Wig Shopping--Episode 1
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=35092
Printed Date: December 31 2025 at 1:33pm
Topic: Wig Shopping--Episode 1
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Subject: Wig Shopping--Episode 1
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 4:53pm
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Tried on a bunch o' wigs at Helena Collection in NYC today. Dunno if the wig route is for me.... First off, I look like a psycho with bangs, so that's not an option. I tried on two human-hair wigs without bangs, the first of which was a lace-front. The hairline was quite realistic on that one, but something about the hair itself looked strange, and at $900, there was *no way* I was buying it. The other, which wasn't a lace-front, was very nice--great cut and color--but it was $800, and I had to clip the front hair to the side (with a side part) to conceal the wacky hairline. If it had been cheaper, I probably would've bought it, but again, it was $800.... So I ordered a few cheapy synth wigs online, which hopefully will work, but I'm not too optimistic. I'm thinking I have three nonwig options: 1. Get visible pinchbraids all the way to the top of my head. 2. Get wefts bonded (Sherrie's sandwich style) almost all the way to the top. 3. Get a full cap weave with synth hair incorporated into the cornrows. I actually don't know if these are options because the back of my hair is only about 1 to 1 1/2 inches now---yikes!!!  |
Replies:
Posted By: LauraR
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 5:01pm
| If you find a good braider, they will be able to do a weave with 1 inch hair. |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 5:12pm
| Hmm...Is Syren123 in the ha-ouse? I think she switched from PBs back to a weave and I wonder how it's working out... :) |
Posted By: ccross6032
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 5:35pm
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hey jenny - sorry to hear about your hair :( last i heard syren was still okay with the braids, but she only needed three tracks? i personally like the look of pinchbraids all over - i think we had a pic on here a while back of some of heather's work all the way up and visible...so i definitely think that is an option...i know heather said she can do a pb on hair as short as an inch. i had a full braided sew in and personally found it too occlusive on my scalp - my hair was quite short and i needed lots of coverage. i also had super crap bss hair which looked like a rats nest after about 2 days. depending on how fragile your hair is at the part i think the glued tracks (sherrie method) can totally be undetectable....so this is also an option...you could even get some PH wefts and a 2.99 bottle of liquid gold and diy! good luck - cheryl |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 5:53pm
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To give some perspective.... Before:   After:   |
Posted By: kateadreena
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 6:36pm
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aww hun, how did that happen?! |
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 7:32pm
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Jenny. Girl.
To tell you the truth, I think your short hair looks pretty - WAAAAAY Gwen-ish!! I know that makes no difference to you whatsoever, but it's my opinion nonetheless. And it's definitely not as bad as you made it out to be in the your first post! Sewn-in wefts get a very bad rap around here so I don't talk about it anymore, but since you asked, I'm still wearing three tiny tracks with LOTS of hair and they're working out great for me. Looks less piecey on me than either the PBs or shrinkies, is much easier maintenance (I have them redone every 4 weeks), and much cheaper - with tip, $120 for take down, rebraiding and styling. I can wash every day if I want, put it up in a pony or clip, and NO ONE can tell it's a weave. In fact, your hair length is perfect right now - you can have three tracks sewn all the way up to where your long hair starts (your bangs!) which will cover the top track. You're used to the feeling of lots of hair, and tracks won't be any more than you're used to. In NYC, you definitely have some excellent stylists in salons that do primarily black women's hair, I'm sure of it. It's worth looking into, IMO. Rather than invest hundreds of $$ in wigs right off the bat, you might want to give some thought to a weave. The trick, as always, is finding good hh hair (a MUST), or use your custom blended PH wefts - the Gwen Blend. You still look pretty, Jenny! I like that 'do. |
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 7:41pm
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Hmm..just re-reading your options again.
You sure you want to try glued in wefts? Also, you probably won't need a full cap weave - just several very thin tracks. I swear, my stylist starts them RIGHT AT MY FACE - no indenting at the hairline at all! - and you can NOT see them! I don't know how she does it, but she does. And the way she sews the weft on, since it's the same color as my hair, you can't see it either. Amazing. But I'm the only one who's amazed: all the black women in the salon have their hair sewn in that way so to them it's not big deal. The point being you can have three, even four, very thin tracks around your head nearly to the top and with the hair sewn on, you can't even SEE your own hair so it doesn't matter what length it is. And fewer tracks is more comfortable - you can really get in and rinse your scalp well, so no itching. Do it. |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 7:58pm
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Kewl, Syren. Thanks! You think my hair is long enough? Has anyone used the PH wefts? (I've only used the loose.) Think it's time to place an order.... xoxox |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 7:59pm
Bleach, bleach, and more bleach. I think it repeatedly got stuck in the pinchbraids and, over time, just fried the hell out of my real hair.... xoxox |
kateadreena wrote:Posted By: niftygirl
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 8:52pm
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Jenny, you're hair is cute as hell. I actually like the asymetrical thang you've got going there. I know it probably doesn't help but I thought I'd share. Your hair will be growing in no time! I vote for the Pinch Braids all the way up and showing. It's the least damaging (I'm sure you want to baby it right now) and I like the look of little braids showing. Syren, I don't know much about the sewn in weave. Why do they get a bad rap? |
Posted By: Syren123
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 10:40pm
