Hair extensions damage the hair. You will end up with shorter hair than what you started off with once you take off those hair extensions.  There is that glue that takes days of ripping your hair out to get out even with the hair glue remover it still does not get it all out completely in one day. There is the sewing method, but all of this still holds on to your hair for however long you leave it in and breaks each little single strand by weighing down your hair. It just hangs on your hair, and pretty soon one by one the strands start to break at the point it is attached to the weave. There is a new kind of extension called EZ Weft that has a little tiny metal hoop that clasps onto strands of hair, but this damages just as well. It holds up better than the other extensions without any bulk and feeling so natural that you would not think it is there, but you will notice the damage once removed. You would think that nothing would happen if it feels so weightless, but each of your individual hair strands are lighter than anything. You have to treat your hair as if it were antique.

:) If you want longer looking hair, try a half wig. A half wig is a wig that covers just enough of your head that you can brush the front of your hair over the wig to have a natural looking hairline. It also stays on by little combs inside of the wig. It has a little unnoticeable drawstring that you can not feel that you can tighten so the half wig will be sure to stay in place. They are making them so nice now that they seem to like your own hair. You will not even notice or feel like you are wearing anything at all. Active or not, it does not come out. And you can get a 60 seconds hair-do that looks incredible.  :o

Check out:

Human Hair Half Wigs-
http://www.hairsisters.com/new/ShoppingList.php?category_id=12

Synthetic Hair Half Wigs-
http://www.hairsisters.com/new/ShoppingList.php?category_id=13

I had bought me a synthetic hair half wig thinking that it was going to feel and look really fake, but I was wrong. I had bought a human hair one to compare, but could not tell the difference. Maybe it was just the brand that I bought which was the SYN.HALF WIG
FC-333 VEGAS GIRL. Waaaaay cheaper too!  ;)

 What about the little clip-on extensions?   They have a little comb-like thing that just sits in your hair.  Are they bad as well?  

Jim

I'm sure the clip on extensions are nearly as damaging as the bonded or tied versions.  Plus they are easier to remove.

The half wigs have a zig-zag looking stretchy comb on the inside of it to secure the wig to your hair. So, if those extensions have that type of attachment, it should be okay. But, if they're like the EZ Weft extensions which have these tiny metal hoops that are to be clamped down on the tiny strands of your hair, then those should be avoided. They feel great in your hair, and much more manageble and simply removeable or attachable, but the EZ Weft design will still do a lot of damage to the hair. I thought when I had those in, that I could just leave that type of extension on my hair while my hair grew in not thinking anything of it, until I removed it one month and realized I had lost like 3 inches length of my hair. My hair was shoulder length, but after I took out those extensions, my hair was a short crop just below my ears. NEVER AGAIN! Stick to the comb attachments or ponytails.

Same thing happened to me!! I had the ones with little metal rings, and then tracks of hair that are sewn in..it didn't really feel like much, and I only had 2 tracks..but when she removed them after 3.5 weeks, my hair is now soooo damaged!! it is like 3 inches shorter and all feathered and weak. I am back where I started from like over a year ago..it sucks!! So, I got it cut a bit..and am now not doing ANYTHING to my hair what so ever..I might continue to do the base color a few shades lighter..but no more blond highlights.. I have a natural color of level 4 or 5..and need to have to to at least a 7 to look good. my skin coloring looks terrible with my natural hair color so dark.

Any suggestions for helping my hair grow, would be greatly appreciated!!

hugz~sha;)

What a bummer, Peachygirl.  I hope you'll find lots of good hair care advice here-there's a lot to read.

Welcome to Longlocks.

Thank you so much!!! It's really great to have the support;) ~shay

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with extensions Peachygirl.  

Although, it is quite puzzling to me that they were damaging to you and others here who have used them as well.  I tried them many many years ago, and I never had any problems.  In fact, I found my hair healthier upon removing them because the braids (that they sewed the hair onto) served as a protective style. :-?  Maybe your damage had something to do with the metal rings.  I haven't had extensions in a long time so I've never heard of using any kind of metal.

