Caring for raw hair so it lasts years, not months

Raw hair behaves like your own because, structurally, it is the same thing: a strand with its cuticle intact. The difference is that it is no longer attached to a scalp producing oil, so it cannot replace what you strip out of it.

That single fact explains the entire routine below.

Washing

• Sulphate-free product only. Sulphates strip oil this hair cannot replace.
• Cool or lukewarm water. Hot water lifts the cuticle, and a lifted cuticle catches on its neighbours.
• Wash downward, in the direction of the strand. Piling it on top of your head and scrubbing is how tangling starts.
• Less often than you think. Two to three times a week is plenty for most installs.

Conditioning

Condition every wash, mid-length to ends, avoiding the weft itself — conditioner at the weft loosens the stitching over time. A weekly deep treatment does more for longevity than any product claiming to repair.

Detangling

This is where most bundles are damaged, so it is worth being specific.

Wet, with conditioner in, fingers first, then a wide-tooth comb. Start at the ends and work upward in sections. Never dry, never from the roots down, never in a hurry.

Drying

• Air dry where you can.
• Straight and Kinky Straight: dry freely.
• Wavy and curly textures: scrunch, then leave alone. Disturbing a drying curl is what turns definition into frizz.
• Do not sleep on it wet.

Heat

Always a heat protectant. Moderate temperature, and not daily. Because the cuticle is intact, this hair holds a style and returns to its own pattern after washing — which means you need heat far less often than with processed hair.

Overnight

Braid or loosely tie it, and use silk or satin. Cotton pillowcases create friction all night, and friction is what wears a cuticle down. This is the cheapest thing on this list and one of the most effective.

Colour

Our natural dark shade lifts safely to #613. An intact cuticle takes colour the way growing hair does, which is the advantage — and it over-processes as readily as growing hair, which is the risk. Use a professional colourist, and expect a coloured bundle to have a shorter working life than a natural one.

Storage

Between installs: clean, fully dry, gently detangled, laid flat or hung, in a breathable bag. Hair stored damp will mildew, and hair stored tangled will not come back.

What not to do

• Do not use products containing alcohol or heavy silicone.
• Do not brush dry curly or kinky texture.
• Do not cut the tie on bulk hair before you are ready to use it — once root direction is lost it cannot be recovered.
• Do not expect a routine of neglect to produce a year of wear. The hair will do its part.