Any one here ever had hair extensions?

[abritta3]

Hi all! I was just wondering...with the craze of hair extensions these days if anyone has ever tried them? Just curious on your thoughts/experiences...

[Torrin Paige]

I've not had them myself, but back in high school (hmmm it was my junior year...so 16 years ago, I think? God I'm old) my friend Tracey got them. Her hair was chin length and her extensions were waist length. I believe hers were sewn in, instead of glued as they sometimes do. For the first month or so, they looked great. Then they just got rattier and rattier until you could actually tell what was her real hair and what was extension. I know it was a pain getting them out and she never got them again. I'm sure the technology and whatnot has advanced since then, so hopefully someone will let you know how well they work nowadays (although some recent extensions on America's Next Top Model lead me to believe that they still have a tendency to look awful if you don't take care of them properly...lol...poor Allison.)

[Speckla]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.

[Torrin Paige]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.

I think I'm offended for you! It's your head; you can do what you want with it! It's not like you had it in a lime green mohawk or something (not that there is anything wrong with a lime green mohawk, just that some places of business frown upon them..heh) The saddest thing to me? If your hair had originally been red and waistlength and you had come in with short brown hair they'd have probably complimented you and never said a word about such a drastic change. Le sigh.

[Fifty-Five]

I've never had them =P But I know quite a few people who have. As a gift, I once gave extensions to a friend of mine =3 They were weft hair extensions, and she put them in herself. I was surprised at how natural they looked =O She was able to put them in whenever she wanted, and take them back out. Usually if they went in, they stayed in for a few days to make it worth it. =3

[Buddaphlyy]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.

I would have went straight to HR and filed a complaint. That's harassment IMO.

I have braid extensions in now. They are about hip length and I did them myself. I love them. I will be taking them out at the end of the month.

[Speckla]

I didn't have any self-esteem and just let them cow me under. Now? I'd wear them and dare them to send me home or whatever they wanted to try. I had extension braids after that and kept them in until my roots grew to long to keep them in.

[Michele]

i've had clip in extensions, worn them for a good 4 months. They really looked good in the beginning, but they did get tacky real soon.. After i did my first henna i stopped wearing them, due to color change. AND i think they were too heavy for my fine and thin hair, since i experienced some breakage where i;d clip 'm in.
Those clipins did make me realize i want longer hair :D

[Unofficial_Rose]

I had dark blonde APL-length bonded-in extensions a few years ago (when I was blonde). They looked good, and my friends told me they took years off me.

HOWEVER, the bonds were like bobbles on my scalp and were uncomfortable to sleep in. I also disliked being unable to get to my scalp with the shampoo. But the real deal-breaker for me was when I woke up and noticed little white dots of pulled out hair roots next to the extensions.shudder: I used olive oil to soften them, then took them out one by one. They took around 1/3 of my hair's volume with them. It took about a year for my hair's thickness to recover. :(

I wish I could find some clip-ins to match my hair's colour/texture. So many people seem to be able to do this. Trouble is, I henndigo so the colour varies somewhat over the course of a month. I see lots of good-looking clip-ins on the web, but would need to try in real life to avoid an expensive mistake!

[inertia]

I've had extensions twice. They're really popular here (Japan). The vast majority of extensions here are human hair and attached by a variation on the pinch-braid technique.

I didn't like them. The braids hurt. It was hard to wash and took forever to dry. I had to style my hair every time to make the texture match, either by ironing or curling it. Also, my natural hair is a little thick and I had a problem with the amount of extension hair -- whether I had a little or a lot of extensions, it always looked really thin and ratty compared to my piles of natural hair.

I also used clip-in extensions. Clip-ins are great! They were much more comfortable, and it was really nice being able to use them only when I wanted to.

