The Ultimate Guide To Hair Extensions
Knowledge is power and knowing nearly everything there is to know about hair extensions will only help you in choosing the perfect set for yourself or even for your clients. Pour yourself a cup of your favourite warm liquid, grab a snack, put your feet up and comfy because you're going to be here for a while... unless you're one of those speed readers!
Let's start with the top 3 most commonly asked questions when it comes to hair extensions...
WHAT ARE THE BEST HAIR EXTENSIONS?
The best hair extensions are styles that blend in seamlessly with your natural hair and also fit into your lifestyle. What we mean by that is if you're an active gymnast, dancer, swimmer or even work out frequently - temporary styles such as halo's and clip in's are the best type of hair extensions for you because they are easy to take out for the duration of your physical activities and can be put straight back in when you're done. However, just because you do those sorts of activities doesn't mean you can't wear more permanent styles and remain happy with your hair extensions. Ensuring you know how to care for your extensions as well as washing them will make your hair extensions last longer but also cause less damage on your own hair.
HOW LONG DO HAIR EXTENSIONS LAST FOR?
The lifespan of your hair extensions will depend on how you take care of them, using the right products and how often you wear/wash them. The lifespan changes whether they are permanent or temporary styles too. Halo's and Clip in's are temporary styles that can be put in and out for each wear. The life expectancy of these sorts of hair extensions range anywhere from 6 to 12 months and even longer if properly taken care of. If permanent style hair extensions are more your forte, the life expectancy can range from 3 to 12 months but are known to need replacing sooner if not cared for as advised. Golden rule: listen to your hair dresser when learning how to take care of your hair extensions. Read here to learn tips and tricks on how to wash and care for your hair extensions
WILL HAIR EXTENSIONS DAMAGE MY REAL HAIR?
Each style of hair extensions has a different application method which can matter when it comes to causing any sort of damage to your own hair. A few styles of permanent hair extensions require adhesives or beads to be installed in the hair which can result in damaging your hair. However, if your hairdresser is a qualified hair extensions specialist, they will be fully trained and knowledgeable in regards to the application process to avoid damaging your natural hair.
A hairdresser only has 50% in the role of maintaining your hair extensions, the other 50% is you. We can't stress enough the importance of knowing how to care for your extensions and the do's and don'ts that come with each style available to you. If you are looking for the least damaging style of hair extensions, we recommend using halo extensions. Halo extensions are applied with a nylon wire and two clips on the mesh fabric to help secure the large weft in place. It may come as a surprise to not see us recommend clip in hair extensions, but clip in's can cause bald patches from the reoccurring placement of the clips.
Now you know more about hair extensions, continue reading to learn about each style of hair extensions available.
Clip in hair extensions are the quickest, easiest and one of the safest ways to get instantly long, thick hair. Clip in hair extension wefts come with the clips already installed but we provide you with extra clips just in case anything happens. Having the clips already installed on the extensions means you can apply them in your hair straight away and don't have to worry about whipping out your needle and thread before a big night out. We believe clip in hair extensions are best for all hair types and perfect for those who are looking to add instant volume and length to their natural hair. Hey Stacey's clip in hair extensions come with 9 weft pieces in each set (1x 4 clip piece, 2x 3 clip pieces, 2x 2 clip pieces and 4x 1 clip pieces) with three different length variations and dedicated weights to each length.
Halo extensions are an easy one-step method that will have you achieving longer and thicker hair within minutes. If you are new to hair extensions, we recommend using Halo extensions. Any type of hair can be worn with halo extensions but if you are someone with short hair that has been cut bluntly, it can sometimes be difficult to blend in the halo therefore a hairdresser may need to create some layers to allow seamless blending. The benefits of halo extensions are endless, they're versatile and ready-to-wear. Halo extensions are great for everyday wear or any special event. If you’re on a time crunch and want a no-fuss solution to longer and thicker hair, halo extensions are the ideal fit for you!Read our blog here to learn how to put in your halo.
Hey Stacey's halo hair extensions with with 2 x single clip in hair extensions to fill in any gaps around the front of the face as well as the 11" weft halo piece.
