Extension Experiences

Your post is truly helpful. Thank you!

I go to Isaac at Cyberparlor (Cyberparlor.com), who does a wonderful job and is located downtown in the financial district. He's really laid-back and is the only extensionist I've dealt with who hasn't given me some pushy sales pitch. He was very honest about what he could do (I have a lot of damage I need to grow out from previous methods), and the price was very reasonable ($700 for my entire head, 22 inches, including the hair).

Plus, there are other people who do this method: Check out Dollylocks.com (she travels, but comes to New York), HairPiSalon.com (in the East Village), and HairPolice.com (who travel all over the country). I can't vouch personally for these people, but I know they use this method and I've heard good things about them.

For more information (including reviews of extensionists, methods, and some DIY information), check out the forums at http://www.dreadperm.com/xmb/ and http://p080.ezboard.com/bhair18356 (much of the info. is geared toward goth styles and dreads, but a lot of it applies to any kind of extensions). Oh, and for those of you who are interested in buying your own hair, check out hairpiece.com, hisandherhair.com, or hairaddition.com; for untreated (not colored, etc.) hair, check out naturegirl.com .

One other point I forgot to mention in my previous post: The pinch braids are secured with tiny pieces of thread, which are essentially invisible and hold everything in place. For more specifics check out Quinnster's site: http://www.quinnster.co.uk/ By the way, I thought, because it was string, rather than bonds, that the extensions would fall out, but I actually haven't lost one, which makes this the most secure method--at least in my hair.

Again, everyone's hair is different and I, in no way, want to insult stylists who use methods other than pinchbraiding. But again, in my experience, all the other methods are damaging, painful to remove, not secure, and/or overpriced. I really wish I had just tried pinchbrading to begin with (before I wasted thousands of dollars AND lost half my hair!). People might tell you that "you get what you pay for" (and this might be true if you're only willing to spend $100 or so, I don't know), but in my experience the expensive methods have been disasterous; the cheapest, "lowest-tech" method is the best.

I hope this is helpful; just let me know if you have any more questions, and let me know how it goes with your hair!

I think the hair only has to be two inches long for pinch braids, but check with a stylist first before you give them a deposit. Longer hair on top (at least four inches or so) will enable you to camoflague the braids better, but it's really no different than any other extensions methods in that way. Again. it's always best to discuss the process with a stylist beforehand though, since they can tell you exactly what they can and cannot do. That said, I know a lot of people with short hair whose extensions look great. If yours is chin length, I wouldn't think you'll have any problem.

My pinch braids have lasted incredibly well; I haven't lost a single extension yet. Basically, the frequency of maintenance is the same as it is with GLs, Hairlocs, or any other method; they need to be tightened every three months or so, depending on the style of your hair and how fast it grows. You could keep them in for longer, but at that point, the braids are further away from the roots because your hair grows (as the bonds would also be further away from the roots with GLs or Hairlocs), so you probably won't want to go too long before tightening them.

You can definitely reuse the hair (which you can't do with GLs or other bonded methods, although you can with Hairlocs). It should be in good shape as long as you take care of it, and when you get them tightened, you'll only have to pay for the service--not the supplies. I'm not exactly sure how long any brand of hair lasts, but I would think it would be in good shape for at least a year or so (a lot would depend on how often you straighten, curl, or blow-dry; color/bleaching is obviously more damaging than leaving it the color it is).

Keep in mind that stylists who do pinch braiding aren't limited to using a specific brand of hair (e.g., GLs has its own hair, Hairlocs has its own hair); pinch braiding is a method, not a brand. So you should discuss the kind of hair (color, length, texture) you want in advance with your stylist, and he/she can order it for you (or you could order it yourself, from the online sources I mentioned above). Your stylist will probably have a vendor that he/she usually uses, but the method isn't as limiting in that sense as GLs or Hairlocs.

One thing to remember: With pinch braiding, the hair is overlapped a little at the root, then braided down a bit to blend into your own hair (hard to explain, but it creates a bit more volume and coverage at the roots, which works really well in my hair, since it's so thin). For this reason, you should order hair that's an inch or two longer than the length you want (if you want 24-inch-long hair, order 26-inch-long hair, and so forth). You can order it loose or in wefts; it doesn't really matter (my stylist used wefted hair, but cut it out of the wefts before braiding it in).

