The Synth Chronciles: After 8 Days and 4 Washes
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
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=20351
Printed Date: July 28 2025 at 8:57am
Topic: The Synth Chronciles: After 8 Days and 4 Washes
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Subject: The Synth Chronciles: After 8 Days and 4 Washes
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 10:24pm
Here's my Dome/PlastikHaar extensions after washing, using fabric softener, and blow-drying the ends smooth. At this point, I've washed it four times in the eight days I've had them (I would NOT recommend washing the hair that often, though).
It was pretty rough after air-drying, but after blow-drying the ends, it's quite smooth again. As you can see, it's quite straight now. I'll sleep with it in braids and possibly use steam rollers on it tomorrow and will post more pics after that.
You'll also notice it's a bit piece-y in the back. This is in part because I'm not the best at blow-drying; plus, I've always had some pieceiness with any extensions I've had, so.... :)
Oh, and I think the shine has subsided a bit. :)





------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Replies:
Posted By: eKatherine
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 10:38pm
It still looks pretty darned nice.
-------------
Just looking for a few good hair slaves - is that too much to ask?
|
Posted By: amm
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 10:39pm
It looks completely natural. The piecy look is synonymous with extensions. It's difficult if not completely impossible to get away from.
I am disappointed to see all the wave gone. Even ordering at 22mm, I wonder how it will hold up. I personally don't like straight hair on myself and I don't know if I can compromise on that. I'm anxious to see how it sets in steam rollers and if it's possible to get a soft S wave after a night in braids.
The colors you went with are perfect for your skin tone, btw. Striking.
------------- http://shrinkies.net - Extension Supplies & Virgin Brazilian Hair
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:03pm
Ditto everything amm said!
I CANNOT wear my hair completely straight. I absolutely HATE it! I like it on other people but not on myself! Its a bummer that it straightens out so fast.
It sounds like (from Sara's emails) that the tighter curls with straighten out too. I thought that if I bought a tighter curl they may loosen up to a bigger looser curl but not go completely straight. But she said the curls do not open up to a bigger curl (like human hair does) they just go straight.
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:09pm
Thanks girls. By the way, even though the wave has dropped and I'm figuring out how to handle this hair, I still like it better than human and fully intend to stick with synth.
AMM: Keep in mind that I haven't done the things I should've done to maintain the wave (like not wash it very often, use only cold water, and only finger-comb). That said, my feeling about this hair--at least the Dome Classic and the PH 50mm--is that it'd be nearly impossible to retain the initial wave past three weeks or so (and that would really be the maximum).
Even if you could maintain the wave past that point, the hair would be pretty rough, so you'd really need to smooth it out with the blow-dryer, and once the hair is blown, that's it--it really wants to be straight. I did use the rollers last night and they worked well, so it is possible to reset it, and as I said, I'll post some pics after braiding and curling so you can get an idea.
I do imagine the 28mm and Dome Wave would last a little longer, though. And if the thermofiber works out, that may be the answer.
When are you going up to Seattle, and is Bridget going to use Prostyles, or are you bringing your own hair?
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:14pm
Absolutely, Sherrie.
The hair is quite different than human in that it doesn't just loosen after drying; it goes completely straight. After the first time I washed, it just loosened, but I didn't blow it with the brush. When blown with the brush, the wave is history. If you followed all the care guidelines, you could probably maintain that 28mm for a little longer, but again, eventually you're going to have to smooth it out. The more you wash the hair, the rougher it'll get.
I have heard that the Dome Wave is more stubborn, but I'd be surprised if it didn't do the same after blow-drying. :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:29pm
One more thing: I feel like the "memory" synth hair has (at least the monofiber used here) is kind of limited to memory between washings. In other words, before I ever washed it, the wave stayed in the hair way better than it would have with human hair if I'd curled it. It got a little damp in the rain, and it still didn't straighten. After one washing, it dropped somewhat but stayed about the same until the third washing, at which point it was straight. Perhaps if it's washed in cold water, it has more memory; I don't know.
So, if someone only washes their hair once a week, the hair is really quite good: You just blow it out and then reset every two weeks or so. That's pretty easy, really. For more frequent washers, it's a bit more challenging.
