all you need to know about EXTENSIONS

[kimmy]

i've been doing hair extensions for a while, and i see alot of ladies asking about them here on Specktra, so i thought i'd post a little basic information in the hopes that it will help you ladies with any questions you may have

what are they used for?
extensions are used to build length and/or thickness to one's hair. they also are often used on people who either don't want to dye their hair, or like to change their hair colours frequently.

what are the pros and cons?
the pros of hair extensions vary person to person. really, the one pro is the boost in self esteem it can give the client. many clients seek extensions because they are unhappy with the current length and/or density of their hair. and we all know, feeling good about your appearance translates into a higher, healthier self esteem for clients who like to change their hair colours often, extensions can provide the benefit of keeping your hair in better shape, whereas frequent dying can severely damage hair.
however, hair extensions also have their cons. among these cons is damage. extensions that are done improperly can cause severe, irrepairable damage to the client's hair (this is why it's extremely important to find a stylist who knows what he or she is doing ) extensions that are installed too tightly may pull out the client's own natural hair or cause breakage of the natural hair shaft.

what are all the different types of extensions?
extensions come in both real human hair and in synthetic hair. human hair, obviously will look more natural and costs more whereas synthetic extensions can be attained for pretty cheap and are very high in shine.

how are they installed?
this depends on what type of installation method you choose.

• pre-tipped bundles are installed with a heat device. they are small bunches of hair with keratin or fusion tips at the ends, these keratin or fusion tips are bonded to the client's natural hair by using a heated device (similar to a straightening or curling iron) and the bonds are melted to the hair, they are then rolled between the stylist's fingers (which are protected by rubber finger guards) until they are cooled.

• shrinkie bundles are similar to the pre-tipped bundles in their application methods. they are bundles of stick hair that is pulled through a small shrinkie on the client's hair and then heated with the same tool at the pre-tipped bonds are melted with, the shrinkies are then cooled down the same way as in the method for installing pre-tipped hair.

• micro-ring bundles are bundles of hair that have small rings at the top of the bundle. the client's natural hair is pulled through these small rings and the rings are then flattened with a ring flattener.

• track hair can be either glued in or woven in. when the tracks are glued in, the stylist will seperate the client's hair into several sections (this portion of the method varies from client to client based on the look the client is trying to achieve) and the tracks are glued in with extension glue. they can also be woven in, which usually requires braiding the client's natural hair into the extension track.

how much do they cost?
it all depends on what kind of extensions you want and how many you require. the cheapest way to get extensions is to do them yourself (which i wouldn't suggest, they can be very difficult ), these are often the track extensions that are glued in. you can find the supplies to do this at most beauty supply stores for under $50USD. for extensions done by professionals and using the pre-tipped, shrinkie or micro-ring installation method can cost anywhere from $300USD to $3,000USD; and in some cases, even more.

how do i take care of them?
you should never leave your extensions in for longer than three months, this is the most important care tip! after getting the extensions, you should wait 48 hours before washing or using styling products on your hair. you should avoid using heat styling products on your hair once you have had extensions installed as the heat can melt the bonds that keep the extension bundles to your hair. when you get your hair wet, you should towel dry it immediately and get it as dry as possible. prolonged exposure to water or moisture can also damage the bonds.

HTH! if you have any other questions about extensions that you think should be here, don't hesitate to ask

[Katura]

How about clip in extensions??? Any info on those? I've been looking around, but I dont want to buy any until I get some opinions/ comparison pictures...etc.

TIA!

[MKJoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katura

How about clip in extensions??? Any info on those? I've been looking around, but I dont want to buy any until I get some opinions/ comparison pictures...etc.

TIA!

I have some that I really like. You can get them from HSN.com, and they're called Toni Brattan's Beauty Secrets. They come in a ton of colors so they're easy to match to your hair, and they're really easy to work with.

[kimmy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katura

How about clip in extensions??? Any info on those? I've been looking around, but I dont want to buy any until I get some opinions/ comparison pictures...etc.

TIA!

the one downside to clip in extensions is the price. to get a full head of clip ins can run between $200 and $700. on the plus side, they're very easy to put in and take out. i'd suggest the Raquel Welch clip ins (http://www.hairextensions.com/produc...2&cat=5&page=1) you can browse through different styles of clip in hair extensions at http://www.hairextensions.com

[Katura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKJoy

I have some that I really like. You can get them from HSN.com, and they're called Toni Brattan's Beauty Secrets. They come in a ton of colors so they're easy to match to your hair, and they're really easy to work with.

I wish there was a picture of these!!! Esp. the colors, I need to find a good blonde and a nice bright red...

[MKJoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katura

I wish there was a picture of these!!! Esp. the colors, I need to find a good blonde and a nice bright red...

They have really good color swatches on the hsn.com website. Here's a pic of mine - my hair is about chin length, so everything longer is my extensions.

[Katura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKJoy

They have really good color swatches on the hsn.com website. Here's a pic of mine - my hair is about chin length, so everything longer is my extensions.

Are they hard to put in? Do the clips show at all? can you feel them alot?

I have so many questions...haha...

