First of all they are TWO different methods and methods within methods, not to be confusing or anything. The term "strand by strand" is a bit of a blanket phrase. What it encompasses is just that, any type hair extension that will be attached strand by strand meaning a few strands of your hair will be attached near the scalp to the extension hair but there are many methods of attachment and you need to do your research in that respect.
A sew in or Weave, is a totally different ball game and that is sewn onto your existing hair usually in the form of a weft. The weft looks like a little curtain of hair. The width (top of the weft) can be hand made or made by a machine. Generally you will see a cost difference there and some claim one is superior to the other. It all comes down to needs. A plus with the hand tied weft is generally it will be smaller and more delicate and easier to get a nice, flat lying track with little to no bulk at all. Sew ins require your own hair to be braided at the scalp in a very small, flat braid and then the weft is sewn to that braid.
Both have pros and cons and with any type of extension or weave, you want to try to shampoo the hair as little as possible for longevity. Most of us can go once a week and you just get in the habit. It does not mean you can’t wash your body of course! LOL. Just get in the habit of using a shower cap and gently pile the hair up while you shower. Unfortunately the down side of hair extensions (unless you use synthetic hair) is human hair that is not truly connected to your scalp and getting nourishment and oils has a tendency to dry out over time and shampoos only speed up this process. The rule of thumb is MATCH your own texture to the extension hair as best you can. Higher grades of hair will last longer but they will be more expensive but when you factor in wear time, it almost balances out in your favor. That has been my experience. I’m not rich (good lord no) but I will spring for nice hair because I want it to look as good as possible for the life that it has. Nothing worse then being stuck with what resembles a dead cat on your head and trust me, it can happen and once hair extensions are in, they are in, until you get them removed. You have a lot of homework in the different attachment methods for strand by strand if you go that route or a sew in. And then the hair research! Its worse than college trust me. From that photo you showed of how you want your hair, I think you could even get by with a nice synthetic in black or else Indian or Asian hair as it has a texture similar to that photo in its natural state anyway which means less processing, more hair life. Hope this help. I’m sleepy and need coffee and my cat is on the keyboard.
Now that I’m awake, I went ahead and posted 2 links here that will clearly show what a weft is and what strand by strand can look like. The strand by strand attachment shown here is a method called Micro Point Accents which only uses synthetic hair and only a type of synthetic hair called "cyberhair". But you can at least get the idea that one is sewn and one is attached in neat rows using little pieces of your hair. Please also note that both sew in weaves and strand by strand methods require maintenance. NO hair extension method is set it and forget it for life unless you can magically stop growing your hair somehow!
I disagree with that infrequent shampooing information. For 16 years I have worn extensions and I wash my hair almost every day. I also have done hundreds of extension services on clients and not one of them complained to problems with the hair, as long as a quality hair is used to begin with.
As long as I am wearing a good quality hair (Bohyme is my usual choice), there in not a problem with shampooing. If you start with a good quality hair and use a gentle, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, shampooing daily should not present a problem.
Fair enough. I actually have had problems with frequent shampooing but most likely due to the fact that I didnt do enough research into hair types and quality and was not making informed decisions on the installed hair. I usually just went with whatever the company supplied meaning if I got a certain type of extension, I went with that hair regardless of my texture and didnt know enough to question it. Thanks to this forum and some really helpful folks I dont think I will ever just go into an install blindly again and am seeking out better hair and a closer match to my fine, thin caucasian hair. Maybe with good quality hair I could get away with more frequent shampoos but Im nervous about it.
Anathama
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