Practical guides from the studio.

If you've just left the studio with a fresh install — keratin bond, nano ring, weft, or tape-in — the single most important rule is to wait 48 hours before the first wash. Your bonds need time to fully cure (keratin) or settle (rings, tapes), and washing too early is the most common reason extensions slip in week one.

After that 48-hour window, the rules are simple but unforgiving. Use a sulfate-free, alcohol-free shampoo — sulfates strip the oils that keep the bonds flexible, and alcohol dehydrates the hair shaft. We hand out a recommended product list at every appointment; ignore the celebrity endorsements and stick to what's on the list.

Water temperature should be lukewarm, never hot. Hot water expands the hair cuticle and lifts colour faster, which means your match drifts and your install starts looking patchy by week three. Lukewarm rinse, cool finish — every time.

Brushing technique matters more than people think. Always brush with a loop or paddle brush, starting at the very tips and working up section by section. Never tug. Never brush from the root down. The brush should never catch on the attachment point — if it does, slow down and untangle by hand.

Twice a day is plenty. More than that and you're working friction into the bonds. Less than that and you'll wake up to matting. Five minutes morning, five minutes night, and a silk pillowcase fills in the rest.

Friction is the enemy. Cotton pillowcases pull at the cuticle every time you turn — over a few weeks that's hours of friction. Switch to silk or satin. The cost difference is small, the difference for your hair is enormous.

Always tie hair into a low loose braid before bed. Not a tight ponytail (puts tension on the rings/bonds), not loose (you'll wake up matted). A loose three-strand braid is the sweet spot.

If you're prone to overheating at night, sleep with hair tucked under a silk bonnet — this protects the lengths and the attachment points equally.

Real human hair extensions can be heat-styled exactly like your own hair — with one caveat: keep the iron at least 2 cm below the attachment point. Direct heat on a keratin bond will soften it and cause slippage. Direct heat on a tape weft will weaken the adhesive.

Always use a heat protectant spray before any iron. Apply mid-length to ends, never on the bonds.

Maximum temperature: 180 °C / 360 °F. Anything higher is for synthetic hair, not real human hair. Real hair burns at higher temperatures and you'll see the damage as dryness within weeks.

Your natural hair grows ~1 – 1.5 cm per month. As it grows, the attachment point moves further from the scalp — eventually too far to look or feel natural.

Tape-ins: 6 – 8 weeks. The tapes start to drift visible around week six.

Nano rings: 8 – 10 weeks. The rings stay in place; we just slide them up.

Keratin bonds: 3 – 4 months. The longest-lasting method, and the slowest refit cycle.

Wefts: 6 – 8 weeks for repositioning. The cornrow base needs to be redone.

WhatsApp us a photo of the current install when you're around the right week. We'll tell you immediately whether it's time.

Sulfates strip the natural oils that keep extension hair flexible. Within a few washes you'll see dryness at the tips and brittleness through the lengths. Read the label — anything ending in '-sulfate' is out.

Alcohol-based products (most drugstore hair sprays, most volumising mousses) dehydrate the hair shaft. The lengths lose their bounce and start looking dull. Look for 'alcohol-free' or 'low-alcohol' on the label.

Heavy silicones (cyclomethicone, dimethicone) coat the hair, which makes it feel smooth but slowly slips your rings and weakens your tape adhesive. Use silicone-free leave-ins.

Clarifying shampoos and oil treatments at the root will dissolve any tape adhesive and slip rings. Both are fine on the lengths only — keep them away from the attachment band.

The right method is the one that matches your hair density, lifestyle, and timeline. Here's the short version:

Fine or thin hair: nano ring or tape-in. Both are gentle and lie flat. Avoid heavier methods that can stress fragile hair.

Medium-to-thick hair: keratin bond, nano ring, or weft. Your hair has the density to hold the attachment without strain. Pick by lifestyle — bonds for low-maintenance, nano rings for versatile styling, wefts for dramatic transformations.

Need it temporary: clip-in. Wear when you want, remove when you don't. Zero damage.

Need volume fast: weft. One full-day appointment, dramatic transformation, brides and special-event clients only.

Still unsure? WhatsApp us a photo of your hair (front, back, side — natural light, no styling). We'll match you to a method in five minutes.

Salt water won't damage the bonds, but it will dry out the hair. Rinse with fresh water immediately after the ocean and apply a leave-in conditioner mid-length to ends.

Chlorine is harsher than salt water. If you're swimming in pools regularly, wet your hair with fresh water before the pool — saturated hair absorbs less chlorine. After the pool, rinse and condition.

Direct tropical sun fades colour faster than anywhere else. Tie hair up under a wide-brimmed hat between 11 AM and 3 PM. Yes, your hair colour really does drift if you don't.

Airport security: the metal detector will not flag nano rings (they're too small). Some scanners detect tape backing — rare. If asked, just say 'hair extensions' — they're entirely common in international travel.

For carry-on, pack: silk pillowcase, sulfate-free shampoo (decanted into <100 ml bottles), wide-tooth comb, leave-in conditioner. That's the entire travel kit.

Most of our international clients book before they land in Bali. The colour match starts on WhatsApp.

Send three photos in natural light: top-back of head, side, and front. Don't style or filter — we need to see the actual tone, including roots, mids, and ends.

We respond with a recommended hair grade (single drawn / double drawn / premium), the gram amount needed for the look you want, and the full price. No surprises at the salon.

If you're considering balayage / highlights / multi-tone, we'll suggest a custom blend. We can mix two or three shades for a perfectly seamless transition.

Once the match is confirmed, we book you in. The hair is set aside before you arrive — the install is the only thing that happens in person.