perfecting shrinkies.....
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Category: Hair Extension Topics
Forum Name: Hair Extensions
Forum Description: Hair Extensions can be the quick fix for short hair.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=20346
Printed Date: July 28 2025 at 8:51am
Topic: perfecting shrinkies.....
Posted By: saucyblossom
Subject: perfecting shrinkies.....
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 6:39pm
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Hello all, i have been playing w/ shrinkies endlessly and I have finally gotten some tips that work ( for me anyway). Just thought I'd put them out there for everyone- Let me know if they work for you.... I am using His and hers 100% mink French body wave ( I have had great luck with this hair so far) I use a cheapie conair flat iron and I've noticed that it works best on the highest heat with GENTLE pressure. NO squishing the shrinkie. Just hold it gently between the two heat ed surfaces and it shrinks up beautifully, then roll w/ fingers. I have pretipped w/LG and nail glue and found that the nail glue seems to prevent the shrinkie from shrinking evenly- also since I have dark hair - the nail glue tends to make the shrinkie a whitish color that is visible in my hair. If I just use the LG the shrinkie shrinks evenly and matches my hair color. I also experimented with pretipping using DR. Locks fusion. It works good - but plan on using acetone and pliers to remove the glue when you take out the extension. Finally, I tried AMM's method of pretipping w/ a shrinkie. I Cut a strand off the weft and use the hook to pull the strand through the shrinkie, heat the shrinkie and trim off extra hair from. The shrinkie is small and very firm- the size and texture of a piece of rice - THEN I put a drop of nail glue on the very tip of the shrunk shrinkie. Then I apply this pretipped strand to my head with a new shrinkie and the shrinkie shrinks down even, firm and small with NO whiteness. I like this method best so far- let you know how it holds up. I noticed that the only time the shrinkies sizzle is when they are tipped with fusion or LG. I have not noticed that the shrinkies alone sizzle and I still get a great bond. Just a few observations.......from my mad experimenting.  ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Replies:
Posted By: amm
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 6:52pm
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Yay! Success! Could very well be that the shrinkies alone do not sizzle unless they're activating the LG somewhat underneath. I'll have to experiment with that. I wish I could double over my hair and do all my tips that way but the only hair that would be long enough to do that would be the Plastikhaar. Another great reason to try PH! Another bit of info: Shrinkies are dynamically the same as heat shrink tubing which is designed to conform to the shape of whatever it's surrounding. When it's not entirely shrinking against all points evenly, the heat source is also uneven. That causes hair to not be gripped correctly and it can rip out, the shrinkie can feel spongy, the shrinkie is leaning off to one side, etc. An uneven surface area should make no difference but I can say that a small rounded tip lays better than a flat one with squared corners. Square cornered tips can turn and lay the wrong way which will cause greater stress on your natural hair strand. So always try to roll those tips tubular and not pinch them flat! So, without the nail glue protection, I assume you'll have to use Liquid Gold remover after taking the tips out? Edit: re: pulling the strand through the shrinkie and then trimming the ends. I don't do it that way. I loop the hair and keep the loop inside the shrinkie and then seal it up. I don't cut any hair off the top and I leave TWO long tails coming out the bottom. Don't try this with cuticle hair, though. ------------- http://shrinkies.net - Extension Supplies & Virgin Brazilian Hair |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 7:15pm
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These are really helpful tips, Saucy and AMM. Thanks! Now that you mention it, I think I may have coated the pretipped strand with too much nail glue (mostly because I was having some issues with the applicator bottle), and now I'm thinking that could be why mine didn't sizzle. I also think I may have applied too much pressure with the fusion wand. :) ------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com |
Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 8:55pm
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I haven't tried to remove the Lg only tipped shrinkies yet- but I do have LG remover on hand just in case. BTW- this probably dates me , but LG seems just like the old fashioned rubber cement that my grandma used to use in the olden days. Also , the LG remover is basically just a perfumed oil acording to the ingredient list.  ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: darthmom
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 9:26pm
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Thanks saucy! Can someone help me out though, I don't understand how tipping a strand with a shrinkie, then installing is any different than simply using one shrinkie, on both a strand and the real hair. How would that shed any less? But I know kalika said she tried it with no luck. ------------- |
Posted By: Bridget
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 9:26pm