The only problem I encountered with the sew in kind, was having beauticians tell me that I didn't need them because I already had long hair.  Apparently, it's easier to do when your hair is shorter and the beauticians really didn't want to take the time with me.  But, I liked the extensions because they were very low maintenance and it was fun experimenting with different colors and lengths without damaging my own hair.  

I've also tried the clip on's and the kind with the glue.  Applying extensions with glue is very damaging because it's imposible not to lose hair during the removal process.  I've never heard of anyone having success with these.  

The clip on's are fun because you can create temporary highlights or fullness, but they can be somewhat damaging if you aren't careful when removing them.  They need to be removed slowly just in case your hair happened to get caugt on the clip.  You want to be able to uncatch your hair as opposed to removing it too fast and ripping out your strands.

wrote on Apr 7^th, 2007 at 12:31am:

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with extensions Peachygirl.   Although, it is quite puzzling to me that they were damaging to you and others here who have used them as well.  I tried them many many years ago, and I never had any problems.  In fact, I found my hair healthier upon removing them because the braids (that they sewed the hair onto) served as a protective style. :-?  Maybe your damage had something to do with the metal rings.  I haven't had extensions in a long time so I've never heard of using any kind of metal. The only problem I encountered with the sew in kind, was having beauticians tell me that I didn't need them because I already had long hair.  Apparently, it's easier to do when your hair is shorter and the beauticians really didn't want to take the time with me.  But, I liked the extensions because they were very low maintenance and it was fun experimenting with different colors and lengths without damaging my own hair.   I've also tried the clip on's and the kind with the glue.  Applying extensions with glue is very damaging because it's imposible not to lose hair during the removal process.  I've never heard of anyone having success with these.   The clip on's are fun because you can create temporary highlights or fullness, but they can be somewhat damaging if you aren't careful when removing them.  They need to be removed slowly just in case your hair happened to get caugt on the clip.  You want to be able to uncatch your hair as opposed to removing it too fast and ripping out your strands.

Hi La Diosa!! I'm still trying to figure out how to use this site!! I am not exactly sure how to post responses quite yet. I think you click quote?? and then what..hmmm, maybe i got it right. Anyway, for me..the braids caused my scalp to itch and get flaky..but you are right, it was definitely those tiny clips that did the worst damage. I have had both just the braids as well as the ones with the clips, the the clips were worse. They only put a few in, per track, but I think she uses them instead of doing tight strips of braids across your head, for the trakcs to be swen into. Mine had the clips, and then she sewd the tracks onto my scalp..there was a braid, but not as tight. You know what, it is hard to explain because I didn't really understand exactly how she did it. The first time I had extensions, it was with glue to a strip. which went directly onto my scalp. I got an allergic reaction to the latex in the glue, and that night, I had to shower them off..well, I didn't have the right shampoo to dissolove the glue, so I used tons of conditioner, and just eventually pulled them all out..it was painful, and I am very sure I pulled out lots of hair in the process..because my hair was never the same. The second time I had the extensions was with the tight braids only..and then the third time was with the tiny clips and trakcs sewn in..I still think there was some braiding invloved. Anyway, I am totally sure that any kind of extensions are damaging..although, it totally depends on your hair to start with too. The African American type of hair is so much stronger and can stand up to the tight braids..mine was already damaged and weak..so there was no chance. For some stupid reason, I thought..this time it would be different, since my girlfriend had them and she had no complaints..I guess I should've taken better notice..as she has some baldness and alopecia!! She said she got that from all the years of her glued in hair extensions..as well as a thyroid condition.

s.;)

