I've wanted to write this post for a while to give advice and help anyone with questions or worries about hair extensions. My journey has been a long, annoying and a somewhat enjoyable one. Id like to take the time to share it with you. I hope it helps.
My hair extension journey started when I was around 15. It was a little while after I had my hair cut EXTREMELY short and it had grown to shoulder length. At this point I was dying my hair every few months into a number of different colours, including blond, black and green. All taking a tole on my hair's look and feel.
2006:
I started with hair clips. I didn't no much about them then, Id simply added two-three clips per piece with an overall amount of 5 strips of weft hair extensions, starting from the lower neck and ending at eye level.
I started with Chocolate Brown in 16-18 inch's I would by them from my local store but when It closed I turned to Hair Trade. An amazing, quick website (Id recommend using them,Link Above)
Id try to make them look as natural and realistic as possible and wore them everyday. By the end of 2007 I was layering my extensions and sewing the clips in place to allow more room for the hair to fit.
I'd also have to cut and thin my natural hair ends as they'd get split ends and when longer it would stop the extensions looking natural. I never backcombed my hair as many do. But I would Hair Spray the section and then clip them in place. I felt this worked better as it would stop them slipping and I wouldn't have the annoying knotted hair.
TIP Buy hair extensions longer then you need, then cut a few cm or inch's off. This gets rid of the scraggly ends. It makes the whole length fuller and thicker from root to tip. Allowing the hair to look thicker and healthier.
2008:
I then started looking around for alternatives, I found it in the Salon Pro Glue. I hadn't done any research on this product but it sounded like a good idea at the time. I did enjoy how my head felt instantly lighter, my hair was flatter and the hair sat more naturally and realistically.
Id separate the hair into the same sections and placement as I would the clips, and glue the strips onto the lines. The extensions could now stay in for up to 3 days. I could wash my hair but I'd have to dry it straight away to keep the weft in place.
Id have to rigorously wash my hair whilst combing out all the excess glue from my scalp. If I didn't get all of it out, it would leave an oily residue with lumps of glue. When combing the hair or pulling out the extensions id notice a lot of my hair coming with it.
After a year or so this started to cause bald patches.
A couple of months after I stopped using the glue I started to see a difference in my hairs growth and strength as if the glue was stopping my hair from being healthy, which make sense since its placed were the youngest hair is developing and its GLUE!!!!
2009:
My friend had told me about a place near by that would sew in hair extensions. Attaching them to very tightly woven braids.
I was walking past a local hair dressers (Baileys, Havant) and saw an advert for a women to do so.
Her pricing didn't seem ridiculous. £99 for a full head of supplied extensions sewn in, hair match, aftercare and maintenance so I booked for her to come around a week before my 18th birthday (they were a present from my mum). I felt trust worthy in her service because it was advertised at a good local hairdressers.
She didn't turn up, I re-booked and she turned up 2 hours late and this time the price had gone down to £75.
Her reasoning was that she wanted to cut the middle man out (the hairdressers).
She took 3.5 hours to sew the extensions in, I wasn't happy, they didn't sit how I expected and there wasn't anything around the front of my face. I asked her to add some and she said she would do so if I re-booked. I called a few times to do so, she never answered.
For some reason, I don't remember if it was payment or deposit but at one point she was meant to collect money off me, turned up late again, never left her car, never called to tell me she was outside and just sat there till I saw and went and gave it to her.
After a week or so and £75 later the hair started to drop and fall out. Whilst my boyfriend sat there removing the hair for me he noticed each braid was oddly sized and none were even all the way across and toward the top (when she got bored) she had started to use less thread and left large gaps between each stitch.
At 18 I was naive and trusted to much. I wish now I had done more research, had more reluctance to hand over my cash for an unworthy service! I was so disappointed. After realising the Hairdressers were still advertising this con artist I went in ready to tell them what I thought only to see the Women there being yelled at whilst the owner took the sign down so I didn't go in. Later I saw on there website a statement denying "affiliation with the specialist". Obviously her customers were not happy, had gave the hairdressers to much hassle they had to drop her, they should have done there research to.
2010:
I decided to revisit the sewn in extension root, going to the place that was originally suggested to me. I made an appointment waited a few minutes and was promptly sat down. The specialist quickly and tightly braided sections of my hair then promptly added the extensions (that i had brought with me, constantly suggesting using there own) The overall experience took 45 minutes and only £40 a complete parallel to last time. At first I thought this was an amazing idea until I started to get headaches and pain when id put my hair up. So I could only have my hair down or in low ponytails at the bottom of my neck.
