Hair Extension Advice

One Of The Uk's Leading Hair Extension Suppliers Give Their Tips On Buying Hair Extensions
WWW.VIPTRESSES.COM / @VIPTRESSES

Sally Price, MD of VIP Tresses – Expert Tips On Hair Extensions

Matching Colours When Buying Hair Extensions

• Always look at the tips of your hair and not your roots/fringe when trying to match your hair to the colours of the extensions

• Always place the extensions under the last and first layers of your hair to ensure the colours blend

• If you do not do the above, you will end up with a 3 tier colour affect and will not blend seamlessly (i.e. roots light, tips dark, extensions light)

• Natural hair colours can often be difficult to blend as most hair extensions have been chemically coloured, whereas natural hair colours obviously haven't. Coloured hair extensions can hold a lot of gold tones, however natural hair colours can be one-toned can be a little flat in colour – the solution for this is to go a shade darker with the extensions. This can give the illusion your hair has natural highlights and with a nice soft wave or curl this can blend the colours together. Another very popular look is the ombre/balayage look whereby you add a lighter tone to the ends of your hair

• Some hair colours, coloured and uncoloured can consist of a mix of tones. Most good manufacturers will have a number of different mixed shades you can match to

• Always choose your hair extensions after you have dyed your hair otherwise you won't get the best possible match – although VIP Tresses offer returns on hair extensions many companies do not allow returns



Choosing A Length When Buying Hair Extensions

• Hair extensions generally start from a length of 8” through to 24” - depending on the brand/manufacturer this will vary

• Firstly you need to look at the layers and length of your own hair - the ideal length of your natural hair to be able to cover the extensions, is at least 4”

• If your hair is shorter than 3” a full head/half head wig can be a great option to change your style and colour. At 3” you can use clip in hair extensions, glue in a one piece hair extension or even a half wig/instant weave

• Your natural hair must be able to cover the applied hair to give a natural free flowing look

• If your hair is a bob length or all one length (no layers), the hair extensions will need to be thick to blend correctly. If you hair is blunt cut with no layers it can be very difficult to hide the step from the natural hair to the hair extensions. You can either add more of the hair extensions to enhance the volume or wear the extensions that are wavy/curly to blend the sharpness of your own hair

• When wearing clip ins with a sharp bob cut, take the front part of your natural hair and clip over your ears. Take the underneath of your natural hair and either clip into the nape of the neck or put in a low ponytail - this is a great way to disguise the fact you have short hair and you are wearing hair extensions

• If your hair is very short but you would like to have long and volumous hair, a one piece in either synthetic or human hair can be a fantastic option

• If you would prefer to have the hair extensions professionally applied or use as layers of clip ins to go from short to long, you may want to mix lengths of hair together. (e.g. for natural hair shoulder length, mix a 14” and a 18” to give length and volume without having to have the hair extensions cut in)

• Hair extensions can also be used for volume by purchasing hair extensions the same length as your hair. Big hair seems to be a must in our day to day lives now so adding the same length of hair as your own can give amazing undetectable results


Choosing A Texture When Buying Hair Extensions

• There are many hair types which can be matched with a perfect texture of hair extensions

• Silky Straight (STR) - this texture suits hair types which are generally straight in texture. When wet this hair can take a natural wave however is very easily blow dried or straightened with a silky/glossy finish

• Body Wave - this is the loosest of waves available in both hair extensions and hair pieces - upon washing it reverts back to a lovely loose wave which can be scrunch dried using a diffuser or can be re-curled using heat

• Italian Wave - this wave is a little tighter than the body wave and is ideal for people with naturally wavy hair

• French Deep Curl – this wave is similar to a spiral curl and is great for naturally very curly hair or permed hair

• Afro Kinky - this is the tightest of curls and is very similar to a permed hair or naturally curly afro hair


About Clip In Hair Extensions

• Clip in hair extensions can be very versatile and a great way of changing your hair style in seconds

• Clip ins can come in a variety of styles and sizes from synthetic hair to remy hair

