10 Common Hair Extension Mistakes You're Making

Hair extensions are so much fun because they can change your look instantly but you'll be surprised by the below 10 common hair extension mistakes you're making. Not everyone is a hair wiz and not everyone has the luxury to sit down for hours on end to research everything there is to know about hair extensions, that's where our blog comes in handy! When we say you're making these common mistakes, we of course don't mean absolutely everyone is making these mistakes all at once but they're very common mistakes that can actually cause a lot of damage to your hair extensions and also your natural hair.

Hair extensions are a gift because short haired ladies can have the length of their dreams and long haired ladies can add volume to their already luscious, long locks. That's not to say short haired ladies aren't getting added volume too but length is the biggest change when using hair extensions. Whether you're using clip in or halo hair extensions, you will see an instant change in less than 5 minutes - that in itself is pure magic. Call us bias... but it's magic. Lets not forget about permanent styles like tape and sewn in hair extensions, these styles are adding an instant uplift to your natural hair with the convenience of being in your hair for 4-8 weeks at a time.

Read on to see the top 10 common mistakes we've noticed being made when it comes to hair extensions and how we recommend to fix them and to also stop them in their tracks... ha ha, get it? Tracks... you know like beaded tracks your hand tied wefts are sewn onto... no? Okay, we won't crack jokes anymore haha.

The responsibility of knowing the golden rules that come with tape hair extensions is both yours and your hairstylist to know. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! Tape hair extensions are known to have a very specific list of do's and don'ts, lucky for you we have covered those for you in our Do's & Don'ts blog post. However, the number one golden rule in our books is knowing the right time to wash your hair after having your tape hair extensions applied. Any knowledgeable hairdresser will tell you to wait a full 72 hours after application so that it gives the bond on the adhesive plenty of time to set, however if you can leave it longer than 3 days, that's even better. Our founder, Sharna leaves her invisi-tape hair extensions to set for five days after application. 

Another important rule to note is to make sure you wash your hair on the day of application but SKIP the conditioner, only shampoo. If you put any product that is built to make your hair shiny and smooth like a conditioner, you are doomed from the beginning. Why? Because you are coating your hair in a slippery product such as a water soluble silicone such as conditioner which will cause the tape to slip and sometimes worse, fall out. Think of the science behind sticky tape... you put a cream like substance on it and the sticky tape looses almost more than half of its stickiness. The same science applies to the tape on your hair extensions. This is also why you're told to never apply conditioning products around the tape on your hair extensions after they're applied when being washed. 

Being too rough with your hair extensions, any kind of hair extensions, will always be detrimental to their lifespan and overall texture. We believe that hair extensions are an investment that you have to truly need to grasp and understand before investing in a set. If you are too rough with your hair extensions you will find multiple flaws either instantly or after a period of time. 

If you brush your hair too rough you will find your hair extensions may shed more than usual. Just like your natural hair, if you're pulling at it, your hair will fall out. The same science again applies to your hair extensions. Instead of being rough, gently brush the correct style of brush through your hair to remove any knots of tangles. If you're really struggling with a whopper of a knot, use a light detangling spray. Nothing too thick and heavy because you'll find you'll need to wash your hair extensions too frequently if you're using products that can cause product build up.

Being too rough when you're washing your hair extensions is another way to cause damage to your extensions. Whether you have permanent styles in your hair or you're washing your temporary styles such as a halo or clip in's, being too vigorous in your motions can cause knots and tangles which leads to forceful brushing which leads to hair falling out. Slight shedding is of course normal. You lose over 100 pieces of your natural hair daily, you won't lose this much from your hair extensions but don't fret if you find hair coming out from your hair extensions, this is totally normal! When you're washing your hair/hair extensions, be gentle in your movements and don't scrub too hard or get your fingers trapped between the wefts of your tape in's or wefts. Not only will it damage your hair extensions, you're also risking damage to your natural hair which in our opinion, is even worse! 

This is a very common and easy mistake to make because naturally you're going to think to place the clips on your clip in hair extensions right at the root. This is actually not the correct way to apply your clip in hair extensions. Think of it this way, you don't have as much hair to grab onto at the root, less than an inch below the root is better because more of your natural hair is present and readily available to secure your clip in hair extensions to.

Another note to remember is ideally you shouldn't be clipping your hair extensions in any higher than the height of your eyebrows. We know, this sounds strange... but envision your eyebrows on the back of our head... more so the height of where they would be... that's your line of height you shouldn't pass when applying your clip in hair extensions. The weft pieces that are designed for the front of your face (the single clips) can be placed higher but not too much higher because you'll run the risk of them becoming visible.