About a week and a half later I started to notice small pink risen skin dots at the ends of each weft, were my hair had been pulled out from the braids being to tight and the wefts being to heavy pulling on them. After two weeks again my boyfriend took them out for me. A technique that's meant to last a minimum of a month.
2011:
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| Halloween lol |
This was the year I found out about Micro Rings. They're used for single pieces of extensions but I felt wefts were the best way to go. They allow for fuller coverage, it never gives the weird Katy Price look.
Id take an hour or so to sew double wefts together and from 3 to 6 micro rings to the wefts (the longer the weft the more rings). Using a loop threader id grab about 1cm of hair, pull it through the ring and then pinch the ring closed with pliers. (if the piece of hair is to small it will slip out the loop) To remove Id pinch the rings with pliers on the opposite side that it was closed. Then slide the extensions off. Some rings didn't open instead crushed and Id have to pull it out.. right to the lowest root. OOUCH!!!
Whilst I used this technique 7-8 times toward the end of my extension experience, having them in only for nights out (putting it up whist at college or work) It did a lot of damage causing bald, and short, frayed patches of hair.
2012:
Is the year I gave up on hair extensions. Before this Id dye my hair and extensions every time I was going out (once a month, more if there was a friends birthday or occasion) I felt like it was a pampering treatment type thing to do to feel great before that event or date as you would a face mask. In hindsight.. it was not! Id bleach my hair in different ways, Id run out of money to fix it, or id dislike it in a month and dye it over with brown. Also not a great thing to do so frequently. Id also cut my lengths off when they started to get frayed, which is good but didn't help me thinking about the length growing.
When arriving at University I started to use more conditioning treatments and hair products(because I had my own shower I could fit more products in there lol) I also had less time to do my hair in the days and less money to spend on dyes extensions. This was the best thing I could do for my hair.
Ive had Ombre hair many times since I was 16 but 2012 is when I did it for keeps. I figure its a way of adding texture and dimension to my hair (I don't feel I look good with full brunette). I can let my natural dark blond/brown hair grow through. Whilst young is the best time to show off your natural hair colour since ill be dying it when I start to get greys lol. The only time I dye my hair now is when I'm adding more streaks as my hair gets longer, which is every 3-4 months and takes a day or two, but that's a story for another time.
When I started this journey I never would have believed that the best thing to do was to leave my hair alone and let it do its own thing. I wanted to feel feminine and cut out that awkward growing length, being inpatient I would have never left it alone.
I'm also glad I didn't because all of this has become a learning curb, I'm able to give friends advice on not only hair extensions but all the products Ive spent thousands on, trying to find a miracle cure.
In dying it less Ive found its really let my hair breath and become stronger. Now without all the harmful products I can wash it less allowing the hairs natural oils to condition and strengthen it. There's no strain on my scalp causing bald patches, no headaches.
I occasionally use clip ins, but honestly I cant handle the weight anymore.
Theres 10 products I use frequently and have settled on after years of money and time searching that really help the condition of my hair. This is getting to be a long post so I will also update you on that at a later time.
In 2 years of not worrying about my hair length it has grown from my shoulders to my ribs. I'm so proud and happy with the length. And I'm glad Ive finally got there.
One thing I miss from having short hair is I never used to get it in my face when it was windy, its out of control. Annoying when Ive spent time doing it up lol :)
For most of the time I was using hair extensions I used Dream Girl Extensions just because they were the brand I first brought, I knew the quality and amount you got. I had many bad experiences with them mostly to do with dying them. 100% Human Hair is meant to dye just like ours (because its human lol) I used to buy peroxide blond and dye it to the same colour as my hair I felt that would always get the better match. On about 2-4 different occasions id wash out the dye and be left with white streaks. This is because there is synthetic hair, dye simply washes straight off. I called once to complain to the company and was meat with rudeness and told I was meant to dye them red first, which to the operators dismay I had as I was actually going red anyway. To this she responded with saying theres nothing they can do, no refund. Even though its clearly not 100% human hair. Despite this I have used dream girl since jumping between them and hair trade. Mainly because you can go to any market or store on the high street and pick them up straight away. Hair trade I have never had a problem with and in fact their delivery is very quick and the hair is thicker and fuller once washed, I feel their hair even lasts longer.