Amm, your 'looped hair inside the shrinkie technique' would look great with two colors!  ------------- It is what it is... |
Posted By: amm
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 10:29pm
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OMG Bridget, you're right. I'll try it when I get my Plastikhaar. I'm going to get the color ring first and then make my order. In regard to LG - it smells like airplane glue to me. ------------- http://shrinkies.net - Extension Supplies & Virgin Brazilian Hair |
Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 10:43pm
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STS- tipping with a shrinkie seems does seem a bit counter intuitive, but : 1.The strand HAS to be pretipped with something because it would be impossible to get an un tipped strand of ext hair and your natural hair into the shrinkie. and 2 . The hair pretipped with the shrinkie, either doubled with synth or single ended with human does give additional hold and so far the tips don't shed. (keep in mind that in addition to the shrinkie pretip- I added a tiny drop of nail glue to my human hair strands.) So far so good..... ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: FinaFina
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:17am
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Re the looping over method. . . I can't get this to work because the PH is *SOO* long I keep getting it tangled!! ;-( Also I have the 50mm curl (which I understand goes away anyway) which makes it really hard to keep untangled while trying to pretip. I did about 30 pretips last night with LG only. . Amm: Just to clarify - you're saying that if you don't put the nail glue on, then the LG gets in your hair. But isn't it just choosing *which* glue you want in your hair -- Liquid Gold or nail glue?? Or are you saying that the nail glue doesn't get in your hair? Thanks - I'm inching my way toward getting this hair in. (The only reason I haven't started yet is because my shrinkies haven't shown up yet -- grrrr) Fina ------------- |
Posted By: Gina E
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 9:40am
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Saucy...Thanks for posting those techniques. I had similar issues with the nail glue turning white. Like Amm posted...my shrinkies went flat and didn't lay smoothly-which hurt!!! I'll have to give this techique a try. I thought the same thing about LG and rubber cement!!! So, I did a search to see if the ingredients matched up-they don't. Oh well! ------------- I've got a new puppy!!! She's a http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/GinaE52979/EvansFirstDayandRoxy06019.jpg - White Boxer |
Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:13pm
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I also like to apply a small drop of 60 sec clear nail polish on one side of the tip. Then I insert the tip to the shrinkie, press to one side and let dry. It is very easy way for pre-tipped shrinkies. ------------- |
Posted By: Gina E
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:40pm
Please elaborate on this technique... is this your only way of pretipping, instead of LG or keratin? Also, what is your polish of choice? Or are you simply attaching your tips to the shrinkie with clear polish rather than having to insert the tip inside the shrinkie and then heat? Good idea! I tried to attach my tips to the shrinkie using nail glue...but didn't care for the result...my bonds were hard,uneven, and flat! ------------- I've got a new puppy!!! She's a http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/GinaE52979/EvansFirstDayandRoxy06019.jpg - White Boxer |
hhhh wrote:Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 8:05pm
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I do still pre-tip hair with LG. Pre-tipping the shrinkies only makes their application easier. Then I still have to use heat wand. I usually pre-tip hair w LG and let it dry o/n. Next day, or when I have time, I apply a small amount of clear nail polish on 1 side of the LG tip. Then I insert the tip into the shrinkie and press to the inner side of the shrinkie. Let it dry. When I want to apply my strands, I still use heat. I also use finger condoms to roll the shrinkies while hot. My choice of nail polish- actually I am using Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps, fast drying - in 60 seconds. |
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 8:35pm
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hhhh, this is interesting. So you havent had any problems with the nail polish interfering with the shrinkies shrinking properly or anything? It doesnt cause any hardspots or uneven shrinking or flattened shrinkies......???? ------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com |
Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 9:19pm
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I did not have any problem with nail polish. I am also still experimenting, but this work the best for me so far. I also like to use finger condoms when making LG tips, b/c LG does not stick to them like to the fingers. ------------- |
Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:19pm
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HHHH_Do you use nail polish or nail glue? I haven't tried polish........ ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 8:53am
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You can use both, it'll work. I do not use nail glue because it causes my strands to slip sooner. ------------- |