BEAUTY TIPS: HOW TO HANDLE HAIR EXTENSIONS FOR A PERFECT LOOK

When it comes to fashion and beauty, to play around with hair length and style is one of the best and most amusing things. These are the occasions where hair extensions become your best friend. Those who say they are expensive or that they look tacky don’t know what they’re talking about, nor how to handle them. If chosen and treated correctly, extensions will blend perfectly with the rest of your hair, for a perfect look. So let’s explore a bit more in depth the world of hair extensions. 

Types of hair extensions - first thing you have to know is that there are two types of hair extensions: synthetic and natural. Synthetic extensions are made with materials that look similar to real hair, which makes them cheap but they ruin easily after a couple of times you try to style them. Natural hair extensions are made of real people's hair, 99% are women who let it grow taking good care of it and then sell it to beauty parlors or even on free-classifieds online, usually listing length, exact colour and how long it's taken to grow. Regardless the type, when it comes to buying them, go for a hair weft, cheaper than single hair locks.

How to put them on - You don’t need a hairdresser to do that, as long as you follow some very simple tricks. Tease your hair at the root to roughen it up a bit, so that when you pin your extensions in, they will grip more and stay put. If you’re putting them in to increase the volume of your ponytail, put them in upside down, so that the rest of your hair will cover the root better. Another great idea is to make your own clip-on hair extensions, which will save you a lot of time because you won't have to spend hours adjusting them with bobby pins.

How to take care of hair extensions - Whether they are natural or synthetic, hair extensions have to be treated very gently.

-        Combing: It’s important that you comb them every day in order to remove tangles, brushing through them with a special looper brush, designed specifically for hair extensions, with its peculiar looper bristles, perfect to glide through all sorts of hair.

-        Washing: When it comes to shampooing, use a mild moisturizing shampoo and make sure to rinse your hair gently. Also, apply a leave-in conditioner, so that your hair extensions will stay hydrated and soft.

-        Drying: If you’re washing your hair at night, make sure it’s completely dry before going to bed. However, since it’s always better to let extensions air dry, make sure to use the hair dryer set on low heat, or it will ruin them.

 By Angela Sarpong