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Many of us yearn for long beautiful, healthy hair, but the damage over the years may have caused our hair to be short and brittle. If this is the case for you, a hair weave may be the answer. Weaves are NOT only used to cover up damaged hair, but can be used in order to transition from relaxed hair to natural hair; used to grow out a cut, temporarily protect the hair from the elements, or to minimize or eliminate combing, brushing and using heat on your own hair for long periods of time. Whatever the reason you may chose to wear a weave; a hair weave requires careful maintenance otherwise you may feel as if you wasted a lot of money and time and if you neglect your own hair and scalp while wearing a weave, you may end up with more damage than you began with. Here are 8 tips for maintaining a weave.

1. If you plan on wearing weave for an extended period of time, be sure to get quality hair, hair that can withstand washing and regular styling without getting too matted or ratty looking.

2. Be sure to comb through the hair regularly in order to avoid excessive tangling and matting. When combing the hair, start at the ends and comb upward to the scalp. Use a semi-wide or wide tooth comb to avoid excessive stress on the hair.

3. Brush or comb the hair to cut down on tangles and massage the scalp to loosen up any build up before washing.

4. Washing the hair in the shower is much easier than in a sink. Be sure to use cool water on the hair and NOT hot. As the water is running through the hair, be sure to allow as much access as possible to the scalp. During the process finger comb the hair so that it remains as detangled as possible.

5. Instead of saturating the entire head with shampoo, focus on the scalp by massaging the shampoo carefully between the tracks.

6. Avoid using products that contain alcohol, mineral oils, and other harsh ingredients because it can greatly alter the quality of the weave including causing excessive dryness, matting and loss of shine.

7. Depending on the desired style, a weave can be wrapped at night in a satin scarf in the same way you regularly wrap your hair. It can be wrapped in a circle around the head, or maybe set with rollers, or pins; however you decide to prepare it at night, the most important element is a satin scarf or pillowcase to avoid drying the hair out.

8. Do not over due it with the styling products as it can decrease the quality of the weave, although you should definitely use some form of moisturizer in order to keep your own hair moisturized and healthy.

If you follow these suggestions, a weave can be an awesome way of protecting and growing your own hair. Of course a professional is always the best way to go as they are skillfully trained and can help with the upkeep and maintenance of a weave, but if you are a do-it-yourselfer, I would suggest investing in a DVD that teaches techniques on weaving in order to be sure you are giving your hair the best care possible.