Nowadays, women are loving and enjoying the flexibility of using wigs, weaves, and other hair extensions. You don’t wait for years to achieve a long hairstyle or cut your natural hair to be in a short hairstyle. Hair technology is being advanced each day and new pieces are designed every day. Many designers and hair extension manufacturers came to ensure you are always in your best possible appearance. But how possible is this? Let’s find out this by looking at the different types of hair used to make hair extensions and how to attach the extensions to your head to achieve a natural look.
Types of Hair.
There are two main types of stresses used in hair extensions. They can be made from human hair or synthetic materials.
- Human Hair.
This type of hair is also called remy and has cuticles as its outermost layer. The intact cuticle layer ensures that the hair stresses are strong and gives them a natural appearance. If you want to be in a hairpiece that doesn’t break easily and gives you a stunning look, buy a hairpiece made of human hair. The cuticle-coated hair is also soft and shiny. It’s so popular among women because they can be treated like natural hair by hot iron or blow drying which makes them versatile in styling. With proper care, human hair extensions can last up to five years or more. They are used to make various types of wigs including headband wig, lace wigs, and other types of wigs.
- Synthetic Hair.
This can be made from several man-made products and doesn’t look as natural as human hairpieces. It’d easily damaged by the sun and other weather factors like moisture and water. It lasts for a few months and has an overly shiny appearance.
Unfortunately, you cannot treat synthetic hair products with a hot iron or blow dry them. Doing so destroys them and hence styling is limited and is considerably less expensive.
Weft (Track) Weaving Techniques.
Having looked at the two types of hair used in making hair extensions, let’s see how the extensions can be attached to our heads to give us a natural look.
- Sew-in.
Weaves can be sewn onto tracks on your head by a professional stylist to give you a stunning appearance. First, the stylists begin by plaiting cornrows on your head and then sew the hair extension tracks on the cornrows. Sewing is extremely popular and can last up to two months depending on one’s natural hair growth rate. After this, your hair will need re-braiding or tightening.
Sewing gives room for creativity because the stylist can choose among different techniques to give you a stunning appearance. You can achieve a side part style if braids are placed leaving a part on the side. You can also be sewn in a pony-tail style if your hairstylist places braids higher up on your head to leave your hair out to cover the tracks.
Sewing has many benefits that contribute to its popularity. It allows your hair to rest and grow healthy. Well-sewn hair will grow without incurring the cost of blow-drying, relaxers, or chemicals.
During the period you have sewn your hairpiece, it’s paramount to care for the underlying braids and scalp by conditioning and washing regularly. It’s good to keep in mind that very tight cornrows are likely to cause hair loss. The sewn-in hair should be light to avoid breaking your natural hair.
If you want to have a weave on your head, you can either glue or bond it. Bonding in is unpopular because it can only be effective for a few hours. You should only use it if you want to achieve a temporary stunning appearance. This method of hair extension application is mostly used by people attending occasions that take a few hours.
The unfortunate thing about bonding is that some people have allergic reactions to the glues used. Again, if the hairpiece isn’t removed carefully, you might lose some of your natural hair. Although we have removers available in beauty shops, you must apply the right quantity to safeguard your hair.
All braided styles have bulk hair whether they are synthetic or human hair. For example, if you want to achieve a dreadlock appearance, kinky hair can help you achieve it.
There are varying techniques that a hairdresser can use to attach these hairpieces to your head. Some long braids include box braids, goddess, or fishtails. They are all available in a variety of colors. Nowadays we even have blue and green colored braids. With braids, you can have them for as many as three months depending on your hair growth.
Sadly, most of the stylists braid the hair tightly which can make you experience invisible premature disappearing hairlines.
Any time you are on braids, you need to care for them and your scalp using the available products such as braid sprays, shampoos, and moisturizers. When you go to buy the sprays, ensure they contain conditioners and softeners.
To date, fusion is presumably the most expensive method of fitting hair extensions on someone’s head. It’s also time-consuming because the hair is glued strand by strand on your head. Though costly, it’s the most preferred in terms of versatility. Periodic maintenance and regular shampooing keep your fused hair in a naturally stunning appearance.
- Clip Ons.
Like in bonding, this method of hair application is great for a single-night look. Your hair is either attached to tracks or combs. You are only needed to decide the much to spend, the hair color, and where to fix the clip-on.
- Lace Wigs
This is another amazing hairpiece whose use is very popular among celebrities. Lace wigs will give you a realistic look though they are a bit pricey. If you buy a high-quality lace wigs, it can serve you for several years in its original appearance. You can choose to use glue or wear them without glue depending on the type of lace wig you purchase. This can either be a full lace wig, 360 lace wig, or a lace front wig.
Lace front wigs are growing popular than ever because they are made for anyone who is looking for comfort and flexibility. Many will talk of half wigs because the lace only covers the front of your head. However, they come in varying designs to suit your needs. You can fit it by yourself or hire a hair dresser to do the work. Lace front wigs vary in color, size, length, and price.
It’s paramount to purchase a human hair front lace wig for guaranteed durability and an amazing appearance.
Conclusion.
Having the above information, we hope that you are in a position to decide on the hairpiece that suits you best and how to get it fixed. Though you can fix some on your head, others will need a professional stylist to achieve an appealing appearance. Go to the nearest beauty shop and choose a hairpiece that suits you. To achieve a natural appearance in a wig, opt for human hair wigs.
