If you have naturally fine hair, hair extensions feel like a miracle. However, if you invest time and money in salon color, it might seem like your new blonde or dark brown hair color is at odds with those pre-colored extensions you love so much! Not so, says hair expert Eric Vaughn. The Matrix brand ambassador and Bellami master educator has every piece of info you need to learn how to color-match your hair extensions to your actual color.
Ready for hair extensions that look way more natural than ever before? Let Vaughn be your guide.
Shop The Best Products For Hair Extensions
Length Goals Sulfate-free Shampoo for Extensions
Sulfate-free shampoo for gentle cleansing to ensure longevity and beauty of hair extensions.
Length Goals Restoring Conditioner for Extensions
Nourishing conditioner that detangles and softens hair.
Length Goals Extensions Perfector Multi-Benefit Styling Spray
Multi-benefit styling spray that detangles, revives and eases blow-dry for extensions.
Color-Matching Hair Extensions: The Basics
It’s a little-known fact that not all hair extensions end up being colored by a professional stylist. Vaughn, who works primarily with Bellami extensions, always likes to start the process long before his clients have even swiped their credit cards on an extension order. The best extensions start with your stylist’s guiding hand.
“Before purchasing extensions I would either visit an extension stylist to have them match you perfectly to the right extensions or visit a Bellami Beauty Bar to be matched by someone at the Beauty Bar,” Vaughn explains. (Editor’s note: Ahem, salon locator here.)
Multidimensional color is what professionals do best, so making use of their trained eye is the easiest way to begin your journey to perfectly color-matched hair extensions.
“I will always color-match my guests with our Bellami swatch ring first, and I’ll order the hair for them so that way I know that the color will match,” he says. “On the typical client, I will order two to four different colors to create the highlight and lowlight look.”
Once you’ve ordered your new extensions, it’s time to decide whether you’d like to customize them even further or go ahead with the standard color range.
Custom Coloring Hair Extensions
Because he’s so particular about color-matching his clients ahead of time, Vaughn doesn’t often need to custom color hair extensions to match salon shades. Still, every once in a while, he needs to replicate complicated color or delicate highlights. Even if you’re not one of the lucky few to benefit from his artistry, he has a few choice tips to keep your color looking fresh.
“Hair extensions are typically colored using textile dyes to keep them from fading,” he says. ”However, if you do custom color them, they will fade just like your hair. I would recommend touching up the color on them when you do your regular color maintenance.”
Easy enough! Armed with Vaughn’s knowledge, you’ll be prepared to maintain your color over time. But what about the initial custom color session? When does that happen? Vaughn says extension color can happen before the tracks are actually installed or once they’re already on your head—it all depends on the style of hair extensions.
“With the tape-in extensions, it’s not ideal to get them wet immediately after applying them, so they need to match perfectly before going in. With K-tips and wefts, they can be installed and then colored while already in. When my sew-in clients come in for a move up, I’ll move up the extensions first, then take them to the shampoo bowl to tone their hair and the extensions together.”
Caring For Color-Matched Hair Extensions
Just like your natural hair, hair extensions need a whole lot of love to stay vibrant. Unlike the strands that grow from your scalp, added hair doesn’t have the benefit of natural oils to help them stay healthy-looking. It’s crucial to use salon-backed products that are designed to help with the longevity and look of your extensions. That’s where Total Results Length Goals, a care line by Matrix in partnership with Bellami, comes in.
“I was so excited when the two companies I’m an ambassador for created a product together,” Vaughn says. “There’s a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed specifically for extensions and a leave-in conditioning spray to help detangle the extensions after shampooing. The leave-in spray also gives heat protection up to 450 degrees [Fahrenheit] to help protect that beautiful hair!”
Armed with the best hair products for extensions and perfectly color-matched hair, you’re all set for success!
