Save your Hair, your Self Esteem and your Pocket Book before its too late!
THE TRUTH ABOUT HAIR EXTENSIONS:
So you want to get hair extensions and you're really excited about having long, thick, beautiful, and sexy hair. The thoughts and images of what it would be like to look and feel like a Beautiful Goddess, witnessing heads turn in awe of your beautiful hair, are inspiring and motivating. The sexy and beautiful women you see in magazines and on the internet, reflect this amazing energy and it draws you in and arouses your desires even more. You are so overcome by your desire to feel beautiful that you inadvertently overlook the potential harm that may be caused to your natural hair. This article is to both inform and educate you before you make a decision that could impact how you feel about yourself after you remove them, or worse, keep you having to use hair extensions for a very long time or until you run out of hair to hold on to them. You are probably wondering who I am at this point if you don't already know. My name is Randina and I am the owner of Hair Philosophy, A Hair Extensions and Make Over salon in San Diego, California (Austin, TX coming soon!). I realize I run a risk posting this kind of information and I know first hand a lot of my peers would not be happy with me letting you "in on" it, this is knowledge that hair extensions stylists like to pretend does not exist. Instead they would like to blame the client for improper care, which granted is sometimes the case, but more often than not it is the choosing of the wrong method based off the clients lifestyle and hair type, or improper installation. I have been doing hair extensions for over 10 years and am certified in 8 different methods of application (I am in the stages of developing an AMAZING Brand of Hair Philosophy Hair Extensions, Products, and Stylist Training Co.! Look for it in Early 2017!!) . I have been in this industry long enough to see what methods do and do not work and what methods are just full of hype. I started my salon with a mission to bring light to hair extension wearers on the dangers of hair extensions and hair care to help them avoid falling "victim" to horrible hair. In an industry where people are more concerned with instantaneous beauty and have been trained to overlook the negative "side effects" I realized it was time to go against the grain and bring to light the truth regardless of the back lash. I know there are now other stylists who are voicing their findings on the dangers at this time and and I commend them for being brave enough to do so (the voices are increasing! yay!). I hope you take this information and use it to make an educated decision when you are deciding which method to go with and which line of hair care you will choose.
The dangers of Strand by Strand or Individuals aka Fusion, beads, etc.
There are many different types within this category of hair extensions. I am going to give you the most logical thought provoking information I can, and then you can decide if this method is for you. In all actuality this method is really only suitable for about 5% of hair extension wearers despite its popularity. The only people it really is suitable for are those with extra thick hair who will not notice if they gradually lose a percentage of their hair. Let me explain why. When individuals are installed each strand weighs anywhere from 1/2 gram being the smallest to 1 gram being the heaviest. This means that each strand contains anywhere from 75-125 strands of hair. A section of your hair is taken in 1/4" by 1/4" sections containing anywhere from 25-50 of your own strands. The strand is then attached to your hair (we will get into this danger in a moment). Your hair is going through 3 phases of growth at all times throughout your head, Resting, Growing, and Falling out. It is happening all over your scalp at all times, this is why when you hold up a section of your hair you will see you have different lengths throughout. So, in the section the strand is attached to it is shedding, you now go from 25-50 strands to 22-48 strands within a month period. The average rate of hair loss is about 100 hairs per day. Now the strand extension is not shedding, or shouldn't be anyway, the weight of the extension stays relatively the same. The advertisement on the length of wear is up to 5 months! What?!? I know. Your hair on average grows a half inch to 1 inch per month, after 3 months it is almost 3" down! That is hanging status. This causes traction pulling on your natural hair. And, If the extensions is not installed with even tension making sure it is perfectly pulled in the proper direction, more tension will occur (This is why improper installation is the number one reason why people lose hair). Eventually the weight starts to pull on your remaining hair. You can see that logically you will lose more hair this way. In the summer time months we shed even more than the winter time. If you pull your hair up you are causing the bonds to be pulled in opposite directions increasing your chances of pulling on your hair even more. I am not saying that all people who wear individuals will suffer from this type of damage, what I am saying is that the odds are really high that they will. Only 5% of wearers are potentially the exception. Lets not even talk about the 4-8 hours it takes to install them.