Perhaps some of the more experienced synth wearers here have some other suggestions. Again, I'm still learning how to work with synth. But after eight days of wear, these are my best guesses.
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:50pm
It looks great on you both, straight or wavy!
-------------
|
Posted By: hhhh
Date Posted: February 20 2005 at 11:50pm
It looks great on you both, straight or wavy!
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 12:01am
Thanks, hhhh.
I generally wear my hair pretty straight anyway, but I do like to have a little wave, at least on the ends, because I think it looks a bit less severe (read: more flattering).
Fortunately, because I have pin-straight hair naturally, I can work with either loose-wave or straight extensions (truly curly hair looks absurd on me actually). My concern would be for people whose hair is naturally curly, wavy, or more textured. To make this synth match their hair, they'd really need to get the curling routine down pat (I'm sure some people have done this successfully, but it's something to consider, depending on their hair type). Or, if they blow out their real hair, I imagine it could work, too. :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 12:04am
Jenny, it still looks really pretty on you, straight or wavy. The color is beautiful and the length and everything is very striking. It's a great look and you look great.
hen are you going up to Seattle, and is Bridget going to use Prostyles, or are you bringing your own hair? :)
|
WHO IS GOING TO SEATTLE?! Is this person going to have Bridget do her hair?! WHO WHO WHO?!?!
|
Posted By: Cali-Kristin
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 12:10am
Jenny your hair still looks fabolous!!!! Wow!
-------------
http://www.YourHairShop.com - www.YourHairShop.com
|
Posted By: MERGUTHRIE
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 1:16am
I am having piecy issues. Having wavy and straight hair doesn't help. Here's Tim and I last night. I got a lot of compliments, but, I knew my hair was looking pretty bad for the potential it had. I had it in six buns all day. To try and have it wavy. Edit: I couldn't get it right, and will NOT do the bun thing again lol

------------- i love plastikhaar
|
Posted By: amm
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 5:47am
Syren,
A colleague and I were going to go up together. We're not going to now.
------------- http://shrinkies.net - Extension Supplies & Virgin Brazilian Hair
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 6:40am
Mer,
Exactly!!! Your hair looks the same as mine did before I blew it out. You could blow-dry it straight and get rid of the pieciness, but then, bye-bye wave! You'd have to reset it in some way. No amount of brushing will get rid of the "chunkiness." And I've done the bun and the braid thing, too, which can both be good if the hair is new or has been blown-out first, but if it's piece-y, it will remain that way. I'm relieved to see that it's not only me getting these results....
Nevertheless, you look hot anyway. That color combo is killer, and your eyes look beautiful!
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: zapevaj
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:05am
Wow- I think it looks absolutely gorgeous either way! Good lord, you must be giving heart attacks to all the men around you.
-Rae
------------- http://www.hairalchemy.net - Hair Alchemy
|
Posted By: FinaFina
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:06am
Jenny- THANK you for all the details -- it confirms that I need to have a least *some* "curl-able" synth on my head. My own hair is (grrr), well, just plain, um, fuzzy-ish (OK on a good day you could say "wavy") but it just doesn't match well with the straight extensions. . .it just STICKS OUT and looks horrible.
And I agree with everyone. You look amazing and the hair really suits you well!!
Fina
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:17am
UPDATE: After 9 days, 4 washes, and 3 braids (worn overnight)....
OK, here's what the hair looks like after being in three braids worn overnight. (Please keep in mind I'm not the best braider; I never style my hair this way, but I'm sure those of you who do will have more even results. Nevertheless, I think it'll give you an idea as to how the synth picks up the wave).... :)



Generally, I'm not crazy about the wave braiding gives my hair (whether it's human or synth). But as you can see, the hair does respond to it.
Onto the steam rollers....
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: FinaFina
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:20am
I think it looks totally hot. Did you braid it wet or dry?
Fina
-------------
|
Posted By: amm
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:58am
I probably missed it but how many bags did you put in and what is the length you're wearing?
Edit: Up close, the PH looks better than a lot of the human hair I've ordered over the past year.
------------- http://shrinkies.net - Extension Supplies & Virgin Brazilian Hair
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 8:04am
Hey Fina.
