deep dive into hair extensions
Hello beauties! Today I’m blogging about a request I got to go into everything you need to know about hair extensions. I’m going to go through the different types of extensions that I am certified in behind the chair, and let you know how to up keep them and take care of them for ultimate success.
Disclaimer: lots of people get worried when they hear about hair extensions because they think their hair is going to get super damaged- that is just not the case. If your stylist knows what they are doing, no damage will ever occur along with you caring for your hair properly while they are installed.
I got certified in Perfectress hair extensions and am now realizing that lots of women don’t know much about them, at least not as much as I once assumed. The minute I bring up extensions, I see the look in someone’s eyes of like pure terror and I don’t like seeing that reaction.
Hair extensions come in a few different systems, and depending on what’s best for your hair needs, will then decide which system you will get. I am certified in tape-in, single strand connections, and link weft extensions. Now, these terms sound scary and strange, but I will explain them all and show you examples so you can get a great visual of each.
My personal favorite type of hair extensions, are the Ultimate Link Weft extensions from Perfectress. Made out of 100% remy human hair, these beauties can curl, straighten, shampoo, blow dry, etc. as you would your natural hair. These kinds of extensions are great for adding tons of volume to fine or thinning hair along with some length. Do you feel like your hair is super flat and your pony tail is made up of four strands of hair? Do you just want more hair on your head to play with? These are the best option for you!!
A link weft hair extension is a full row of hair attached to a super flat and thin linking system to secure the hair to your head. Your own hair supports these wefts with tiny beads. A typical install takes about 15-20 minutes per weft. That means an installation appointment will take less than an hour in the salon!
The wefts are by far the most popular type of extension installed because they’re so easy both for your stylist to install but also for you to upkeep at home.
The upkeep for the Ultimate Link Weft includes:
do not sleep on your hair wet
do not put any conditioner on your scalp- anything that’s oily that can get into the beads holding the weft to your hair will cause the beads to loosen and fall out
wash your hair every 2-4 days, or use dry shampoo to soak up any moisture/sebum where the wefts are so the beads don’t loosen
use a boar bristle hair brush and brush your hair from the bottom working upwards
sleep with your hair in either a low ponytail, pigtails, or braids
you definitely don’t want to pile your hair on the very top of your head in a messy bun style
That’s it! So easy! You can operate per usual with these extensions in, just being a little more mindful of these few things to care for them.
These wefts are supported by your own hair, which means they grow out as your hair grows out.
Now back to the topic of damage. The ONLY thing I have seen from working with these extensions is just a touch of some shampoo build up where the weft was initially installed due to improper shampooing or rinsing of the shampoo. This is literally so minimal and if you maintain and move up your wefts every 8-10 weeks, your stylist will cleanse your scalp and give you a great shampoo before putting the wefts back in so this is virtually NOTHING of concern, it’s just what I’ve noticed when moving up the wefts. I haven’t seen any heavy fall out, breakage, or any other damage to the hair which is why I truly love these types of extensions so very much.
The most amazing thing about the Perfectress brand is that with proper care, your extensions will last you up to one whole year! Typically other brands are 6-8 months, but these ones will be a one time a year purchase which is so budget friendly that it makes this a no brainer!!
As I mentioned before, the other two types of extensions are tape ins and single strand connections.
I personally feel that tape ins and connections are more for filling in any gaps in the hair, adding some more hair to finer areas, helping with hair loss, helping with growing out a shorter haircut, etc. They are not personally my favorite or my go-to for every client.
If you have a lot of hair but feel like you are super fine in your temple area on the parietal ridge part of your head, definitely throw in a few strands or tape ins just to fill those areas in more. If you feel you need to wash your hair every day, the strand by strand connections make it a bit easier to do so. You can also add some fun pops of color or highlights without using color on your hair with the tapes or connections which makes life easier sometimes as well.
Now, this is just my personal opinion/preference. Anyone that is certified in extensions has a different preference, but after working with all the systems, I really do feel that the wefts are the best option depending on what my clients’ needs are.
Both of these systems also grow out naturally with your hair and need to be moved up every 8-10 weeks as well. Definitely no damage with these systems either!
The maintenance is about the same across all systems in the Perfectress brand. Other extension brands will vary on up keep, price, quality, etc.
I am completely in love with Perfectress as a brand and the innovation and quality that the brand brings to the hair industry. It’s a love affair that I am totally okay with because it’s another way for me to help women feel amazing about themselves which is always a win in my book!
If you have any other questions, concerns, or even want to set up a consultation with me if you’re in the area, give my hair page on Instagram a follow and message me! I’m @bella.mia.hair and you can find all kinds of fun stuff on there including my work with extensions!
xoxo
