LONG long update on what I've tried lately

sorry - This update is long overdue. I posted a long while back about trying out Unique Wiiv and Sally Hair using a couple different tipping techniques. Here's what I learned.

For starters the Unique Wiiv in darker colors is okay for the price but doesn't last all that long. It's finer than the Sally Satin strands Hair. I could only find the Sally hair in silky straight and since I prefer wavy or curly hair to match my natural hair I prefer Unique Wiiv for that reason alone, because they offer those textures. Otherwise the Sally Hair seemed much stronger than the Unique Wiiv for silky straight hair. The Sally hair was thicker and less able to hold a curl, but it was less likely to tangle right off the bat as long as I washed it in cool water. However since they don't make wavy or curly hair in the Sally Satin Strands I doubt I'll use it again. And I dunno how often I'll use Unique Wiiv if I can somehow manage to get other better hair.

When I used the darker colored hair with dark keratin glue, the glue turned gummy and white and showed up terribly against the black hair. Maybe I applied it wrong and I prob let conditioner touch the bonds by mistake but I tried twice and wasn't happy so no go. Similar happened when I used protac tape with liquid gold on wefts of dark hair. The liquid gold turned white eventually and showed really badly against the dark hair.

What did work really well with the dark hair was tipping it in advance with black silicone aquarium sealant. It's sticky and stinky to tip with but it works like nobody's business. I tipped the hair, let it dry a day on wax paper, snipped the ends, let them sit out a few more days to cure, and then applied them using micro links. It was fantastic. The sili tips cushioned my hair against the links and they came right off without any problems when it was time. Because the hair was so dark - a mix of colors 1B 2 and 4 - the black and off black metal links blended with the hair to perfection. They were undetectable and strong. The silicone held up fantastic against everything I threw at it with almost no shedding whatsoever, and only a few pretipped strands slipped out of their metal link in the back where I prob didn't crimp them tightly enough because I couldn't see them well. All of this technique I would do again in a heartbeat using black hair.   

BUT on a side note the silicone tips do NOT work with shrinkies which I found out to my dismay. The black shrinkies are AWESOME, but they don't adhere to the aquarium sealant silicone. Neither does keratin glue. The sliicone tip slides right off and the shrinkie only glues to the hair itself. I tried using longer shrinkies to hold above and below the tip itself so that it would adhere to the hair and cup the sili tip inside but that didn't work either. Too hard to line them up just right and they slipped out when shrinking the shrinkie. You'd have to use a super long shrinkie that would show too much through the hair.

NOW for the lighter colors. I went back to blonde after those attempts with black and can say I will NOT use unique wiiv or the sally hair in the lighter brown and blonde tones unless I'm REALLY hard up for hair. Both were WAY too dry looking this time around and frizzed/tangled way before I thought they should. Very heartbreaking after long installs. I remember the blondes being better than they were this time.

On one blonde install I used protac tape on the weft and reinforced it with liquid gold and it worked like a charm. Quick to install, looked natural and not too bulky or strandy like individuals sometimes can get, and it was soft to sleep on. Very nice and will use it again for a quick head of hair. Only down sides were I couldn't wear my hair up and it doesn't last that long. The liquid gold eventually starts getting gooey and slipping out and it's really hard to get the gooey liquid gold glue boogers out without ripping out some of my own hair. What helped during removal was I first used the liquid gold brand remover - let it sit and soak for a long time- then put a hot iron against the weft and it came out. Then I went back and used C-22 solvent to soak the left over glue and combed out the boogies. Got most of it out that way but kind of a pain if you have sensitive skin that breaks out easily like I do. Anything harsh or oily does me in. Still overall I like this way for a quick pretty head of hair and will do it again.

Then I tried his and her 100% italian mink french bodywave mixed with some 50% french refined in colors 22/27 14 and 12 with some old bodywave hair I had that I tinted to a color between 12 and 14 using 10 vol + ion 9V. The color match was GREAT. I pretipped it with clear silicone aquarium sealant and used it with extended length shrinkies on some parts of my head, metal links in color 22 on other parts of my head. I also pretipped a little of the hairs with amber keratin glue reinforced with nail glue. I applied those keratin tips using shrinkies and LOVED how they held. That's something I will do again.

I didn't like using clear shrinkies with the sili pre tips I made because the sili tip popped out the top of the shrinkie when I heated it and kind of stuck up and out inbetween the shrinkie bond and my scalp. Even though the sili tip that was sticking out was bendy and soft and I was was able to snip some of it down, it was too annoying to do and not worth the no shedding that goes with the sili tips.

I also did not like using the sili tips with the blonde links because the links didn't match right and showed terribly. They were a good beige blonde color but were just too light for the hair colors I was using. Maybe if I use the light brown metal links next time it will match better? Dunno. But I've noticed lately that the links make my scalp super sore so I'm not all that big on them anymore. LOVE how easy they are to remove though. Wish my head wasn't so sensitive.

What I plan to do next is apply half a head of pretipped fusion pieces that have been reinforced with nail glue using clear extended length shrinkies. I may reinforce a few of the fusion tips with alene's stop fray instead of nail glue just to see how that works with the clear shrinkies. Then I'll apply the other half of my hair using regular fusion and put a shrinkie over it to waterproof the bond. I tried just a few of those last install and even though they were the hardest to remove out of everything I've tried, they were also what held up the absolute best. Which is what I need this time around because the next few weeks are gonna be spent swimming all day long almost every day. I need something tough as nails no matter how hard it is to remove - as long as I CAN safely remove it with patience.

I'll use his and her hair again unless I find something better. I like a curl between french refined and water wave, but I like super fine silky hair in blondes which is hard as heck to find. One day I'll try their cuticle hair again but not until I find the perfect application method. I could go on a mini vacation for the price of a pound of his and her cuticle hair and right now I'm more inclined to vacation wearing their almost as sweet and much more reasonably priced italian mink hair that I am willing to spend a little extra time keeping untangled for the sake of having a vacation.

So that's where I'm at. I'll get my reg film pictures developed onto cd and eventually get a few pics on here. I don't have many good ones thanks to my pain in the patooty digital card EATING all the good ones I took of my pre and post applications. My entire hair card was corrupted which is just my luck. :( Next install will be backed up on reg film to be sure I have some worthy hair porn for you ladies. I am keeping at it and readingwhat you post. I learn new stuff from you all every time I'm here so thankyou for that.

Happy hair adventures to you all
Heather

thank you for the update Halo, i've used the unique wiiv too and liked it fine for a short install...short for me meaning about 5-6weeks max and then throw it away....how long did it last for you?