Hair Extension FAQs

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1. What kind of hair did I get? Real or synthetic?

I got real human hair. With real human hair you are able to wash it, style it, curl it and do everything you normally do with your hair. With synthetic hair, you can't wash or style it with heat otherwise it will melt. Synthetic hair also tangles more.

2. How much does it cost?

That all depends on where you live, your hairstylist and what kind of hair extensions you want.

I have sewn in hair extensions, but they have glue in, tape in, clip-in, etc. Also, you can go to a place like Sally Beauty and get extensions for around $100 to $150, but they will have to be replaced more often. You get what you pay for. The kind of extensions that I got around anywhere from $300 to $700 depending on how much hair you need and the color. As my hair grows out, I won't need two rows of extensions. This will cut down on the cost.

3. How often do you get them moved up?

Again, this all depends on how fast your hair grows out, but typically every 6 to 8 weeks, but you can go up to 3 months if your hair grows slow. I will be getting mine moved up every 8 weeks for now and we will change it later if need be.

4. When do you replace the hair?

For the type of hair that I got, I won't need to replace it for at least a year. Plus I have a huge extra piece, so I can get even more time out of my hair.

5. How much hair do I need?

I wanted both length and volume to my hair since I have fine hair. This meant that I needed to rows. She said some people get three rows, but that is just too much hair for me. Once my hair grows out longer, then I will only have one row for volume.

6. How do I maintain my hair extensions?

Since you have natural oils in your natural hair, you can use the products that you use everyday. BUT for your extensions, you need to add moisture to them. This means you need an oil for your hair. This is the hair oil I am using.

Kerastase Hair Oil

She told me to put the oil in my hair daily. I can do it at night and brush it or when I was my hair in the morning.

Another way to maintain your hair is to either braid it or sleep with it in a low bun. This means that your hair won't get knotted or matted when you sleep.

When you brush your hair you want to start at the bottom and brush down. Then move up a bit and brush down again. You don't want to be hard on your hair, so be mindful of where your extensions are. Also, make sure you do brush between your rows of extensions otherwise you will get matted/dreads in your hair.

7. How long does my hair have to be to have extensions?

Well my technically only 10 centimetres, but the extensions would be obvious. She said my hair was a perfect length to blend them in.

8. Does it damage your hair?

The short answer is no. But when you move your hair up after 8 or so weeks, they will the hair piece up or down your scalp to maintain the integrity of your natural hair. If you kept putting the extensions in the same spot (just moved closer to your scalp), it would damage your hair. But you do get minimal damage to your hair, but so does coloring, curling, straightening and blow drying your hair.

9. Does it hurt to get extensions?

No it does not. It shouldn't hurt at all. If it does, then something has to be adjusted. Maybe a small piece of hair is tangled or caught. Maybe a bead needs to be loosened.

Also, if it is the first time you are getting extensions, your head will be a bit tender for 24 to 48 hours. It is a similar feeling to having a tight headband on or your hair in a high pony tail all day. Your scalp is getting used to the hair extensions and the tenderness will go away in a couple of days.

10. How do I wash my hair?

Like you normally do, but be more careful. Don't scrub your hair.

11. When can I wear my hair up?

It usually takes a week for your hair to settle and not feel weird when pulling it up. You can test it out as it gets closer to the end of the week. Once your hair extensions flip up easily, you can wear it up.

12. Can I blow dry my hair?

Yes you can, but my hairstylist recommended me letting it air dry a bit while I get ready and then section it off. This way it doesn't take forever to dry all of your hair. I section my hair into three and blow dry from the bottom up.