[Fractalsofhair]

I had bright pink glue in ones for charity in 8th grade. They were supposed to last a month, but I sat next to a guy that thought my hair was very attractive(He still does this to his current gfs apparently.) and as a result tried to play with my hair a lot. It was funny, but he would pull on the extensions when bored, since he thought they felt funny and he liked to play with my hair. Several times, by mistake he pulled out the extensions and chunks of my real hair! Shockingly, I didn't notice until I heard him screaming. XD Now there were only a few streaks, so all was well, but... It was awkward. He had a very high pitched scream, and well... I thought one of the other girls in the class had seen a chipmunk run into the classroom or something(which did happen once!). He's still awkward like that, and well, pony tails around him are a good idea, since otherwise he gets distracted. Sweet guy though, said he was sorry and thought he had hurt me when he saw the big chunk of blonde hair with the pink! Offered to try to glue them back in, with a hot glue gun in the art room, but I didn't think that was the best of ideas, even then when I thought a blow dryer was good for hair! XD It was very damaging to my hair, but I think that was more how that guy pulled out most of them! I didn't mind him playing with my hair, but shesh, pulling out extensions! They lasted maybe 2 weeks due to having him play with them. So if you have a young child that likes to pull on hair, or friends that do the same, I don't suggest the glue ones. Good quality human hair extensions also cost a lot of money...

Clip ins seem fun and fairly hair friendly for an occasional change. One of my friends has bright blue clip ins which she uses as opposed to dying her hair blue.

[holomi]

I sometimes braid extensions in. I also own clip in ones, but those are as long as my natural hair now! (Yay!) :cheese:

Clip ins are great, you can get them at Sally's for around 80 dollars if you are curious. Easy to put on and off as well.

[Nyghtingale]

I've never tried them.

[Absinthegelatin]

I've had two types of hair extensions-

1)"Pre-tipped" extensions (attached w/ a sort of wax/glue)-
I would not reccommend these for anyone who cares about the integrity of their hair. They looked *ok* for about a month and a half but then the real trouble began and I ended up really wishing I had not gotten them put in. They looked ratty and were impossible to manage before I eventually had them removed. My hair was damaged by the process involved with attaching them to my head and I could feel the damage for months after taking them out. Yuck!

That being said, I know there are more options out there for extentions that last a couple of months.... I just don't know about how effectively they can be removed w/out compromising your own hair.

2)Clip-In extensions-
These work really well in my hair. I am growing out an a-line bob and the front pieces/bangs were not as long as I would have liked. I went out and bought some of those blonde human hair extensions from Sally Beauty supply. It took me a little while to really learn how to position the clips *just so* but now that I know how to do it my hair looks really full in the front and the line of the haircut follows the curve of my chin quite nicely. I haven't had any damage taking them out. I also bought some colored ones (blues and pinks) and was really enjoying putting them in for a burst of unexpected color but alas, they are synthetic hair and tangle easily. Real hair is the way to go with the clip-ins.

[swanns]

Probably not quite what you're looking for, but I've had fake dreads that were braided in with my then about shoulder lenght hair.

Here are two pictures;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/Sammal/Hair/DSCN3742.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/Sammal/Hair/DSCN4099.jpg

I could only have them for about a month until I had to take them off because my scalf became so incredibly itchy and the dandruff was quite... something. It was nice to try them though and I've not had the desire to get real dreads since :D Not for me.

[InTheCity]

I like to say that I had them before the craze/acceptance of white people wearing extensions.

I grew up an a very "urban" area where weave was easily accessible. It took about 2.99 to buy a beautiful track of black/red that my classmate sewed into a ponytail for me. This was 10 years ago, before white girl extensions were on the shelves so my experiences included a fair share of jokes. All in good fun though.

Because it was a high ponytail, I only lasted a few days. It started giving me a headache.

[redneckprincess]

I was the hair extention queen a few years back...I always used real hair so I could wash dry and heat style.....
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/redneckprincess78/hair/m_fd226926c08804f8f489468933c36873.jpghttp://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/redneckprincess78/hair/m_df8c4232f66531b19fe2346e543487a6.jpghttp://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/redneckprincess78/hair/m_fbf8193c9b1ecfff1b09bd9ba0f673a5.jpghttp://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/redneckprincess78/hair/IMG_0366.jpghttp://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/redneckprincess78/hair/m_ac909996d54247e00da9973abaf986d9.jpg


but next time my hair is that long...it will be my own ♥

[jivete]

I've used clip-in extensions and really like them. They're good for filling out my wimpy tresses. Right now, my old ones are as long as my hair is now. When I get to goal though, will all virgin hair, I'll probably buy another set that matches my hair better for the above body building reason.