Hey Peachygirl,
If you want to reply to a topic simply click on the reply tab, type in what you want to say and then click post. The easier way (IMO) to include a quote of what someone has said in your reply, is to go to their post, higlight the part that you want to quote by left clicking your mouse and dragging it along until you've reached the end of what you want to quote, and then copy it. Start a new reply and paste the quote that you copied into your message. Then highlight it again and then click the key up top that looks like a sheet of paper and a blue arrow.  Then you can type your response after that.  I'm not sure how easy my instructions were to understand but if you keep playing with all of the features here, you'll get the hang of it.;)

First of all, your beautician should never have applied glue directly to your scalp.  The hair strip should've been glued to the roots of your hair.  At any rate, those things are not good to do but gluing to the scalp is wrong.  I can't believe what you went through to remove them, *ouch* just the thought is making me cringe.:o

I still don't know how they are adding clips of hair to braids.  I keep thinking about it but can't imagine how it's done or why, but I do know that using metal in your hair is just asking for breakage.

I agree with what you said about hair type or condition determining wether or not you'll experience damage from sew in extensions.  I know many black girls who love extensions just as I did. (I'm sorry, I hate the term African American, it's so  politically correct. I don't mind if others use it, it's just my personal preference:))  It's a myth however, that black hair is strong, it's actually very weak and fragile.  So, I really don't know why blacks may have more positive results with the sew in extensions than others, it is interesting though.  

I hope your girlfriend stopped putting extensions in her hair as well.  I was diagnosed with alopecia areata a few years after I stopped using extensions.  I know that when you have alopecia, you shouldn't use extensions at all because the weight of them can pull out the hair causing her alopecia spots to increase in size. The braided kind can also be harmful causing another form of hair loss called traction alopecia.:(  

My girlfriend told me she is keeping them in, because her hair is so damaged she figures it doesn't matter at this point to try and have healthy hair. I am thanking God each minute that I decided to take mine out, and will never put them in again!! Not in any form..the braids are just as bad in my opinion..I see the proof by looking at what it did to my own hair!!
I totally know what you mean about saying "African American"..I was thinking the same thing when I wrote that..but, I didn't want to sound weird saying black girls..but, that sounds much better and more real to me anywayz!!  haha;)
Her hair is soooo bad, that it looks like a baby's hair, but missing it spots..I feel so bad for her.  She actually just had a top piece made for her, so now, she has the tracks with the braids and the clips..as well as a piece fitted on top!!
When I took mine out, my head hurt soooo bad for days..my scalp was trying to get back to normal..I can only imagine how much her head must hurt at time, especially when she goes in to have them tightened..and taken in and off..the areas where they put them get sooo sore!! it's a nightmare..really.
Not sure why I had to try them one more time, but I've learned my lesson now..and I only hope that if other's are reading this, that they can benefit from my experiences and not go down the wrong path and damage their hair.. I am truly grateful that somehow I realized to take them off in time..I did not get the alopecia..but I did get weak, thinner and broken hair. I hope my hair grows back stronger and thicker..I want to take the best care of it possible!!

Well, it's at least good to know that you will now be doing whats best for you and your hair.  It's unfortunate that your friend won't be doing the same though.  I think if she keeps it up, she'll no longer have any hair to attatch the extensions to.  Maybe once your hair grows out and she see's how healthy and beautiful it is then you'll be an inspriation for her to acheive the same.  Take care! :)

Yeah Peachgirl, I'm so sorry about your bad experiences too with hair extension.  When I got my first extension put into my hair which was back in 1995 I didn't have any problems at all.  I got the sewd in process, and the beautician that sewd them in did a really good job!!!!!  She braided my hair first, and then she sewd the wefted extension onto my own hair.  They lasted a good three months.  They were very easy to maintain, and manage.  They were also very easy to remove or come out as well!!!!  I had no problems.  I remember a girlfriend of mine that had her experience with sewd in extensions told me years ago that in order for me to remove them I would've had to cut them out.  Well, I learned and found out that to be very fulse.  I didn't lose any hair at all.  In fact, I  gained more hair than I thought!!!!  I thought that I was going to have damaged hairs but I didn't.  My hair ended being the healthiest it had ever been, and it really grew very fast!!!  It grew from chin length to shoulder length in a three month period!!!!  I was really shocked!!!!  I really enjoyed and had lots of fun maintaining and wearing my 18" extensions!!!  I enjoyed wearing them, and washing them in the shower, and keeping them oled, combed, and brushed.  To me, it felt like I had a head full of braids rather than a weave.

