QuoteReplyTopic: more confused than before... Posted: May 02 2005 at 4:14pm
Hi everyone! First of all I want to say how impressed I am by this site. I
am a school nurse that has been saving my money for four months to get
my first set of extensions. I have read Extensions 101 and many of the
posts of this forum; however, being a non-hair professional I am more
confused than ever. I have found a salon in the Memphis area where I live
that quoted $1000.00 for the hair and labor. They did not tell me which
technique they used and said that it would last for 6-8 months. I am very
concerned since I have very fine, short blond hair. My hair is
approximately 3-4 inches long after growing it out for the last 8 months.
I was hoping that some of youy professionals on the board could offer
advice on what method would be the best, how long it should last, if this
is a reasonable amount to pay, etc. I am so scared that it will mess up my
hair and my husband thinks that I am insane to even do this. He thinks I
should just let my hair grow out "the old-fashioned way" but this is
coming from someone who is bald so go figure . Thank you in
advance for any help- if you have any questions for a school nurse I can
help ya out!
CandiLocks27
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Oh jeez... If they are gonna charge you $1000+ it better last a lot longer than that. And thats kinda shady, them not explaining the method. Ok if it is fusion or bonding or any type of glued method, it will probably ruin your hair. But if they use like a micro links method, (round rings that are clamped to your hair and the extensions hair) or just something that wont involve glue, I say go for it... But if they are charging you that much it better be awsome hair and better last exactly how long they say. hope this helps.
Hi and welcome. I'm new to this board also, although I've been reading it for awhile. I just keep reading and reading and ask questions. One of the very kind and informative members, Jenny, has made it very easy for us newbies to understand the lingo and different methods and compiled everything so when we have questions, we can go to a few different sites and everything is nicely laid out. These chicks are unbelievable! They are helpful and share their knowledge. I've learned alot already. I am a nurse also and I work in a large hospital. And I have thin fine hair also, and I have tried a few different methods. $1000 sounds like way too much money to me. I've learned how to pretip my own hair from these ladies and where to buy the best heat wand and shrinkies and I'm almost good to go to install most of them myself and my friend for the back of my head. Still need to keep learning so I keep reading this board from top to bottom! I'm pretty sure that everyone will probably advise you to learn how to install your own to save money. Are you thinking about the shrinkies? I've heard numerous times that they are good for thin hair. Look forward to hearing what way you'll go. E.
Syren123
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First of all, do you know exactly what look you want - do you have a picture or a celeb's hair in mind? It's good to have an idea of what you want to achieve before you fork over your hard saved $$.
How much time and care are you willing to spend on your hair? Do you style it alot or are you low maintenance wash 'n wear? Can you invest time and money - like for products and maybe some tools - to maintain your extensions?
First of all, you don't want extensions to last 6 to 8 months. 3 or 4 months absolute tops is what you should expect - any longer can cause real matting problems, plus the extension bonds will be very visible past that time.
Let us know what you want to achieve and you'll get some excellent advice from the chicks on this board.
Wow! Thanks for the help so far. Okay- I called the salon that I
quoted me $1000.00 and said that I needed more information.
They said the hair was human hair that was overnight delivered
which was $500 and the labor was the additional $500. The
technique they told me they use sounds like bonding- they take
small groups of 15-20 strands of my hair and bond it to the
extension. Due to the above post I am concerned about the
bonding or gluing. I have two friends who are African-
Amercian and they said I should get one of their friends to do
microbraids but I am scared because they have not done
caucasian hair and my texture is definitely different than theirs.
I would love to have hair that looks like Jessica Simpson's new
shorter look or maybe Nicole Ritchie- not too long but
somewhere between my should blades and the middle of my
back. I am willing to spend a great deal of time on the
maintenance of my hair but would like a low-maintenance look
(more wash and wear since I have 2 small daughters). I can
definitely invest in the products and tools that are necessary- it
is just the initial amount that still has me concerned. I don't
think I want to try my own hair- I love having someone do my
hair- it is one of my few treats but I would be willing to learn
how to maintain it. I would like to be able to wear it up in a
ponytail and not see the extensions. I saw a picture of Britney
Spears like that and I almost changed my mind on the whole
process. If any of you stylists on this forum live within driving
distance of Memphis or know of a GREAT (and reasonable)
stylist who does I would love to talk with you. Thanks again for
the great help- I can't get dinner made because I keep
checking this site!
hippyhair
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One of the very kind and informative members, Jenny, has made it very easy for us newbies to understand the lingo and different methods and compiled everything so when we have questions, we can go to a few different sites and everything is nicely laid out. These chicks are unbelievable! They are helpful and share their knowledge.
I second that statement... these chicks are unbelievable. They are sooo helpful, sweet, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. All of Jenny's hard work is incredible... and I still can't get over how much kindness (and exausting effort) it must take to put together what she has for all us newbies!
I have a feeling a lot of us start out the same way, thinking "Great Lengths" is the best! I mean, if you google "hair extensions", their site is the first to come up! And it's an impressive site that's very intoxicating and pleasing to the eye, at that!
