Tape In Hair Extensions

What Are They?

Tape hair extensions are exactly what they sound like! The extensions are pre-taped and then taped/glued together on either side of your own hair. Typically a hairdresser would apply tape-ins for you because you need to align them to the roots and they are applied with a heated tool that heats up the glue. Additionally, you would need to have them removed (with glue remover) and then reinstalled. Naturally, when you apply heat to your roots and any adhesive product such as tape or glue, this can damage your hair.

How Long Do They Last?

Tape-ins’ are considered semi-permanent. Typically, they last 4-8 weeks before you need to remove and re-apply them, but just like any other hair it depends on how well you take care of them and it also depends on your hair growth.

Treatment

You have to be very careful with using conditioners or hair products because this can cause the tape to come loose or slip off. This is a very common issue with tape-ins, where the hair simply slides off. Because of this, hairdressers usually recommend you use special shampoo/conditioner and styling products that are less harsh and not as oily to ensure the glue sticks to your hair. You can style them any way you want because they are made with human hair, but need to watch out for the roots where the glue/tape is.

Sew In Hair Extensions

What Are They?

Weave hair is applied by braiding the natural hair into a corn row first, and then the extensions are attached using a needle and thread, and threaded into the braid/corn row. Weave hair extension are predominantly used for people with thicker hair because of the way they are applied and require more hair to mask. Generally speaking, the weave application is a very long process (usually several hours) and are applied tightly which often puts a strain on the scalp and therefor feel very heavy and uncomfortable. This is also the reason why it doesn’t work well with thin or lighter hair.

How Long Do They Last?

Recommended time is 6-8 weeks, especially if you are trying to grow your own hair. The maximum amount of time you should have a weave in your hair is 4 months if you have a full weave but it will affect your real hair so you should always ask the hairdresser that is applying the it.

Treatment

If you have a weave, you need to moisturize the scalp, the nape and edges of the hair at least once a week and be sure you are using deep conditioning products. Another popular recommendation for people with weaves is to wash with a special protein product to minimize the damage and effects of making your hair weak. When it comes to styling, the same rules apply for real hair vs. synthetic hair but usually weaves come in real hair because of how long they are kept in.

Fusions & Pre-Bonded Hair Extensions

What Are They?

Fusion hair extensions (also known as bonding or pre-ponded) are bonded to natural hair using different adhesives such as glue. Applying pre-bonded hair extensions take approximately 3-4 hours to apply and are should be applied by a hairdresser. Fusion extensions might not be suitable for all clients especially if you have damaged hair as this type of application is very damaging to your natural hair. The application involves a machine that looks like a hot glue gun, which essentially glues the hair to individual strands of the natural hair. For the pre-bonded hair extensions, it’s a slightly different method where you use a heat clamp to melt the glue to the natural hair.

How Long Do They Last?

They are considered semi-permanent as they stay in your hair for up to 4 months. However, like all other types, this varies based on your own hair type/growth.

Treatment

Fusion/ pre-ponded application is manageable and treated the same way as your real hair. You can use the same products you would normally use however they need re-positioning every 2–3 months as the natural hair grows.

Micro Link Hair Extensions

What Are They?

Micro link hair extensions are also known as micro bead or micro-loop hair extensions too, so not to worry if you hear these different names. These hair extensions are applied by looping the extensions through the natural hair. You then clamp it down with a special tool/clamp, heat, and a metal bead (or ring). They are fixed to small sections of natural hair and tightened with this special tool/clamp. Once again, this method can be very damaging because the heat from applying the metal rings causes the hair to burn and break. This method takes approximately 3 hours to apply.

How Long Do They Last?

Same as Fusion extensions, they are considered semi-permanent will generally last up to 4 months.

Treatment

You can wash them the same way you would your real hair and use the same styling products. Similar to fusion, they need re-positioning every 2-3 months as the natural hair grows and the micro-beads move away from the scalp.

Wigs & Hair Pieces

What Are They?

Wigs and hair pieces come in different forms and are applied to hair topically. With long full wigs, they are made to cover your entire head and it essentially completely covers your head and acts as a replacement for your own hair (meaning it is not blended with your own hair). The hair pieces are a little different, and they often come in the shape of a bun, ponytail or hair tie so you can just put it on top of your own hair. Again, these could be used because the area is balding and you need to place hair on top, or just to add a different look to your hair or create a different hairstyle.

How Long Do They Last?

It depends on whether they are real or synthetic and once again the way you take care of them greatly affects this as well. Typically, real human full wigs can last for up to one year if you take good care of them. The smaller pieces are usually synthetic and typically don’t last more than one month of use.

Treatment

These pieces can be a little challenging to wash, and depending on whether they are real or synthetic you have to be very careful. The other issue is the full headpieces are usually attached to either a plastic or other material (which it is sewn onto) and depending on the quality of this base, you have to modify the way you wash and treat the hair.

Clip In Hair Extensions

What Are They?

Clip-in wefts, also known as clip-in hair extensions, come in a strand of contoured pieces, some long, and some can be cut shorter, with clips that are sewn into the strand. The clips are sewn-into the hair before receiving them, making it ready to use, and easy to simply “clip” the pieces to your natural hair, all on your own! The clip is a snap open/snap shut method (see here for how to clip them in). This method is the least permanent style of extensions because you can quickly remove them and put them back on whenever you want. Unlike some of the other hair extension applications, clip-ins usually take 5-15 minutes to put on. Clip-in hair extensions are also the least damaging because they don’t involve any chemicals, heat, or other methods mentioned – they simply clip onto your hair so there is zero damage! This is one of the many reasons why it’s one of the most popular hair extension methods.

How Long Do They Last?

Once again, this depends on how well you take care of them, what products you use and how often you wear them. With proper care and regular wear, clip-ins last anywhere from 6 months to one year and sometimes even longer.

Treatment

The same synthetic vs. real hair rules apply when it comes to treatment of clip in hair extensions just as with any hair extensions. We’ll focus more on the real hair extensions since that’s what we recommend! But simply put, they are very low maintenance and we only recommend you wash them every 15-20 wears or if there is a lot of product on them. Just like your natural hair, you simply brush, shampoo and condition the hair and then let them air dry! Finally, you style your clip-ins the same way you would style your own natural hair. You can color them, and use curling or straightening irons; everything goes!

 

Reference: https://www.luxyhair.com/blogs/hair-blog/what-are-the-different-types-of-hair-extensions