I have had extensions for over a year now and I am absolutely in love with them! I love having long hair but my natural hair is thin, straggly, and won’t grow! So I decided that the only way I would ever have long pretty hair would be to get extensions.
One thing you need to know if you are thinking about having extensions is that it’s an investment. Also, there are so many different types of extensions to get so you need to weigh your pros and cons before you invest. I have had clip ins and Halo hair extensions, tape-ins, and what I currently have is Natural Beaded Row Extensions. Here’s my review on all three:
Clip In or Halo Extensions- I did not like having to put them in every day. It was time consuming and they hurt my head. Also, the biggest thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t wear certain hair styles with clip ins. It was really hard to put my hair in a pony tail or half up if I wanted. I did like that I didn’t always have to have them in because long hair can be time consuming. I work out every day so the fact that I didn’t have to worry about my extension hair getting sweaty and gross was nice! The Halo hair extensions are really cool and definitely the easiest to actually put on your head. You can watch a video I made of how to wear Halo hair extensions below:
Tape In Extensions– If you are thinking of getting tape ins and you’re in Utah, Tara Brooke did my tape ins and she’s absolutely amazing! I really loved my tape ins for the first 5 weeks or having them in my hair. The hair was even throughout my head which made it so no one knew I had in extensions. They never hurt my head, and I could wear any hair style that I wanted with them. After about 5 weeks of having them the tape would start to show a little bit because of my hair growth, which I did not like (my hubs didn’t like it either haha). Tara and all other hair stylists would suggest getting your tape ins moved up every 4-6 weeks but I usually went 8…because I am a cheapskate and didn’t like paying to have my hair moved up haha. If you have them moved up every 4-6 weeks then you most likely will not have the tape showing which was my least favorite part! But once again, its an investment and having them moved up every 4-6 weeks is an even bigger investment.
Natural Beaded Row Extensions or “NBR”– have been my absolute favorite so far! I have them done by the fantastic McKenzie Sellers.These extensions are the least damaging on your hair. They don’t use any glue or chemicals, just a bead and some string! Just like tape ins, I can wear my hair in any style I want easily without the rows showing. Also, I have gone 7.5 weeks so far without having my hair moved up and the rows fit in so seamlessly with my hair that the regrowth is no problem, you would never know its been 7.5 weeks. With NBR you can easily go 7-8 weeks in between move ups, if you want. Which means you spend less over time because that’s less time in a year that you have to pay to have your hair moved up! The only thing I don’t love about having NBR is that it is harder to find a stylist who is certified to do them in Utah. It’s becoming more popular though so I assume it will be easier as time goes on! But in the mean time contact McKenzie Sellers for NBR, you won’t regret it!
Me with my hair in a bun wearing NBR, you would never know!
Me with my hair in a pony wearing NBR…once again, you would never know!
Regardless of what type of extensions you have, its EXTREMELY important to take care of them. Just like your normal hair, if you don’t take care of it, it will look bad and not stay pretty for long! Here are my 3 favorite tips on taking care of your extensions:
- Buy quality products to use on your extension hair- The type of products that you use really are crucial to keeping your extensions nice, soft, and shiny. My favorite shampoo and conditioner to use on my extensions is Pureology. I get it off of Amazon and save at least $10 than if I got it somewhere else. The shampoo and conditioner lasts me at least 6 months because of how rarely I wash my hair…I’ll talk about the details there on my next point! I also LOVE to use leave in conditioner I put a bunch of it on after I shower and wash my extension hair. My favorite kind to use is “Healthy Sexy Hair” It’s also important that you brush your hair out often with a wet brush. These brushes are the softest and less damaging on your hair yet they still get all of the tangles out!
2. Fewer Washes– I know a lot of people hate to hear this one but it’s so true! The less your wash your hair, the better it will hold up. Extension hair has the potential to be very dry because it doesn’t get the natural oils from our scalp like our regular hair does. So the less you wash it, dry it, use heat on it, the better it will be! I did a post about my favorite method to curl my hair without any heat that you can check out here. I use dry shampoo every day to keep my hair looking and smelling nice. My favorite kind to use is Batiste and once again, I buy it on Amazon to save money :).
3. Wear your hair in a braid at night and sleep with a silk pillowcase– The braid will keep your extensions from getting tangled and the silk pillowcase will make it so your hair won’t matte. Both of theses are so simple and make a huge difference in your extension hair!
McKenzie did an awesome video on her favorite products to take the best care of her extensions that you can watch below:
Have you ever had extensions? What was your favorite kind?
It’s good to know that the extensions can be maintained by simply purchasing the correct products. I’m glad that you mentioned different ways to take care of the extensions as I don’t always have time do wash like you mentioned. Asking the hairstylist what products to get may be another good way to get them at a better price.
That is so true! Thanks for your comment :). Have a great day!!
The Ombre color looks great.