• One piece/Multi-layer clip ins are easy to apply and can give instant length and volume. See below the step by step guide:1. Simply section the hair 2inches above the ear, hair above the sectioning place into a clip out of the way
2. Hair below the sectioning can be pinned to the nape of the neck or placed into a ponytail
3. Clip the top 3 clips to the natural hair. The best way to apply clips without causing too much pressure or stress to the natural hair is to twist a section of hair to the root around 3 or 4 times
4. Attach the clip into the twist - this gives a stable setting for the clip to sit in. Please note back combing the roots is another popular way to apply the clips however continuous back combing of the root can cause breakage/snapping and even hair loss so this is NOT advised long term
5. Once the top 3 clips are attached, the clips around the bottom layer can be clipped to either the hair you have pulled into the ponytail or to the loose hair for extra support
6. Now your hair piece is applied, remove the clip from the top section of your natural hair and style over the hair piece. Instant glamour in seconds!• 3 or 5 piece sets are also great clip-in options – the VIP Tresses made to measure clip ins are a great way to add length, volume or colour to your natural hair. See the below step by step guide for the 3-piece application:1. Take the smallest piece of your clip in (3 clips), section your hair from around the middle of the ear from one side to the other. Place hair above in a clip out of the way. Take your clip in and start from whichever side you feel most comfortable
2. The best way to apply the clips without causing too much pressure or stress to the natural hair is to twist a section of hair to the root around 3 or 4 times. Attach the clip to the twist
3. Take your medium sized clip in (3 clips), section your hair from inside the tip of the ear and apply clips
4. Take the largest clip in piece (4 clips), section your hair around 1 to 2 inches above your ear and attach the clip in piece. Follow these easy steps and you can have great looking hair which can then be styled however you desire

Straightening Your Hair Extensions

• Always brush the hair first from tip to the root

• Always apply heat protection spray

• Whether it be clip ins or permanent hair extensions, take small sections of hair for each stroke

• Low heat is always advised on natural hair and extensions – Cloud Nine hear appliances are great for this as they are temperature controlled and natural hair will then grow healthier and thicker

• FACT - you only need a heat of 120c to straighten or curl your hair extensions - excessive heat can dry your hair out and also snap your hair making it shorter

• Straighten your clip ins hair extensions before you apply them to your hair. This will stop you from pulling on your roots or dislodging the clips when pulling through your straightening irons


Curling Your Hair Extensions

• Always brush the hair first from tip to the root

• Always apply heat protection – we have a great selection at www.viptresses.com

• Whether it be clip ins or permanent hair extensions take small sections of hair

• Low heat is always advised on natural hair and extensions - Cloud Nine heat appliances are great for this as they are temperature controlled and natural hair will then grow healthier and thicker

• When curling hair with clips on, it is ideal to curl before applying however if you want to curl in with your natural hair, try applying one section at a time so you can fix any clips that may become loose

• Depending on the size of curl required you can take a small section of around 1 inch for a tight long lasting curl or a section of 2 inches for a looser wave like curl

• If wanding the hair, section a piece of hair and wind from the root to the tip around the wand. It's always best to wear gloves to prevent burning your hands

• If using curling tongs section a piece of hair and curl from the tip to the root

• Always use a gentle hair spray so as not to make the hair sticky

• Curling hair extensions well can give you 2 days use out of the same curl saving you both time and effort

• Never re curl or straighten hair that has hair spray or product applied to it this can burn the hair and cause drying/breakage and snapping


How To Prevent Hair Loss via Hair Extensions

1. Professional Application
• Having hair extensions attached permanently is a big decision to be made and should be researched and considered thoroughly

• Take everything into consideration (lifestyle, how good are you at looking after your own hair, maintenance costs)

• Always look at having a professional/fully qualified technician who is insured to apply your chosen procedure

• Learning from youtube and getting a friend to try it out is not the best way to achieve amazing looking hair extensions.

2. Abuse
• Leaving hair extensions in your hair for too long can cause stress to the scalp.

• The recommended length of time for permanent extensions would be 4-6 weeks.

• Your natural hair should still be growing at this time and even some procedures can encourage growth

• Leaving hair extensions in for too long can cause matting of your natural hair from brushing and washing which can then lead to thinning/breakage or hair loss.

• Resting periods - having hair extensions for years is ok but not consistently. Overdoing something is not always a good thing.

• Consistently having hair extensions applied without having a rest can weaken the roots. Think about having a month off at least once a year.

3. Common Sense
• Common sense is sometimes forgotten when using hair extensions – for example: a) DO NOT sleep in clip in hair extensions - the metal clip will rub at your scalp and hurt!
b) DO NOT consistently backcomb your hair at the root to attach your clips on. This can cause stress to the root which leads to breakage and bald patches by the clips getting stuck in the backcombed hair and ripping the hair when removing the clip. • Instead, simply twist the hair at the root 3 to 4 times and attach the clip this will hold securely and safely

• Not everyone's hair is suitable for hair extensions. Some people may be on medication which can cause hair loss, later stages of pregnancy, skin conditions and even lifestyle.