How to Make Your Clip-In Extensions Last Longer

A little care goes a long way with real human hair

Because The Full Phil is made from real Remy human hair, it responds to care the same way your own hair does. Treat it well and it'll hold up for months of regular wear. Skip the basics and even the best set won't last as long as it should. Here's how we look after ours.

Wash less than you think

Clip-ins don't need washing every time you wear them, since they're not exposed to your scalp's natural oils the way your regular hair is. Once every 8 to 10 wears is usually enough, more often if you're using a lot of product or styling with heat regularly.

When you do wash, use lukewarm rather than hot water, and a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Hot water and sulfates are two of the fastest ways to dry out real hair, extensions included.

Let them air dry

Gently squeeze out excess water with a towel rather than rubbing, then let the wefts air dry fully before storing them, ideally laid flat or draped over something rather than bunched up. Storing them even slightly damp is one of the quickest ways to end up with tangles or a musty smell down the line.

Brush from the ends up

Always start brushing at the tips and work your way up toward the clips, never the other way around. Starting at the root pulls any knots tight instead of working them loose. A soft-bristle loop brush is easier on real hair than a standard paddle brush, and it puts less strain on the wefts themselves.

Store them properly between wears

Somewhere flat, cool, and dry is all you need, away from direct sunlight, which can dull the color over time. Avoid leaving them clipped together in a ball at the bottom of a drawer. It's the fastest way to end up detangling for ten minutes before your next wear instead of two. Every hair set comes with our Phil boxes, it's a good idea to store them in here. 

Go easy with heat

Since it's real hair, you can style it with heat tools the same way you would your own, just keep the temperature moderate and use a heat protectant first. Try to avoid direct heat right at the clips themselves, since repeated heat exposure there can weaken them faster than anywhere else on the weft.

What to expect

With this kind of care, a well-made set can realistically last six months to a year of regular wear, sometimes longer. We tested ours for a full year before launch specifically because we wanted to know what real, everyday wear actually does to a set over time, not just how it looks on day one.

The short version

Wash less often than you'd think, dry fully before storing, brush from the ends up, and go easy on direct heat at the clips. Small habits, but they're the difference between a set that lasts a season and one that lasts a year.