Dry, definitely dry. Mostly because I'd just blown the hair out smooth and didn't want to run the risk of it piece-ing up again. But I do think if I'd dipped those braids (or better yet, even more braids) in boiling hot water, the hair would be wavier. With my hair (superlong, white blonde), the results look a little Darryl Hannah-from-Splash for my taste, but it does work. (With the braids in, I look totally hilarious--Pipi Longstocking meets the Von Trapp family singers....). :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 8:21am
Hey AMM,
It's true--the hair itself does look quite good up close compared to most of human hair I've used. Once it's smoothed out/styled/whatever, it doesn't have the split ends or the other general crapiness anyway. Not that he's a hair guru or anything, but my boyfriend thinks the synth looks much better than the human hair in general.
Isaac used 3 1/2 to 4 bags of Dome Classic/PH 50mm (after the blending though, it may have been more like 3 to 3 1/2 bags actually installed). The longest length was probably cut to about 26" to 27" or so. I cut it about 1/2 inch a few days ago because the ends were feeling a bit ratty, but in retrospect I could've just smoothed them out with the blow-dryer. I do not have a lot of layers, which I'm sure would also help in encouraging more wave.
I think it's largely a matter of learning how to work with the hair. And please bear in mind, I'm not the best at this stuff. I don't want to scare anyone off synth, but I just want to prepare everyone so they don't think the hair is just installed and that fabulous wave stays forever, either.
Again, unless the hair really deterioriates over the next month, I totally intend to stick with the synth. I never had much luck with human anyway, and at $13 a bag (and with every color of the rainbow to choose from, as well as any length), I'll just have to learn to work with it. Even the piece-y effect could look cool on the right person (I loved when Christina Aguilera had those long, black rope-y waves last year), but with my hair, it just doesn't work, so some styling will be required.
Posting Caruso pics soon....
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 9:00am
OK, again a disclaimer: I'm terrible at using rollers (and the pics aren't so great since I'm taking them myself today). The hair was rolled pretty loosely and randomly (not tight to the head or very uniform).
Anyway, here's the hair after a half-hour in the Caruso steam rollers. I haven't brushed it (I just finger-combed it), and I don't have the small-size rollers, so this is a combo of the medium, large, and jumbo ones.
The first time I used them, the results were a bit "smoother"; this time, the hair's a bit bendy-ier, which I attribute to the fact that it was braided beforehand.





:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: divinediva
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 10:37am
Hiya JennyRR.....just a suggestion on how to avoid the "bitty" look with your extensions would be to have more smaller block rows of connections and no retext rows atall....the retext rows make the hair look "bitty" as do thick connections.
xx
------------- It doesn't have to be natural to be fabulous!!!/
|
Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 10:52am
Jenny RR:
You look beautiful!
How does the hair feel? Is it softer, or does it still feel like straw?
------------- http://www.Godiva-Hair.com - http://www.Godiva-Hair.com
http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com - http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 12:09pm
Metalgirl: No, it's soft again. The strawlike feel seems to go hand-in-hand with the chunkiness, so when you straighten it out (or steam it, presumably), it's soft again. When the hair is wet, it's always strawlike, so it's as if you have to "break it up" again, if that makes any sense. Very odd indeed.
ShockinPinkPetals: Thank you for the advice. I'm always trying to figure out how to make my extensions look less piecey (with every hair and every method I've ever used); it drives me batty sometimes! What exactly do you mean though by block rows and retext rows? I'm not sure what the terms mean. :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: darthmom
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 12:58pm
Ok first of all, it looks great :) and so do you you little hottie.......but question...in her care instructions, I noticed Sara said NEVER to use a hair dryer, But you have used one, and I think eveyrone has a few times, with the PH, so is that why curl isn't staying as well as everyone likes??
Has anyone ONLY used COLD water and NOT a blow dryer AT ALL with the PH or other good synths, and done the braiding at night, and not had much curl loss??
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 1:06pm
Hey SAS,
I do think the curl would hold better if you used cold water and didn't blow-dry. After the first wash (a little warm, but certainly not hot, water) my wave dropped somewhat, but wasn't totally gone. Problem is, after a few washings, I think you're going to have to blow-dry it smooth with the brush (like my first photos); otherwise, you'll have the bunching (shown in Mer's photos, where you can see she still has some wave). I don't think the hair will stay smooth just by following the care requirements, although the wave will last somewhat longer. Mer, Kalika, and Rae should probably weigh in on this, too.
