Weaveology: How to Wash Your Weave

How to wash your weave is the most highly requested post from ladies regarding maintaining your hair in a sew-in and understandably so – for those who are new to weave wearing or even those who’ve worn them but previously neglected their real hair, figuring how to wash your weave while keeping the style looking fresh can be puzzling.

Well, when I go to the salon, the stylist washes the weave the same way he/she would my real hair only using their finger tips to assist the lather in reaching my real hair beneath.  Because the stylist is then responsible for completely rinsing the shampoo and alleviating the resulting tangles – this method works.  However, when I am washing my own sew-in, I do things a bit differently to make sure my hair is properly cleansed but that I don’t disturb the style.  Below is a detailed tutorial on how I wash my sew in weave:

How to Wash Your Weave:

1. Have two nozzle tip applicator bottles on hand.
2. Fill one halfway with sulfate free shampoo (I like Giovanni Smooth as Silk) and the remaining half with cool water.  Using water that is room temperature or lower helps you to feel the mixture as it reaches your scalp.
3. Optional:  Add one ounce of essential oils (tea tree, peppermint, eucalyptus) to help cleanse the scalp and alleviate itchiness.
4. Saturate your hair with water in the shower.
5. Parting your hair extensions with your fingers to expose your hair and scalp beneath, squeeze the shampoo mixture onto your hair and scalp generously.
6. Using the pads of your fingertips, rub your hair and scalp to cleanse.
7. Apply the shampoo mixture to the length of the extensions and run your fingers through the hair in a downward motion to clean the weave.  This helps you clean the extensions without creating tangles or roughening the hair.
8. Rinse thoroughly.
9. Apply the conditioner in the same manner as the shampoo; however I choose not to dilute the conditioner nearly as much as the shampoo.

Between the video and steps outlined above, hopefully that helps those of you who were wondering how to wash your weave.  If you still have questions, please leave me a comment and I will try my best to help!