Okay, my fusion is shedding right off the bat here and I can't figure out why.  I normally get shedding with fusion, and I have noticed that it seems to happen more with hair that's heavily coated with shine products.  I have,  however, done two installs with zero shedding.  I didn't do anything different, it just magically didn't shed.  That's why I think it has to do with the hair, and not my technique, because I do the same thing every time.  However, just to double check, here's what I do...........

Using a hot pot, I dip the ends of the hair into the glue.  Usually the ends of the hair is fanned out a bit to help with glue distribution.  Then I flip over and dip again (so that glue gets on both sides of the strand).   Then I position it underneath my own strand of hair, press together, and roll.  Then I use my heat wand (the one from Wimex) and purge the bond until I hear the glue sizzling.  I then quickly re-roll the bond.  That's it.  What could I be doing wrong here?  Or what am I NOT doing that I should?  Anyone know of a video online that shows the proper process?   I don't know why the last 3 installs have had shedding (this install shed right off the bat), but the 2 before that didn't shed AT ALL.  I'm clueless here, and frustrated.  Having visions of shaving my head bald while showering!

Actually, no.  I just switched to the YHS brand fusion stick from YourHairShop.com.   But I don't think it could be the glue because Kristin has been using those same sticks without a problem.

Also, the glue I used before (X-10), I had 2 installs with lots of shedding, and 2 installs with no shedding.  I think it's the hair/amount of silicone coating.  However, I don't know how popluar the theory is of shedding being related to the silicone coating on extension hair.  So I thought maybe it was me!  Maybe my technique is bad. 

Or maybe my bedroom is a black hole or the entrance to the twilight zone and nothing works right for me!

Thanks Syren.  It helps to know I'm not the only one who has issues sometimes. 

I look at Kristin's website and all of her wonderful installs and they look so good and seem so flawless, then I wonder what in the world I'm doing wrong. 

But it's good to know I'm not the ONLY one who futzes sometimes.

It's weird how some installs can be exactly the same and yet the shedding is different. Take for instance a pair of friends I did. I had two young girls come in on the same day and I did a full head on each of them back to back (it was a LONG day) so I know everything was done exactly the same. 4 months later they both came back in to see me and girl #1  mentioned she had experienced some shedding that she would say is more than normal and girl #2 said she didn't shed at all. I checked out their bonds and girl #1's bonds looked thinner than I had installed. Girl #2 had bonds as thick as the day they were installed. Weird huh? I asked them many questions to see if I could figure out what had made them different and the only difference i found was that girl #1 was using drug store bought shampoos and conditioners. I believe she said she used Herbal Essences. Girl #2 used the Purology which I recommend that all my clients get because it is sulfer free, gentle on bonds, and will keep your extension hair looking soft and perfect. What type of shampoos are you using on it? Have you recently changed brands? I can't say for certain it was the products being used on it or just a weird fluke... just know that no 2 installs are exactly the same and many factors affect it.

Another thing it may be related to is the fact that you changed glues. What type were you using before? Evey fusion glue is slightly different and some work better with different techinques (Hot Pot, glue gun etc..) I've noticed that when I do change products I also aquire a sightly different roll to apply them. Some need to be rolled slower and others quicker to form a nice hard bond because they cool and harden at different speeds. I use the glue gun for my installs with the YHS sticks. My last install before the one I have in now had about 3oz of Bohyme #613 siky straight installed with the blonde YHS sticks using the glue gun. I had normal shedding which is very minimal. I had them in for just under 3 months and they looked great the whole time. The bonds were still nice and thick when I removed them. During my install I only had to re-heat 2 or 3 of my bonds to correct a couple small mistakes. I wonder if your re-heating with the wand may have any effect? I wouldn't think it would but I've never done every bond with YHS that way. One thing I've noticed is that some stylists love glues that I found to be horrible and vice versa. Take Monkey Barrz for instance, I didn't like them at all and I had lots of shedding. I know of other stylist who only use those sticks and create beautiful installs. I even have a client who just moved to my area and had to switch extensionist, she came in to me with a beautiful set of extensions done with Monkey Barrz that had been in for 3 months. I find it really bizarr that I couldn't get them to work like that for me  

Also, how long are your bonds? Have you changed the length of them? Some people like to try making shorter and shorter bonds each time they install extensions but it can affect the holding power. If you do very short bonds about the length of an eraser on a pencil they may be too short. All of my bonds are a little under a centimeter long (I'm eye-balling some on my mannequin but I can measure them later if you want).