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 4:45pm
iya JennyRR.....just a suggestion on how to avoid the "bitty" look with your extensions would be to have more smaller block rows of connections and no retext rows atall....the retext rows make the hair look "bitty" as do thick connections.
|
LOL I dont understand a word of that...Its completely foreign to me! What does it mean?
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: LuckieDuckies
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 5:47pm
hey at least we know it can get wavy again! hehe
P.S.-this is kinda gross and off topic, but never leave cups lying around your computer cause when you get a new drink and dont pay attention...well you often pick up the wrong cup
|
Posted By: EmmaSkye
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 6:26pm
Jenny, it looks great no matter how you wear it.
------------- SHE human hair blend, 18", #4 with Supertape.
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 7:06pm
Well Jenny at least we know it can be recurled again! Im sure once you get the hang of using the hotrollers and get used to synthetic youll be able to create a masterpiece style! 
LOL luckieDuckies, Ive done the same thing before!
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 8:01pm
Yeah, it's strange: Hot rollers (especially these Caruso ones) seem kinda old-fashioned. They're pretty easy to use, but I just have to figure it out so that the ends aren't looking all funky. :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: zapevaj
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 9:24pm
It might have also looked better if the hair hadn't been braided before hand, like you said? I'm thinking that 'cause there are some sections that have a very smooth curl, and some that are all kinky, it's a case of overlapping waves?
And yeah, synth does feel straw-y when wet (just washed mine). I wonder if it's because it clumps together when wet- like human hair does, only more so.
-Rae
------------- http://www.hairalchemy.net - Hair Alchemy
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 10:20pm
Rae,
The wet-straw thing is so strange. Do any textiles do this? (I imagine some do, although I can't think of any offhand). It's odd, but it doesn't bother me at all; as long as the hair isn't like straw when it's dry, I'm set. I am a little concerned about blowing it smooth too much. Do you think you can blow it out too frequently, or it's not really a concern?
What kind of PH did you install, and how are you caring for it? Do you wear it straight or with some wave? And how long does it take for yours to get rough and bunchy? Do the results I'm describing here seem typical to you?
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: juliejetson
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:13pm
Synth always feels slightly funky while wet. But don't let it scare ya. All synth feels like that when wet.
But before you wrap it up in the Caruso rollers make sure the ends are combed out smooth enough so that it isn't all clumpy in the end.
A long time ago I posted a thing saying not too over style synth, because it is delicate stuff when it comes to styling, but it must have gotten lost in the shuffle somewhere.
But anyhoo, when you first get them installed leave it be for a while before you start attacking it with all the heat styling. I know it is hard to resist but you will be happier in the long run. And you will get more millage out of it this way.
Jenny, your hair still looks amazing!!!
edit: just wanted to add that when I had prostyles hair the wave didn't relax as quickly, it took a good two weeks before it went straight. And one of my clients has had the prostyles(spfx hilites) in for a month now and they are still wavy.
-------------
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:22pm
hey JJ! I do remember you saying that but, thanks for the reminder! Thats why I wish I could find a synthetic that holds its curl so I wont have to heat style so much!
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: boogiemama
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:44pm
Your hair is going to look "piecy" no matter what becasue pinchbraids are farily large connections and you have a lot of hair in.
I never blow dry my synth hair unless it's just to get the moisture out of my own hair at the scalp. Air drying, then brushing with a thick bristled brush (like boars hair) will fluff it right up. The Prostyles wave does relax, but with proper razoring/cutting the wave can have much more of a kick vs leaving it all one length. And yes, once you start heat styling it regularly, you are on the road to it deteriorating quickly. "Re-melting" the hair over and over again makes it fairly lifeless.
As far as setting it on hot rollers, twist a section of hair and then wrap it around the roller. Another good thing is to twist it into a big bun on top of your head when it's 90% dry and let dry the rest of the way in that position. I sleep with my hair like that every night.
I just rambled, hope it made sense. I finished my hair, I'll get the pics out of the camera.