Lets look at Hot Fusion first. When you have a fusion extension installed it is typically done with a hot tool that will get so hot if you touch it will burn the heck out of your skin. Well guess what? Your hair is made of the same elements that your skin is made of. What do you think happens to your hair when a chunk of hot boiling "keratin" is melted onto it? The cuticle layer swells and lifts and the bond is cemented in between those layers. It then stays on for a period of a few months and how do you think it is removed? By pliers and a harsh solvent usually containing a chemical that is very drying. Alcohol and sodium hydroxide. What happens to your skin when you pour alcohol on it? It dries out. Same thing happens to your hair. Not only that but now pliers are used to clamp clamp clamp the bond and crunch it until it breaks down enough to slide out. If you were to look at that section of hair under a microscope after this process you would be horrified. This section of hair is destroyed and by the time it gets to your shoulders, if it even makes it that far, will break and fall off. It was compromised at the root, and if you had a full head you would have had 150-250 strands of them. Think about it. Is it worth the risk? Or, do you need to find out on your own.
The beads: When you have a beaded method installed you now have hundreds of pieces of metal in your hair. This is the method that destroyed my hair and the woman who was doing them on me was a trainer! I had the thickest hair you could imagine. I had to have my hair thinned out every time I got a cut because it was always too thick. I went from having to use 3 rubber bands because I could only get them around once to using a child's rubber band suited for a rat tail. NO exaggeration. This is why this is so important to me to get the word out. It has taken me 3 years to recover from this nightmare and I am still having to wear hair extensions for fullness. The weight of the bead and the weight of the extension are too much for your hair to bare. I know there is a lot of bs hype regarding this method because a certain brand, which I will not name, has made a name for themselves off the slogan that insinuates it is the least damaging method and safe for all hair types. Lies. All Lies. Most beads do not have silicone in side of them causing the metal to crush your real hair and when they are removed if the technician is not careful it will cut your hair off! Even the ones that have silicone in them are not the best option. The bead takes up too much space and you can't fit that much of your real hair and the extension tip in it to get a full thick look without having to have a piece of metal attached to everyone of your natural hair strands. This is one of the reasons you see girls with "stringy" hair extensions. Not to mention when you go in for your maintenance they have to clean out the old hair and pull through new hair, now why do you think that is? Because you are losing hair. What happens after they run out of new hair to grab?? Also if you color your hair at all THIS IS NOT THE METHOD FOR YOU! Hair color gets trapped inside the bead, and the thing with hair color is, especially lightener, it keeps processing every time it gets wet. So every time you shower, the color in the bead will be reactivated and continue processing your hair. It will cause tremendous breakage. Also, minerals build up in the bead as well, this is why it will turn green! Hard water and minerals build up on your hair and leach moisture from it. They require the same elements of life as we do thus drying out your natural hair. BREAKAGE, BREAKAGE, BREAKAGE.
If you have ever had an individual method you know that it HURTS LIKE HELL for the first few days after having them put in or maintenanced. This is happening because the weight of the extension is too heavy for your hair and scalp to handle!! Use your head. Think about it logically. What I am saying here is not rocket science, but it does take logical thought and rational thinking to override the hype that sells you the end result of magical hair. Wake up and think for yourself. Don't get caught up in the marketing dream that they are selling you. They are in it to make money. Most hair extensions companies today are owned by MEN, all of them in fact. This is a money game. They are no different than all the other corporations who are telling your children FrootLoops are a good nutritional source for breakfast. Sales and Marketing at its finest.
Now lets talk about the sew in method. You ever see a woman who has worn sew ins for some time?? She has traction hair loss! This happens because the weight of the weft of hair is too heavy for the corners to support. It will cause bald spots! Although this method is the cheapest, which is why most people choose it, it is not a good option for long term wear. I have seen it with my own eyes time and time again, it will rip out your hair especially the hair by your temples where it is not as strong. Granted there are some women who must use this method due to the texture of their hair, but, it is advisable to try another method or take breaks. This method is not suitable for european hair textures. The only texture it is suitable for is ethnic hair and even then risk is involved.
Tape in methods: NOT ALL TAPE INS ARE CREATED EQUALLY! I have worked with several tape in companies and the one reason they are all inferior is due to the quality of their tape. I do not mean in terms of holding power. Most of them have that down. I mean in terms of removal and reapplying them. The tape becomes sticky and gummy and is almost impossible to get out of the hair, not only that but the removal solution used for a good majority of them contains Sodium Hydroxide! There is one method which I will share with you later and one company that does have tape that holds but doesn't cause gumminess. Most of the damage that occurs from these types of hair extensions does not come from wearing them themselves. It comes from the removal and/or reapplication. When you have a sticky gummy mess, it is almost impossible to comb out. The technician has no choice but to pull on your hair. This is where the damage happens. Its sticky and when combing through stickiness you will reach resistance and have to pull on the hair. It hurts and is not a fun experience to be sitting there while your being intoxicated by alcohol fumes, (which causes fluid build up in the longs with long term exposure and kidney damage, so be aware stylists!) and having your hair ripped on.
