineral buildup, dehydration, discoloration or something else and recommend the appropriate treatment.

Should You Schedule an Appointment After Vacation?

Not necessarily.

If you're already following your normal maintenance schedule and everything looks and feels good, there's no reason to add another appointment simply because you traveled.

However, if you spent two weeks swimming every day, notice significant buildup or are experiencing unusual tangling, it's worth reaching out.

Your maintenance plan should respond to your lifestyle.

That's part of having a customized extension service.

What I Would Pack for an Extension-Friendly Vacation

You don't need an entire salon in your suitcase.

Bring your extension-safe shampoo and conditioner.

Your hydrating mask.

Leave-in conditioner.

Heat protectant.

Extension brush.

A few soft hair ties.

A silk scrunchie.

And whatever styling product you use most often.

If you're traveling somewhere with questionable water, we can also talk about whether a shower filter or additional hair protection makes sense for your trip.

The goal is preparation without turning haircare into your vacation itinerary.

Your Hair Should Travel as Well as You Do

Luxury hair extensions shouldn't make your world smaller.

They should make getting ready easier.

They should give you confidence.

And they should allow you to live the life you actually have.

That's one of the reasons I ask so many lifestyle questions during an extension consultation at Salon 1827.

Do you work out?

Do you swim?

Do you travel?

Do you spend summers on a boat?

Do you wear your hair up?

Do you spend January somewhere much warmer than New Hampshire?

Those details matter.

After more than twenty years specializing in hair extensions, I've learned that choosing the right extension method isn't simply about what creates the prettiest before-and-after photo.

It's about what will still work beautifully on a random Tuesday six weeks later.

Or halfway through your summer vacation.

Your extensions should be designed around your life.

Not the other way around.

So book the trip.

Get in the ocean.