Do Hair Extensions Damage Your Hair?
Hair extensions are one of the fastest ways to change your look. You can add length, add volume, or even add a different color to create unusual highlights. There are quite a few different types of hair extensions on the market and each has both good and bad points.
If you are considering getting hair extensions one of the most common questions is “do hair extensions damage your hair?” The answer to that question really depends on the type of extensions that you get and how professionally they are put in.
The most damaging type of hair extensions are individual strand extensions. With this method, small pieces of hair are attached to your own hair using clamps, glue, fusing them in with heat or with waxes or polymers.
The individual strand method is popular because it looks quite natural. Since the small pieces of hair are added to your own it blends naturally and can look like your own hair.
Many stylist will tell you that there is no damage to your hair when you get these extensions. However, in almost every case the hair that the extensions are attached to is damaged. If you think about it logically it makes sense. Imagine putting glue in your hair, melting plastic or wax onto it or clamping it tightly with pieces of metal. None of these things are good for your hair and they can all result in damage - sometimes even significant damage.
Most people who get individual hair extensions wind up having to get a fairly drastic haircut when the extensions are removed to get rid of the hair that has been damaged.
A much better option for your hair health when getting extensions is to opt for sewn in wefts. With this method, your own hair is braided into small braids right next to your scalp and a weft of hair is sewn to the braid. As your hair grows out you will have to go back in and have the braids tightened to get them back against your head again. Overall it is much less damaging to your hair than individual strands.
Another option that many people opt for are clip-in hair extensions. These temporary extensions can be put on and taken off in minutes and attach to your head with small clips. You place them underneath your own hair and they blend smoothly and can give you an excellent look without the commitment or damage.
Always opt for human hair extensions rather than synthetic extensions. Synthetic hair cannot be styled with heat and becomes tangled or mangy looking really quickly. Human hair, on the other hand, can be treated exactly the same way you would treat your own hair and can even be colored or permed.
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Great info! Thanks for the article. I’ve been wanting extensions for a long time and this gave me some good direction.