I, for one, have these fine ladies of the HB board to thank, for not allowing me to fall victim because of all the false marketing schemes out there! I'm positive that if it weren't for this site, and all the help I've received... I would probably be walking around with a head full of glue bonds right now - and $1000+ poorer.
When I began this quest for long hair (LOL), I really was hoping to have it installed by my Birthday. That was almost two months ago. Well, my Bday is this week.. and still no hair! But, hey... I'm OK with that! I want to get it right the first time... and I'm taking my time finding the right extensionist with the right method and hair for me.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING HB LADIES!! YOU ARE THE BESTEST!!
edited for:
Oops.. I forgot to say GOOD LUCK, and please keep us posted! Don't worry.. it get's a little less confusing the more you research...
I just had a client last week she had 6 month old extensions in her hair ,( well out of the 200 they put in there were 30 left !) She had decent hair not to thin the problem is they put them in and told her nothing but see you in 6 months!!!!! MATS MATS MATS it took me a while to get out this mess and the rest had broke off with her hair long ago. You can't leave extensions in that long ,hair grows and it is alot of strain on your hair to hold it once it grows down. It allways makes me mad when I hear pepole being told this. It then looks like mine arn't as good because I will tell you flat out 3 months is the max. And fine hair has a tendency to mat between the scalp and bond so eaven less for them 1 to 2 months. RUN , They say this to justify the price. I would rather charge less and have them come more often. You said your hair is fine but if you allso don't have much of it I don't see how they could spend $500 on hair eaven good quality hair.
I'm glad you're finding this site informative. The reason so many of
the members here, including myself, have invested so much time into
organizing this site into a newbie-friendly format is because
extensions are a big, costly decision that comes with certain risks. As
such, I strongly urge you to do lots of research before you choose a
method, type of hair, and stylist. This also means taking your time
doing the research, since extensions are a vast topic, and it takes a
while to get a understanding of what's what.
I know how important this is firsthand: I "jumped into" the world of
extensions, dazzled by before-and-afters and understanding very little
about the process. Stylists told me their methods were safe and that I
was paying top-dollar for the best quality, and I believed them.
Nevertheless, after spending thousands on the "leading" methods that
were supposedly safe, I emerged a lot poorer, with completely trashed
hair.
If I had it all to do over again, would I get extensions? Yes, I would.
Would I have spent thousands on the first three damaging methods I
tried? No, I most certainly wouldn't.
OK, now--specific to your situation.... I totally agree that fusion is
the most potentially damaging method, with the exception of Hairlocs nd
Eurolocs, which totally destroy hair, too. Fusion works well for some
people, but I would never recommend it to anyone with fine, thin,
bleached, chemically straightened, or otherwise fragile hair. Frankly,
I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, unless they had amazingly strong,
thick hair and didn't mind enduring some damage. And "bonds,"
"protein," "keratin," "fusion," are all code for glue. Don't be fooled
by the marketing terms.
As for extensions lasting 6 to 8 months, that's very misleading to say
the least. As Syren said, you shouldn't leave any extensions in your
hair for more than 3 to 4 months (4 being the absolute max). If for no
other reason, growth from the root will make the extensions visible
over time and the longer they're in, the more matting youll get. I
would be very wary of any salon that would tell you that. Also, I
wouldn't pay more than $800 for human-hair extensions and $500 for
synth extensions; it's not necessary.
The safest methods, imo, are (in this order): pinchbraids (aka
Hairpolice, or string, method, which are quite similar to microbraids),
heat-seals (aka Dome pr Prostyles method), sewn-in wefts (as long as
they're not braided too tight, which can present a risk), and for DIY,
shrinkies and extendtubes. For shrinkies and extentubes, I would
definitely recommend strand tests beforehand, as there is a glue and
metal element, respectively.
i didnt know that the eurolocks damaged your hair!
i have only done a few people's hair and its all been heat sealed PH
because I dont trust human hair that much. Sorry for misinforming! :)
Thanks for all the info, Jenny! You guys are so great. Any
recommendations on who would do the best job for my fine,
straight, short, chemically processed hair? School gets out
in a couple of weeks and I want to do my extensions VERY
soon after. I can't get them done before school lets out- can
you just see all my kids saying to their parents "Mom, our nurse
had short hair last Friday but today she had long hair. How did
she do that?"
Well, first off, how short is your hair? Very short hair can present
some challenges and eliminate some approaches off the bat, so if you
can provide some measurements (or better yet, a photo--don't worry, you
can blur out your face), that would help. Also, what color is
it--naturally and/or unnaturally--and is it several colors
(highlighted) or all one shade? When you say "processed," do you mean
chemically straightened or bleached? I believe you said you're in
Memphis, right? :)
mochachip
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Well I wouldn't go with fusion. Not that there is anything wrong
with fusion but its such a big risk on your fist time out. Say
you were to get pinch braids(hairpolice/string method). two weeks
in your discover that you just can't handle the maintenance. You
can remove them by yourself without destroying your hair. Similar
rules apply for heat seals (dome method) and not quite as much for
microrings/extentubes/eurolocs/hairlocs.