TIP: Hairdressers always say to dye hair red before blond etc etc I don't think its necessary or true. Ive died my hair brown to blond and back again Ive never had any problems. when I did try this technique once and added red in the middle the result was no different. And whilst they say to do this Ive never once seen it practised in a hairdressers.
There were many other options for length I looked into, but never used such as:
Tape, You apply it under and on top of a layer of hair and add extensions. This sounds good, but to be honest I don't see the point. Especially when its a thick piece of tape, from the root downward giving it less surface area to brush or put your hair up. And its never good when you get tape caught in your hair at Christmas lol. Another is keratin glue applied to strips of hair using a hot glue gun. Which when researching I've noticed gives a very stringy patchy look, not what I'm after. A cheap glamorous alternative some of my friends go for is the 3/4 wig, placed at the back of the head hidden by your own hair (worn my gals in Geordie Shore) adds full, thick length and wonderful wavy curls. It looks good when done right and only costs around £39. But when it goes wrong its really noticeable. Especially when most are synthetic it has a shiny effect making it hard to blend naturally, if not blended it defiantly looks like a wig.
I really do recommend looking after the quality of your hair with treatments and oils then relaxing. It really does grow without you noticing when your not fretting about it all day.
If you want to use extensions still, stay away from the harmful glues and grips (if it sounds like it should be in your dads tool shed, or you have to borrow tools from his shed to apply them, don't bother) Stick to clips, use less heat, let your hair naturally dry, and if you no its not an important day put it up, wash your hair less or at least every other or 3rd day, let your hairs natural oils look after it. Dye it less and embrace your natural colour whilst your young and you can :) and finally get rid of those spilt end, it doesn't help your hair to grow faster but it does make it look healthier, the less breakage you have the longer it will be :)
For most of the time I was using hair extensions I used Dream Girl Extensions just because they were the brand I first brought, I knew the quality and amount you got. I had many bad experiences with them mostly to do with dying them. 100% Human Hair is meant to dye just like ours (because its human lol) I used to buy peroxide blond and dye it to the same colour as my hair I felt that would always get the better match. On about 2-4 different occasions id wash out the dye and be left with white streaks. This is because there is synthetic hair, dye simply washes straight off. I called once to complain to the company and was meat with rudeness and told I was meant to dye them red first, which to the operators dismay I had as I was actually going red anyway. To this she responded with saying theres nothing they can do, no refund. Even though its clearly not 100% human hair. Despite this I have used dream girl since jumping between them and hair trade. Mainly because you can go to any market or store on the high street and pick them up straight away. Hair trade I have never had a problem with and in fact their delivery is very quick and the hair is thicker and fuller once washed, I feel their hair even lasts longer.
TIP: Hairdressers always say to dye hair red before blond etc etc I don't think its necessary or true. Ive died my hair brown to blond and back again Ive never had any problems. when I did try this technique once and added red in the middle the result was no different. And whilst they say to do this Ive never once seen it practised in a hairdressers.
There were many other options for length I looked into, but never used such as:
Tape, You apply it under and on top of a layer of hair and add extensions. This sounds good, but to be honest I don't see the point. Especially when its a thick piece of tape, from the root downward giving it less surface area to brush or put your hair up. And its never good when you get tape caught in your hair at Christmas lol. Another is keratin glue applied to strips of hair using a hot glue gun. Which when researching I've noticed gives a very stringy patchy look, not what I'm after. A cheap glamorous alternative some of my friends go for is the 3/4 wig, placed at the back of the head hidden by your own hair (worn my gals in Geordie Shore) adds full, thick length and wonderful wavy curls. It looks good when done right and only costs around £39. But when it goes wrong its really noticeable. Especially when most are synthetic it has a shiny effect making it hard to blend naturally, if not blended it defiantly looks like a wig.
I really do recommend looking after the quality of your hair with treatments and oils then relaxing. It really does grow without you noticing when your not fretting about it all day.
If you want to use extensions still, stay away from the harmful glues and grips (if it sounds like it should be in your dads tool shed, or you have to borrow tools from his shed to apply them, don't bother) Stick to clips, use less heat, let your hair naturally dry, and if you no its not an important day put it up, wash your hair less or at least every other or 3rd day, let your hairs natural oils look after it. Dye it less and embrace your natural colour whilst your young and you can :) and finally get rid of those spilt end, it doesn't help your hair to grow faster but it does make it look healthier, the less breakage you have the longer it will be :)
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| My hair now |
Thank You
SammyE xxx
Disclaimer:
This is advice, and my findings. I am not a specialist.