Hair Extensions - Uses And Types

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
Total Articles: 174
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In recent years the demand for hair extensions has exploded. Never before have they been so popular. They are not only the latest fashion accessory in the celebrity world but also in salons across the UK with more and more women turning to them as the fast way to grow their hair out.

As the trend of extensions has grown so has the type of hair extensions available and we are finding more reasons than ever before to wear them. Whether you want them for added length, volume or colour or for that extra little bit of confidence, they are a great way to experiment with style. Maybe you merely want them for a night out or a special occasion or maybe you want them on a more permanent basis. Whatever you reason for choosing to invest in the latest must have style my advice is go for it. You can get them in any length up to 26 or 30, any longer would be too heavy for your hair to handle.

You can still wear your hair in whatever style you want, if you want to tie it back, put it in braids or curl it you can. Your extensions are applied level with the middle of your ears and shouldn't be applied any lower than the base of ...
... your scalp; by doing this you are able to style your hair however you want as your extensions will be covered by your natural hair from all angles.

Now we get onto the type of extensions that are available to you. There are different types of hair quality and there are different types of methods to attach the extensions to your own hair. One of the hair types that it is advised that you avoid is synthetic hair. This form of hair extension can be seen as the equivalent of putting plastic in your hair. It appears shinier than your natural hair and doesn't have flexible styling abilities as you can't straighten or curl it due to the fact it will melt your extensions. This is however the best type of hair to use for dreadlocks.

One of the cheaper hair extension options that are available to you is using Asian hair. This hair type naturally grows course and is very dark and straight. It is good on a temporary basis, especially is you want a sleek, dark look. However the most commonly used hair for extensions is European hair. This hair is most often from Southern Italy or Spain. It is grown naturally dark and can either be brought straight or wavy; it is however recommended that if you use this hair you opt for the straight choice as you have the option of keeping it straight or occasionally curling it, whereas hair that is set wavy will be hard to get straight.

Nearly all of the hair that is used for extensions starts off really dark. It then goes through a chemical process in which the colour is stripped out, leaving the extensions to get re-tinted, which is done using fabric dye as oppose to hair dye. This means that you have to choose the colour of your extensions carefully as you won't be able to colour them due to the fact they have been through a chemical process so adding any more colour will make the hair break.

Before deciding on what type of extensions you are going to have you should talk to your stylist to decide on which type of hair is best for you along with which method of application is best. Only with the advice of your stylist should you pursue your hair extensions, as this will ensure that you get the best out of them.