Hair extensions come in two different styles. There is the strand and there is the weft. The strands are supposed to look the most natural, but they are much more time consuming and if you are having it done at a salon, they will be more expensive, too. Wefts are wider strips of hair and as such, are easier to attach. Hair extensions come in all the colors of natural hair, though some colors are more plentiful than others. The handmade type of weft is best.
The wefts you choose should be made of the best quality of hair you can afford. If you want to look your best, do not use synthetic hair. The “European” hair is good quality but virgin or “raw” hair is even better because it has never been subjected to chemical processing. Virgin hair is also the most expensive as it is harder to find.
Wefts are put in by lifting up the top layers of your hair and braiding cornrows in horizontal lines around your head. The wefts are then woven into the cornrows. When you pull your natural hair back down over it, you should not be able to tell the difference between your hair and the hair extensions.
If you are going for an exceptionally long-haired look, you will need more corn rows and more wefts. If all you need is to add some volume, you will only need a few. Regardless of how many are used, the size of the corn rows and wefts should vary some as does the natural way in which your hair grows.
When the job is finished, you can comb your hair over the extensions and consider your new extensions as part of your natural head of hair. This includes taking care of the extensions as carefully as you would your own hair.
Taking Care of Your Hair Extensions
Wash and condition your hair as normal but give extra attention to moisturizing the hair in your extensions. Natural hair gets some oil from your scalp but because hair extensions are not growing out of your scalp (even if they appear to be), they are going to need more moisture. Wash carefully where the hair attaches to your cornrows to prevent dirt and bacteria from building up and causing an infection in your skin.
Wefts will not grow back if you damage them, so be extra cautious. Do not color or try to perm your hair extensions and don’t use a hot blow dryer or curling iron. Curlers are fine as long as they are not heated. Be sure to brush out any tangles before you get your hair wet and before you go to bed for the night. To get tangles out of your hair, start brushing from the ends and move upwards until they are all gone.
Depending on how fast your hair grows, hair extensions can “last” as long as a month. Some need to have it redone at in 6 weeks. Make an appointment to have your hair redone. Your stylist will take out the wefts and cornrows, inspect your hair and scalp for damage, and then re-braid and reattach your wefts to make it look brand new.