[kimmy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katura

Are they hard to put in? Do the clips show at all? can you feel them alot?

I have so many questions...haha...

putting them in is really pretty quick and simple. you just clip them in like regular barettes, you may need help getting the back clipped in though

if you have really thick hair, the clips won't show. if you have extremely thin hair, they might peek out every now and again. BUT they're painted to match the hair, so if they do peek out, it's very subtle and almost unnoticable

when you have them in, it just feels like you have your hair pinned with bobby pins, so they're pretty comfortable. and if they're coming loose or one of them comes unsnapped somehow, you can feel thm so you know to fix it!

[lauren006]

I got my clip ins at sally beauty supply. They were $60 and it is all real hair and it comes with ALOT of it. I Love it!! Way cheaper than all that other stuff but it's the exact same thing.

[aeni]

Hell after looking at Welch's clip ins, I'll save the $ and make my own!

[kimmy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeni

Hell after looking at Welch's clip ins, I'll save the $ and make my own!

seriously! her stuff is hella expensive. you might want to check out the ones they sell at Sally Beauty Supply, like Lauren said, they're MUCH cheaper, and if you get synthetics, they're even cheaper

http://www.sallybeauty.com

[teresy12]

I've heard really good things about Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves hair extension line. Their real hair ones are really over priced IMO, but their synthetic ones are reasonable.

[aeni]

Well yeah, synthetic's always going to be cheaper than real. But if you grow your hair out and sell it, you'll make good money! Especially natural blondes!

[VeXedPiNk]

My hair is so horribly thick... I could sell it off and be a millionaire without anyone even noticing that I've cut any out

Great thread though! I cut my hair recently and really miss my long hair. Been thinking about extensions but never knew where to start. Now I know!

[Mandy22]

I have Raquel clip-in extensions and I love them, but I recently found a store in Montreal who ships (I have no idea if he ships internationaly) but he sent mine Fed Ex and they got here the NEXT day.
The website is : www.rallonges.com they are in the clip section.
I ordered the 22 inch, super Barbie style and I LOVE them.
they are amazing.
I get tons of compliments and they are so nice.
And the service was amazing.
And they were not super expensive either..
Love them.
it's worth checking out for sure.
Mandy :-)

[sensuelle]

Some people make thier own clip ins by buying clips online at sallys or any bss and buying thier own hair. They sew the clips onto the hair.

By the way the anthem. I have had damage from individual extensions and now use the sew in track method. Will this cause balding in the future? what can i do to prevent this. thanx for th great post!

[kimmy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBuiltsJuicyGrl

By the way the anthem. I have had damage from individual extensions and now use the sew in track method. Will this cause balding in the future? what can i do to prevent this. thanx for th great post!

it shouldn't, but it depends on the extent of the damage done to the hair. between putting in new extensions, use a few deep conditioners on your hair to strengthen your hair a little.

[Miss Thing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBuiltsJuicyGrl

Some people make thier own clip ins by buying clips online at sallys or any bss and buying thier own hair. They sew the clips onto the hair.

By the way the anthem. I have had damage from individual extensions and now use the sew in track method. Will this cause balding in the future? what can i do to prevent this. thanx for th great post!

This is what I do. I buy natural hair & sew the clips on myself, I think that is the cheapest deal, and better because I can measure the tracks perfectly to my head.

[maxfab]

do you have any advice about cutting extensions after you've put them in to blend with your natural hair?

[summerofmandie]

i really want to get some clip in ones from sally's. my hair is long, but i want it longer. if anyone gets them, please post pics!

[iamlelilien]

How long does it take to put in clip-in extensions, assuming you have a full set of them?

[MisStarrlight]

I make my own clip-ins too....much easier & cheaper & I'm too lazy to go to a salon to put extensions in. It's like $30-40 for super long (real) hair & $3 for each pack of clips.

I have red, black & blonde (sometimes I dye the blonde ones with spray color cause I'm cool like that)...I don't wear them that often cause I'm super lazy & never do anything to my hair, but when I do I get tons of compliments.

Here's me w/ my blonde ones (I clipped them into my hair & cut them to the appropriate length)....

[iamlelilien]

In addition to the question in my previous post, how do you store them when you're not wearing them?

[blindpassion]

I had Weave-in Human Hair 18 inch Extensions in a Level 4 color (dark brunette),
They cost 150 dollars for the hair, and 80 to get woven in. The weaving feels tight on your scalp, but after a while you get very used to it. I had them re-woven about 4 weeks later because they were coming loose, and they start to itch when they grow out.

I recently bought Raquel Welch 18 inch clip-in extensions for 300 dollars. I have yet to use them, but have high hopes for them!

I decided to get the clips ins the second time around because I have VERRYYY thick hair, and really only use them on special occasions when I have the time to style ALL that hair! I'll post a pic of the weave in extensions later, they look very natural.

Try them out! I missed them so much when I didn't have them, they are a lot of fun. I got a ton of compliments on mine.

[nunu]

can anyone provide any websites or hair salons in the UK that do hair extensions? i realllly want 2 have hair extensions bt i have asked around the area i live bt they dont do it