Every single one of my clients gets Bohyme hair which I do not pre-wash so I don't think that's an issue.

I am also sorry to read from your other post that your color match was off. Did you ever compare the color #16 you got to the Bohyme color ring #16 to see if it was different? Bohyme silky straight is exactly what it claims- silky and straight. Many other companies claim to be but the texture is different after a few washes, maybe more like what you have had in the past which matched your hair better (especially if it's short and in need of extra blending help). If your hair has a little more texture in it you may want to try a different style of Bohyme.

Do you have any pictures of your finished install?

The shedding issue is why I hate fusion so much!  I can't ask a client to spend money on something that may or may not work.

In my most humble opinion , the only way to go for strand applications are shrink links / shrinkies.

I see your point metalgirl. Only thing is that even other methods work differently for everyone. I've had clients who lose 0-4 shrinkies or micro links in 3 months but there's been a random few who lose 20+ in the same time span. Hair products and a clients wear and tear of their hair also plays a roll into why installs are not all created equal. If everyone had the exact same experiences with a certain method there would be one single method that would be regarded as 'the best'. Too bad there's not- it would make things a lot easier. Some people love methods that others absolutely hate and vice versa (even when the exact same products and installation are used). IMO, the best thing a stylist can do is find their nitch- which method they have the most success with on their clients. The same goes for a DIY'er find the method and products that works best for your needs and stick to it. If you want to try some new products or methods try doing a test area rather than your full head. I usually test new products around the front of my head so I can keep watch on what's going on. I install about 25 strands all closely together and I'm able to get a good idea of how I'll like the product(s).

~Kristin

Kristin,

You don't purge every bond with a heat wand?  I have been doing that because I read somewhere on the internet that it helps the glue to be distributed more evenly throughout entire bond.   Maybe for some unseen reason, this actually hinders the adhesion.   I don't know.   BUT here is another thing I just thought of:

I have been using a hot pot, and I never seem to get burned fingers.  Maybe the glue is not hot enough or liquidy enough (it does seem a little thick).   Should I try going back to a glue gun and NOT purging the bonds with the heat wand?  If I remember correctly, I always ended up with burned fingertips when I used the gun.   But then again, if the gun was working so well, then why would I have switched to a hot pot?   My brain is starting to smoke!

Anyways, to answer the questions..... yes, the color was more yellow than the color ring.  I heard someone else say they had a similar experience, though I don't remember what supplier they said they used or if it was even in the same country.    I did wash the length of my hair 3 times in one day, once with soap.   I didn't wash the roots though.  I was trying to wash away any silicone or other shine producing agents that might have been there (and I can't say for sure that there actually are any, but it smelled and felt like there was a ton).  That, however, didn't help too much.   I also blow dry my hair.    I don't know.  Maybe my hair is just too damaged for Bohyme's healthy texture.   Have you ever had a client who's hair just didn't seem to blend with Bohyme?

I think purging the bonds sounds like a good idea it's just the only thing I saw you had done that I didn't (well before I remembered seeing you washed it three times in one day with a bar of soap right after you installed your hair). It would make more sense that purging them would allow the glue to distribute better. It's the same concept used in with fusion chips. Maybe it's the fact that you washed it 3 times right after it was installed. I usually have my clients wait 2-3 days to fully let their bonds cure before washing. It could still be a fluke though... What type of glue did you use before? I've tried many type of glues and I can let you know how I think it compares to the YHS if it's one I've tried.

As for your Bohyme question, I could see how it wouldn't blend right if you not only had a texture that was a little different than your own, but also a color that was wrong. I do have clients that have textures a little corser than Bohyme but they love the Bohyme texture and are willing to try it anyways. The one thing that helps is that I have every color of Bohyme in stock so the color is always perfect, this helps disguise the difference in texture . Also if my clients do have very short hair or a different texture I go up as high as possible during my installs which blends the extensions better with their own hair.