QuoteReplyTopic: First DIY! Posted: March 22 2008 at 11:47pm
I've just ordered the Tease I-tip hair (8 oz, body wave, 18") from YHS along with all the supplies to install it with microlinks. I ordered the extended length silicone lined ones because I thought they might be more secure.
I'm wondering if anyone who has used this method has any advice for me before I start - I'm hoping I'll get it before the end of next week. I've heard of people reinforcing the tips with nail glue. Should I do this, or have you ladies found that they hold up allright on their own for a second install down the road?
I also have to take down my current extensions (fusion method) which are awful , which is why I decided to go the DIY route...I paid a FORTUNE to get them done with supposedly top-quality hair, but I'm finding that the hair is awful after only a month (and I've taken VERY good care of it and followed everyone's advice on this site).
I think it had something to do with the fact that when she cut the hair off the weft to apply the glue to it, she dropped a few sections of the lose hair and then picked them up off the floor...but upside down. And as I've found out now on this site, if the cuticles go in opposite directions, well....a tangled nightmare is what you get. She also gathered some off the floor after she razored it to fill in some sections where she felt I needed more. I'm sure that caused the problem as well. It also sheds like crazy and for some reason, the blonde bits (it's about 90% #4 and 10% #18/22) are mostly falling out with only a few of the brown ones getting lost. She also used brown glue on the blonde highlight sections which looks really odd. I'm planning on using acetone to dissolve the bonds, but I'm also wondering if you really need the pliers once you put the acetone on the bonds or not. Are they hard to crack?
Thanks for your advice and wisdom - really appreciated for all us newbies...
Steph
fakeizme
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Hi, I don't think I'll be of much help but I wanted to bump this for you and encourage you to go for it with the DIY I-Tip Tease! I think you'll be OK (I have never worn the hair). My advice would be to make sure you lay out all your tools and accessories beforehand and make sure you have a mirror to see behind your head. Don't get frustrated and take your time.
I don't know anything about fusion but it would be a safety precaution to have those pliars handy! You never know --- coat them with the cottom ball loaded with acetone & see if they slide off. If they don't then crunch them. You may need to play with it a bit & be prepared for interruptions and problems --- they always pop up! Good luck.
Love clip-ins and tape!
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Actually - that really helps! I was just going to put the acetone in a squeeze bottle of some kind and drip it on...the cotton ball suggestion you made sounds much better and I hadn't even thought of it!
I think if they don't crunch I could always try to melt them off with my straightener....
Thanks for the tip!
malibu
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Oh man Stephsims...I can't believe that lady!!! Picking the hair off the floor? She must be new to extensions, at least I hope that's why she did that.
I never used I-tips but the nail glue is typically used when you pre-tip the hair yourself. In fact it sounds like you had a lot of shedding because she pretipped the hair unsuccessfully. I wouldn't think you need to use nail glue on the I tips but I could be wrong.
Fakeizme is right about the mirrors. Make sure you have full view!
sherrie215
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I think it had something to do with the fact that when she cut the hair off the weft to apply the glue to it, she dropped a few sections of the lose hair and then picked them up off the floor...but upside down. And as I've found out now on this site, if the cuticles go in opposite directions, well....a tangled nightmare is what you get. She also gathered some off the floor after she razored it to fill in some sections where she felt I needed more. I'm sure that caused the problem as well. Steph
OMG....I am sitting here with my jaw hanging on the floor. How very unprofessional...
ugh picking hair up off the floor that is downright wrong, not to mention illeagal!! its against state board to say the least. can you go back and get a refund?
Bringing beauty, one head at a time...
stephsims
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Yeah, I wish I hadn't been so excited just to be getting it done...I probably would have taken more notice of what she was doing at the time....I also found this forum AFTER I got them unfortunately....
I also noticed that she attached a lot of the bonds to only 5 or 6 pieces of my own hair...I'm sure that's also why they're falling out so bad. I'm kind of worried to see my hair after I take these out...I'm expecting to see little bald spots because she attached fairly big bonds on to such tiny bits of my own hair....but I'll let you know how it goes. That is the LAST time I pay somebody to do it for me. (it took her 5 hours and she charged me $100/hour plus the cost of the hair which was $300 for 6 ounces) At least I know that if I do it myself I can make sure it's done properly.
I have high hopes after reading all the info on this site though for my won DIY...I can't wait for my hair to arrive!