I haven't gotten a good weave like that in a long time.  I'm thinking about getting it done like that again.  I already have the hair.  All I need to do is get the money to pay for it, and make the appointment.  I know a really good hairdresser that is going to do it for me at a really reasonable price.  She said that she would charge me $170 for the full head of hair.  I think that's a dog-on good deal!!!!  Especially from when the last time I paid a beautician to do a weave for me.  She charged me $250 for the full head job.   I felt at the time that was entirely too much money for her to just put 7 or 8 tracks into my hair!!!!!  I think a beautician should charge you $25.00 per track.  Whether he/she knows you or not.  I mean, if I was a beautician that's how much I would charge you if you came into my salon or shop and wanted a weave put into your hair.

Hey yall, in about a couple of months from now I'm planning on getting 30 inches of hair being sewd into my hair!!!!  I've never worn hair that long, and I can't until it is put in.  I have already measured i to see how it reaches on me, and I'm a short person, and 30" on me reaches down to my thighs or almost to my knees!!!!!!  Now, I experience and see what it's like to have knee length hair!!!!!  I've always wanted to see what it was like having classic length and beyond hair!!!!!  Since that is how long I am trying to grow out my real hair.  I am trying to grow it out floor length.

Hello!  I am new here!
I have been wearing extensions for a year now using the tape/glue and weft method..with no damaged to my hair...
I have recently started looking into doing a method that does not involve glue or tape in my hair...The EZ Weft method...I have really beautiful Asian Wefts so I wanted to make my own EZ Wefts...has anyone seen any demos on how to make the actual wefts and not just install them...thanks!

Hi & welcome!

You are fortunate that you have not suffered damage.  I've not heard of or seen anyone that has not had damage from extensions.  Tell us your secrets!!

I'm not familiar with making wefts, so I can't help you there - sorry.  :-?

My secrets? Hmmm I am really careful with them....most importantly when removing...no tugging or pulling just gotta be careful...
If there is anyone interested, I belong to another forum called www.diyextensions.net
If you are interested in doing your own extensions and not damaging your hair, visit there there's lots of helpful info ;)

I braided my hair with the synthetic extensions and it helps my hair grow faster. But I don't know how to tell if my hair is damaged or not. But it's longer now (not at my goal, but close), but I don't want to have to start over. Especially since I have to blow out my hair just to comb/brush it. I also want my hair to lay down straight, instead of the afro it becomes when I take them out after 1 1/2-2 months.  Any suggestions??

Having your hair braided for such a long time will cause the hair to remember the kinks from the braids.  (Some of us braid our hair when damp specifically to get more wave/curl.)  When the braids are removed, you might try doing a heavy conditioning to help relax the braid kinks.  Use a moisturizing conditioner and leave it in for at least 5 minutes (longer if possible).  Then use a wide toothed comb and GENTLY comb thru your hair (with the conditioner still in).  Rinse the conditioner out.  If you use a leave in conditioner, use that.  This should help the hair relax from the braids.

I use the clip-in variety, and they don't seem to cause my hair any damage at all, because they're so easy to put in and remove, and don't pull out any hair when you remove them.

They make me feel a lot better too, as I feel ugly as sin with the short hair I have now.

Hey!  :)

Forgive me if you have to repeat this, but Spartanette, how long is your hair now? Just curious. Mine is only an inch past my chin.
As for the extension thing, I have absolutely no experience in that field. In fact, I can only think of one person i know who has extensions, so I dont really have an opinion on them.  :P

                        -Jilayne

No problem. :) It's about two inches past my collarbone, if that.