How to care for your hair system

The most common worry we hear after a fitting is not about how it looks — it is "what do I actually do now?" The honest answer is reassuring: caring for a system is closer to looking after good hair than to maintaining a gadget. The hair is real, the bond is secure, and the daily routine quickly becomes second nature.

This guide covers the whole rhythm of it — the day-to-day, the weekly, and the four-to-six-week studio visit that does the heavy lifting for you. If you are only days in, you may also find your first week with a hair system helpful alongside this.

The daily rhythm

Most days you barely think about it, and that is the point. A few light habits keep things looking their best:

• Brush or comb gently with a loose grip, working from the ends upward rather than dragging from the roots.
• Style as you normally would, using only a small amount of lightweight product.
• Pat dry rather than rubbing vigorously after it gets wet.
• Keep heat tools on a moderate setting — real hair scorches just like your own.

That is genuinely most of it. The system is bonded securely, so you do not need to treat it like something fragile; you just treat it with the same care you would give good hair.

Washing it properly

You can and should wash your hair as part of your normal showering. A few pointers keep the bond and the hair in good shape:

1. Use a gentle, sulphate-free shampoo and lukewarm — not hot — water.
2. Work the shampoo through with your fingertips in the direction the hair lies, rather than scrubbing in circles.
3. Rinse thoroughly and apply a light conditioner to the lengths, keeping it away from the bonded base.
4. Pat dry and let it air-dry where you can, or use a cool to warm setting if you blow-dry.

We will recommend the right products for your specific base at your fitting, and top them up at maintenance visits, so you are never guessing in the shop aisle.

Treat it with the same care you would give good hair — no more, no less.

Sleeping, and the small habits

You sleep in your system — there is nothing to take out at night. To keep it comfortable and fresh, make sure it is fully dry before bed rather than going to sleep on a damp base, and a smooth pillowcase, such as silk or satin, reduces friction and helps the style hold. That is about the extent of it. Within a week or two most people forget it is there at all.

The gym, the pool and the everyday

A modern system is built for a real life, not a display cabinet. You can train, sweat, run and swim in it. A few sensible notes:

• The gym: sweat is fine. Rinse and dry afterwards as you would normally, and the bond holds up to a hard session.
• The pool: swimming is absolutely possible. Chlorine and salt water are drying over time, so rinse with fresh water afterwards and condition the lengths to keep the hair soft.
• The seaside and the sun: the same logic applies — rinse off salt and protect the hair from prolonged strong sun, just as you would your own.

If a particular activity is a big part of your week, mention it at your free consultation and we will steer you towards the base that copes with it best. You can read more about the options on our hair systems page.

The four-to-six-week studio visit

This is the part that quietly keeps everything looking effortless. Every four to six weeks you come in for a maintenance appointment, around £60, where we do what cannot be done at home: lift the system, deep-clean underneath, refresh the bond and re-style it. It is the difference between a system that always looks fresh and one that slowly drifts.

Keeping to the schedule is the single most important habit there is. Everything else is forgiving; this is the one that protects the result. You will find the full cost picture, including the maintenance cycle, in what a hair system actually costs.

Do's, don'ts and making it last

To leave you with something easy to remember:

• Do wash gently, dry before bed, rinse after the pool, and keep your maintenance appointments.
• Do use the products we recommend for your base, in small amounts.
• Don't use harsh, heavily-perfumed or sulphate-laden shampoos that dry the hair.
• Don't drag a comb through tangles or blast it with high heat.
• Don't try to re-bond or repair it yourself between visits — bring anything that is bothering you to us and we will sort it in minutes.

Treated this way, each system comfortably reaches the lifespan of its base before it is replaced. If you have a care question we have not covered, our FAQ answers the ones we hear most, or simply ask us in person at the studio.