One more question for you guys....with the extended links, does that mean I'll have to crimp it down the full length, or just once? I haven't seen the pliers I ordered yet, so I can't tell how wide they are...I just want to make sure that they are secure cause I've read a lot here about people having problems with slipping. My own hair is quite fine and straight, but it's also very short - I had a bleaching incident that resulted in having to cut most of it off so now it's only about 4 - 5 inches long. Not too much length for them to slip too far!
I'm also planning on getting some Bohyme weft hair and tipping it myself once I'm a bit more confident and have a better idea about how big to make the tips. I just thought that more economical hair like the Tease would be better for my first time.
I was also wanting to ask what you all think about the way she did the install...she just cut the hair off the weft and used a glue gun to put some glue into the ends before she rolled it onto my hair. Maybe she didn't do it properly or use enough glue? I'm hoping that using pre-tipped will cut back on the AWFUL shedding I have now.
Boy am I glad you guys are here!
Thanks again for being so helpful,
Steph
fakeizme
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...I also noticed that she attached a lot of the bonds to only 5 or 6 pieces of my own hair...I'm sure that's also why they're falling out so bad. I'm kind of worried to see my hair after I take these out...I'm expecting to see little bald spots because she attached fairly big bonds on to such tiny bits of my own hair....but I'll let you know how it goes. That is the LAST time I pay somebody to do it for me. ...
I feel you my bleaching-disaster sister!!!! I, too, am growing my hair out and healthy after doing something stupid with 40 vol. peroxide and bleach. I still do my roots with bleach,though; now I know what I'm doing!!!
I just want to say kudos for you for researching and not giving up after a bad experience with extensions. This stylist sounds like she doesn't know what she's doing!! I really hope you do not lose hair from it. At least if you do it, you only have yourself to blame!!
Hopefully, others can help with your important questions on fusion and tipping. I am still learning in that arena. Good luck!
Edited by fakeizme - March 24 2008 at 4:52pm
Love clip-ins and tape!
stephsims
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OK - I did it! Actually, I put them in a week ago but still haven't got any photos (my camera's suffering from some damage due to me being my usual clumsy self and dropping it).
It went GREAT - It took me about 8 hours in total to install them (with mocrorings), but that was because I was going very slow and careful. I'm not sure my sectioning job was the best, but it was the best I could do. Things went much easier after my hands learned what they were supposed to do.
First off, the Tease hair is GREAT!!!! It's miles above the quality of the hair I had before, and it is so manageable. I got the body wave i-tip hair, and while it does straighten a lot after the first time you wash it, it curls again beautifully with an iron. And I didn't find that you need to add a lot of product to keep it's curl. I also have noticed almost no shedding, and it's so soft that I could go for 2 days just finger combing it and not encountering anything worse than a little tangle. NO KNOTS! And that's without using anything in it but some leave-in conditioner after I washed it. I've also straightened it and it looks great that way too. So far, I've washed it 3 times (in cool water), and it keeps looking great every time.
I did go to my stylist for some layering...I bought the razor to cut it myself but chickened out....I was too afraid I'd wreck it. I bought 7 ounces of hair, but only would up installing 5 ounces...and I'm not sure how I could have fit more in even if I wanted to! And that was for length and volume - my own hair is super short...and very fine, but I have a fair bit of it.
The only problem I encountered was how sore my hands got from the pliers! They were actually swollen for a day after I did my install...I sure do feel for those who do these all day - you must have hands of steel!
I'll post pics as soon as I get my camera back from the repair shop!
Thanks everyone for all your advice - it really was invaluable!
fakeizme
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Oh Steph, I'm so glad everything went great for you and you are loving your hair. I have been eyeing the Tease hair (machine weft silky straight) and will try it some day. It keeps getting mixed reviews.
Sounds like it was a long and arduous install! 8 Hours. LOL. It's all worth it though. You know how much money you saved; not to mention all the heartache dealing with stylists who don't know what they're doing!?
Can't wait to see your pics -- I forgive you for making me wait!
Sorry no pics yet guys, but i'm flat broke till I get paid next week and can go pick up my camera from the repair place! (Don't you just hate it when there's more month than there is paycheque???)
Anyways, I do have an update on this hair....and I'm wondering if it's maybe just me and something I'm doing wrong??? Because the news is not good...
It was absolutely awesome right up until I had my stylist trim it a bit and add some layers...she used scissors, (not a razor) to do it, because I had read somewhere that razors can give split ends. It was ok after that until I washed it....and then much to my disappointment it's been a yucky, tangly mess since then! What a disappointment - it was so wonderful for the first week!
