Want Extensions, weary....help?

I want to get hair extensions done for my birthday... well before my birthday. I have never had them before and hear horror stories all the time about it ruining your hair, blah, blah, blah.

 

Anways I have a few questions to ask and would appreciate any help you can give me! ( I plan on going to a salon, no do it myself for me!)

WHat are the best and safest way to do hair extensions?

What is the average cost estimated?

Does it really truly thin your hair?

When you get them how long do they last?

When you go back to get them re-done does it cost the same as a full install or do you usually get charged a 'filling' fee, somewhat like gel nails?

Are they difficult to take care of?

 

I've had braids before,t hey didn't ruin my hair but they did cause me to get dreads near the top of my scalp, and it was just for fun for a few months... and it was with faux hair. But I really really want gorgeous long dark hair and I can't grow it so I want to BUY IT! :) I need to be able to put it up or pull it back aswell since I am having a baby in November and already have a soon to be two year old... anyways. If you could answer my questions that be awesome! Then I gotta find some place good to do them... I don't want shootty ones and I dont' want some hack just throwing them in. :) THANKIES!

I think I'm going to stick to just going to a salon. I'll have a newborn and a two year old, I def. won't have the time or patience for a DIY at the moment, though maybe once I've had them and really really like them I'd do that. I dye my own hair but that's different and less work for sure. I guess it might just be a trial and error thing I guess. I know of two salons taht do them but have been looking some online to find one that perhaps states how LONG they've been doing them.

Hey Fakeizme! Nice to see you around. :) I am on the dark side now. I really am loving the color I have (it washes out since it's semi perm with no ammonia so afer baby I'm dying it to that color perm.) and I think it would just look SMASHING with long long extensions.

I would love to DIY but... I don't think right away, but afer trying extensions out I think I will.

I found a salon that says they do monkey bar installs whats' that? So far most of the salons I did find do the single hair thing with a bond of somekind... kinda like great lengths. Their prices are...well outrageous. One salon charges 40 for the consultation (I'd have to drive an hour to go there) which goes towards the install so I guess thta's awright and then I think 120 or so an hour. Which is fine. I don't want to get some 'biotch' who is just going to take her time and screw me over cause I'm a newbie, that's my biggest fear. One of the reasons I just don't go to a salon for hair color.

I've so far found one woman who does them I think outta her own home. She uses a "link' method.

do not go with the monkey barrz it's just a keratin glue. which i had before the hair shedz like crazy from my experience, it's not a pre tipped hair they usually cut  the hair from wefts and pre tip the hair as u go which all the hair is not coated causing alot of shedding!

Monkeybarz is way old school keratin.  They first came out with them in the early 90's, like Mega Hair.  They do shed a lot, the glue is not very good at all.  I can't believe they are still around.  I saw them first debut at hairshows back in the day, and at the time only that system and the Mega Hair were the only strand by strand systems out there.

Just for the record, I have a client who is very ill and needs to have MRI's done every other month and we do put the micro rings in here hair for her extensions.  She tells the MRI tech about the rings and they cover her head with a lead blanket during the MRI.

I've worn hair extensions for years and years.   My own hair never had enough body and I was always perming it to get fullness, plus I color it, and it just takes a beating with the two different processes.

 I wore lots of different types back in the '90's, and had all the negative stuff you hear about: lumpy feeling extensions, too tight braid style, too cheap hair that didn't match the texture of my own (and felt like straw!), and losing a lot of extension hair in the first couple weeks.   I tried all different kinds of extensions and even clip-ons, because I just love having thick, long hair. 
 
BUT, once I found a good stylist - who was trained and really experienced in doing extensions I fell in love and haven't given them up.  She uses monkey barrz, and I stopped searching once I found her.  I'll never switch systems either because I'm really happy with my hair.  It looks natural and is easy to take care of...and no more perms!
 
I guess what I'm saying is that your hair stylist makes all the difference!