There are so many companies who offer hair extensions it would take me a month to write a review on each one of them. So instead I decided to outline the different methods within the category of hair extensions to give you an overall view of the dangers. I hope this information will help you when choosing a method.
You didn't think I was going to tell you all this horror without giving you a solution did you?? Ok well here is what I have found:
For the individuals the GREAT LENGTHS Cold Fusion method is the best option and are not to be worn for longer than 4 months at the most. Great Lengths really does have the best hair and having good hair when getting hair extensions is key. Otherwise, you will end up ripping on your hair if you are having to fight tangles. Oh and when I say COLD FUSION, I do not mean the type that is to describe anything but hot. Beads are not cold fusion! Fusion is when two substances are fused together to become one. This is something one of the companies has angled their marketing on but it is a total false hood. Ok, back to cold fusion. Cold fusion is a strand by strand method as well, only pieces are cut in half and more of your hair is taken to compensate for the natural hair loss that will occur over the duration of wear, so you will not lose any extra hair, IF THEY ARE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. Just because someone is certified does not mean they know how to install. I am telling you, these companies do not make sure the stylist is competent. If a stylist pays for the class they get the certificate regardless of how much they suck. Again, these companies are in it to sell hair. That's it. Some of them have better standards but for the most part the bottom line is to sell hair. The reason cold fusion is the better option is because there is no extreme amount of heat used. Ultrasonic sound waves vibrate the molecular structure of the bond at such a rapid rate that it softens the bond so it can be molded around your hair. The bond is sandwiched around your hair, not molded to the cuticle layers. Since they are put in in a "square" shape they blanket your natural hair and give the appearance of more hair. The only potential damage here is in the removal process depending on what your stylist chooses to remove them with, and the improper care of them i.e.: wearing them too long, pulling on them, getting them too long (when choosing a length you have to take into consideration the extra weight that will be on your hair with longer lengths, you do not want to go too much longer than your natural length otherwise it will be too much weight at one time on your natural hair, you can however, go longer gradually) etc.
And the only other method I would ever install on myself or my daughter is the HAIR PHILOSOPHY LUXURY HAIR or HAIRTALK tape in Method. HairTalk has it down when it comes to the tape. It is perfect. It holds up to 2.5 months, sometimes 3 (not recommended) and you really do not have to use too much remover the majority of the time to get them out. We have been able to source our own brand of tape from overseas; after a year of searching, and it has the same qualities as the HairTalk. It has been tested and proven to work as well as the hairtalk tape, if not better. So, we use this tape instead of the tape that comes with the other companies we source, to avoid the stickiness that happens with removal, and the slipping that occurs from inferior tape. It is amazing. Also, not all tops are created equally either. Most tops on the brands of seamless that are out today are too hard, too big, and too heavy on the hair. If they are too hard it will rip your hair out in the corners. If they are too big or too heavy it will weigh your hair down and pull it out also. Hair Philosophy Hair Extensions have been designed with tops that are flexible, have hair flowing out of the top, are rooted to match the roots of your real hair, and are reusable for more than a year. HairTalk also has soft reusable tops and they are gentle on the hair, although they have been manufacturing lower quality tops with less hair than they were before lately. Our own brand of hair lasts more than a year and so do the tops. On another note the reason the tape in do not cause damage when they are properly installed with the right tape and with the right brand, is because the weight distribution from side to side is even, so even if your hair is shedding in this area there is enough hair to compensate for the weight. Also, it is the way we install them. Instead of thick pieces we install them as half pieces so they are lighter in the hair. You can not feel them in and they lay flat to your scalp so even if someone was to touch your head they would not feel them in. Also, they add so much thickness because the streamline fall of the hair is in a horizontal pattern following the natural fall of your hair resulting in a blanket type appearance. Individuals are stringy because they are shoestring in nature; they are good for the top sections of your hair to add volume.
