A Beginners Guide to Hair Extensions
- Erin Marie
- Jun 19, 2018
- 8 min read
Hair Extensions: What you need to know that your stylist most likely won’t tell you.
Ok I get a TON of questions about hair extensions from clients, friends, and followers. Having spent the last ten years wearing them, trying out dozens of brands, researching for hours and numerous discussions with stylists and manufacturers, I am breaking it all down for you.
You can definitely talk to a stylist about extensions and would still recommend it... but this is what I have noticed: Most stylists are trained in a extension method or have partnered with a brand and their job is to make money. So more often than not, they will tell you that it does not matter what kind of hair you use and that their method will work no matter what.
I am here to tell you that there is NO one size fits all hair extension type. My stylist friends and coworkers who do not do hair extensions will all tell you the same thing since they are not trying to sell you on any product or service: What type of method and hair you use depends on YOUR hair, not what your stylist can do.
Ok, now you’re wondering how to know what works for you and that is why I am writing this post.
Here is your guide to hair extensions for beginners.
There are two things you need to think about when looking for hair extensions: what type of hair they use and the application method.
Types of Hair
What type of hair you use DOES matter and you will regret trying to save a buck when your hair is so matted and tangled that you cannot get a brush through it.
The different types of hair are Asian, Virgin/Brazilian, Indian Temple, and European. There are a few others here and there but this is mainly what you will be dealing with.
Most manufacturers will claim to be “Remy” which means that all of the cuticles are pointed in the same direction. This is important because that will keep them from tangling and trust me, if your extensions tangle, it will make you regret getting them.
The only time you really need to understand this is when it comes to purchasing Asian Hair, which is typically the cheapest and what you find at Sally’s Beauty Supply. It says it is Remy but more often than not, it isn’t. Instead, they coat it with a silicone treatment to seal the cuticles but after a couple washes and rounds with your curling iron, that silicone wears off, the cuticle is now exposed, and you have a mess on your hands. It is for this reason I would tell you to just avoid Asian hair all together. If you are really that desperate for extensions, cut out restaurants for a month and you will have enough to purchase higher quality extensions lol.
From there, the type of hair you use depends on your personal hair. Like application method, hair type is on a sliding scale of coarseness. The coarsest hair being Brazilian or Virgin hair, then Indian Temple Hair (which I use), and finer hair being European. Now you definitely don’t have to match your hair type with your extensions, but it will blend better and look more natural if you do. And isn’t that the goal? To look like your hair is naturally perfect and not purchased?
Brazilian/Virgin: This is the coarsest of the hair types and is almost always black or dark brown. So you would typically use this kind of hair with weaves, wigs, or clip ins. It is typically best for ethnic hair like middle eastern, Brazilian, or black since it is coarse and dark.
Indian Temple Hair: This is the type of hair I use. It is not quite as coarse as Brazilian/Virgin hair but since redheads typically don’t have fine hair either, it’s a great fit. It is durable, typically Remy, and comes in many different colors instead of just black and dark brown. If you have coarse or fine hair, you can definitely use this one, but it may not look as natural for finer. For me, it looks exactly the same as what grows out of my head.
European: This is 1. The most expensive of the hair types 2. Harder to find and 3. Since it is finer, best for fine, caucasian hair. It can break easily since it’s finer so you will need to be more careful when caring for it.
Ok so that is a very basic rundown of the types of hair, now we will move onto methods.
Like hair types, what kind of method you should have done is based on a sliding scale of the coarseness of your natural hair. For continuity purposes, we will go from coarse to fine in our discussion.
Methods
The main types of methods are these: Halos, Clip Ins, Weaves, Beads, Fusion, Tape. Again, there are many other methods out there but these are the most common you will encounter.
Halo: Ok let’s just get this out of the way. I HATE HATE HATE halos and can spot them a mile away. I even had a client who I knew wore one but didn't say anything to be polite. One day she was asking me about extensions and said “yeah, no one can ever tell I have it in,” and I just wanted to tell her, “No, they’re just not rude enough to tell you how bad it looks.” Obviously I didn't but that doesn't mean I didn't think it lol.
What is a halo? It is a removable headband with a thick row of hair around it that goes across the middle of your scalp. So why do I hate them? Because the most important thing you need to do with hair extensions is BLEND THEM. Instead, you’re just shoving a random row of hair across the middle of your head and it doesn’t work. I could go into the intricacies of it all but I’m going to be real with you, I hate them too much to discuss it any further.