Ponytail hair extensions are an easy one-step method that instantly amplifies your natural hair when in a ponytail! Whether you have short, medium or long hair - ponytail hair extensions will add volume and length to your natural hair. Our ponytails come with a clip/pin that you easily slide into the top of your secured ponytail. Once secure, you connect the velcro pieces and begin wrapping the sectioned piece of hair around the elastic to hide it. Read more about ponytail extensions on our blog here.
Hey Stacey's ponytail hair extensions come with accessories to help secure your ponytail in place. Available in six colours and in two lengths, 16" and 20"
Invisi-tape hair extensions are the most popular permanent style on the market. They are small wefts of hair that come on two thin strips of tape that will be sandwiched between your own hair when applied. This method is safe on your natural hair and will cause zero damage if correctly maintained. Invisi-tape hair extensions are similar to traditional style of tape but are much slimmer making them appear seamless in your hair. This style of tape extensions makes everyday styling and wear simple and easy. Tape hair extensions are highly recommended by professionals as a permanent solution because if the lowered chances of damage to your own hair and little maintence. To learn all about our do's and don'ts when it comes to invisi-tape hair extensions, read our blog posts here.
Hey Stacey's invisi-tape hair extensions come with 40 weft pieces which equals to 20 sandwiches. Depending on your hair type, this could amount to either a half or full head of hair. We offer an automatic 10% discount when purchasing two sets of tape in extensions.
We offer a unique double-hand tied weft hair extensions that is thinner than traditional machine tied wefts but thicker than any traditional hand tied weft. This makes the style much stronger. Hand tied wefts come on a long piece of thread that allows stacking and folding applicable in the hair. HTW are very slim and are best for all hair types but particular for thin hair. Hand-tied wefts are versatile in application processes. Our hand tied wefts are double drawn which means they can be custom cut in size if needing to.
Hey Stacey hand tied weft hair extensions come with 7 to 8 bundles of hair that are 11" wide each.
Flat tip extensions are small bundles of hair that are glued individually across your head. This style of hair extension is a hybrid mix of the traditional tape and i-tip hair extension and have a 360 movement making it ideal for everyday styling. Our flat tip extensions are pre-bonded with keratin making it the safest option for your hair because it is more gentle than silicon based glues. Because the application process allows for a 360 movement in the hair, this means it’ll act as your own hair making it much easier to style and wear in your day-to-day life. For example, if you are used to tape-in extensions you’ll know that putting your hair into a high ponytail can be difficult because the strips of extensions become visible whereas flat tip extensions are so small and spread out that it makes them virtually undetectable.
Hey Stacey flat tip hair extensions have 100 weft pieces in each packet. Depending on your hair type, this could be a quarter, half or full head of hair.
If you are still struggling to pick what hair extensions are best for you, read our blog post here to see the pro's and con's of each style of hair extensions we sell as well as more about each style.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS
Caring for your hair extensions isn't as tedious as it may seem or sound. It's actually pretty simple. Granted each type of hair extensions comes with their own set of maintenance rules, it's simple... we promise. There are a few golden rules when caring for your hair extensions are they are as follows:
GOLDEN RULE NUMBER 1: Heat Protectant
If you're ever applying heated tools to your hair extensions, it is absolutely imperative you're protecting the hair with a heat protectant. Whether it's spray, gel or powder. Your natural hair has more of an opportunity to bounce back after using heated tools without help because your own hair is connected to your scalp. Your scalp provides your own hair with natural nutrients and moisture it needs to stay healthy and shiny.
Hair extensions are no longer attached to a life line, they need extra attention when it comes to maintaining their health and appearance. Mistreating your hair extensions too often by avoiding heat protectant sprays can end up having your hair extensions look dry and lacklustre. Besides them looking lifeless, they will become prone to severe breakage, will knot easily and snap.
A tip to keep moisture in your hair extensions is to use a leave in conditioner once or twice a week. If you're wearing tape in extensions, be sure to keep the oil type consistencies away from the tape so it doesn't cause premature slipping. Just make us a promise... you'll use heat spray whenever using your curler or hair straightener.