Look hair extensions are amazing and they do boost your self esteem, give you sexy confidence you didn't know was possible, make you look like a goddess, and yes you will wake up with amazing hair like you just got done with a photo shoot, just be smart when choosing a stylist and a method. You want to be able to better your natural hair while you wear hair extensions because at some point you will want to take them out. When done properly you can have instant sexy, and while they are in there are so many tips and tricks to get your real hair to grow faster and thicker, so that when you take them out your hair is better than it was before you put them in. They are amazing and I am so glad I am able to wear them with peace of mind, and you can too. Choose wisely.
So thats it. HairTalk tape in, Hair Philosophy tape in, or Hair Philosophy and Great Lengths Cold Fusion. Safest methods available on the market today. Hopefully enough people "ask" for safer methods so we can have more to choose from.
In all my years of hair extensions installations and all my years of searching for the best options and after testing literally more than 20 different companies, I can finally rest easy at night knowing my clients hair is not being compromised for the sake of vanity or the dollar. I am so happy I have finally been able to voice this out in the open in the hopes of saving someone from having to experience what I went through.
PS!!
I AM ALL ABOUT THICK HAIR! EVERYONE KNOWS I AM A HAIR WHORE! I AM NOT ABOUT EXTENDING YOUR THIN HAIR TO LOOK LONG AND THIN. I LOVE VOLUME AND YOU SHOULD TOO.
LOOK AT BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS!
Also, you want your real hair to be healthier when you take your extensions out, than before you put them in, not stringy like a rat (which is what will happen if you don't supplement inside your body as well as the outside). We have been doing this long enough to know how to get your real hair to look better when you remove your extensions. You are give a 14 page aftercare sheet and also a thorough understanding of how to take care of them, AND a 30 minute hands on styling tutorial. This way you can keep them looking amazing at home; in as little as 15 minutes. DEMAND THE BEST! YOU DESERVE IT!
P.P.S
We could not find a product that blended, was non damaging, undetectable, had the best smoothest natural looking, longest lasting hair, longest, safest hold, and the softest most durable tops..... So we created it! Coming Soon to a stylist near you! For now you have to order 'special order' in our salon :) Tape in and cold Fusion. Hair so amazing, you'll never settle for less once you experience it. Truth.
Until next time!
Randina Marie
Founder/Owner
Hair Philosophy
La Jolla, CA
www.Hair-Philosophy.com
www.BrillianceMeetsBeauty.com
So you want to get hair extensions and you're really excited about having long, thick, beautiful, and sexy hair. The thoughts and images of what it would be like to look and feel like a Beautiful Goddess, witnessing heads turn in awe of your beautiful hair, are inspiring and motivating. The sexy and beautiful women you see in magazines and on the internet, reflect this amazing energy and it draws you in and arouses your desires even more. You are so overcome by your desire to feel beautiful that you inadvertently overlook the potential harm that may be caused to your natural hair. This article is to both inform and educate you before you make a decision that could impact how you feel about yourself after you remove them, or worse, keep you having to use hair extensions for a very long time or until you run out of hair to hold on to them. You are probably wondering who I am at this point if you don't already know. My name is Randina and I am the owner of Hair Philosophy, A Hair Extensions and Make Over salon in San Diego, California (Austin, TX coming soon!). I realize I run a risk posting this kind of information and I know first hand a lot of my peers would not be happy with me letting you "in on" it, this is knowledge that hair extensions stylists like to pretend does not exist. Instead they would like to blame the client for improper care, which granted is sometimes the case, but more often than not it is the choosing of the wrong method based off the clients lifestyle and hair type, or improper installation. I have been doing hair extensions for over 10 years and am certified in 8 different methods of application (I am in the stages of developing an AMAZING Brand of Hair Philosophy Hair Extensions, Products, and Stylist Training Co.! Look for it in Early 2017!!) . I have been in this industry long enough to see what methods do and do not work and what methods are just full of hype. I started my salon with a mission to bring light to hair extension wearers on the dangers of hair extensions and hair care to help them avoid falling "victim" to horrible hair. In an industry where people are more concerned with instantaneous beauty and have been trained to overlook the negative "side effects" I realized it was time to go against the grain and bring to light the truth regardless of the back lash. I know there are now other stylists who are voicing their findings on the dangers at this time and and I commend them for being brave enough to do so (the voices are increasing! yay!). I hope you take this information and use it to make an educated decision when you are deciding which method to go with and which line of hair care you will choose.
The dangers of Strand by Strand or Individuals aka Fusion, beads, etc.