One more thing whilst we're on the topic of clip in hair extensions... we supply you with 9 weft pieces but a common mistake is thinking you have to use all 9 weft pieces. It's always better to have too many than too less and that's why we've provided you with so many weft pieces. If you have very thin and fine hair, using all 9 weft pieces will no doubt give away your secret to beautiful hair and that secret is that you're wearing hair extensions. Now, of course we are not saying hair extensions should be a secret because it's a shameful thing... what we mean is that our hair extensions are designed to give you a natural uplift in your natural hair. Hey Stacey hair extensions are for optimal seamless blending, instant volume and added length all whilst remaining natural looking. 

One of the biggest giveaways that you're wearing hair extensions, we're mainly talking to the short hair ladies here... is that the shorter pieces at the back of your head are visible when you pull your hair extensions forward. Don't worry too much though, we have an easy fix! All you have to do is separate the very bottom of your hair off from the rest of hair. Once you've done that, braid your shorter pieces and then bobby pin them to your head and out of the way. Doing this will hide those shorter pieces so when you're hair extensions are brought forward  and throughout casual movements throughout the day, your hair extensions look like they're natural and blend seamlessly. 

We get it, the sound of applying say... tape in hair extensions sounds easy enough when in fact it does take some serious hair knowledge to know anything about placement. Sure, the sandwiching part is easy but knowing how to section your hair and where to section your hair before securing the tape sandwich is king. As hair extensions become more popular, more and more people have popped up with a serious interest in getting hair extensions. Anyone can offer to apply hair extensions nowadays, but the brutal truth is that not everyone should offer to apply hair extensions. The real dilemma of going to a hairdresser that doesn't have any training in hair extensions is that your hair can turn into a disaster... fast! A few things that can go wrong are severe hair damage, your hair extensions become too visible or your hair extensions fall out prematurely because the application process wasn't correct.

Your natural hair can be easily damaged from incorrect application or from the application being done poorly. This will most likely lead to your natural hair having serious damage, cross hairs or even cause your hair to thin which can ultimately cause bald spots. This sort of damage to your hair can take YEARS to recover from. If balding spots doesn't scare you into finding someone that really knows what they're doing, having your hair extensions being visible is 100% our worst nightmare. Anyone with tape hair extensions that are due for a serious retape would know the paranoia well of having to hide them at the back and at the tops of your head... a hairdresser that doesn't know what they're doing could have your hair extensions visible from the start! It could be incorrect application, a colour match gone wrong or too many or too less weft pieces applied to your hair.

It's so, so important you do your research and find the right person to apply your hair extensions. Finding the right person can be difficult, it's like trying to find the perfect pair of jeans. We've created a little checklist for you to use when finding the correct hairdresser to apply your hair extensions:

- Make sure you choose a salon that specialises in hair extensions or a hairdresser that is qualified & certified in hair extensions. Experienced hairdressers understand hair growth cycles and the natural hair growth patterns. Ignoring these key points will cause damage to your natural hair.

- Look for hair salons that offer different options with hair and application methods. Often or not, hairdressers specialise in only one or two types of application and hair types. It's best to source a salon that can offer more than one way to apply hair extensions to your hair so you know that you're getting the absolute best treatment.

- We also recommend looking for a salon that has a large range of stock. This tells you they're serious and they know what they're doing because they have all the colours readily available. We have 27 colours readily available with more coming for optimal colour matching results. Any serious hairdresser knows that sometimes you need to mix colours to have the get the most seamless blending result. Our hair extensions are extremely high quality and can be toned and coloured for those cases where a perfect match isn't available. 

- Choose a salon that has a before & after display. Why? Because many hairdressers only apply hair extensions sporadically so we recommend you see an expert in hair extensions. An expert will ALWAYS have before & after shots readily available. Whether that be on Instagram, in a physical folder or pdf file for their clients. 

When it comes to hair extensions, the common saying "you get what you paid for.." plays a massive part. Cheaper options in the hair extensions market are everywhere and make it very enticing to buy because of their low prices. But often or not you're going to be paying for low quality hair that will shed like crazy, tangle & knot easily and end up costing you more money because you'll find yourself visiting your hair dresser to fix them or buying more hair extensions frequently to replace your low quality ones. 

Due to the increased popularity in hair extensions, there has been a dramatic shortage in longer lengths which has made prices to become much higher to supply to the demand, truthfully. Lower quality brands will preach high quality and 100% remy human hair when in fact they are mixing their hair extensions with synthetic fibres to fill in missing gaps and have their hair seem fuller. So even though you're paying a smaller cost upfront when choosing to purchase cheaper hair extensions, you will end up paying more for them in the long run as opposed to if you were to invest in higher priced, higher quality hair extensions.