Glue-in extensions completely trashed my sister's hair, so I don't recommend them.

[soraya69]

I had Great Lengths extensions for a total of 1.5 years (2 years ago I had them done 4 times, then again in December last year and wore them until April). They are really great, as long as they are in. Real hair, matched my own hair perfectly, and I enjoyed having amazing, long, full hair. But, they do damage your own hair, especially when they are being removed. My hair was so thin, my ponytail was as thick as my pinky finger and much shorter than it had been before putting the extensions in :( Which of course feels horrible, after having had long luscious hair :(
They never bothered me, although I always had to be careful when combing, so the comb didn't get caught in the bond and rip my hair off, and I wished I could have reached my scalp when washing. Oh yes, and when you shed, your hair stays caught in the bond, and that can lead to some serious itching. Other than that, maintenance was easy, and I could still color my roots, blow dry and flat iron as much as I wanted.
Overall, I think I prefer growing my own hair, even if it's much more work.

[GlennaGirl]

I would absolutely use clip-ins to fill my hair out. My hair is very thin. It's a few crazy colors right now, so it's hard to match. I may look at Sally's in the future...that way I can at least get color ideas since the colors never look the same online.

I think this idea is just fine and can be very fun. I did have a couple of clip-in "ponytails" (two side "tails") way back when, but my hair is as long now as they were then, amazingly! They unfortunately no longer match my hair color...or it's the other way around...my hair color no longer matches them. But when I bought them, they were a PERFECT, and I do mean perfect color match...you would seriously never know.

[GlassEyes]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.
:mad::mad::mad::mad: That's horrible.

I've never had them. xD; I can imagine the mockery I'd get.

...however, that doesn't mean I haven't considered. I'm sure my mom will have one next year, as that's the next thing my sister covers at cosmo-school.

[saviniris]

I have always wanted to (but never have) do extensions. Not to give me more volume but to play around with different colors without having to use chemicals. The biggest reason why I never have done them was because I am afraid of the damage they would cause.

[eresh]

I don't know if this falls in the extentions category.
I had (very fake) colour accents.
Braided them in myself, too low because otherwise they were too short.



Picture (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=867&pictureid=41652)

[Speckla]

:mad::mad::mad::mad: That's horrible.

I've never had them. xD; I can imagine the mockery I'd get.

...however, that doesn't mean I haven't considered. I'm sure my mom will have one next year, as that's the next thing my sister covers at cosmo-school.

That is horrible but now I feel bad. I always mention that when someone asks about any experiences...it turns it more about me and my issues rather than the actual wearing of the extensions and the OP questions.

[tarn]

I have an variety of different coloured clip in chunks that I love. They can pull on the hair a little and need a bit more TLC than real hair to keep them looking pretty, but I love them still. It means I can put a splash of colour or highlight into my hair without it being permanent.
I once got some human hair clip ins but the thought of wearing someone elses hair freaked me out a bit.

[hennaphile]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.

:guns: that's AWFUL! Sounds like you could have used a mob of LHCers with torches and pitchforks to talk some sense into them!

[Tap Dancer]

I've never had them, but clip-ins in pink or blue would rock! :)

[Wanderlust]

I've had pinch-braid extensions a few times. It's pretty hard to get the hair texture and/or color to match exactly. And even if they do match exactly, there's still those two layers: one for your real hair, one for the extension hair. And some of my hair (especially near my temples) was broken off or pulled out from the braiding process.

I would try it again, but I would get sewn-in wefts and save up to get really good quality hair that matches mine. I'd never try anything that uses bonding/glue...I don't trust it not to ruin my hair.

[LittleOrca]

The only hair extensions I have ever had were clip in ones and they were colored streaks of hair, nothing to really increase length. :)

[Jules diamond]

I used a 30 inch clip in ponytail this year for the first time. I loved the way I looked, but the clip-in was always tough to take care of, and would have strands sticking out, and was often itchy to lean against. It was fine for a few weeks use though. Now I'm hoping to be able to achieve a similar look with my own hair! Might take a little longer though. ^^

[Feye]

I've researched extensions because I thought that it could be nice with a row at the back of the head for added thickness. However, I came across so many opinions and scary stories about lost thickness and permanent bald spots that I didn't dare to try it. Also, the cost of them would be more than my monthly rent! It is interesting with such a thread like this to hear of real experiences.

