words Alexa Wang
It’s true that celebrities and seemingly everyone else is falling in love with hair extensions. What’s not to love if they make your hair look gorgeous for a reasonably affordable price? But like everything else in life, hair extensions have a darker side, which even celebrities admit.
It’s also true that these products are evolving fast and every new type is safer and better than the ones before it. Nowadays there are types of extensions that you can wear for up to three months without issues. However, if you want to avoid bald spots and severe hair damage, you need to know what to look out for. There are specific steps you can take to reduce the risk of any nasty problems down the line.
What are permanent hair extensions?
Despite their name, permanent hair extensions aren’t really permanent. They are the type you can wear for about three to four months before you’ll need to take them out or get a “maintenance” adjustment. In some cases, you’ll need to make an adjustment more often.
The most popular permanent hair extension types today include:
- Weave (or sew-in)
- Keratin tips (K-tips)
- Microbeads or microlinks
Out of these, keratin tips are bonded using glue and heat. Therefore, they are not reusable. You can only wear them for a maximu7m of six months. However, depending on how your hair grows out, you might need to remove them earlier to avoid your hairstyle looking unnatural. You’ll need to install a new set of extensions if you want to reapply K-tips.
The weave and microlinks can be worn for up to 10-12 months but you’ll need to adjust them in a salon regularly. You won’t have to install new extensions, only move up the ones you already have.
All these types of extensions shouldn’t damage your hair badly. However, this will only be safe if they are applied and maintained properly. Therefore, you must understand what mistakes to avoid.
Mistake 1: Choosing a bad salon and stylist
The single worst thing you can do is to have your extensions applied in some disreputable salon or by an inexperienced stylist. In these situations, there is a great risk of damage, which can result in permanent hair loss.
To avoid this, you need to research the salon very carefully. First of all, find out what extensions they use. Professional salons use specialized products they buy in packs, like the Hey Stacey Lover Bundle, which includes a bunch of extension selections and samples you can use to find what will match you best. If the salon refuses to name the brand of extensions they use, you should be wary. Always take your time to research the brand online to understand whether it really is a professional-grade product.
Choosing an experienced stylist is no less important. In fact, a poorly-trained person can damage your hair greatly even when using the best extensions on the market. Therefore, always check the stylist’s license using online services, like this one. You should also look up exactly what types of license and certificates a hairstylist must have in your state or country.
But you also need to verify they have experience and training for using these extensions specifically. Ask for referrals if possible or track the stylist on social media. Try to contact their other clients to ask directly about their experience.
Again, if the person isn’t willing to offer proof of their training and certification, you should consider looking elsewhere. Remember that this kind of offer might be cheaper. But you will literally place your hair on the line. Therefore, you should always double-check that your stylist knows what they are doing.
Mistake 2: Choosing the wrong type of extensions
This should be easy as you only need to remember that a weave and microlinks should be used with medium-to-thick hair. If you have thin hair, you’ll need to stick to K-tips or even tape extensions.
Mistake 3: Bad maintenance
It should be easy to care for high-quality hair extensions. The most important thing is to get them adjusted or removed on time. Other than that, you can treat them the same way as you do your natural hair.
Please note that any type of permanent hair extensions will affect blood flow in the scalp and make your skin and hair dry out faster. Therefore, it’s essential to use more hydrating products and get regular deep conditioning treatments. You should also only use sulfate-free shampoos when using any type of hair extensions.