Now onto trying to do a takedown and install all in one night!
Hmmm, Memphis is a hard one. I'm located in Chicago, which is I think
eight hours away, and there's also Heather (a Hairpolice affiliate) in
Atlanta, which is actually closer to you, I think. We both do
pinchbraids. There's also FinaFina's girl somewhere in east Texas, I
think, who does heat-seals. You might want to also check the Affiliate
Finder on www.hairpolice.com- all their affiliates are trained in
pinchbraids. I second everything Jenny says about them being one of the
safest and least-damaging methods- but I do them, so I'm biased! :)
There's also heat-seals, which are (usually) done with synth- both Dome
(http://domecosmetics.com/) and ProStyles (www.prostyles.us) have salon
locators on their webpages.
Microbraids for you would work fine as long as the braider leaves some
of your hair out along your part and your hairline, to cover the roots
of the braids. Also, make sure that whatever they're using to secure
the end of the braid is hair-safe- sometimes braiders use nail glue on
the very ends, and you can't really get that out of your hair. Don't be
afraid of the hair-texture differences- just let them know that your
hair is slippery, and they'll probably need to incorporate your hair
into two or more strands of the braid to keep it from sliding out.
Sounds to me like Justamom is blonde and wants to go from short to long. Completely do-able. Amanda's hair might be a good example - she went from shoulder length (I think..it was short, right Amanda?) to long, but only just below her shoulders using Bohyme hh - it looked absolutely stunning and totally natural! She wore it on her wedding/honeymoon trip to Mexico and went in the ocean, washed her hair every day, danced on tables every night...and she was very pleased with how the hair and her install hung in there.
Amanda!!! Can you post a before and some afters of your hair, please?
Fina's stylist is in Hotlanta, btw, and she did heat seals on Fina.
Syren is right- I have short, blonde hair that is colored and I
want to go from short to long. My hair is not quite shoulder
length yet. I will try to attach a picture when I learn how! Driving to Atlanta would be easily doable- it would be a fun
road trip too! Any idea on costs, maintenance, etc??? Also,
how long did Amanda'a extensions last? Can someone clarify
the difference between pinchbraids and microbraids? I think
micro are just smaller- is that correct? If so, with my fine hair
would micro be less detectable? My goal is to look as natural
as possible- in my younger days I would have loved to go with
wild colors, etc. but my 11 year old daughter would not think it
is cool anymore- she is getting to the age where Moms
embaress her- my tatoo and belly-button ring just about do her
in!
FinaFina
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Hey JAM - (how do you like my abbreviation for you, justamom??)
First of all - WELCOME!!
ccross6032 lives somewhere near Memphis. I'll PM her and ask her where
she had hers done -- she had either heat seals or pinchbraids done and
was very happy with the person.
Anyway - on a more adventuresome note - I'll be in Atlanta this
Saturday getting my hair done by Bettie, who is awesome and very
reasonable. She charges $275 for a full head if you bring your own
hair; $350 if you use hers. She'll even install human hair using the
Dome/heatseals method. In fact she's going to do a combo for me, using
PlastikHaar, Bohyme Silky Straight, and some of Amm's American Dream.
I've had these in for 10 weeks now and it's time for them to go cuz
they're loose and I'm really tired of the 28mm PH. But I will say that
I am having *no* matting or tangling problems with the extensions
themselves, unlike what happens to GL or other fusion after as little
as 6 weeks.
Good Luck and maybe I'll see you in Atlanta! If nothing else you could get a consult and an earful about extensions!!
Fina
OK Update: ccross6032 is in KNOXVILLE and she ended up having her hair
done in Atlanta also by a Hairpolice affiliate. She posted this link:
Thanks Fina! I actually emailed Bettie requesting info but have
not heard back from her. I wish there was a way I could go to
Atlanta this weekend to watch the process. How long in
advance do you need to schedule with Bettie? Also, has
anyone else used Bettie? Maybe it is the nurse in me but I feel
more comfortable with the idea of human hair. Does it look
more natural or is that just a silly assumption from me?
THANKS AGAIN, EVERONE, FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!! YOU
GUYS ROCK!
ccross6032
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yep. i'm in knoxville TN and drive to Atlanta to have heather do my pinchbraids. i actually just went yesterday and will post new pics tonight after work! ha! teaser! heather can do pinchbraids with human hair - she has that on her own head right now. i think justamom that you have plenty of options open to you and i think you are wise to get all your info, take your time, and ask your questions before you spend your hard earned money. everyone on here was so great in helping me figure out what would work for me..and i'm really happy with the results.
Cool - you've had them re-done already ? Your first install
looked awesome BTW. How did it wear? How was the takedown on the first
set? Can't wait to see your new hair!! As I've indicated a
zillion times I'm getting mine redone this Saturday. Hoooooorrrraaaayy!
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Candi Locks!
elvira wrote:
i have only done a few people's hair and its all been heat sealed PH
because I dont trust human hair that much. Sorry for misinforming! :)
