From Application to Aftercare: Reducing the Risks and Side Effects of Hair Extensions for You and Your Clients

Christmas week, a woman reached out to hairstylist Rachel Bynum, saying her extensions were hurting her and begging the stylist to take a look. What Bynum found wasn’t pretty.

“I said, ‘Listen, I need you to take these out right now. Even if you don’t book with me, these do not need to stay in your head. They’re restricting blood flow. They’re making you bleed in some sections,’” Bynum told her followers in a TikTok video. “She was in absolute tears because of the pain she was in and how horrible they looked.”

Thankfully, Bynum was able to rescue this client’s hair from what she called an “extension emergency” by removing and replacing the incorrectly applied extensions. But the client likely won’t forget the painful signs of bad hair extensions (or the hair extensions’ damage) anytime soon.

When it comes to extensions, the transformation is only as good as the application. Fail to handle extensions properly, and both you and your clients can be in for a world of hurt. In this article, we answer stylists’ frequently asked questions about hair extension damage, including:

• Are they harmful?
• What are the disadvantages of wearing extensions?
• Who is not a good candidate?
• What are the best ways to address client complaints about discomfort or pain caused by extensions?

Read on to better understand the pros and cons of hair extensions and how you can protect your clients from the potential dangers of hair extensions.

How to Combat the Risks of Hair Extensions and Prevent Complaints

Hair extensions are strands of artificial or natural hair attached to clients’ hair to add length, volume, and texture. By clipping, flying, sewing, or fusion bonding them in, stylists like you can transform clients’ hair. Skillfully placed, quality hair extensions protect natural hair from heat damage, hide previously damaged or improperly cut hair, and significantly boost clients’ confidence.

When clients ask, “Are hair extensions harmful?,” the answer is that it depends. While they aren’t inherently damaging, they can hurt natural hair when they aren’t properly installed or maintained.

What are the disadvantages of hair extensions? Even when properly applied and cared for, all extensions have some down-sides, including:

• Initial discomfort from tightness or weight.
• High initial application and maintenance costs.
• Time costs from regular maintenance.
• Limited styling options depending on extension type and application.

When extensions lack the proper installation and maintenance, the potential risks multiply. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to prevent specific side effects of hair extensions, it’s important to know how to set proper expectations for clients new to hair extensions. 

Here are three general tips for getting on the same wavelength as your new extension clients.

1. Educate clients on proper expectations and care.

For most clients, something going wrong isn’t enough reason to complain. It’s something going wrong AND them feeling blindsided when it does. 

Before you pull out the hair clips, have an in-depth consultation. Discuss:

• Your client’s hair type, lifestyle, and past hair treatment experiences.
• What your client knows, thinks, or expects of extensions.
• Expected lifespan, blending, styling limitations, maintenance appointments, and potential risks and side effects of hair extensions.
• Aftercare, including washing frequency and techniques, drying instructions, sleeping precautions, styling and brushing tips, and regular maintenance appointments. You could make hair product recommendations, too. (See this example of extensions aftercare tips from The Hair Alchemist.)

Go over all of the above and, if something goes wrong, it’s more of an “I told you so” than an “I gaslighted you” moment.

2. Implement signed agreements and clear refund policies.

To avoid any “he said, she said” disputes, put all that blab into writing. Draft a detailed service agreement that says:

• What type and quality of hair extensions you’re using.
• The color, length, and style you’re doing.
• The total cost of the service.
• The potential side effects and risks of hair extensions.
• What aftercare the client needs to do for best results.
• Your clear and fair refund policy.

Make sure they read and sign it before you start your service.

3. Practice proper installation techniques.

No one wants to walk out of the salon looking like they have a lid on their head. Fail to blend the natural hair, match the colors and shades, and use enough hair to achieve proper density, and your client’s going to look bad. Poor application can also lead to the extensions falling out too soon—also bad.