The idea of women (in Asia?) growing their hair for many years and cutting the hair off just so that a western woman can wear it on her head for a few months is also repelling, IMHO. It says a lot about the world we live in. Although I'm sure that it could be argued that this is a good source of income for some, the idea just doesn't agree with me. Perhaps because I would feel upset if I cut my own hair off, so I imagine that it would be upsetting for them too?
I hear that when it comes to extensions, plastic ones can be damaging to our real hair, so real extensions are preferred.

A friend of mine got extensions some years ago. It looked great for a month, then the splits were so horrible that she couldn't even comb it. I'm sure that not using conditioner didn't exactly help. She had to take them out after only 2-3 months.

I might try clip in extensions! It could be fun to wear on some days. I did read a warning that wearing them every day could put too much stress on the same spot (the added weight) that it was recommended to only wear them occasionally.

[GlennaGirl]

The idea of women (in Asia?) growing their hair for many years and cutting the hair off just so that a western woman can wear it on her head for a few months is also repelling, IMHO.

It's absolutely not a prerequisite that a set of hair extensions be from a human head. Mine were synthetic and I wouldn't buy any other kind.

[Feye]

It's absolutely not a prerequisite that a set of hair extensions be from a human head. Mine were synthetic and I wouldn't buy any other kind.

That's how I feel too. Although I've heard that synthetic extensions can damage our own hair because it's not the same fiber. How was your experience with this? If you had a good experience I might look into synthetic clipons.

[GlennaGirl]

That's how I feel too. Although I've heard that synthetic extensions can damage our own hair because it's not the same fiber. How was your experience with this? If you had a good experience I might look into synthetic clipons.

I loved them. They were fun. I wore them clipped near my scalp behind my ears, with a bandanna over my head...they were my two "ponytails" (made from four clips). They were adorable. A bit uncomfortable simply because there was something "there" under the bandanna, but nothing I couldn't live with.

They looked very cute and very real.

[Feye]

I loved them. They were fun. I wore them clipped near my scalp behind my ears, with a bandanna over my head...they were my two "ponytails" (made from four clips). They were adorable. A bit uncomfortable simply because there was something "there" under the bandanna, but nothing I couldn't live with.

They looked very cute and very real.

Thanks! I will look into this. Not for everyday wear, but it could be fun for special occasions.

[Buddaphlyy]

It's absolutely not a prerequisite that a set of hair extensions be from a human head. Mine were synthetic and I wouldn't buy any other kind.

Exactly. I've worn human hair and synthetic extensions and wigs and never had a problem with either kind. I just prefer the synthetic kind because they are cheaper and maintenance is easier.


That's how I feel too. Although I've heard that synthetic extensions can damage our own hair because it's not the same fiber. How was your experience with this? If you had a good experience I might look into synthetic clipons.

Any type of extensions have the potential to damage someone's hair if they don't take care of them. A lot of people get extensions and think "oh, this isn't my real hair so it doesn't matter if I don't do anything" and then wonder why they have problems when they remove them. It's not the extensions themselves that did the damage, but the persons lack of knowledge about how to use and care for them.

[Babyfine]

I've been thinking about ordering some Toni Brattin hairpieces-not sure these count as extensions but I like the idea of the clip-in pieces to fill out my own thin ponytails-or twists. A long pony would be cool!
But I would need to see it in person to get the color right, blended to my own hair.
I ordered one off QVC a long time ago and had to send it back because it was too dark.

[hendrix.co]

Probably not quite what you're looking for, but I've had fake dreads that were braided in with my then about shoulder lenght hair.

Here are two pictures;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/Sammal/Hair/DSCN3742.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/Sammal/Hair/DSCN4099.jpg

I could only have them for about a month until I had to take them off because my scalf became so incredibly itchy and the dandruff was quite... something. It was nice to try them though and I've not had the desire to get real dreads since :D Not for me.
I love the dreads they look fantastic on you!

[Lady Danger]

I'm curious how easily clip-ins can be used if you have reeeeeally thin hair? I'd be afraid you'd be able to see the clip through my hair. I wouldn't want them for every day, but it might be nice for special occasions so my hair doesn't always look so flat and thin.

