Hair Extensions – My Experience

My hair has always been a challenge for me and I’ve wondered for years about hair extensions. Dreaming of long thick locks and perfect beach waves was the primary reason trying extensions continued to intrigue me. What finally led me to take the plunge was all together different. Keep reading to find out more about my personal experience with hair extensions!

Last summer I began noticing major hair breakage on one side of my head. Nothing makes you kick into high gear hair care like sporting a mullet. While my hair has always been thinner on one side, this was a significant break in my hair and my first thought was what in the world happened here?

So I explored the possibilities. Wearing my hair pulled into a top knot more often over the summer, too much heat on my hair and perimenopausal hormones were all things I considered as possible culprits.

Steps I took to try and get my hair healthy again? First I cut off the length to try and even things up. My color appointments were extended to 8 weeks instead of 6 and we added less blonde. The curling iron heat was turned way down and I added Vital Protein collagen to my morning coffee. I was seriously willing to try anything!

So the back of my hair and one side of my head continued to grow at a normal pace but the left side? Notta! I know, I know, it’s only hair right? For me this hair issue was becoming something I was obsessing over and it was making me feel so cruddy about myself to see every day.

When I popped in a hair and makeup party and visited with the adorable Rachel, a local hair stylist and one of the cutest bloggers, she totally suggested I try tape in extensions. She noted some of her clients began to see new hair growth after adding extensions took some of the shock off their hair.

So in I went! The stylist met with me to color match and determine how many extensions I would need and I jumped in. The set she uses comes with 5 sets of extensions and she used 4 on one side of my head and one on the other. You can see below the before and after. I was shocked by how well they matched!

Crazy right? Adding the extensions made my hair look so much longer overall and the thickness really balanced out my hair. I was so thrilled! Six months in and here are a few of my thougths.

What I Love

My hair is fuller and I can actually wear it straight again. For pretty much the past year I had not been able to wear a straight look because of the mullet. It drove me nuts! Because I’m wearing it straight more often there is definitely less heat on a daily basis than when I curl.

The extensions feel like my “real” hair and I really cannot tell without touching which is my hair and which is the extension. They have also been easy to take care of and I’ve had no issue with them looking dry or damaged.

My biggest worry was being able to wash and style my hair without ripping out the extensions but it was for not. I’ve been able to wash, brush and style as I normally would have. I might comb out the tangles a little gentler than in the past but overall no difference.

Downside

One thing I realized after getting extensions is I touch my hair a TON! Like constantly touch it and run my fingers through it. Well, not when you have 4 tape in extensions in a small area! This has taken some getting used.

The texture is slightly different and doesn’t curl exactly the same as my real hair. Managing my real hair along with the extension but still using the same products has taken some figuring out.

They have to be moved as my hair grows. So, my hair grows really, really slow but the good news is it is growing! This means as it grows the extensions move and about 8 weeks in mine have to be moved back up. Every time they are moved it costs money so it can get expensive.

I did not like the process of removing the extensions. The stylist uses an agent to dissolve the tape before removing the extensions but it still stressed me out a little as she was pulling them out. I mean, y’all, when you don’t have a lot of hair loosing even one strand is tough!

The first day or two after they were first added and the day or two after moving, my head is a little tender. Nothing awful but I could definitely tell something had been done.

No more top knot or high pony. While this may not be true for all extensions, because of where mine needed to be placed, I can only pull my hair back into a low pony.

Overall Thoughts

All in all I love the fullness they give the thin side of my head and I love having that length back in the front. They have given me back some confidence and I’m not constantly stressed about my hair.

Sadly my hair does not seem to be recovering the way I hoped it would. The back continues to grow but the sides are just creeping along. So while I do have enough growth to warrant moving the extensions regularly, the top layer has truly probably only grown about one inch since last August.

Will I keep them forever? I’m thinking I will keep them as long as this set lasts and see how my natural hair recovers. Before purchasing another set I am positive I will leave them out for 6-8 weeks and try out a shorter do if necessary. The investment has definitely been a fun change!

Have you considered hair extensions? Feel free to ask questions! I will be having mine moved later this week and will try to post a story about the process.