RY - Recreate Yourself

Wednesday

The long and short of it

From budget to luxury there is hair extension brand to match every market now days but how do you decide what brand is right for you and more importantly how much you should pay.

The main difference in price ultimately always comes back to quality of hair, always look for natural hair. Most hair extension companies buy there hair from Europe or India. This hair is normally uncoloured and is in great condition. Its then treated, dyed and distributed around the world. You can also opt for a cheaper option – synthetic extensions.  Synthetic hair extensions cannot be coloured so you’re stuck with the look for as long as you have them in. Natural hair can be coloured at your salon to perfectly match your existing colour or should you want to change it is a possibility.  Some budget hair extensions are sourcing their hair from parts of Asia however Asian hair is slightly different and is often not as soft making the extensions twist and tangle.  Blending this hair to your style is often a challenge and the life of the hair is usually less.

Application

There are a few types of application:

Keratin or Resin bonded

These are hair extensions that come with a keratin bond.  Keratin is a natural chemical found in the hair so this method is often thought to cause less damage to your hair than others. The bond is heated and the hair is attached to the hair strand by strand. Application times vary but for a full head of bonded extensions set aside at least four hours and take a good book and sandwich.

Metal Bond

The metal bond is attached to the hair using a clamp and pliers. It’s a simple method and is easily adjustable should you wish your hairdresser to replace your extensions on differant part of your head.

Woven

This method is not as popular as others and invloves the hair to be woven into the hair. It causes a fair amount of damage to the hair so be prepared to loose a few inches when you’re done.

Clip in

The clip in hair option is great for temporary hair extensions and these can be clipped in and taken out as easy as a standard hair clip. They also offer the versatile option for colours and styles at a inexpensive price.

As good as your extensions are you’re hairdresser needs to be as good at putting them in. They also need to be able to cut them so ask your stylist how they intend to style them.

The hair and the application is only the start of your relationship with your extensions they need a lot of love. You will need a shampoo and conditoner designed for hair extensions or at least one that has great moisture. Great Lenghts have a range of wet products to suit natrual hair extensions. Your extensions will need to be brushed at least 5 times a day and to sleep pop them in a low tight pony tail. Failure to follow these simple steps will leave you looking like Bob Marley.

With a little care and a lot or patience you can get up to 12 months out of your new extensions if your prepared to visit the salon for maintenance every 6 weeks. Shop around and choose the method and the hair thats right for you. Most salons will ask for a small consultation fee and then a deposit at time of booking. This covers the salon should you decide to not show up and they are left with hair they can’t use.

I am sure whatever method you choose the feeling of long flowing hair will be a joy.