Clip Ins: These are an excellent option for those who do not want to deal with the cost or upkeep of permanent extensions but want longer or thicker hair for events or special occasions. They also work with every hair type which is great. When looking for clip ins, the things to consider are 1. Do they shed? 2. How many wefts per track? (if your hair is thicker, you will want two/double wefted) and 3. How strong are the clips? You want clips that hold well but also give a little so that it doesn’t yank your hair out.
I would typically suggest Brazilian/Virgin or Indian Temple hair for clip ins since usually, it’s for an event and it’s thicker but if you are really working on a natural look and have fine hair, go with European. These tend to tangle more than permanent extensions, even with higher quality hair but typically it’s because you go longer without washing them.
The big trick for clip ins- ESPECIALLY if you have fine hair- is to create a “shelf” Wherever you want the clip to go. You do this by back brushing and hairspraying that section and then clipping the hair in that rather than your scalp. It will keep you from ripping out your hair and will also make them much more comfortable to wear.
Weaves: Ok these are really only for super coarse, ethnic hair and no one else so unfortunately I do not know enough to do them justice especially since my hair is not thick enough to handle them. I know that people get them who have finer hair but have seen more than enough disasters to know you should avoid it if your hair isn't incredibly thick. If you like this method but your hair and scalp are not strong enough to handle it, consider Natural Beaded Rows which I will mention at the end. For weaves, you typically braid the natural hair very tightly and then sew the wefts into the braids but I am sure I am missing a few of the intricacies so I will leave this discussion to those who are more knowledgeable than myself.
Beaded: Beaded extensions are strands of hair attached to your natural hair by these small beads that are clamped around both. I honestly know very few people who use this method anymore since fusion have kind of made them obsolete and they break the natural hair; but it was one of the original methods for putting extensions in naturally so it's still worth mentioning. It works on all hair types except fine.
Fusion: This is the type I have and works best with coarser hair types. The tips are covered with hard glue and are either flat, shaped like a fingernail or a small tube. A small bunch of hair is isolated and then the glue is heated up and the extension is wrapped around the bunch of hair. The problem that I have encountered when friends and clients with fine hair have these put in; they either slide out or rip the hair unless they seriously baby them.
I personally love this type because they look very natural and you can run your hands through your hair which alleviates my claustrophobia lol.
The things you need to watch out for with this method. As they grow out, be careful to keep the roots from matting together. When doing your hair, just run your fingers through and separate the strands as needed. Do not back brush your extensions which I feel does not need to be said but my extensionist disagrees and asks that I include this haha.
Tape: These are the best for finer hair types and although they can be more noticeable, they have many more advantages. If you have coarse hair however, these are not best for you. I have had them put in several times and have many coarse haired friends who were talked into them as well and despite what your stylist tells you, NO they do not work for every hair type.
Tape are two, 0.5-2.0” long pieces of very strong adhesive that are pressed together around a thin strip of hair.
There are several advantages to this type of extension. The weight is more evening dispersed so they tend to not cause as much damage to fine hair. They can also be moved up as they grow out, meaning you can make them last longer. The only thing you will need to watch out for-make sure they shape it to your head in a way that can be adjusted if they are moved up. It would be very disappointing if you got this amazing haircut that wouldn’t work after they are redone.
There is one more method for hair extensions that is relatively new but gaining enough traction to mention and it’s called NBR or Natural Beaded Rows. I have not personally tried this kind but have heard very good things about it. How it works is they put a string in with beads so it has minimal contact and disperses the weight and a weft is hand sewn onto that string. From there, they need to be moved up every 10 weeks or so as they grow out.
I can’t have too many opinions on the subject without doing more research or having them done myself but my initial reaction is that it's probably a very good option but still has its downsides. I personally like being able to run my hands through my hair and it would drive me crazy. I also think you will run into the same problem about blending as tape so make sure you find a good stylist. I found an excellent video that explains them pretty well by a stylist named Shannon Moore.
There are a couple brands I recommend depending on what type of extensions you want but I am a big advocate of Laced Hair Extensions. They are made of Indian Temple Hair and have clip ins, tape, and fusions. They’re a little expensive but your stylist will get a discount if they register through the company. You will also want to email them an unedited picture of your hair since their thumbnails are WAY off. My color is a dark brown on their website found here:
https://lacedhair.com/
Another really good option for clip ins is a website called Bellami and their thumbnails are pretty true to color. I’ve used their product for years whenever I don’t have permanent and they are fantastic.
If you have any questions on aftercare products that will not break the bank, I wrote a post previously on the subject.
Obviously there's a lot more to it but this is a very basic breakdown of the most common types of extensions so that you can get your feet wet :)
I hope this helps and feel free to message me if you have any questions!
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