Do your clients a favor and master proper installation techniques. Regularly attend workshops, webinars, and training to learn the constantly evolving best practices. And practice like your clients’ hair depends on it—because it kind of does.

5 Common Hair Extension Side Effects That Lead to Complaints

What are the most common side effects of hair extensions? And how do they happen? 

Here are the top five:

1. Traction Alopecia

When you apply extensions too tightly, or the extensions are too heavy for your clients’ natural hair to support, your clients can get traction alopecia. 

Traction alopecia is a type of temporary or permanent hair loss caused by constant pulling on the hair follicles. Traction alopecia from hair extensions is particularly common due to improper application around the hairline and temples. The hair loss initially manifests as thinning, widening parting lines, or bald patches.

✂️ What to Do:

It’s normal for clients to experience a bit of discomfort as they adjust to their new extensions. But consistent pain is a no-no. Don’t apply too tight and bulky, and be sure to place extensions correctly.

2. Breakage and Thinning

Excessive tension, improper removal, the wrong extension type for the clients’ hair texture, and lack of proper aftercare can lead the natural hair to become brittle and break—especially at the extensions’ attachment points. Clients may notice their natural hair losing volume, shedding more, or being shorter than it was before they got extensions.

✂️ What to Do:

Match your extension type and application to your clients’ hair texture. Tell clients to come to you if they need their extensions removed and warn them they could experience hair extensions damage  trying to remove them, themselves. And coach your clients on proper aftercare, including washing, brushing, styling, and swimming. 

3. Scalp Burns from Heat Application

You apply fusion and some tape-in extensions with heat. Apply the heat too hot, for too long, or too close to the scalp, and you can burn your client. Side effects of hair extension scalp burns include immediate pain and potential blistering, scarring, and hair loss.

✂️ What to Do:

Mind your temperatures! Most human hair extensions shouldn’t be applied hotter than 350 degrees. Meanwhile, synthetic extensions only handle 250 degrees. To know how hot to go, consult the instructions for your specific product and brand.

4. Allergic Reactions

Adhesives in tape-ins or fusion bonds, metal in some micro-link extensions, and even the chemicals used to process extensions can all cause allergic reactions. Clients with allergies may experience scalp irritation, including itching, redness, and swelling.

✂️ What to Do:

Test, test, test! Recommend or (bonus points) require patch tests 24 to 48 hours prior to full application—especially when using tape-in or fusion methods. Those adhesives are most likely to cause  painful side effects of hair extensions like allergic reactions. 

During patch tests, apply a small amount of adhesive to a discrete area (like behind the ear) and have your clients monitor that area for a reaction. Document whether you performed a patch test and the outcome in your client files.

5. Infections

With poor hygiene, hairstyling sessions go from glam to gross. Without clean and sterilized tools and equipment, products and adhesives, and hands, you increase your risks of  bacterial and fungal infections. Redness, swelling, pain, pus, and foul odors are all potential signs of infection.

✂️ What to Do:

Use high-quality products, keep your workstation, hands, and tools clean, and encourage aftercare—especially regular washings with professional-grade shampoo. Using quality products will also combat complaints for extensions that are a lower grade than advertised and that don’t hold or style well.

Managing Client Complaints and Claims

You did everything you could to mitigate those “My extensions ruined my hair!” complaints. But your client is still unhappy. What now?

For tips on how to address complaints professionally and with empathy, check out our article “7 Tips for Handling Hairdresser and Barber Shop Complaints.” It gives ideas for responding calmly and offering solutions and corrective actions.

But our #1 piece of advice? Don’t go at it alone. Client complaints are unexpected and surprising, potentially derailing your day. They can feel personal and unfounded, especially if you did your job well. They might make you feel anxious about how the complaint will affect your business and reputation. And they put a ton of pressure on you to respond quickly and correctly so you don’t make things worse.

Thankfully, our insurance for hairstylists makes client complaints and claims less overwhelming. Click the link to learn more about all of the types of claims we cover and how we can give you and your salon more peace of mind.