By Nicole Zerafa, Original Diva Hair Extensions, Hunters Hill Sydney NSW. Last updated: 7 May 2026.
If you’ve ever bought hair extensions that looked incredible in the packet but started tangling, matting, or feeling dry after the first wash — there’s a very good chance they were coated in silicone. This is one of the most widespread and least-disclosed practices in the global hair extension industry, and after 25 years working with extensions in Sydney and across Australia, I think every buyer deserves to understand exactly what silicone coatings do to hair — and why Original Diva doesn’t use them.
Many hair extensions on the market — at all price points — are treated with a silicone coating during manufacturing. This coating makes the hair feel incredibly smooth, soft, and shiny straight out of the packaging. The problem: it’s temporary. After 3–6 washes, the silicone coating strips off, revealing the true condition of the underlying hair — which is often lower-grade, dry, or inconsistently processed. At that point, tangling and matting begin. This is why so many buyers have the experience of extensions that seem perfect on day one and degraded within weeks.
The easiest test is time: silicone-coated extensions will feel dramatically different after washing, while true Remy human hair — with cuticles intact and properly aligned — maintains its texture through hundreds of washes. You can also rub a strand between your fingers while dry (silicone-coated hair often feels slightly slippery or plasticky) versus slightly textured like natural hair. Most brands don’t disclose silicone coating because it’s an industrywide practice that few buyers know to question.
When I developed the Original Diva extension range, I made a deliberate decision: no silicone coatings, ever. This means our hair doesn’t have the “wow” moment in the packet that a silicone-coated product has — but it means our extensions perform consistently from day one through month twelve. The softness and shine you feel in our hair is the actual quality of the Remy human hair, not a coating designed to hide lower-grade material. I can make this commitment because we control the full production process, from sourcing to quality control, and we’ve built our 25-year reputation on the lasting performance of our hair — not first impressions.
There’s another reason silicone-free matters for clients having professional extensions applied in salon. Silicone residue can interfere with tape adhesion, microbead clamping, and bond integrity — meaning silicone-coated extensions may not hold as securely and may require more frequent servicing. Our silicone-free extensions at Original Diva’s Hunters Hill studio adhere correctly, sit flat, and move naturally — because there’s nothing interfering with the application.
Ask directly: “Are these extensions silicone-coated?” If a brand can’t answer — or deflects — treat that as a red flag. At Original Diva, the answer is straightforward: no silicone, 100% Remy human hair, cuticles intact and aligned. You can shop our full range online with free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $150, or use our free colour matching service for a perfect blend. For in-salon application at our Hunters Hill studio, text 0452 573 482 to book.
No. Many extensions labelled “100% human hair” are still silicone-coated during processing. The silicone doesn’t change what the hair is made of, but it significantly affects how it performs over time. Always ask the brand directly.
Not if the underlying hair quality is high. Genuine high-grade Remy human hair with properly aligned cuticles feels naturally soft and smooth without needing silicone. It’s a different kind of softness to the artificial slippery feel of heavily coated hair — and it lasts.
For clip-in extensions, occasional use of silicone-containing serums or sprays is fine. For tape or microbead extensions applied in salon, avoid silicone-heavy products near the roots and bonds, as they can weaken adhesion over time. Water-based and sulphate-free products work best for long-term extension care.
Last updated: 7 May 2026
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