A Complete Guide To Hair Extensions

We have all admired another woman’s long, beautiful hair while wondering why ours refuses to grow past shoulder length. It seems unfair that some women are blessed with hair that grows faster than weeds, and some of us are stuck with straw.

However, if you want to lengthen your hair quickly and easily, you could simply go and get some hair extensions. Hair extensions are an excellent way to add length and even color to your hair without growing your own.

Here are some things you should know before you get hair extensions, though.

Types

There are three types of hair extensions: clip-ins, tape-ins, and hot or cold bonds. Each of these has a different method of insertion, and they each require different aftercare.

Speak to your hairstylist to find out which type of extensions best suits your hair as well as your lifestyle. If you’re big into swimming, clip-ins probably won’t work for you, and if you have a sensitive scalp, hot or cold bonds might irritate the skin.

No Damage

If you have good extensions put in by a qualified hairstylist, they should not cause any damage to your natural hair. The only time that extensions could cause damage is if tape-in or hot and cold bond extensions are not inserted correctly.

However, most extensions are safe and won’t do any damage to your hair as long as you ensure that your hairstylist knows what they are doing and uses a good quality hair extension on your head.

DIY

You can insert your own hair extensions if you buy clip-in extensions. These require no heat or special skills to be inserted. All you need to do is learn how to insert them correctly, which can be taught by your hairstylist or YouTube, and you’re set.

Clip-ins are ideal for the person who doesn’t want the permanent commitment of having semi-permanent extensions on their head but would like longer or differently colored hair for a special occasion.

Temporary or Semi-Permanent

Extensions are split into two categories when it comes to how long they last. You can get temporary extensions, which comprise clip-in extensions or weaves and can be taken out daily or weekly.

However, semi-permanent extensions like tape-ins and hot or cold bonds remain in your hair for six to eight weeks and require special care to keep them looking as fresh as the day that they were inserted.

Care

Now that we have spoken about permanency, we can speak about hair care. If you get high-quality human hair hair extensions, you will be able to style and care for them as you do your own hair.

However, if you get synthetic hair, you will need special products to take care of the hair. Find out from your hairstylist which type of hair extensions you are purchasing, as well as which products you will need to take care of them properly.

Pricey

You naturally want your hair to look healthy and beautiful, which means that you have to buy high-quality hair extensions, which can be pretty expensive. However, buying cheaper extensions means they will not last as long or look as good.

Consider how vital the longevity of your extensions is to you so that you can assess whether or not you can live with the price of good hair extensions if it means that you will get more life out of them.

Removal

While clip-in hair extensions can quickly come out of your hair by simply reversing the clip, semi-permanent hair extensions require much more skill and knowledge to be adequately removed.

Never try to remove your semi-permanent hair extensions on your own, as it can result in damaging both the extensions and your hair. Always go to a professional hairstylist to have them removed.