If you want to change your look without cutting your hair, or waiting for it to grow, consider getting hair extensions. But before you make an appointment with your stylist, it's important to know how long these extensions will last, and how to keep the extensions looking their best.
Individual Strand Extensions
Ask your stylist about individual strand extensions for a hairstyle that looks natural; individual extensions also offer the same styling options you would have with your own hair, so you can wear your hair in a ponytail or up-do without worrying about the extensions showing. These extensions last for about three months, depending on the thickness of the hair.
Wefts
If you want a number of extensions in your hair, or want to change your hairstyle completely, wefts may be a better method. A weft is a number of hair extensions bonded together in the form of a "curtain." Wefts can be bonded together using a machine, but higher quality wefts are made by hand. If you find the type of hair that you want to use for extensions, your stylist should be able to create wefts for you. If the wefts are made for you, it will be easier for the extensions to be matched to your natural hair color. The wefts can last for anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the quality of hair used and how well the extensions are maintained.
Application
Single strand extensions can be applied several ways, such as having them woven into your natural hair, or applied to the scalp with bonding glue. Some stylists use heat fusion to apply the extensions. For very temporary styles, single strand extensions with clamps can be attached to the hair. This is a common method, since no chemicals have to be added to the hair to put the extensions in. The clamps can be taken out of the hair at night and re-attached in the morning; other single strand extension methods will keep a style intact for a couple of months, but a visit to the stylist every two weeks or so will keep the extensions looking their best. For wefts, your real hair will be braided close to the scalp before the wefts are applied. For temporary weft styles, which can last about three weeks, hair bonding glue is applied to the weft before the weft is "set" onto the scalp. Wefts can also be woven into the braid. The hair used to create the weft can last from three months to a year, depending on the quality of hair used and the amount of maintenance performed on the hair extensions. The wefts may also need to be tightened as your actual hair grows, a procedure the stylist will need to perform every month to six weeks.
Caring for the Extensions
Wash the extensions with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to keep the extensions shiny and healthy. Since hair extensions are not connected to your scalp, they don't receive the natural nutrients and oils that your natural hair receives. Don't over-process your extensions, since this could also damage your natural hair--don't color the hair too often or use additional chemicals to the extensions to change their texture. Your scalp should also be cleaned about every two weeks, since extensions can collect bacteria that can damage your hair and scalp. Taking good care of your extensions will help your style to last longer, and will keep the extensions looking natural. A stylist will also need to remove the extensions, whether they are wefts or single strand, every month to six weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows, to wash and trim them before re-applying them to your hair.
Additional Hair Care
You must maintain the health of your natural hair while you have extensions, including washing and conditioning your own hair regularly. Healthy hair is less likely to break or have split ends. When it's time to have the extensions removed, ask your stylist to check for any changes that have occurred in your real hair, so that you can receive deep conditioning or moisturizing treatments as needed. Before reapplying extensions, give your actual hair all the attention it needs.
Tags: your hair, hair extensions, your natural, keep extensions, natural hair
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