Hair Extension Maintenance & Move-Ups in Dallas & Plano, TX
Extensions are not a set-and-forget service. Every method needs a maintenance appointment on a schedule, and keeping that schedule is the single biggest factor in whether your natural hair stays healthy underneath. Here is exactly what maintenance means, how often each method needs it, and what happens while you are in the chair.
Extension consultations are complimentary and take about 30 minutes.
What Maintenance Actually Is
Your hair grows roughly half an inch a month. Whatever your extensions are attached to grows with it, so an attachment that sat snug against your scalp on installation day is sitting a full inch lower two months later.
That is the entire reason maintenance exists. Nothing has gone wrong. The hair has simply moved, and the attachment needs to be reset.
The industry term for that reset is a move-up, and you will also hear it called a move up, a maintenance appointment, a re-tape for tape-ins, or a reinstall for keratin bonds. Same idea, different execution per method.
How Often, By Method
| Method | Maintenance interval | What happens | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-tied (beaded weft) | Every 6-8 weeks | Rows taken down, hair washed and checked, same wefts reinstalled higher | $350 |
| Tape-in | Every 6-8 weeks | Wefts removed with solvent, fresh tape applied, same hair reinstalled higher | $200 |
| Keratin bond (K-tip) | Every 3-4 months | Bonds dissolved with solvent and combed out, fresh strands installed | Quoted at consultation |
Alongside the maintenance cycle, the hair itself has a lifespan. Hand-tied wefts are reused for 9 to 12 months before replacement. Tape-in hair lasts 4 to 6 months, so you will usually get two or three re-tapes from one set. Keratin tips are consumed at removal, so each reinstall uses new hair.
What Happens at a Move-Up Appointment
1. Take-down. The thread is cut and the beads are opened, or the tape is released with solvent. Your extensions come out intact. Nothing is pulled.
2. Wash and detangle. Your natural hair is washed properly at the bowl for the first time in weeks without a row in the way, then carefully detangled. Shed hair collects behind a row between appointments — that is completely normal, it is hair you would have lost anyway, and it comes out here.
3. The check. This is the part worth paying for. Your extensionist looks at the condition of your natural hair at the attachment points, checks for any thinning, tension or breakage, and tells you honestly what they see. If something needs to change — fewer wefts, a different placement, a break from extensions — you hear it at this appointment.
4. Reinstall. New beads and thread, or fresh tape, and the same hair goes back in, positioned close to the scalp again.
5. Cut, blend and style. Your extensions and your natural hair have both grown. The blend gets reworked so the ends still look like one head of hair, and you leave styled.
Why Skipping Maintenance Is the Real Risk
Almost every "extensions ruined my hair" story traces back to the calendar rather than the method.
When a row sits too far from the scalp, three things happen at once. The angle of pull changes, so the tension stops being distributed evenly. Shed hair accumulates and knits into a mat at the base. And the extra weight now hangs off a longer lever of your own hair. That combination is what causes breakage.
Kept on schedule, none of it happens. This is why we build the next appointment into the one you are already in, rather than leaving you to remember.
Making the Time Between Appointments Easier
- Brush morning and night with a loop brush or wet brush, ends first, supporting the row with your other hand
- Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner throughout
- Nothing oily at the attachment points — conditioner, oils and serums go on mid-lengths and ends only
- Dry the attachment area properly rather than sleeping on it wet
- Braid loosely before bed and use a silk or satin pillowcase
- Rinse straight after swimming, and braid before you get in
Our fuller home routine is in how to maintain hair extensions.
Booking Your Maintenance
Move-ups book up, particularly on Saturdays, so we recommend booking your next one before you leave. If you are already a few weeks past due, call us rather than waiting for a convenient slot — a late move-up is worth rearranging your week for.
If you are new to us and want to talk through your options, start with a complimentary extension consultation so we can look at your hair before recommending anything.
Call (972) 378-0091 or book online. Lee Graves Salon, 6101 Chapel Hill Blvd, Suite 103, Plano, TX 75093, with free parking directly in front of the building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore More Extension Guides
Hand-Tied (Beaded Weft) Extensions
Our signature method. Hand-tied wefts sewn onto a beaded row that lies flat against the scalp, with no glue and no heat.
Tape-In Extensions
The fastest, most budget-friendly way into extensions. Installed in 60 to 90 minutes and re-taped every 6 to 8 weeks.
Keratin Bond (K-Tip) Extensions
Individual strands bonded one at a time for the most natural movement, and the best way to fill a hairline or part.
See the full hair extensions hub, browse the extension results gallery, or read client reviews.
Book Your Free Extension Consultation
Thirty minutes, no charge, no obligation. You'll leave with a color match, a method recommendation, and a written quote.
Last updated: September 28, 2026