Natural Beaded Row (NBR) extensions are made with human hair and are done by attaching a track of beads onto existing hair and then sewing a weft of extension hair onto the beads. NBRs require extra attention to keep the extensions healthy and in place. Here are a few of the basics of caring for your NBR extensions.
Washing
Washing hair every day is unnecessary, and doing so with extensions wears them out. Use dry shampoos and hair oils to extend the time between washes. Cheat washes, such as washing just your bangs or the top of your head, can also be helpful.
When washing all your hair, use a sulfate-free shampoo. Because the extensions aren't growing from your scalp, they are not getting natural oils, and a sulfate shampoo would strip the extensions of hydration. Don't use any heavy conditioners or hair masks as these will break down the silicone coating that is put on the extension hair to work as a cuticle.
Wash from the top of the head going down, gently working the shampoo into the hair. Be careful not to pull on your roots or the extension track. Don't forget to use more product than before because you have more hair now.
When you're done washing, dry your hair gently in a patting motion. Never rub your hair aggressively to dry it.
Brushing
When brushing NBRs, always use a wet brush. You can apply a run-through spray to make brushing easier. Place your hand against the track to make sure it's secure, and gently brush your hair working from the bottom to the top. You can also clip up the top half of your hair so you can easily see the tracks to comb around them.
Sometimes, you don't need to brush. Use a heat-safe spray or oil and then apply heat with a curling iron. Gently comb through with just your fingers to get rid of tangles.
Leave-in detangler sprays are a good idea because they prevent your hair from tangling over time.
Styling
Styling hair with NBR extensions takes a little extra care but is totally doable. When starting with wet hair, use a blow dryer on a light setting and only comb through with your fingers until it is 90% dry; then you can use higher heat and a round brush.
When styling your hair up, make sure you never pull tightly on the tracks. Don't pick at or pull on any hairs that seem to be to coming loose from the tracks because this will only make the problem worse. Just gently tame flyaways with light hairsprays or hair oil.
You can straighten, curl, and wear your NBR extensions any way you would with your regular hair as long as you handle them gently.
Natural Beaded Rows can last about 8 to 10 weeks and will then need to be replaced. Contact a salon that does NBR extensions to learn more about their placement process and the products they have that will extend the life of your Natural Beaded Rows.
Share8 October 2020
I was blessed with healthy, thick hair and perfect skin as a young girl. I went to college out-of-state, and I soon started to get acne and my hair started thinning. Everyone told me that it was likely due to stress, but to be honest, I loved college and found most of my first-year classes pretty easy. During my first summer home I put two-and-two together: my eating habits changed drastically at college. My mother always fed us very healthy meals, and my eating habits at college were so bad that I even ate cookies for breakfast sometimes! I found out my hair loss was due to lack of healthy vitamins in my diet and my skin problems were also caused by my poor diet. I created this blog to help other learn how their health, skin, and are all connected, and I hope you can learn a lot here!