Hair extensions are an excellent and instant way to make your hair look long, voluminous, and fresh, and if this is your first time visiting a hair extensions salon, you must be wondering, how do hair extensions work?
To understand how the extensions work, we need to look at the different types of extensions:
Clip-in hair extensions
Clip-ins are excellent when you want to test out hair extensions without making the full commitment. These extensions feature hair attached to a lace or cloth base with clips that you clip on to your natural hair roots.
Since you clip them into place, you wear them by the day and remove them at night. You can buy them online or from your local salon in your desired color or ask your stylist to color and cut them to match your natural hair.
To give a flawless look, first, backcomb and spray your hair.
The cool thing is you can hide the extensions even if you have thin hair. The extensions also won’t damage your hair, so you can wear them daily without any issues.
The only thing you should do is to take caution when removing them, so you don’t pull out your natural hair.
Synthetic extensions tend to look shiny and fake, so for a natural, elegant look, go for human hair extensions.
Bonded hair extensions
They are the most popular type of hair extensions. Interestingly, they also happen to be the most expensive as they can last for up to 5 months when properly done.
To get the extensions, you need to visit a professional hairstylist to attach them to the roof of your hair through a process known as fusion.
You can choose between hot fusion (traditional fusion) or the newer cold fusion technology at the salon. With hot fusion, the stylist uses a mini flatiron to bond the glue-tipped extensions to your hair.
On the other hand, Cold fusion uses ultrasound waves and keratin polymers to attach the extensions to your hair. This method is less damaging, so ideal for you if you got fine or damaged hair.
While properly done extensions can last for up to 5 months, you should note that you have to reposition the extensions every 2-3 months as your natural hair grows in.
Tape-in extensions
You tape these extensions to the sides of your natural hair with an adhesive weft tape. The cool thing with the extensions is they don’t require heat to put them in place and at the same time allow your hair to grow out naturally.
While this is the case, you should keep the hair from matting by sleeping in a ponytail or loose braid. You also should brush your hair several times a day.
Sew in hair extensions
Popularly known as weaves, you sew these extensions in with a needle and thread onto your natural braided hair (cornrows). As you can guess, putting these extensions in place is time-consuming and has been shown to put a lot of strain on the scalp.
The cool thing is that as long as you don’t tighten the cornrows too much and take good care of your hair by shampooing and conditioning it weekly, the extensions can last for up to 8 weeks.
Get the extensions done by experts.
The key to getting the most from the extensions is to have them done by experts. Even if getting clip-on extensions, gets advice from experts working in salons that do hair extensions Potomac.
The professionals will advise you on the right color to get, the best type of extensions that match your style, among many other things.