Curly and twirly, Straight and Sleek or beachy and wavy, there are plenty of ways to wear and style your hair, but only one way to get it long, and that’s waiting and letting it grow. But if your not a fan of the waiting game and are looking to add some fullness and length to your hair, extensions are the way to go.
However, when buying extensions for the first time, it can be very a hairy situation (pardon the pun!); so we recommend starting with a brand known for high quality hair extensions that also have simple, damage free application without interrupting the style, of course.
If however, you are still a little overwhelmed In this article, we are going over the range of hair extensions available on today’s market, their pros and cons and a quick breakdown on how to use them.
Synthetic vs Real Hair
Source: Schwarzkopf
With hair extensions, there are two main differences: real hair or synthetic; before we can explain the difference in extensions, you need to know the difference in the hair type.
Real hair extensions are just that, real hair. They have been sourced or collected from a donor, and you can treat, colour and style them the way you would your own hair. With synthetic hair extensions, the hair has been made up of synthetic blended plastic fibres that create and imitate the look and appearance of natural hair.
Synthetic hair cannot be coloured, and heat styling can damage the hair, so it’s best avoided. The plus side is that it is a much cheaper alternative to real hair, and colours and pre-set style mean the hard work is already done for you.
Clip-in Extensions
Source: Medium
Clip-in extensions are the ultimate choice if you are looking to transform your hair for a night out or just a day date yourself at home. Brands such as Easilocks Hair Extensions now make it widely accessible and affordable for anyone to now be able to DIY at home!
This extension will give you the look of longer, fuller, voluminous hair simply by using simple clip attachments. They can range from a full one-piece clip-in to 5,6,8 clip-in extensions for you to customize and add volume where you wish, depending on your style.
To just wanting a fuller look, or having your dream ponytail, or even just clip in bangs for the night. Clip-in pieces a great temporary hair makeover!
If you are thinking about hair extensions long term, clip-ins are a great starting point. They cease the need for harmful chemicals and heat treatment to fuse with the hair to protect your hairs health and be removed straight away if you are not happy.
Clip-ins are very low maintenance and don’t need regular washing after every one wears or so, but it all depends on product build-up and your desired style.
They can also last from 6 months to 1 year through regular wear with the proper care and handling, its recommended that depending on what type of extension, it is either synthetic or real that you style appropriately and treat it as you would your normal hair with care and not a lot of heat as this is ultimately damaging to any hair type.
Tape-Ins
Source: Freeman Salon Systems
Tape-in extensions are a more permanent styling option. They do exactly what they say they do; they are taped to your hair.
The process will need to be completed by a professional and involves taping extensions to either side of your hair and held with a special glue that secures the hair to the tape.
While this style is more permanent, it can also be very damaging to your hair as you must apply chemicals and heat to apply the extension.
There are some downsides to his extension; however, as mentioned, the application can be damaging and, once secured, requires the use of specialised shampoo and condition to avoid mixing or reacting with the chemical glue used to secure the extension as this can cause the bond to break and the extension to fall out.
As your hair grows, the extension will grow also, and this type of extension will need to be professionally removed and/or adjusted, so ensure you do your research before committing to tape-ins.
Sew in / Weave
Source: Alices Studio
A weave or a sew-in piece is applied by braiding your natural hair into cornrows or a protective style then sewing the extension into the cornrow hair.
Thick hair is needed for this style as thin hair can break during the application process as it will not only pull and put a strain on the hair the application can take some time.
This is a popular style for many as it is the most permanent and doesn’t involve a lot of styling or upkeep once installed. However, you need to ensure that you moisturise and protect the hair underneath to keep it strong, maintain its health and avoid breakage.
However, you choose to wear your hair, the number one rule is to do your research and ensure you have a good understanding of your hair type and what is going to work best for the situation. Don’t be afraid of a little experimentation but do so in a way that is not going to cause irreversible damage, start with clip ins and then from there experiment with more permanent options.
Don’t be scared of switching it up and have fun discovering new ways of getting rapunzel length hair without the 18 years of growth wait time!
