Cleaning and Caring for a Hair System: The Right Routine

The short answer: system hair is not supplied by the body. What you do not give it, it does not have. That is why care decides more about lifespan than the quality of the system itself. The routine is manageable: brush gently every day, wash lukewarm with a mild shampoo, put conditioner through the lengths after every wash, deep clean once per change cycle.

Why system hair has to be treated differently

Your own hair is supplied with sebum and nutrients by the scalp and grows back. Both are missing with a hair system: whatever is once damaged does not regenerate. Every wash, every blast of hot air, every hour of sun takes its toll. That sounds more threatening than it is. It only means the care has to be more deliberate than with your own hair.

The daily routine (2 minutes)

Leave-in care: a few sprays of leave-in through the lengths keep the hair supple, without loading the attachment area. Dampening: two or three sprays of water from a spray bottle onto the top hair. On many days that replaces a wash. Brushing: work from the ends towards the roots with a vented brush, never the other way round. Wide teeth protect the knotting. Most hair loss from a system comes from wrong brushing, not from wearing it.

The wash (2 to 3 times a week)

1. Lukewarm, never hot. Heat dries out human hair and softens bonds.
2. Lather daily shampoo in your hands, then distribute it, never directly onto the system
3. Stroke it through gently from the middle, do not rub, rinse well with water
4. Pat dry with a towel. Conditioner into the towel-dried hair, through the lengths and ends, leaving out the attachment area
5. Leave for 2 to 3 minutes, rinse out lukewarm
6. Pat dry with a towel, let it air dry

Honestly: ordinary drugstore shampoo is the most common reason for dull system hair that we see in the studio. The aggressive surfactants in it are made for hair that grows back, not for hair that has to stay.

The deep clean (once per change cycle)

On change day your system needs a reset. Over weeks styling products, care films and fine adhesive residue build up, and a deep clean shampoo removes all of it. Important: apply only to the film, mesh and scalp, not into the hair. Afterwards, dry the system well, ideally with lukewarm air. Residual moisture in the base is one of the most common reasons for tapes letting go early. The complete change instructions are under changing a hair system yourself.

Do not forget the scalp

Your skin carries on working quietly under the system. Five minutes at the change are worth it:

• An exfoliating gel removes dead skin cells and sebum residue, which directly improves the hold of the next bond
• A scalp mask calms and adds moisture before the new bond goes on

Anyone prone to irritation gains more from this routine than from any special adhesive.

The five most expensive care mistakes

1. Washing hot. Dries out the hair and softens the bond.
2. The wrong shampoo. The classic, costs shine and suppleness.
3. Rubbing or combing when wet. Wet human hair tears more easily.
4. Conditioner at the attachment area. Weakens the next bond.
5. Too much styling product. Residue builds up at the base and makes every change hard work.

Styling without damage

Less is more. A pea-sized amount of pomade or gel is enough for the whole head. Blow-dry on a low setting and from a distance if possible. Heat is the fastest route to straw-like system hair.

Sport, swimming, sauna

All of it is possible, but with aftercare: rinse and treat thoroughly after chlorine or salt water, otherwise the hair turns rough. Let the system dry well after sport. In detail: hair systems and swimming.

Common questions

How often should I wash my hair system? Two or three times a week is usually enough. On other days dampening and combing through will do. Can I use ordinary shampoo? Better not. It cleans too aggressively for hair that does not grow back. How do I extend the lifespan? Brush gently, wash lukewarm, use conditioner regularly, do not over-style, and where possible wear two systems in rotation. May I blow-dry my system? Yes, on a low setting and from a distance. Air drying is always gentler. What do I do if the hair goes dull? Usually an intensive treatment plus a switch to a system-appropriate shampoo helps. Bring it to your next appointment and we will take a look.

The routine you can keep up

With a hair system, care is not an extra but part of the calculation. Two minutes a day and twenty minutes on change day decide whether your system lasts four months or considerably longer. All the products we use for it in the studio are in our shop. We sell nothing we do not use ourselves. View care products →

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