[sherigayle]

I had BSL braided extensions about 11 years ago. I loved them! When I had them taken out, I had human hair APL length extensions braided in. I had them done by Sonia at Hair Police (http://www.hairpolice.com/hairextensions.htm)

[xoxophelia]

Personally I would never do it because I would sorta feel like I was being too high maintenence or losing touch with my view of reality. Don't know if that makes any sense, but I am more the feel in touch with nature, roll around in the mud type. Extensions just wouldn't be "me"..

[gorgeous]

wow so many contributions !!!!!! thankyou all so much !!!! you are such a wonderful forum bunch !!!!! well first I wouldnt go for the dreads although they look great. It wouldnt suit me.

secondly re the synthetic hair it has changed a lot over the years. now you can get synthetic hair that you can curl and Iron( heaven forbid that word) the hair is much lighter than human hair so from the point of view of it not damaging the hair. if you put it in with a method that wasnt glueing the weight shouldnt pull the roots so it should be a bit better for the hair.

the price is dirt cheap but as with everything for sale you have to choos the right company or you may buy rubbish !!!
I still have my 3 rows of micro links is and as long as I condition wash all is ok oh and brush with great care holding a ponytail first then brushing the length. I am still going to try the manemaxx extensions and hope I have done the right thing.
My hair is at the longest point 1/2" below brastrap. and layered to shortest point just above collar bone. and my goal TAILBONE if I last that long lol......

[gorgeous]

OK now I am totally embarrsed this is not the thread I started but someone must have kindly bumped it up for me. thankyou for doing that. I started the thread about wearing extensions while growing out you hair so the post above me is in response to that thread too. Gee I feel so silly !!! yep I am an official newbie here. ( hangs head low)

[Dreams_in_Pink]

LOl i had to check this thread twice to see if i posted on this thread.. extension threads started to multiply their numbers :D

I had microrings for a month. Other than that, i also have 8-piece human hair clip-in set. I really recommend clip-ins for everyone, but i cannot say the same for microrings :(

First off, what you shouldn't expect from extensions is to "feel" like a longhair. You'll look like one but won't feel like one. Your hair actually feels shorter...Also, you shouldn't expect to make the updos seen here without showing links; even if you can hide them, they'll hurt like hell because they're put in the direction of gravity; it hurts when you pull it in other directions. Another thing is shed hair roots looking awful by the end of the month. After some time those shed hairs create knots in the roots (for you cannot comb them well). You also need to wash your roots squeaky-clean, to reduce the risk of links sliding & glues melting.

On the other hand, the confidence is really worth all of this :D Even if you feel like crap, you actually look gorgeous and you can definitely see it in the eyes of people around you.

My advice is that if you're going through an awkward stage, extensions are a must. It helps you to look your best while not having to trim your awkward style; thus making the stage pass quicker. It's also such a delightful experience to see your natural hair has grown a lot since you had extensions put in :)

[Demetrue]

D.I.Y. extensions 18" 2007
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2125&pictureid=66839

[ilovelonghair]

I had sew-ins about 5 years ago. I really loved them and they looked great. I got sent home from work though because my manager thought it was too radical of a change. I went from having short, short brown hair to near waist length red hair. I didn't keep them in for too long because of the nasty comments of coworkers and my manager.

I used to have a fake ponytail that I used to wear every other day so I could go from short to extremely long in a day. People got agitated by that. Weird!

I have had some real bad weaves, the first one I had put in started shedding like mad the next day and the braids were hurting so much I couldn't sleep. It was like someone was cutting my scalp.

Some weaves shed because they haven't been made properly, the top isn't very secure. I didn't know there is good synthetic hair nowadays, the stuff I see in shops just looks nasty, I bought a turquoise clip in lock and it ended up as cat toy :D

With wax extensions I have had a lot of breakage, as well as braided in weaves. Clip ins are the best, but they tend to sag and you can loose them.


Just have to add: hair from China comes from people selling their hair, the same for European hair, which mostly comes from Russia from poor women, Indian hair has been donated to a temple. Women do that because they believe it brings good luck to donate their hair to that temple. It's a huge business, you can't believe how much hair comes from that place, I've seen pictures of halls filled with bales of hair up to the ceiling.