Guide To Hair Extensions

It takes several hours to have extensions done in the salon. As a salon employee I have watched the bonded, sewn and braided procedures. Also the cut and styling. The coloring process is very complicated and should always be done professionally.

It is exciting to go from short to long, but as stated takes a few hours. For the braided type the natural hair is done in small braids close to the scalp and the new braid is added. The sewn one, which is what I'd choose, is similar only the stylist does a horizontal braid and the extensions are sewn to it.

All types require maintenance just like your existing bob. Do you color your hair? What ethnicity are you? Can you afford the routine haircuts and trips to the salon for touch ups, fixes, and styling? The extensions can fall out, come loose and need trimming.

About the cost, this is an expensive procedure. Very few stylists do this and are free to charge what they want. At our salon, they charge by the hour and the client pays for the hair. Our stylists only extend with human hair. The synthetic is not reliable.

It is so nice for women to have options. If your hair is thin or broken off, you can add in the long braids. They can be left as is or unbraided. The hair then needs to be styled and cut. Pulling it in a ponytail is an option, or a shorter fuller style if you don't want it long.

Your existing hair is then blended in with the clip in hair extensions. For black women this works well after their hair is pressed down you can hardly tell. On other races the client has a layer or two cut in their hair, so it won't be as obvious.

Occasionally we've had a male client add the braids. Same procedure and it looks interesting but most of them leave with a hat on anyway! The extensions are available in many colors but are always long and usually require trimming.

Are you purchasing it yourself at the neighborhood beauty store? Are you having your stylist buy it at his/her professional salon wholesaler? Then there are the application types, glue in or bonded, sewn, braided, or clip on.

If you are going to spend say $300-$400 on your hair, you want the best right? The decision to add extensions should be discussed with your stylist. Other wise you and your girlfriends can play around with the fake hair. It does not stay in as well, cannot be washed, styled and care for like human hair extensions.

Hair extensions used to be just for the rich and famous, but now like many things, is affordable. If you choose to extend your hair there are several options and things to consider.

One bad hair day and a too hot iron and you have no hair. Be careful, as with cutting, coloring, lightening, streaks, perms, or other procedures see a professional. There is a reason we go to school, graduate and get a license.

Do you want human or synthetic, expensive or inexpensive? How about a full head of long hair extensions that matches your own? Maybe you just want a longer version of a short but sassy style or just a punked out section?