5 Mistakes You Should Never Make When Wearing At-Home Hair Extensions
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If I'm ever having a lousy day, a quick visit to blogger Amber Fillerup's Instagram (aka Barefoot Blonde) picks me up. Amber's feed is filled with the good stuff — gorgeous babies, a cuddly dog, a dashing hubby, and Elsa-inspired braids. Amber is a genius DIY hairstylist as shown off by her crown and lengthy plaiting skills. She has been wearing hair extensions since she was a 15 years old, which inspired her to launch her own brand!
On her site, she said: "I have tried sew ins (my hair was literally turning into dread locks by the end — so bad!), beads (they hurt my head), and glue ins, which I also just hated. My main reason for hating any form of extensions that stay in your hair (beads, tape, etc) is that I like to be able to braid my hair and style it tons of different ways and you just can't with them. With clip ins, you can move them around and hide them so easily. I also love being able to take mine out at the end of the day and just give my head a good scratch. I like to also be able to wash my hair and rub my scalp and brush my scalp when I brush my hair."
I was an early tester of the newly launched line Barefoot Blonde Hair (ships Nov. 16), and found the color to blend seamlessly into my strands, the texture to be nice (it held a braid well), and that they were not too heavy.
But since I am an extensions newbie, I asked Amber for some exclusive tips. Here, she shares exactly what not to do when rocking them for the first time!
Don't cut your hair extensions yourself.
"If your extensions are longer than desired, it's fine to cut them. But don't make the mistake of cutting them yourself, unless you are a professional. Instead, take them to your hairdresser, so he or she can clip them in and then together you can decide on the best length.
This way you can be sure to achieve the perfect length and also have the ends properly blended. If you cut them on your own, you run the risk of creating blunt or uneven ends which will be harder to blend."
Don't wear your natural hair with hair extensions styled straight.
"Although most extensions come styled straight, don't make the mistake of wearing them straight. Instead, wear them curled in order to blend them with you natural hair.
I always style mine into loose curls using some hairspray and a curling iron. If I want them a little messier and less perfect, I apply some dry texture spray on clipped-in and curled [hair]. The good news is extensions will hold curls for a few wears so you don't have to worry about curling and styling them every time you wear them."
Do not color your hair extensions yourself or use store-bought dye on them.
"It's best to shop around for a shade that is an exact (or very similar) match to your real hair. Because extensions are made out of real hair, coloring them is damaging to the hair (just like it is to real hair).
"In addition, it's an added expense. However, if you need to color your extensions, don't make the mistake of coloring them yourself. Instead, have a professional do it as they will know the best products to use on the hair and they will also be able to achieve the best color match. Store-bought dyes are often misleading and the results can be unpredictable, so you don't want to risk damaging your new extensions by coloring them yourself."
Do not match your hair extensions to the color of your roots.
"When you are selecting a color of hair extensions, don't make the mistake of matching your extensions to your roots. Instead, match them to the color of your ends. Most people have lighter ends (naturally or intentionally), so it's best to match to the ends since that is where your natural hair will transition to the extensions.
The closer the match at the ends, the more naturally your hair will blend with the extensions. If your roots don't match the color of the extensions, don't worry as the top of the weft (what you call a section of hair extensions) will be hidden under your natural hair."
Don't sleep with you hair extensions in.
"Try not to make the mistake of going to bed with your extensions in. If possible, remove your hair extensions before going to bed. Doing so will prevent your extensions from getting tangled and/or kinked. Plus it will be more comfortable for you.
However, if you have to sleep with them in, do a tight braid in the back. The braid will keep all of the hair flat and in the same direction (pointed down), which will keep the hair smooth and untangled — especially if you tend to toss and turn. When you're not wearing your extensions, store them in a small box or empty cosmetic bag."