Quality, not quantity should be your motto when purchasing hair extensions but understandable so, we all have our financial limitations and can't afford the best. This is why we have made it our mission to have our prices affordable for the quality you are receiving. Hey Stacey is luxury you can afford, that's a promise. You can not find the same high quality hair extensions elsewhere because our hair extensions are uniquely ethically sourced from single donors which is how our hair extensions are consistently thick from root to tip. We really do encourage you to invest in hair extensions so you can have the hair of your dreams for a longer period of time. Don't cut corners when purchasing hair extensions, that's our advice,

Maintaining your hair extensions is vital for the longevity of them. Each style of hair extension requires a specific type of after care requirements. If you don't follow the advice given to you by your hair professional you'll run the risk of damaging more than just your hair extensions, your natural hair is at risk too. Not to mention your hair extensions won't last. All that money you spent on the hair extensions and the application... out the window (yeek!). If you don't care for your hair extensions, they will become damaged, start to shed and even balding could start to occur in your natural hair. We repeat ourselves a little passive aggressively here... if you're not prepared to maintain your hair extensions the correct way, it's probably a good idea to give them a miss... especially permanent styles such as tape and sewn in wefts. 

There are two VERY important ways to maintain your hair extensions if you are prepared to do right by your hair extensions and they are:

- Using the correct products to assist you in maintaining the health and integrity of your hair extensions. The most fact to remember about our hair extensions is that because they are made from 100% human hair, they will damage just the same as how your natural hair does. But also remember that they're not attached to your scalp like your natural hair is, so that means your hair extensions aren't receiving the same natural oils and nutrition. Your hair extensions will only receive oils and nutrition from the products you give it and put on them and that's why it is very important to use the correct types of products to feed your hair extensions with moisture based products. Our hair extensions are made with extremely high quality hair but that still means they require the right products to prevent them from drying out and getting split ends... yes, your hair extensions will get split ends. 

- The second most important fact to maintaining your hair extensions is returning to your hairdresser on time and listening to every piece of advice given to you by your hairdresser. If you don't attend your regularly scheduled appointments to reapply and fix your hair extensions, you run the risk again of causing damage to your hair extensions and your natural hair. You naturally shed up to 100 hairs per day, some people lose more, and these hairs will set and stay in your permanent hair extensions. You will need to see your hairdresser to remove those lost hairs because if you leave your hair extensions too long and the more hair falls out that are attached to your hair extensions, the less amount of grip your hair extensions has to stay secure. This means that your hair extensions lose the strength that it needs to hold onto. Leaving your hair extensions too long with less pieces of your natural hair to hang onto will result in your hair extensions becoming too heavy on your hair and resulting in the hair extensions pulling from the roots which will cause bald spots. 

There are some ingredients that your hair extensions will not like, at all! Avoid using products that contain protein, sulphates, keratin and alcohol. Not only will they strip the colour from your hair extensions they will also dry your hair extensions out, make them prone to damage, create severe split ends and overall leave you with a knotty birds nest! We also busted the myth that silicones are bad for your hair extensions and you can read all about it in our blog post, Is silicone bad for your hair extensions.  

We understand that the amount of hair extensions on the market is overwhelming but doing your research to know what type of hair extensions suits you and your lifestyle is king and key. Our biggest example that will make sense is if you're a professional swimmer or your hobby is swimming... permanent hair extensions such as tape hair extensions are not your best option. You would be better using temporary styles that you can take out when you're going swimming or even to the beach. Nasty chemicals such as chlorine can be detrimental to not only your hair extensions but the adhesive on your hair extensions. Chlorine will cause your hair to knot and tangle as well as the motions and movements from swimming. Any sports or hobbies that require crazy movements, close contact or water all shouldn't be mixed with permanent hair extensions unless you're willing to braid your hair every time and double the dose of moisturising products to inject and hydrate your hair extensions.

Colour matching your hair extensions can be so nerving, especially if you're doing it online and not in a physical shop or through your hairdresser. Good thing is we are always on hand to be ready to colour match you, all you have to do is email us at [email protected] with photos of your hair inside and outside. However, if you are going to give colour matching a go make sure you are matching hair extensions to your tips and not to your roots. Colour matching at the mids to ends and not the roots is because hair extensions are all about extending the hair and that is why you match hair extensions to the bottom part of your hair.

If you have really short hair and you choose 24" hair extensions they are not going to blend seamlessly, especially if you're not willing for your hairdresser to blend them by cutting layers into them and face framing. Choosing hair extensions that aren't too much longer than your natural hair is preferred so that your hair extensions blend seamlessly and look natural. Now, we're not saying short haired ladies can't purchase 24" hair extensions or longer but just know that blending will be extremely difficult the shorter your natural hair is. This is where we really feel for our fellow hairdressers because clients can make you feel terrible when blending can't be achieved because of their natural hair length. Ladies with bob hair, we recommend going for hair extensions with a length no longer than 16", tops of shoulders to mid shoulder to use 16"-20" and anything longer than above your chest can have 24" hair extensions blended in easily. 

Now that you know the most common mistakes being made with hair extensions, now you know how to fix them and how to avoid making them. As always, comment below to let us know of any mistakes you've made and rectified or mistakes you know others have made. We are a community full of individuals who want to uplift each other and not tear each other down so with that being said, if you know of any mistakes being made say it with kindness and never to put another person down. We all make mistakes, even with things as trivial as hair extensions.

See you in the comments!