As far as daily maintenance, it's pretty simple, and it's basically the same no matter what method you use. Make sure to brush and comb gently (personally, I use a boar's hair brush and a wide-tooth comb), especially if your "real" hair is color-treated or damaged (once you have all this new, healthy-looking hair on your head, it's easy to forget the hair underneath). Sleep with it in a low, loose braid or ponytail tied with a Scunci or fabric-covered elastic. Condition the bottom portion of the hair (but not the roots, since it could cause slippage); detanglers and silicone sprays can also be helpful on the bottom portion of the hair, but again, keep them away from the roots. I also use a satin pillowcase, which causes less friction while sleeping, but this isn't specific to extensions--any hair can benefit from it. Beyond that, you really don't need to spend a lot of money on special shampoos or styling products (anyone who tells you that you do is probably just trying to peddle their own products).

Above all, be wary of anyone who gives you too much of a sales pitch. If it seems like they're BSing you, they are--believe me (like glue bonds won't kill your hair, PLEEEAASSEE.......). And beware of anyone who keeps adding extra costs (like special products or an extra fee), as well as anyone who claims to have higher-quality "European" hair for thousands of dollars (it's all from China and India, no matter what they say, and it's perfectly good). Pay no more than $800 maximum; it's no necessary.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

You are FANTASTIC- so helpful! I am currenlty finding a salon and will have them soon. I will keep you posted, and show you the finished result! MWAH!

This is a great post to put back on top.

I totally agree. I'm not suprised to hear that so many people have had trouble with hairlocs. Kimaire Teter (the Hairlocs training "expert") totally ripped me off--for close to $3000. She makes you sign a "client contract," which supposedly protects you, but it's really designed to protect her in case you want your money back or want to sue her.

I didn't know anything about extensions when I went to Kimarie, and she had a great website and a good sales pitch, so I believed her. But soon after she applied the hairlocs, the locs rusted (turned green!), the hair wasn't at all what we had agreed upon (it tangled constantly and the texture sucked), and they slipped out all the time. They looked good when she put them in (she flatirons everything, and you're just so thrilled to have long hair!), but it's a nightmare in a matter of weeks, believe me.

I've since learned what everyone in the industry seems to know: that hairlocs (or eurolocs or microrings, which are all the same thing, by the way) just aren't secure with human hair, because when you wash human hair, it shrinks, so the hair slipps out of the locs like crazy, and before you know it, they're all gone--thousands of dollars down the drain. (This has nothing at all to do with shedding, by the way.) It's a bad system, unless you use it with synthetic hair, which isn't good for long-term use but can be good for temporary streaks, etc.

Like all extensions, hairlocs can be damaging (I still don't think they're as damaging to the hair as glue/fusion, though). But the paint chips off the copper bonds within days, the copper starts to rust, and the loc part starts to break down your real hair. You're also brushing your hair constantly to get out the knots, which will start to break off your hair in the process.

Kimaire will say she charges outrageous prices because the hair is from Italy or France or wherever (a total lie, it's from Asia, like everything else). And she'll say she's an expert, but in reality anyone can get a certificate in this process in an afternoon (it takes a whole lot longer to learn braiding and weaving, which aren't nearly as expensive).

If you still insist on trying the hairlocs process, do yourself (and your pocketbook) a big favor: Go to http://www.drlocks.net/micro.htm and buy the kit for $65, and get 200 strands of Remy hair (better than the quality Kimarie uses) for $200. Then do it yourself, or get a friend to help (believe me, it's really simple--anyone can do it, there's even demo online). Or if you really want to splurge, throw in the video tutorial http://www.drlocks.net/kits_&_videos.htm for $29.99. That's a $300 investment, and you're an expert, with supplies and hair to spare (all for the price Kimarie charges for a few hair supplies and a sateen pillowcase).

To anyone else who's been ripped off, I feel for you--I've been there. I'm still want my $3000 back....

This is a great, informaive post. I hope people will look into some of these less expensive options beofre they waste thousands of hard-earned dollars.

Definitely, and thanks for responding. I really hope people will think twice before they waste their money with Hairlocs. Stylists should also think twice before getting involved with it--they'll just end up with a whole lot of furious x-clients, like Kimarie has. Oh, and one more thing--I searched the Internet, and they're being sued: http://dreadperm.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=321
Now, if only all the clients they've ripped off could get their money back....

i never had pinchbriads but i heard theyre non-damaging to the hair. i think microlinks are a little more invisible, but they can cause a little damage. microlinks should definitely be diy, not hairlocs for a million dollars. i like the extentubes on hairpiece.com---same as doc locks microrings, but a little better i think.

I saw the shrinkies, but they said you'll need to use acetone to remove traces of glue when you remove them. Could you repost and let us know how this works out for you when the time comes?