Oh, there's been a litany of complaints: they cause your hair to fall out, they hurt, they're bulky, they stink... Personally, I have had none of those issues except for maybe the bulkiness in 15 yrs of wearing tracks. This year, I tried fusion, microlinks, shrinkies, and pinchbraids. None of those methods worked as well for me in terms of price, looks, maintenance, and gentleness to my own hair as wefts have. But I am definitely in the minority. I just think Jenny's present condition is a good time to give wefts a try. Cornrowing is definitely a skill. You need to find a stylist who does black women's hairas her primary business - she is the one who will make the tiniest, strongest tracks (which will not pull out your own hair) in the best placement possible. Trying to DIY it is asking for bulky wefts and a poor result. With tracks, the price will be reasonable: none of these "$500 and it looks like a mullet/strands are falling out/chewing my hair" experiences. At most, she'll spend $150 at the MOST. Plus, Jenny knows extensions. The feel of wefts will be different from PBs but no worse, plus much easier to maintain. And, if she doesn't like it, take it out. No harm done and not out a lot of $$. And yes, Jenny, your hair is definitely long enough right now. |
Posted By: TanglesRC
Date Posted: September 06 2005 at 10:46pm
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awww honie- Damn Bleach- i agree with syren, good luck and hey- try either Nioxin to help grow your hair fast or Lanza- Long hair- i swear this stuff works. good luck- sending you hair angels.... ------------- Bringing beauty, one head at a time... |
Posted By: kirstyx1888xmac
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 3:01am
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hey jenny i realy feel for you. it must be especially diffiuclt when your hair wass sooooooooo beautiful before - however agree with the others it is not as bad as you made out - it does look really gwenish. i recently got a really nice custom made 3/4 fall like the ones on international wig from sara which is so beautful and i just sweep the front of my hair back - you could maybe do that as your hair looks quite long at the front? maybe you could get s0mething customised to suit that wouldnt be a full wig - just an idea
when i went to look at wigs the ones in the wig store tend to be much much much more expensive than online and often they do the same brands - sometimes its just useful to try them on and get a feel for what you like or dont like as the case may be maybe you will have some luck with the synth ones you ordered ------------- |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 6:02am
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Kirsty: Thanks for the encouragement. I've got tons of 3/4 falls and
will definitely be wearing 'em over the next few weeks. And yes, the
prices were *much* more reasonable online. The wig shop I went to had
some very nice stock, but expensive---whoa! Syren: Thanks again for all the info. I ordered my PH wefts, which will I'm sure take a while to get here. If the wigs aren't fabulous (and I doubt they will be), I'll have the wefts either for use as tracks or visible PBs. Do you use handtied or machine wefts? Tangles: Thanks, that's a good tip--I'll pick up some Nioxin at Ricky's. How fast does hair generally grow? 1/2 a month? Arrggghhhh.... The thing to keep in mind is that even in the topmost pic, my hair is quite fried really. Not this fried, of course, but still not even close to healthy. It looks a lot better there than it really was. Also, my natural hair (even at its best) is so thin and crappy that I just can't see myself wearing my hair au natural (without extensions or falls or something) for a very long time.... xoxox |
Posted By: Amanda8Beechwoo
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 6:07am
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Jenny I'm so sorry to hear of your breakage. I was also gutted when my length broke off after my last holiday but it was no means 1inch. I feel for you chick. Hopefully it will grow quick. Can't wait to see your new install pictures xx Just to let you know I've just done a client with 1inch hair with shrinkies and then the last row a glued in weft and its still going strong after a week xx ------------- [URL=http://www.hairextensionsbyamanda.co.uk]www.hairextensionsbyamanda.co.uk[/URL] |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 6:14am
Thanks, girl. I'm sure I'll figure out something  .Great website, by the way. When did you launch? (I've been out of the loop for a little while, lol.) I love all the pics, but especially the two-toned, multicolor ones--gorgeous! xoxox |
Posted By: divinediva
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 7:13am
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OMG...Jenny I am sooooo sorry. The same thing happened to me about a year ago too much bleach!!!....I had 2 shave my head and let it grow back-tragic. I still can't keep away from the bleach still, I never learn. Anyway look at it as a chance to try different looks...growing your hair back can be tedious but also quite fun...i'm sending u hair growth vibes and huggs x ------------- It doesn't have to be natural to be fabulous!!!/ |
Posted By: Amanda8Beechwoo
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 8:32am
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Hi there Jenny, I started doing the website a few months ago but its finding the time to do the pictures and add bits to it cos its quite boring at the moment. I've still got sooo much to do. Thanks for the compliments xxx And I'm sure your hair will look fab xx ------------- [URL=http://www.hairextensionsbyamanda.co.uk]www.hairextensionsbyamanda.co.uk[/URL] |
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 9:13am
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SPP: Thanks, girl--I need all the good hair vibes I can get! xoxox Amanda: Congrats again on the site. It looks fantastic! :) :) |
Posted By: LauraR
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 9:31am
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I agree with Syren - all you need are a few tracks in the back and you won't even be able to see them. As long as you find a good hair braider that knows their stuff! If your hair is breaking off from the bleach I wouldn't try any glue. This could just weaken it even more. |
Posted By: mochachip
Date Posted: September 07 2005 at 12:02pm
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oh darlin' I'm sorry. I tend to agree. A few tracks could go a long way. I hear prenatal vitamins are good for hair growth. But you know PB"s all the way up showing aren't a bad look. Maybe thisis your big chance. :) |
Posted By: Halo
Date Posted: September 14 2005 at 9:29am
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I am so sorry Jenny. I just saw. I am right where you are. I had so much breakage that I just cut it all off. I don't even have the long hair that you have in front so I won't get extensions for a long time. I am, yet again, starting over. This time I am trying to grow out my own natural color to chin length before I do anything else to my hair. I am getting used to having it short. There are moments when I HATE it because I so strongly prefer long blond hair on myself. But it IS easy to take care of and style. I just can't come up with any other option to get my hair long again Knowing my bad hair history if I do anything else I will end up bald. So I am taking vitamins and letting it alone to heal. Sorry if I sound depressing. If it helps any to hear, you have a beautiful neck and short hair shows it off. |