Hair Extensions: Are they worth it?
Scroll to the bottom if you just want my top 5 tips or Keep reading for my background and personal experience.
I have never needed hair. Growing up I had thick beautiful curly hair.
Pre kids hair: Hiking in the Lake District I sported my thick beautiful curly hair.
Then I had children…four of them to be exact. One right after the other, all born within 5 years. My body was wrecked with the 50 lbs I had gained over those 4 pregnancies. I thought that was bad…
Then it got worse…my hair started falling out about 2 years after my last child was born. I mean it fell out in clumps in the shower. I wasn’t exactly bald, but I became DRASTICALLY thin. I didn’t have any health issues, I was just stressed and my body was telling me.
After I lost my thick beautiful hair, I looked older and was more self conscious. I looked at the gorgeous 20 somethings rocking 20 inch extensions looking amazing and felt envy. I had lots of thoughts…I am 40…is that too old to get extensions? Is it worth it? Will it make a difference in how I feel?
Photo Credit: IG @BeautyBunniesSalon
Ladies I am here to say…F**K YES!! If you have the money and the time to do it….YES! Before rushing to a salon, there are a few things that you need to consider which I am going to list here in a moment. So keep reading.
From my own experience, I was shocked at the end of my first install appointment at my new confidence. As my stylist Kristen turned my chair to show me the finished work, I was absolutely floored by the flood of confidence I felt. I still had about 40 lbs to lose of baby weight, but I felt absolutely BEAUTIFUL and weirdly…POWERFUL in my new feminine beauty!! I mean WOW what a boost. So do I recommend them if you have thin hair and dream of thick beautiful hair?
ABSOLUTELY!!! I would even recommend them to young professionals wanting an edge, to stand out, and be noticed faster. There is just something you can’t ignore about long beautiful hair on a women. It is a show stopper. So do your research and go for it. If you are in Bozeman, MT I absolutely recommend Kristen Marie…she is amazing, so kind, spunky and fun!
Here I am at 42 rocking 20 inch extensions with a demi color to cover my greying hair. I love them and feel like a model.
Things to Consider before buying:
Know Your Yearly Cost: How much money and time do you have to spend?
When you are choosing the type of extensions there is not only the price of the extensions to consider, but also the maintenance type for those extensions. For example, hand sewn wefts are more expensive than machined wefts. When choosing the installation type, which is how it is attached to your natural hair, be sure to ask how long the appointment will need to be, how often you have to come in (usually every 6 week) and how much that appointment will cost.
I got extremely lucky with an amazing technician who can move my rows up in 30-40 minutes for $75. That is an absolute steal!! Most charge $100+ per row and you usually have 2 rows of hair on your head.
When you know all the costs involved you will be able to choose more wisely.
2. Choose the Extensions:
This matters because some extensions you will be able to see and feel a lot more than others. I got a hybrid install of both natural beaded wefts, 2 rows on my head, with tape in extensions to add some grey.
However the tape ins made my hair heavier, move less naturally, and not be able to wear certain hair styles because they would show. Why do people get tape ins? Because they are cheaper and very easy to move up every 4-6 weeks, so again cheaper and faster.
3. Pamper your hair: Hair care is not optional
You are paying hundreds of dollars if you get good extensions. You MUST take better care of your hair from then on. This means buying a silk pillowcase and a sleep cap. This means a deep condition in the shower for 5 minutes once a week especially the ends. This means being gentle and combing out tangles starting at the bottom, going up, at least once a day. This means rinsing your hair after swimming in pools. Most importantly, using LOW HEAT with your heat styling, otherwise YOU WILL COOK YOUR EXTENSIONS!
If you are not willing to do these things….don’t buy extensions!
4. Pick the right length: Go longer then you think
My first extension were 16 inches and I thought that was long, until I cooked the ends with my too hot curling iron and had to cut the ends up more than an inch. It totally changed the look and I was kicking myself for not buying longer ones.
This example is why I would go 2 inches longer than you think you want. If you accidentally cook your ends, you have a buffer. Even If you don’t, going long lets you keep the same extensions longer because getting a trim won’t make you feel they are shortened so quickly. So go longer, unless you absolutely hate long hair. Sixteen inches is great, but your first couple of trims will bring it up quickly and you will lose some of the effect of long glorious hair. My recommendation is your first set be 18 inches. Once you know if you like extensions and everything involved in them, then go longer next time if you want!
5. Have a Blast: But Style your Hair!
I mean this. You will feel so much more confident and energetic. However you must do one thing. You must style your hair. Even with long beautiful hair you can have bad hair days. If you go to bed with damp hair and sleep without a cap, you will wake up with ugly hair. You must put aside 20-30 minutes to style your messy hair. Then you can wear it for 2-3 days before re-washing and styling again. Your can do this at night, in the morning, or the middle of the day, but style your hair after every wash. Then wear it different ways freshened up with dry shampoo for 2-3 days. If you go swimming in a pool, you need to rinse your hair and throw a little leave in conditioner in it. The chlorine is very drying to extensions. So style that bombshell hair and go live your best life. Hugs.