There are many different types within this category of hair extensions. I am going to give you the most logical thought provoking information I can, and then you can decide if this method is for you. In all actuality this method is really only suitable for about 5% of hair extension wearers despite its popularity. The only people it really is suitable for are those with extra thick hair who will not notice if they gradually lose a percentage of their hair. Let me explain why. When individuals are installed each strand weighs anywhere from 1/2 gram being the smallest to 1 gram being the heaviest. This means that each strand contains anywhere from 75-125 strands of hair. A section of your hair is taken in 1/4" by 1/4" sections containing anywhere from 25-50 of your own strands. The strand is then attached to your hair (we will get into this danger in a moment). Your hair is going through 3 phases of growth at all times throughout your head, Resting, Growing, and Falling out. It is happening all over your scalp at all times, this is why when you hold up a section of your hair you will see you have different lengths throughout. So, in the section the strand is attached to it is shedding, you now go from 25-50 strands to 22-48 strands within a month period. The average rate of hair loss is about 100 hairs per day. Now the strand extension is not shedding, or shouldn't be anyway, the weight of the extension stays relatively the same. The advertisement on the length of wear is up to 5 months! What?!? I know. Your hair on average grows a half inch to 1 inch per month, after 3 months it is almost 3" down! That is hanging status. This causes traction pulling on your natural hair. And, If the extensions is not installed with even tension making sure it is perfectly pulled in the proper direction, more tension will occur (This is why improper installation is the number one reason why people lose hair). Eventually the weight starts to pull on your remaining hair. You can see that logically you will lose more hair this way. In the summer time months we shed even more than the winter time. If you pull your hair up you are causing the bonds to be pulled in opposite directions increasing your chances of pulling on your hair even more. I am not saying that all people who wear individuals will suffer from this type of damage, what I am saying is that the odds are really high that they will. Only 5% of wearers are potentially the exception. Lets not even talk about the 4-8 hours it takes to install them.
Lets look at Hot Fusion first. When you have a fusion extension installed it is typically done with a hot tool that will get so hot if you touch it will burn the heck out of your skin. Well guess what? Your hair is made of the same elements that your skin is made of. What do you think happens to your hair when a chunk of hot boiling "keratin" is melted onto it? The cuticle layer swells and lifts and the bond is cemented in between those layers. It then stays on for a period of a few months and how do you think it is removed? By pliers and a harsh solvent usually containing a chemical that is very drying. Alcohol and sodium hydroxide. What happens to your skin when you pour alcohol on it? It dries out. Same thing happens to your hair. Not only that but now pliers are used to clamp clamp clamp the bond and crunch it until it breaks down enough to slide out. If you were to look at that section of hair under a microscope after this process you would be horrified. This section of hair is destroyed and by the time it gets to your shoulders, if it even makes it that far, will break and fall off. It was compromised at the root, and if you had a full head you would have had 150-250 strands of them. Think about it. Is it worth the risk? Or, do you need to find out on your own.
The beads: When you have a beaded method installed you now have hundreds of pieces of metal in your hair. This is the method that destroyed my hair and the woman who was doing them on me was a trainer! I had the thickest hair you could imagine. I had to have my hair thinned out every time I got a cut because it was always too thick. I went from having to use 3 rubber bands because I could only get them around once to using a child's rubber band suited for a rat tail. NO exaggeration. This is why this is so important to me to get the word out. It has taken me 3 years to recover from this nightmare and I am still having to wear hair extensions for fullness. The weight of the bead and the weight of the extension are too much for your hair to bare. I know there is a lot of bs hype regarding this method because a certain brand, which I will not name, has made a name for themselves off the slogan that insinuates it is the least damaging method and safe for all hair types. Lies. All Lies. Most beads do not have silicone in side of them causing the metal to crush your real hair and when they are removed if the technician is not careful it will cut your hair off! Even the ones that have silicone in them are not the best option. The bead takes up too much space and you can't fit that much of your real hair and the extension tip in it to get a full thick look without having to have a piece of metal attached to everyone of your natural hair strands. This is one of the reasons you see girls with "stringy" hair extensions. Not to mention when you go in for your maintenance they have to clean out the old hair and pull through new hair, now why do you think that is? Because you are losing hair. What happens after they run out of new hair to grab?? Also if you color your hair at all THIS IS NOT THE METHOD FOR YOU! Hair color gets trapped inside the bead, and the thing with hair color is, especially lightener, it keeps processing every time it gets wet. So every time you shower, the color in the bead will be reactivated and continue processing your hair. It will cause tremendous breakage. Also, minerals build up in the bead as well, this is why it will turn green! Hard water and minerals build up on your hair and leach moisture from it. They require the same elements of life as we do thus drying out your natural hair. BREAKAGE, BREAKAGE, BREAKAGE.