------------- http://www.boogiemama.com - boogiemama.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:45pm
Thanks for all the tips, Julie. I appreciate it.
I would prefer not to heat-style it much myself, but that rough texture is a bit much to contend with. (Next time, I'll wait longer before I wash it, though, and stick with cold water, etc.)
Just for curiosity, what happens to the hair if you heat-style it too much? Does it just get fried to the point where you can't smooth it out anymore, or what?
Thanks again, :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: juliejetson
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:46pm
Yep Sherr,
Unfortunatly(sp?) the wave doesn't last forever, but while you got it just let it go. Wash in cool water, as hard as it may seem in these cold winter months.
It ain't pretty being easy.....I mean, It ain't easy being pretty.
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 21 2005 at 11:52pm
Boogiemama: I can't wait to see your pics!
And thanks for the tips. Synth is a bit of a challenge for me, but I still really like it. Do you ever steam the hair, or no?
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: juliejetson
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 12:00am
BoogieMamma is so right with the wrapped up in a bun thing, that is exactly(sp?) what I do and it works, I don't even need to blowdry when I do that. Listen to her she is the guru when it comes to this. Boogiemamma is the reason I do this for a living.
But Jenn, You can bring that hair back to life with smoothing out the ends with a blowdryer or steamer. If you like I could help you out with the steamer thing, we live near each other, I think, I would be happy to help you out 'free of charge, just for fun' of course. If Isaac doesn't mind, I would never want to steal his customer, ever. But just for kicks and for this site. Let me know if you are interested, I love playing with this hair.
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 12:13am
Thanks, Julie--that's very sweet of you. (And don't be surprised if you get a synth S.O.S. email from me soon--lol.)
I really appreciate all of yours and Boogiemama's advice; it's very, very helpful. :)
Not to keep bombarding you with questions, but I'm just curious: How often can you really wash the hair? How long will it take before it needs to be steamed or blown out? How often can you steam or blow-out the hair without ruining it? And how often can you curl it with rollers? And then, assuming one sticks to a good regimen (and uses only cold water), how long should the hair last? (Obviously, there are other variables here, but I'm just curious as to what your best guess is.)
Thanks again! :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: Save~A~Stray
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 12:27am
Jenny~ your hair still looks hot!! Did Isaac by any chance get back to you about the steamer he uses? (sorry, if you posted this already.....I might have missed it)
|
Posted By: juliejetson
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 1:03am
hmmm...Jenny this might be hard because I have had a few drinks, so here goes.
The synth hair can last you 3 months or more if you are careful with it. You only want to wash your synth hair once or twice a week. And keep the heat styliing to a nil? The more you style it with heat the shorter it will live, so to speak, like boogiemamma said. Listen to her, her words are like God speaking to you. Not that I am religous but she knows her ****. When your ends get really tattered have them steamed or blown out with low heat. It's really not as hard as it seems. Just don't bombard the synth with a lot of heat styling and it could last a long time. I know it is new to you and a lot of other people here, but you will get used to it over time. Just remember it is not human hair so it can not withstand all the heat and styling. Since this is your first batch, think of it in a trial by error sort of way. At least you didn't pay $400 for it.
If I forgot something let me know, like I said I have had a few drinks. And sorry for any typos.
-------------
|
Posted By: boogiemama
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 1:18am
Haha! God! Oh man.
Basically, the less you do the better. And if you're not having to look fancy, or just hanging at home, wear it UP. I think the worst thing people can do is sleep with synth hair down at night. We all have our moments, but DON'T. I always say "Put the flag away when not in use".
And tie your hair back when you know you are going to open an oven! I have done it, my clients have done it. We think we are smart, but alas.
heh.
------------- http://www.boogiemama.com - boogiemama.com
|
Posted By: juliejetson
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 1:53am
Ahm, yes God.
-------------
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 6:05am
Excellent, girls. Thank you, thank you!
Honestly, if it lasts me two months, I'll be happy. (It's still an enormous savings over human.)
The other thing that occurred to me is that my hair is superlong, and I'm sure that makes it a bit more susceptible to bunching up, takes longer to detangle, and the rest. (Not that I'm planning to go shorter or anything--lol!)
