To ask about hair extensions

[AnnaBellaCruella]

I wondered if anyone here has, or can advise on hair extensions? I have shoulder length hair and really want hair a few inches longer (my hair just doesn’t grow longer!).

I’ve done a bit of Googling and have tried the clip in extensions but I want proper ones. Would I just phone a hair salon and ask for details? I would want them as natural looking as possible, how long would they last? I know they won’t be cheap, 8m expecting to pay a couple of hundred

It would probably be best to speak to your local salon (or try a few) as they can vary, you can get some that are glued in, some that are sewn in, taped in…and you can get real or synthetic ones (real ones more expensive). So it might be a good idea to get a consultation to see what the options are

I would say more like £300 minimum depending on what type you have, the quality of the hair, how many bonds you need, sewn in wefts are the quickest, micro or nano bead ones look the most natural & you can put your hair up or in a pony tail with them. You will also need them refitting every 8-12 weeks but the better quality hair you buy the longer they will last & the better they will look, Russian hair is the most expensive but looks amazing, your stylist will need to match your hair colour to the extensions & then order in the amount you need. Ask on Facebook for recommendations in your local area.

I have extensions. Pain in the arse but makes such a difference to volume and shape. Life becomes a major faff, you have to plait before bed and washing becomes something you need to set aside a few hours for the blow drying. You can never leave it to dry naturally and have to do daily checks on the bonds to avoid dreadlocks. Mine cost about 400 pounds for the hair, I get from India and use an ethical supplier, the initial appointment is about 300 pounds and then maintenance about 100. My salon is in Dubai though so may be cheaper elsewhere.

Try and find somewhere that specialises in extensions, not a hair dresser that does them occasionally. And then go for a consultation. I’d expect it to be more than £200 though.

Check your diet. Any nutrient deficiencies or intolerances? My hair never would grow past my shoulders which I though was just ‘normal’ then I went vegan aged 30 and it went mad, I cannot keep up with it! I swear it grows like a weed now. Diet didn’t change much beyond actually cutting stuff out. I do wonder if I had a slight dairy allergy or something because I noticed other health improvements.

I have LA weave extensions in at the moment it cost £465 and then £75 every sort of 6 weeks for refitting.

They are an absolute nightmare to wash and dry and they get so tangled.

BUT I love them, mine are 24 inch extensions of Brazilian double drawn hair.

Google your area to find the best place for fitting. It takes ages!

I had 20inch bonds applied to my shoulder length hair 4 weeks ago.
They need maintained at £70 every 4-6 weeks. Heavy. Washing hair is a nighmare.
And my head is so itchy!!!
They look lush.
But need a lot of maintaining.

I was £355!

Totally agree. The wonderful feeling of the moment they are all removed, like taking off an itchy jumper. But they do make such a difference, I look younger with extensions

I’d never get them again tbh.
I had nano extensions fitted for volume just before the first lockdown.
They were heavy, took loads of maintenance and started tangling really easily.
Also it’s very difficult to wash your hair properly with extensions in, and you have to blow dry your hair every time (see pp comment above).
Also platting every night to stop tangling.

Finally I had to remove them myself and I lost so much of my own hair (other than natural hair loss you’d expect) that it’s only just recovering it’s normal thickness a year and a half later!

I've had them and I can do them. I wouldn't bother op as they do damage the hair.

They wreck your hair.
I had them in before.
I understand lots of goods are not purchased ethically however hair extensions are one of the worst shaving poorer womens hair to the scalp for a couple of pound.
It feel weird wearing womens hair.
Black women have always used extensions the hair donated by Hindus women offered too their god, collected ethically.
Now the demand from white women has devalued the methods.
Especially for poor Thai women whose long hair represents their beauty.

I have 16inch nanos, they look really natural just like my own hair but thicker and more ‘polished’ if that makes sense. I use to have a weft but it was way too much maintenance for me, too much hair, took hours to blow dry etc, the namos work a lot better for me.

Platting every night isn’t that bad to be honest. I wash my hair every 2/3 days and dry shampoo the top of my roots in-between.
The extension hair does take a lot longer to dry than my hair but you do get used to the extra time. I do find they get drier than my hair too but I use the olaplex bonding oil on the ends.

If you look after them and maintain them properly they don’t damage your hair, or certainly haven’t with mine. I’d do you research on local salons and make sure you go to a reputable person, I’ve heard some horror stories of extensions being badly fitted before.

Echo the other posters who say they're a faff- I had micro rings and they looked great but so much effort to maintain! Can't wash your hair normally or dry it upside down/wrap it in a towel, can't leave it to air dry so have to set aside ages for blow drying as there's so much of it, can't even do proper up dos as it pulls on the bonds and you can see them anyway, have to go through each of the bonds pulling them apart every day so they don't get matted.

