Thread: Hair Extensions

I am considering getting hair extensions put in. Can anyone who has had them tell me if they damaged your natural hair when they were removed? What type of application process did you have, and how long did they last? i have super thin, fine hair and would love to have length and thickness added but am scared it will cause my already fragile hair to fall out. Not sure if it is worth it.

i would recommend the sew in kind over the glue in kind, from my own experience, b/c they seem to be less damaging to the "host hair". the frequency of "re-doing" depends on how fast your own hair grows, but you should be fine for 6-10 weeks. if you take good care of the extensions and they are good quality, they can be re-used for a long time. make sure you get remy cuticle hair (cuticle still on the hair shaft, and all going the same direction). its higher quality and much less prone to tangles.

make sure they are not done too tightly because over time, it can cause traction alopecia in some people! because you say your hair is thin and fragile, you should probably go to a salon that specializes in weaves. they will know the best way to get the hair you want, with minimum stress to the "host hair".

Hi Stardancer!

I have had three methods done in the past:

Glue in weft:
Easily done and what I have to this day- as I can do myself, saving me on all costs. There is some hair loss if you are not careful, but I've found using a deep conditioner to remove the glue (instead of the harsh glue removers they sell) makes it less. I can control when I have it in, and when I can take it out.

Fusion:
Experienced the most hair loss on this method, on my fine delicate hair. I am still growing out some of the loss two years later. This looked the best while in, but there was a lot of 'shedding', and the removal or the 'moving up' of the fusion strands was harsh. It's also a small fortune to have redone.

Braiding:
If you can put up with the pain in the initial week of this (from the pulling/heaviness on the scalp) I say go for it. Again, this was too much for my fine hair and my scalp hurt badly for about a week from the tightness. The area where the braids are could suffer some hair loss from stress pulling, depending on the tightness. That's the traction alopecia Sabrina is referring to above me.

I agree, get the BEST hair you can afford. Remy hair (cuticle) will last you longest if you take good care of it. The cheap stuff will fuzz out and look awful, and then - guess what? You need to take it out and get more hair and redo it all ($$$). I've learned through years of trial and error.

The upside? I love the way it looks and feels. It gives me a positive boost when I dance. I've been trying to grow my hair out for years, and it seems to be 'stuck' at just past my shoulders. It's also naturally very fine, so extensions make it thicker and longer. When I take them out - I have ponytails I clip in to give my hair a breather. (Also - so my neighbors don't wonder why my hair's long one day, short another -lol).

I tried the clip in extensions - and unfortunately, my hair is so fine, even teasing these at the clip in points, they slide right out. If you have courser hair they could work well though. In my case, losing an extension in the midst of a spin would NOT be good. UGH.

So there ya have it from my point of view. :)

search back for the thread I posted about hair extensions...I have really thick hair and having mine sewn in was a painful NIGHTMARE ..it could have been just the girl's method or any number of factors but they hurt so bad that I had them cut out the next day.

before getting them sewn in why don't you try the clip in type? that's what I use and love them..they clip in within a few seconds , look natural, and when i surf they hang in my closet :)

I use Hairdreams and would not use anything else.
Back in the day (10 years ago) I tried
- the glue in kind - once you wash your hair it comes out. How long do you want to go without washing your hair??
- sewn in. They made the tracks and sewn the hair in. I ended up with bumpy track on my head. Whatever hair I had was mostly used up for the tracks and then the new hair just replaced that. It was pointless.

About 5 years ago I tried the clip in kind. I was way too self conscious if they were going to fall out during performance, or if they would become visible.

All of these 3 methods did not work for me. Maybe the braid / glue method have been improved, I don't know.

Hairdreams:
It's expensive but I keep it in 5-6 months and then it's not that much. It is glue to your hair with a bond that will never break off, or let the hair slide out. I have been using this system since 2006 continuously. I wash, brush, style and even color my hair as usual, it is not noticeable, no one knows I have expensions unless they touch my hair around the roots.

I did loose some pieces, probably because I was a bit too rough. I am pretty good with taking care of it, but you will loose some hair. In my opinion it is minimal. I have fine hair that will not grow past shoulder length. The funny thing is that having the extensions allows me to mess less with my hair, I wash it, for performances I stem roll it it, no curling iron, no hairspray, etc. My real hair is longer that it has ever been, but it is still too thin to wear alone.
My hairdresser says I would not loose any hair if I would change out the hair every 4 months, but for me that would mean I would pay 3 times / year instead of just twice.

For me it has more than paid for itself. My hairdresses is the coolest ever and she knows her stuff.
In the summer I tried to go cheap, bought hair, and gliue and equipment online, had my friend put it in. It was great for 2 days. Then the bond softened, I shed like 4 cats altogether, the hair looked like crap... the remover gave me a rash on my arms...

if you do any fusion, only do Hairdreams with a trained stylist. The copper ring method is supposed to be good, but t's much maintenance and doesn't last as long.

I've done the glue in weft, fusion, and microrings. The glue in weft was great for short term wear (like a week or so) and the clue comes out easy with olive oil.

Fusion style was the worst on my fine thin hair. Looked fantastic but did a lot of damage to it, especially when they would fall out. Also had issues with the bond on some brands getting really sticky after a couple of weeks.

The microbeads were really easy but I didn't care for the feel of little clumpy things all over in my hair.

Now I just keep my hair short and put a wig on. less commitment and my sweetie can play with my hair without getting his fingers caught.