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: zapevaj
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 12:01pm
Jenny, in response to your questions- I have about 2 bags of PH in open-ended braids. I have natural dreads, so I braided over my dreads with the PH, then rubberbanded at the end of the dread (about chin-level) and left the rest loose. I'm also going to tie some more in loose over my roots to cover the braids a little bit, and will take photos at that point.
I'm wearing black, pepperoni, and one of the pale blondes in straight, full lenght, I also have some sections of white Dome in there, just to compare how they wear. An interesting thing is that the Dome -was- wavy (it was Natural texture, I think), but it has straightened out just by normal brushing. It seems to be a little more manageable than the PH, but that could be because there's only a few pieces of it. I've been brushing about twice a day, wearing it back in one huge braid at night. It's been about a week, now. I washed it last night (plain shampoo, no conditioner) and it was fine, possibly softer. I even skipped brushing it for two days (I was lazy!) and while it did get scruffy and piecey, it didn't take too much effort to brush out entirely again. I haven't even blown out the ends yet and they look fine, though they'll need it in another week.
I haven't tried to wave it yet, but just bought a curling iron and some pillow rollers (those little foam-and-wire things), so I'll try that in a bit. One thing I just realized is that every human hair curl/wave texture I've ever used has also dropped its curl- both HNH bodywave and Hairpiece.com 101 C-curl dropped their curl after the first few washes, and became more of a very light wave. I'm trying the Hairpiece 101 Remy "deep wavy body" out on someone and am hoping it will maintain some of its wave, but we'll see! I think long hair just wants to droop under its own weight (and synth is heavier per strand than human).
-Rae
------------- http://www.hairalchemy.net - Hair Alchemy
|
Posted By: divinediva
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 1:52pm
Hi JennyRR.....Sorry, what I mean by retext rows is: putting a connection/pinchbraid/boxbraid then leaving a space then putting in another one then leaving a space and so on.....blockrow: a row of connections side by side with no gaps....and by doing smaller connections u will reduce the "gappy" appearance....hope that makes sense.
xx
------------- It doesn't have to be natural to be fabulous!!!/
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 5:55pm
Thanks, it definitely makes sense now.
I have actually had smaller connections (containing less hair) in the past, as well as more space between the rows, and I actually thought that accentuated the problem. My hair's so thin and quite short now, I think it makes it look to stringy if there isn't a lot of hair installed. I think wefts would probably look less piece-y, but I've never tried them.
Ah, the challenges of fake hair....
:)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 7:16pm
Jenny I think wefts do tend to be less piecey. But the problem I have is, I can't fit enough tracks on my head to get the fullness that I want.
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 7:24pm
Interesting, Sher.
You may want to discuss that with Metalgirl, actually. I remember having a similar conversation with her awhile ago, and I believe she said that she preferred tracks for thin, fine hair because of the piecey-ness issue. In her case, though, I think she was actually wearing a full weave-cap (which might explain how she had the extra room for them). :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 7:38pm
I think with sewn in types of weaves you may be able to fit more tracks on a head(not sure) but with weft/bonding, its hard to get that many tracks on a head without the tracks being glued on top of each other. Although with hand tied wefts you could fit more rows. Comparing say.....Kalikas hair and the amount of hair she used in 4 &1/2 bags of PH. I dont see it possible to bond wefts of the equivalent amount of hair onto a head! You can fit enough bonded tracks on a head to have a beautiful head of hair but you are definitely more limited to how full you can actually make it!
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 7:40pm
Makes sense, Sher.
Oh well, we can never really have enough hair, can we? :)
------------- http://www.beautyaddictmag.com - www.beautyaddictmag.com
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 7:49pm
Nope....never enough! Im all about the BIG hair too!
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:05pm
I have packed 8 ounces of hair on people's heads before via weft bonding (with Chrissy V bond) . It usually takes 4-6 double wefted rows to do it.
As I do with all my wefted extensions, (whether sewn in or bonded) I take home the wefts and double them up and zig zag stitich it on my sewing machine.
So for example, I have 8 ounces of 22" hair (where the wefts are doubled) and it fits into 4 tracks, which is quite easy to fit on a head.
I always double wefts. Does anyone else do this? I thought it was standard, because that is the way I was taught.