Cost me about £500 to get them put in and I never bothered getting them refitted, just had them removed after a couple of months- I think if you're spending that kind of money it should be less effort to have nice looking hair, not more!

If you're the sort of person who is happy to spend a decent amount of time styling your hair each day with various tools then they're great, but if you're more wash and go (like me) they're a nightmare.

I had them and ripped them out after 3 weeks! The extensions never blended in with my own hair, one bit was poker straight and my own hair had a wave in it. They were uncomfortable to sleep in and it took over 2 hours to dry my hair properly.

I've had various different types of fitting, and they always looked bad, and also visible unless I wore my hair in a certain style. And they were a pain in the arse, itchy, heavy, and tatty. And they gave me tension alopecia eventually. I now stick to clip ins. However, a few people I know have extensions which always look lovely and non-visible, I can only assume that they had enough hair of their own in the first place.

I have had extensions for volume for over 20 years- many differnt kinds
The best are the great Lengths, gold fever and you need someone v v experienced to put them in. Mine are put in super fine so are v natural looking. I
I would never recommend someone get them for length though as they are not good for you hair. I have no choice as I lost all my hair after having kids but if you have good hair and you just want length then look at supplements/diet

I’ve had tape extensions and found they didn’t damage my hair at all. The links and bonds were terrible, I haven’t tried a weave but they can cause stress in your scalp is done too tightly. Mine cost over £500 but looked amazing. I’ve paid half of that and the quality wasn’t as good and they didn’t cut/style them as good after fitting them.

There’s new products coming out all the time and they’re amazing compared to ten or even 5 years ago.

A few years back I had the sew in ones. I went to an Ethiopian hairdressers so it only cost me about £50 plus hair cost. They did look lovely but after a few months my real hair was getting completely wrecked. When I did ditch them completely my hair took ages to get back to its old thickness and it wasn’t thick to begin with! So it was a bit of a nightmare.

I once thought about having them when my hair became thinner due to stress. My hair is fine and my very experienced hairdresser advised against going down that route as they can cause traction alopcia.

I found that taking biotin, fish oils and vitamins helped a lot. My hair is much fuller and shinier now and I’m glad I didn’t have the extensions in the end.

Make sure to do your research on where the hair is coming from.

Ive used Weaves for years intermittently ... when I need a nice treat for a self indulgent boost..

Perhaps once a year usually around Christmas lol

It's stunning.. I like to get mines cut to just below the shoulder, as others have said it can be difficult to manage... also consider weight and hair styles .. my weave is hard to wear in up styles... low ponytails or a loose bun only ... for me anyway..

It's a wonderful transformation OP but consider your pain threshold.. it can hurt your scalp/head for a while after install..

good luck OP 🌸

I have had 22 inch keratin bonds and currently have a 20 inch weave. I have an amazing hairdresser and it looks really natural, not visible at all and excellent hair quality (Russian hair). The bonds were easier to maintain but stressed me out when they came out so I prefer my weave which is a huge faff to wash but otherwise no trouble at all. You do have to plait your hair to sleep in and detangle every day but I love how it looks. My extensions were £600 and my weave is £400 plus fitting and £75 every six weeks for a re-fit.

@Gigia

I have had 22 inch keratin bonds and currently have a 20 inch weave. I have an amazing hairdresser and it looks really natural, not visible at all and excellent hair quality (Russian hair). The bonds were easier to maintain but stressed me out when they came out so I prefer my weave which is a huge faff to wash but otherwise no trouble at all. You do have to plait your hair to sleep in and detangle every day but I love how it looks. My extensions were £600 and my weave is £400 plus fitting and £75 every six weeks for a re-fit.

sounds lovely... 🌸

I'm getting the notion again being on here 🤣

@Nengineer

I have extensions. Pain in the arse but makes such a difference to volume and shape. Life becomes a major faff, you have to plait before bed and washing becomes something you need to set aside a few hours for the blow drying. You can never leave it to dry naturally and have to do daily checks on the bonds to avoid dreadlocks. Mine cost about 400 pounds for the hair, I get from India and use an ethical supplier, the initial appointment is about 300 pounds and then maintenance about 100. My salon is in Dubai though so may be cheaper elsewhere.

Out of interest, how do you exercise? If washing and drying is such a faff?

I also live in the middle east where it's ruddy boiling at this time of year. I wash every other day and have reduced the amount of strands, my hard hat at work rubbed on the lower bonds. It's silly really, I will stop soon.