Hair Extensions

So... this is my first blog post & not sure what anyone wants to know about.. but here goes..



A very popular way to add length and thickness with out the hassle of waiting for your hair to grow. Whether it's just for one night or a few months these are a few of your options.

You always want to opt for remy human hair (cuticle all faces once direction) & colour closest matched to your hair. This type of hair can be styled with any hot tools & blends the best with your hair. Extensions blend best if you have them blended to your hair. PLEASE see your stylist for this!

Clip-ins
These are best for you if you don't enjoy styling your hair everyday, but like the legnth/ thickness for special events. The extensions come on a weft with clips that you attach to your own hair underneath the top layers of current hair style.
Maintenance: you put in / remove these usually the same day. I would not recommend sleeping with extensions in as the clips can stress your hair. You rarely need to wash these type of extensions as they are temporary and don't accumulate oil/ product build up as quickly. When the time comes when you have to wash your extensions its recommended that you use a moisture repair based or a colour safe shampoo. Be gentle and don't scrub them like you would your own hair, wash each weft individually to help prevent tangling, let the water run through each weft and rinse well. follow with conditioner. Again rinse well. Comb them well and blow dry with product or you can let them air dry but be sure to make sure the hair is completely de-tangled as it is hard to get the tangles out once they're dry.
Cost: pre-clipped $50 - 350, depending on colour and length and how
many pieces.
single weft (not cut into pieces and no clips) $50 - 200, also
depending on colour and length.
clips 10/$20

tip: if your cutting your weft into pieces & want the extra length make sure you have at least 2 rows ( with the weft doubled) that go below your ears so you ahve a full base.


Bonded
These type of extensions are individually bonded to your hair in small sections. They are often bonded with keratin and a heat clamp. They are more maintenance on a day to day basis than clip ins. You should brush your extensions regularly through out the day and make sure you have no tangles (in your hair and the extensions) Improper maintenance can lead to your hair getting tangled into the extensions at your roots and when you want to have the extensions taken out that hair will be coming out with them.
Maintenance: It generally takes 2 - 4 hours for a stylist to put them in and about half that time to take them out. Application: Each bond you put in should be fused twice to ensure the extension is fully bonded to your hair and taped starting from your root. Removal: an alcohol based solution is applied to the bonds to dry them out and cracked with nippers. They generally come right out with this technique. A good set of bonds should last 8 - 16 weeks before they need to be redone. Once you have regrowth you'll notice the hair from your root to the bond will get tangled easily or more difficult to brush between bonds. You need to avoid using oil based products (shampoo conditioner & styling products in your hair) they oil can break down the bonds and make them come out after. You want to use moisture repair or colour safe products in your hair. After washing you need to dry your hair using a boar bristle brush(metal brushes can cause the hair to break) so its fully dry, to avoid tangling. You may use oils/ serums on the ends of your hair but avoid brushing it through the root area.
A great way to avoid tangling while sleeping is to braid the hair and tie with a hair tie.
Cost: depending on brand, length & how many pieces
approx $200 - 600
application, varies depending on stylist,
approx $100/ hr - includes blending of the extensions
removal, approx $100/hr

Weaves
These types of extensions involve a weft of hair sewn to a corn row through out the back & sides of your hair (away from hair line) They are about the same amount of daily maintenance as bonded extensions. I find them a little easier to brush. Braiding the hair while sleeping also applied to this type of extensions. It is absolutely necessary to rinse all the shampoo and conditioner out of the weft as well as drying your hair once it wet. Improper maintenance of these types of extensions (having shampoo/ conditioner/ moisture trapped in the weft) can lead to the hair in the cornrow becoming very weak and brittle and possibly become moldy or break off. I find this type of extensions to blend the best with your hair.
Maintenance: It generally about 2 - 3 hours to have a weave put it and about 30 minues to an hour to have them taken out. Your Small sections of your hair are cornrowed and the weft is sewn to that hair. For the first 2 - 5 days the braid feels very tight and the hair often feels very heavy. You can use oil based products if you choose with these extensions however you want to use moisture repair or colour safe shampoo and conditioner to help the hair stay soft. As I mentioned you want to rinse and dry the hair fully. A good weave should last 6 - 12 weeks and will need to be redone when you have regrowth to avoid having stress put on the braid & your new growth hair.
Cost: hair, depending on colour, length & thickness
application, varies depending on stylist
approx. $150 for the 1st hour & $100 for every hour after
includes blending of the extensions
removal, approx $50 (some stylist will remove them
for free if they arent very tangled to your hair if you
get a wash and blowdry)

Please note: I only wrote about extensions I have personally had put in my hair. As i try new versions, i will do a new post about how they feel, maintenance & cost :)