------------- http://www.Godiva-Hair.com - http://www.Godiva-Hair.com
http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com - http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:08pm
hmmm thats interesting. Ive never doubled wefts with bonding. It seems like it would be quite bulky? Unless you are using hand tied wefts? This may be an option....got the wheels a turnin...
Edited to ask a question. If you are doubling the wefts how well does the bonding hold with the extra weight? Do you still get 5/7 weeks wear out of the bonding?
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:22pm
metalgirl wrote:
I always double wefts. Does anyone else do this? I thought it was standard, because that is the way I was taught.
|
Yup. Having worn sewn in wefts for 10+ years, that's exactly how I got lots of thick hair...double sewn wefts! That's nice of you to take them home and pre-sew them on your machine, Metalgirl. My stylist would just sew one on top of the other.
This is where really good hand tied wefts come in. When they're really good, there's lots of hair on them even thin as they are, and you can have double wefts, 2,3 or 4 tracks, and have a ton of hair! It was a tricky business tho...finding consistently good hair, handtied wfts, etc. Then again: speaking to THIN, FINE HAIR: sewing the tracks was again a trick. That's when I found that 'pole weave' (a variation of the Malaysian method, it looks like) where only thread was used to augment the tracks; no extra synthetic hair. That really held my fine hair. Then put 2 handtied wefts on top, and you have THICK LONG HAIR but with very little bulk on the head and no damage when removed. It is a great system for those with fine, delicate hair. It's just very difficult to find someone to do those tracks. The big plus is that it NEVER looks piecey either. At least not in the same way as with individual strands.
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:35pm
Yeah I knew you could sew more wefts in with weaving methods. But Im just surprised to hear of it being done with weft bonding. But hey...I learn something new everyday!
Although for all those gals that are putting in 3 - 4.5 bags of PH. Thats like 10.5 - 14 oz. How many wefts/tracks would it take to equal that! More than my head could fit! LOL 
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:45pm
You're right. I don't think the sew in weft method is good for the synthetic thing we've got going here - it's really...not going to work for that for many reasons, weight being one for sure. Synth is like...the new frontier!! You pioneer gals are out there exploring the best techniques, putting your head and hair on the line. And looking damn hot in the process! I just can't wait to try a full head of it myself.
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 22 2005 at 11:48pm
LOL....I feel like a space pilgrim or something! LOL
Hair Trek....the next generation! haha...time to go to sleep!
Or should I say Haar Trek....
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
Posted By: Kimbearly
Date Posted: February 23 2005 at 7:38am
I actually like the straight better than the curly but that's just me. I am glad that you brought up the fact that the wave goes away because this is not going to work with me who is a curly/wavy girl. In the summer when it's humid my hair gets pretty curly so I don't think the synth will work out.
-------------
|
Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: February 23 2005 at 8:57pm
Sherrie:
I have used the Chrissy V bond with my doubled wefts many times, and it holds it very well for the 5-7 weeks. No problems with slipping at all. I do the 'teasing' thing she recommends along the part line, though, because I think it prevents slippage.
And, yes, it's a little more bulky, but I think that clients would rather only pay for 3 doubled wefted rows than 6 or more single wefted rows, because in the end, they end up with the same result, using less head space, application time, and money!
For most hair, I don't think doubled wefts are heavy enough to cause damage. If the hair is super fine and thin, then I would probably suggest the hand tied, but even with that, I usually sew 2 hand tied pieces together.
I haven't tried to bond hand tied, but I guess you could if you had 2-3 pieces (that were zig zag stitched on a machine). By sewing them on a machine, the top portion of the weft would probably be big enough so the bond would hold on it.
For my sewn in method, I use the microlinks, threading the hair through to make a 'track' and sew the hair onto that, because I couldn't cornrow if my life depended on it.
------------- http://www.Godiva-Hair.com - http://www.Godiva-Hair.com
http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com - http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com
|
Posted By: EmmaSkye
Date Posted: February 23 2005 at 9:02pm
hmmm, metagirl, could you go into a little more detail bout your sewn in method with microlinks? I cant picture it.
------------- SHE human hair blend, 18", #4 with Supertape.
|
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: February 23 2005 at 9:02pm
syren and metalgirl...thanks girls, Ive learned something new with weft bonding! 
------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com
www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com
|
|