avoiding hair loss with microbraids

I obviously don't know your particular situation, but there is one fact that people should definitely know about extensions, because if they don't, it can be extremely frightening!

First of all, no matter whether or not we wear extensions, we lose ~100 hairs on our heads a day. It doesn't seem like that much because we find a strand or two of hair on our shirts, on the floor, in the sink, and so forth. But if you added them all together, you'd see how much hair you lose just as a matter of healthy nature.

The hair that is contained in the tiny braids also naturally falls off of the scalp, just like the rest of the head. However, here is the critical part: when a particular hair that has shed from the scalp is contained in a tiny braid, as in extensions, the loose hair is still tied into that braid (but it is no longer connected to the scalp).

Most people keep extensions in their hair between tightenings for several weeks. Therefore, all the hairs that normally would have shed and have been long gone are contained in that braid. So, when that braid is removed, all the accumulated hairs fall out -- and it is a *scary* sight if you aren't prepared for it!

So, it is very normal when you remove a tiny braid to have lots of loose hairs fall out of it. Of course, if the braid has only been in a few days, well that's a different story.

But when I had extensions, I generally had them tightened every 8-9 weeks, and a lot of hair would come out of those braids. If you don't realize that the hair is simply accumulated hair that would have shed a long time ago (but didn't because it was literally bound in the braid), then it doesn't seem so bad.

But I do remember the first time I had my extensions tightened. The stylist kept assuring me that yes, all of that hair falling out of the braid was just accumulated hair and that I was not losing my hair any faster because of the extensions!

By the way, I wore extensions for three years, continuously (getting them tightened on schedule, of course). I now wear my hair naturally, and I have a very thick head of healthy hair, so the extensions did not cause damage at all to my hair (I used the pinch braids, as well -- no adhesives of any kind).

Hope this helps.