Urban Sunrise

Have you ever wondered just how all those celebrity ladies can change the length of their hair at the drop of a hat? I’m here to tell you my friend, extensions are the key! Without them, Britney Spears would still be bald, and Miley Cyrus would still look like… well, a fifteen year old.

When you have damaged hair, it can seem like your hair will never ever grow out. Extensions are a great way to cheat without doing anything too permanent.

There are a few tips I can share on choosing extensions, the first being to always, always, ALWAYS choose human hair. I know, I know, it sounds completely disgusting to be wearing someones hair on your head, but you’ll thank me later, I promise. Human hair is heat safe, which means anything you can do to your natural hair, you can also do to your extensions. They can be colored, washed, cut, curled, straightened, anything. The only thing they can’t do is grow back, so make sure if you cut them, you’re sure that’s what you want! Whether you’re using clip-in extensions, or are having them somehow bonded to your hair, human hair is definitely the way to go.

The next tip I have is to keep them safe and dry. I have a long plastic box mine are kept in. After I remove them, I comb through them and gather them all together at the top, and then stick them in the box. You can wash human hair extensions, but you want to do it in your sink when you don’t have them in. (As in, please don’t wear them in the shower!)

To wash your extensions, first comb any tangles out. GENTLY. Do not be rough with your extensions, as you want to keep breakage to a minimum. Next you want to run a luke-warm sink full of water. Make sure your sink is clean, or use a large tupperware dish or mixing bowl. Add in just a little bit of your shampoo and gently swish the extensions through one at a time. Rinse in clean water, and empty out the sink. Coat each extension in a small amount of conditioner, leave on for about a minute, and then rinse off gently. Hang to dry, and then store them away until next time. Remember that you do not need to wash your extensions after every time you wear them. Unless, of course, you use product on the extensions, and then you should wash it out before storing them.

And now, I’ll teach you how to put them in! Honestly, it’s really simple and easy, as long as you can understand a few simple things. First, you should always start off with a head of straightened hair, it’s just easier to work with.

Then, part your hair as if you’re going to pull half up and leave half down. (Start at the top of your ears and go all the way around and pull it up into a ponytail.) You’ll need to section this bottom piece into three equal parts horizontally. Pin the top two up, separately so they they’re totally out of your way.

Next, tease (back comb) the hair near the part. Only comb ONE WAY. Hold your hair at the end, and then run your comb back towards the root.

Get your first piece of extension hair. (I have two 6 inch pieces, one 7 inch, one eight inch, and four 1.5 inch pieces.) To make sure the hair doesn’t show on the side of your head, you should start with a smaller piece (I use a 6 inch) and work your way to the middle of your head with larger pieces. (I use 6″, then 7″, and then 8″) Open all the clips.

Starting with the middle clip and working your way out, attach the extension clip to your natural hair. I find it’s easier to hold a small piece of hair straight out and push the clip into my head and close it so it’s secure.

Try to get it as close to the part as you can, but if it’s a little off, that’s ok.

Repeat for the next two pieces.

(See how it’s a little bit farther away from the part? That’s ok as long as it’s secure.)

Let down the top of your hair. With both hands, starting at the top of your ear, make a DIAGONAL part to the top of your head. (Near your crown.) This way, if you want to pull your hair back, you can’t see the side pieces.) Add the last large piece to the back of your head, but keep enough hair up to fully cover the piece.

(See how there’s enough hair at the top of my head to cover the extension? You don’t want to be able to see the stitching at the top.)

Add in the side pieces on the diagonal and you’re finished!

This is my finished product:

I tease the top of my hair and then go over everything lightly again with a flat iron to smooth it out.

So, the next time you’re in the market for extensions, remember these things:

1. Get all natural human hair. Remi hair is best.

2. Straight hair can always be curled, but if you get curly hair, it’s been baked in, so it most likely can not be straightened.

3. For clip-in extensions, you’ll want to buy pre-sewn wefts, which means the clips are already intact.

4. Shop around! Extensions can be expensive, but if you have a look around your local beauty supply shop or ebay, you might be able to find some great deals.

And keep in mind that extensions can be very heavy, so it isn’t wise to wear them every day, as they can damage your hair with too much use.