Could the haircut have caused it? I didn't let her wash it because I had just done it myself the night before...so there was no strange shampoo or conditioner used on it.....I myself use Tigi Dumb Blonde shampoo and conditioner, as well as a Joico leave in conditioner/detangler. I only wash it every second day at most, and have NEVER blow dried it. I have used straightener and curling iron on it, but not excessively. And my straightener is fairly decent...it's a ceramic one...a CHI.
Sigh. I cannot believe this after only 1 week - there's no way that's right! I wonder if there's something I'm doing wrong? Now it's gone to that stage where I have to put a ton of product in it just so it looks ok, and if I don't brush it every 20 minutes, it starts to REALLY mat & tangle. Not that matting that happens near the nape of the neck mind you (that's the WORST!) but more the shorter layers on top....
I have ordered some cassia obovata (it's a clear henna) which my friend swears by as being a miracle hair gloss (it BETTER be, I paid $40 for it!!!)that lasts for about 3 weeks. I should get it by the end of this week or early next week. I'm praying that it works....does anyone know anything about it or have any of you tried this? I also read on the forum about someone trying Biolustre....any updates on how that worked?
This is so frustrating! Next time, I'm staying away from my stylist...no idea if she had anything to do with it or not, but that's when things went south is all I know!
I'm so upset But I still refuse to give up on it - there must be a way!
Stephsims, I feel for you. I know it has to be disapointing that the hair isn't doing so well after spending 8 hours on your install.
I didn't spend 8 hours on my install, but had a similar hair experience as of late. I contacted the seller and the distributor directly. They asked me to send the hair back (for proof that I wasn't trying to pull a fast one) and once they get it and take a look at it, they will let me know how we can resolve the issue.
Maybe you can work something similar out.
Poose... the hair I had trouble with was Bohyme. I normally love that hair, but, my last order was tangled and matted the instant I put it on my head. I think even good hair can have a bad batch every so often.
KrystalR
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Also, I have purchased and installed some more Bohyme in the same color, length and texture as the hair I had issues with and this new hair is like completely different hair. Its the way Bohyme hair should be.
I didn't order from the same seller, however, as I want to work things out with them before placing any further business there.
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You say you shampoo every couple days? That’s a bit too often for most extension hair. Even a very good quality hair type or silky, all that soap can cause premature drying, tangling and mats. The thing about extension hair is of course it is not growing from your scalp and being coated with natural oils so it begins a drying process as soon as it is cut from the donor's head. Leave in conditioners can be effective but stay away from a lot of heavy goop as that will make your hair feel dirty/oily and look the same.
I seriously recommend shampooing only once a week tops. You might want to also try diluting your shampoo a bit. You know. Take a little bit, put it in another bottle, add water and shake it up good and then lather gently. That way it is not so concentrated and stripping.
Edited by krimsa - April 24 2008 at 10:35am
stephsims
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Uh-oh! I had no idea about that - I've always been told that twice per week was ok....It's usually every 3rd day unless it's really dirty. I also try only wash the top where my natural hair is, because it starts to look unbelieveably greasy after 3 days. Of course, the whole thing gets wet, but I just put conditioner on the rest. Any suggestions on what to do if it starts looking super greasy (I think that after a whole week without washing it will look really dirty...) besides washing it? I have tried that Bumble & Bumble product that you're supposed to put on to make your roots look less greasy, but wasn't all that impressed with it.
I did put a leave-in treatment last night and a hair thickener (both just the Shwartzkopf got2b brand ) and it seems to be only about half as tangly as it was before. Both products have that co-polymer whatever-it-is listed in the ingredients (maybe those work well? I seem to think I've heard good things before, but I can't remember exactly where).
I also have been very careful to wash only in cool water to avoid drying it out as well.
Any suggestions for how to stretch it out between washes for a whole week?
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Hi, I don't think I'll be of much help but I wanted to bump this for you and encourage you to go for it with the DIY I-Tip Tease! I think you'll be OK (I have never worn the hair). My advice would be to make sure you lay out all your tools and accessories beforehand and make sure you have a mirror to see behind your head. Don't get frustrated and take your time.
stephsims wrote:
How very unprofessional...
That is the LAST time I pay somebody to do it for me. (it took her 5 hours and she charged me $100/hour plus the cost of the hair which was $300 for 6 ounces) At least I know that if I do it myself I can make sure it's done properly.
I, too, am growing my hair out and healthy after doing something stupid with 40 vol. peroxide and bleach. I still do my roots with bleach,though; now I know what I'm doing!!! 
At least if you do it, you only have yourself to blame!! 
