Going with Hair Extensions – Select the Best Method for Your Hair
Hair extensions are a good way to achieve that so desired look by adding volume, length and color highlight to your hair. Extensions are attached to a woman’s natural hair using a number of different methods. The way extensions are attached will also affect their feel and appearance. The idea is to select an attachment method that is sparing, yet it gives the finished hair a natural look and feel.
In order to better understand how the whole process works and choose the most suitable attachment method, it is best to consult with a professional hairdresser, in the meantime here is some valuable information:
There are different types of hair extensions and each one has its own unique attachment method. The methods are grouped in systems.
- Strand by strand – in this case, sectional pieces of extensions are attached to sectional pieces of your natural hair using a number of different attachment techniques. These techniques are usually warm or cold fusion, shrink tubing and micro tubing. Glue on attachment methods are now considered outdated and aren’t practiced as much.
- Warm fusion attachment – extensions are attached to natural hair through heating of keratin bonds, the keratin comes from a special chemical that is present on the end of the hair extension strands.Warm fusion allows for certain extensions to be reused. Cost wise, it is a tat cheaper than cold fusion, and pretty much just as time consuming to complete.
- Cold fusion attachment – the keratin bonds present on the ends of strands are activated and fused together with natural hair using ultrasound rather than heat. Cold fusion is considered to be superior to many other attachment methods and perhaps delivers the best results. However, cold fusion is somewhat expensive and time consuming.
- Links, Microlinks, Tubes, Beads, Locks, Rings – this method basically uses different types of miniature tubes through which natural hair and extensions are run, then sealed and bonded inside the tube.
- Upsides – cheaper than fusion attachment, takes relatively shorter to complete, extensions can be adjusted if necessary, relatively long lasting results.
- Downsides – extensions are somewhat visible, microtubing can be uncomfortable to wear at times, sometimes constant readjustment is needed, tubing can damage hair shafts in certain cases.
- Weft hair extensions – the weft method is similar to the strand by strand attachment, though in this case instead of attaching a strand of synthetic hair to a strand of natural hair, extensions are shaped in tracks or wefts i.e. elongated pieces or lines of synthetic hair. The tracks are then attached to lines of natural hair on the scalp and left to hang freely. The attachment is done using one of the methods listed above, including the use of special adhesives.
- Upsides – less time consuming and more efficient than strand by strand attachment, different attachment methods applicable, more cost effective than strand by strand methods;
- Downsides – stresses hair more, heavier than strands, removal is more complicated, glue and braiding attachment can cause some damage to hair, wefts are somewhat visible, they need more maintenance and readjustment.
- Clip-on extensions – these are perhaps the easiest, most sparing and uninvolving hair extensions you can get, most women attach them before an event or special occasion and take them off before retiring to bed, or after the event is through. Many of the clip-on extensions available right now come with Remy hair.
What you need to know about clip-on extensions: Avoid non-Remy hair clip-ons, Remy hair is considered to be the closest thing resembling natural human hair. Remy hair is also quite resistant to matting, oiling, oxidizing etc. Non Remy hair clip-ons are cheaper but they are not as good as non-Remy hair is silicone treated in order to improve its appearance. Problem is that treated hairs are much more susceptible to matting, oxidizing, greasing, tangling and drying out. An alternative to Remy or non-Remy hair is synthetic hair. Having said this, synthetic hair is somewhat hard to blend in with natural hair – it just doesn’t look that real.
Choosing the right type of hair extension and attachment method for your scalp and natural hair should in all cases be done after a careful consultation with a professional hairdresser. If you are prone to skin conditions, perhaps it is good to speak to a dermatologist before going through with the procedure.