If you have ever had an individual method you know that it HURTS LIKE HELL for the first few days after having them put in or maintenanced. This is happening because the weight of the extension is too heavy for your hair and scalp to handle!! Use your head. Think about it logically. What I am saying here is not rocket science, but it does take logical thought and rational thinking to override the hype that sells you the end result of magical hair. Wake up and think for yourself. Don't get caught up in the marketing dream that they are selling you. They are in it to make money. Most hair extensions companies today are owned by MEN, all of them in fact. This is a money game. They are no different than all the other corporations who are telling your children FrootLoops are a good nutritional source for breakfast. Sales and Marketing at its finest.
Now lets talk about the sew in method. You ever see a woman who has worn sew ins for some time?? She has traction hair loss! This happens because the weight of the weft of hair is too heavy for the corners to support. It will cause bald spots! Although this method is the cheapest, which is why most people choose it, it is not a good option for long term wear. I have seen it with my own eyes time and time again, it will rip out your hair especially the hair by your temples where it is not as strong. Granted there are some women who must use this method due to the texture of their hair, but, it is advisable to try another method or take breaks. This method is not suitable for european hair textures. The only texture it is suitable for is ethnic hair and even then risk is involved.
Tape in methods: NOT ALL TAPE INS ARE CREATED EQUALLY! I have worked with several tape in companies and the one reason they are all inferior is due to the quality of their tape. I do not mean in terms of holding power. Most of them have that down. I mean in terms of removal and reapplying them. The tape becomes sticky and gummy and is almost impossible to get out of the hair, not only that but the removal solution used for a good majority of them contains Sodium Hydroxide! There is one method which I will share with you later and one company that does have tape that holds but doesn't cause gumminess. Most of the damage that occurs from these types of hair extensions does not come from wearing them themselves. It comes from the removal and/or reapplication. When you have a sticky gummy mess, it is almost impossible to comb out. The technician has no choice but to pull on your hair. This is where the damage happens. Its sticky and when combing through stickiness you will reach resistance and have to pull on the hair. It hurts and is not a fun experience to be sitting there while your being intoxicated by alcohol fumes, (which causes fluid build up in the longs with long term exposure and kidney damage, so be aware stylists!) and having your hair ripped on.
There are so many companies who offer hair extensions it would take me a month to write a review on each one of them. So instead I decided to outline the different methods within the category of hair extensions to give you an overall view of the dangers. I hope this information will help you when choosing a method.
You didn't think I was going to tell you all this horror without giving you a solution did you?? Ok well here is what I have found:
For the individuals the GREAT LENGTHS Cold Fusion method is the best option and are not to be worn for longer than 4 months at the most. Great Lengths really does have the best hair and having good hair when getting hair extensions is key. Otherwise, you will end up ripping on your hair if you are having to fight tangles. Oh and when I say COLD FUSION, I do not mean the type that is to describe anything but hot. Beads are not cold fusion! Fusion is when two substances are fused together to become one. This is something one of the companies has angled their marketing on but it is a total false hood. Ok, back to cold fusion. Cold fusion is a strand by strand method as well, only pieces are cut in half and more of your hair is taken to compensate for the natural hair loss that will occur over the duration of wear, so you will not lose any extra hair, IF THEY ARE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. Just because someone is certified does not mean they know how to install. I am telling you, these companies do not make sure the stylist is competent. If a stylist pays for the class they get the certificate regardless of how much they suck. Again, these companies are in it to sell hair. That's it. Some of them have better standards but for the most part the bottom line is to sell hair. The reason cold fusion is the better option is because there is no extreme amount of heat used. Ultrasonic sound waves vibrate the molecular structure of the bond at such a rapid rate that it softens the bond so it can be molded around your hair. The bond is sandwiched around your hair, not molded to the cuticle layers. Since they are put in in a "square" shape they blanket your natural hair and give the appearance of more hair. The only potential damage here is in the removal process depending on what your stylist chooses to remove them with, and the improper care of them i.e.: wearing them too long, pulling on them, getting them too long (when choosing a length you have to take into consideration the extra weight that will be on your hair with longer lengths, you do not want to go too much longer than your natural length otherwise it will be too much weight at one time on your natural hair, you can however, go longer gradually) etc.