GOLDEN RULE NUMBER 2: Rarely Wash Your (Temporary) Extensions
This golden rule is important to know if clip in's, halo's and ponytail hair extensions are more your jam. Coinciding with what we mentioned above about your hair extensions no longer receiving vital nutrients from your scalp, washing your hair extensions too much can also cause them to become dry and frail. By washing your hair extensions, you're slowly stripping away what moisture is left in the hair follicles. The only time you really need to wash your hair extensions is if there is noticeable build up from products such as hairspray or gel.
We recommend to only wash your hair extensions once every 3 to so months, if that. It all depends on how often you wear them. It may sound gross, but if you're wearing them everyday to sporting events and sweat starts to build up, then yes we encourage you to wash them once and every two weeks. However, we don't encourage you to wear your temporary style hair extensions during physical activities for these sorts of golden rules. Wearing your hair extensions during times that would require them being washed frequently is a bad idea. If you have permanent hair extensions, washing your hair is required more frequently. We recommend washing your hair once a week and to use dry shampoo in between washes to help prolong the in between.
Trick tip: always braid your hair at night to help prevent knots and tangles during your sleep. If you want to go that extra mile, invest in a silk pillow case to help with keeping the moisture in your own hair and hair extensions. Sleeping on anything other than silk will often dry out your hair causing breakage.
GOLDEN RULE NUMBER 3: Don't Bleach Your Hair Extensions
We know there are people out there that like to push the limits and break rules. However, bleaching your hair extensions isn't ever recommended. Yes, it can be done but you are severely damaging the hair and halving the lifespan of the hair. When hair extensions are made, they go through all sorts of colouring processes depending on the manufacturer. Depending on what they're using to colour the hair is what you will be battling against.
For example, if you're trying to lift black hair with bleach and it's been coloured with henna, you'll find that lifting the hair will be almost impossible. Henna is one of the toughest dyes to lift. Going back in line with talking about the processes hair extensions go through, adding additional work onto pre-coloured hair extensions can cause breakage and dry out the hair extensions beyond return. Better yet, if you are needing to make slight changes to your lightened hair extensions, we recommend toning them with violet or blue shampoos.
To read more about toning your hair extensions from home, read our blog post here.
As important as it is to maintain your hair extensions to assure their lifespan expectancy is long, don't neglect your own hair. By taking care of your natural hair, you are creating a healthy and strong base for hair extensions - whether they are temporary or permanent. Read all about how to avoid natural hair loss plus tips and tricks here on our blog.
HOW TO KNOW HAIR EXTENSIONS ARE GOOD QUALITY
With endless options in the market for hair extensions, it's good to know how to determine the hair extensions you have bought match all the promises made by the company you're purchasing from. The inconsistencies found in hair extensions companies is one of the sole reasons Hey Stacey was made.
The founder of Hey Stacey wanted to provide people with hair extensions that match the descriptions and promises made. When purchasing Hey Stacey hair extensions, you are receiving 100% remy human hair that isn't mixed with synthetic hairs or fibres. Mixing synthetic hairs with human hair when manufacturing hair extensions is extremely common in the industry. It's important to know how to test the hair in your extensions to ensure that they are of high quality. For a full list of tests, read our blog here to learn now.
We pride ourselves on our honesty and remaining transparent with you and our customers when providing information about our products and how they are made. We source our hair within China and use Chinese hair to make our hair extensions. The hair used in our products are sourced solely for Hey Stacey and we can assure you that you won't find the same quality anywhere else. Good quality hair extensions will cost you a pretty penny and can be considered an investment. However, don't let the high price fool you into thinking they are indeed high quality. We encourage you to put our blogs examples of experiments to the test and see for yourself.
Knowing more about hair extensions, how they're made and how to pick good quality from bad will all be helpful in determining the right type and style for you. Hair extensions are an investment we recommend looking into. They say beauty is skin deep but we find no shame on wanting to appear beautiful on the outside. The hair is the window to the soul, it's a safety blanket we should all invest more in.
Tell us below tips and tricks you've learnt with your experience with hair extensions.
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