And the only other method I would ever install on myself or my daughter is the HAIR PHILOSOPHY LUXURY HAIR or HAIRTALK tape in Method. HairTalk has it down when it comes to the tape. It is perfect. It holds up to 2.5 months, sometimes 3 (not recommended) and you really do not have to use too much remover the majority of the time to get them out. We have been able to source our own brand of tape from overseas; after a year of searching, and it has the same qualities as the HairTalk. It has been tested and proven to work as well as the hairtalk tape, if not better. So, we use this tape instead of the tape that comes with the other companies we source, to avoid the stickiness that happens with removal, and the slipping that occurs from inferior tape. It is amazing. Also, not all tops are created equally either. Most tops on the brands of seamless that are out today are too hard, too big, and too heavy on the hair. If they are too hard it will rip your hair out in the corners. If they are too big or too heavy it will weigh your hair down and pull it out also. Hair Philosophy Hair Extensions have been designed with tops that are flexible, have hair flowing out of the top, are rooted to match the roots of your real hair, and are reusable for more than a year. HairTalk also has soft reusable tops and they are gentle on the hair, although they have been manufacturing lower quality tops with less hair than they were before lately. Our own brand of hair lasts more than a year and so do the tops. On another note the reason the tape in do not cause damage when they are properly installed with the right tape and with the right brand, is because the weight distribution from side to side is even, so even if your hair is shedding in this area there is enough hair to compensate for the weight. Also, it is the way we install them. Instead of thick pieces we install them as half pieces so they are lighter in the hair. You can not feel them in and they lay flat to your scalp so even if someone was to touch your head they would not feel them in. Also, they add so much thickness because the streamline fall of the hair is in a horizontal pattern following the natural fall of your hair resulting in a blanket type appearance. Individuals are stringy because they are shoestring in nature; they are good for the top sections of your hair to add volume.
Look hair extensions are amazing and they do boost your self esteem, give you sexy confidence you didn't know was possible, make you look like a goddess, and yes you will wake up with amazing hair like you just got done with a photo shoot, just be smart when choosing a stylist and a method. You want to be able to better your natural hair while you wear hair extensions because at some point you will want to take them out. When done properly you can have instant sexy, and while they are in there are so many tips and tricks to get your real hair to grow faster and thicker, so that when you take them out your hair is better than it was before you put them in. They are amazing and I am so glad I am able to wear them with peace of mind, and you can too. Choose wisely.
So thats it. HairTalk tape in, Hair Philosophy tape in, or Hair Philosophy and Great Lengths Cold Fusion. Safest methods available on the market today. Hopefully enough people "ask" for safer methods so we can have more to choose from.
In all my years of hair extensions installations and all my years of searching for the best options and after testing literally more than 20 different companies, I can finally rest easy at night knowing my clients hair is not being compromised for the sake of vanity or the dollar. I am so happy I have finally been able to voice this out in the open in the hopes of saving someone from having to experience what I went through.
PS!!
I AM ALL ABOUT THICK HAIR! EVERYONE KNOWS I AM A HAIR WHORE! I AM NOT ABOUT EXTENDING YOUR THIN HAIR TO LOOK LONG AND THIN. I LOVE VOLUME AND YOU SHOULD TOO.
LOOK AT BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS!
Also, you want your real hair to be healthier when you take your extensions out, than before you put them in, not stringy like a rat (which is what will happen if you don't supplement inside your body as well as the outside). We have been doing this long enough to know how to get your real hair to look better when you remove your extensions. You are give a 14 page aftercare sheet and also a thorough understanding of how to take care of them, AND a 30 minute hands on styling tutorial. This way you can keep them looking amazing at home; in as little as 15 minutes. DEMAND THE BEST! YOU DESERVE IT!
P.P.S
We could not find a product that blended, was non damaging, undetectable, had the best smoothest natural looking, longest lasting hair, longest, safest hold, and the softest most durable tops..... So we created it! Coming Soon to a stylist near you! For now you have to order 'special order' in our salon :) Tape in and cold Fusion. Hair so amazing, you'll never settle for less once you experience it. Truth.
Until next time!
Randina Marie
Founder/Owner
Hair Philosophy
La Jolla, CA
www.Hair-Philosophy.com
www.BrillianceMeetsBeauty.com
