Hiya, My name is Lauren and I’m going to be blogging regularly for Virgin Hair & Beauty and hopefully sharing my own knowledge, tips and advice on their hair extensions.
I’ve been wearing hair extensions for as long as I can remember, back to when I was at school and must have been about 15 when I discovered my love for long hair. I’m now 20 years old and I’m showing no signs of giving up my lengths and have probably tried every type and method on the market. I’ve always wanted long hair as I find it so much easier to style and have always liked a full glamorous look.
As mentioned, I’ve tried almost every type and length imaginable. As a young teenager with next to nothing for my budget I would wear clip in Human Hair extensions. In those days I would wear around 18-20” extensions and luckily had a few hair extension stalls near to where I live where I would buy them. Since, I’ve tried more clip in wefts, weaves, micro ring extensions and most recently single pre bonded tips. I’ve varied in lengths between 22” to 26” and from a light brown to jet black in colour.
My current hair extensions are Virgin Remy European Hair in Dark Brown, 24”. I had these fitted about a week ago (supplied by VHB) and so far I have to say these have been my favourite. The quality and type of the hair is most like mine (being white Caucasian) and I am always happiest when my hair is pre-bonded as the hair feels so secure and looks natural. While waiting to have these fitted I even wore clip in synthetic hair extensions I bought of eBay for around a tenner - NEVER AGAIN but they did the job! (maybe I’ll speak about this experience in another blog ha!)
There are so many possibilities these days of places you can get your hair extensions. There are so many types available and so many methods of fitting them that makes the world of hair extensions a confusing place. Every one will have varied opinions on their preferred type and source but I’ve put together a few “do’s” that I think are a good place to start especially if you’re a first timer!
DO...
- Make sure you’ve decided you’re absolutely sure you want hair extensions before buying or having them fitted. They take a lot of maintenance and going from short to long hair can be a lot of hassle for some. If you want an easy option and only want extensions for part of the time, clip ins are probably for you.
- Remember in most cases you will get what you pay for. If you buy cheap hair from eBay or a foreign site your hair quality will deteriorate quickly (there are lots of reasons for this and perhaps I’ll go into this in more detail in another blog but remember there is a reason they‘re able to sell such long hair so cheap!!)
- Remember the length you buy with vary on the method you have your extensions fitted and will be shorter than what you order once its cut and styled. You should work out length based on how long you wish the hair to be from both the bottom of your crown and the nape of your neck. If you want your hair cut and styled to look more natural you should bare this in mind. Also, if you’re someone who likes to curl your hair bare in mind hair looks shorter when curled.
- Think about why you’re getting extensions - do you want them for length? Or do you want them for volume? If you want both, I’d go for a full head. If you just want volume I’d go for half a head. Bare this in mind when buying them - whether by strand number or by weight you need it to correspond. Two packs, 200g is more than enough for me and I always have some left over but it will vary on your natural hair. Thicker hair = more hair extensions.
- Choose your colour carefully! There’s nothing worse than paying a lot of money and realising you’ve got the wrong colour and its nothing like your hair. Remember computer monitors can make colours look different. Most reputable companies will allow you to send them a photo to match the colour for you or will be able to send you a sample. PLEASE ask if you’re not sure. If they aren’t willing to supply one they’re probably not a good place to buy from.
- Remember wearing hair extensions will have an effect on your own hair. It will weaken it and you have to look after both. As long as you do, you wont have any problems (I haven’t in 5 years). You must treat your extensions exactly like your own hair if you want to keep that glossy look.
- Read up on the types of hair available and think about what you want. I’ll go into more detail about this at some point. There’s so many - European, Asian, Indian, Malaysian, Brazilian - the list goes on. But please think about it and think which will best match your own hair.
- Consider what method you want carefully - different people will have different preferences and there’s always pro’s and con’s about each. There’s always plenty of forums and online advice from people like me who have tried and tested all the methods and can offer tips on what’s best but ultimately make sure you do what’s best for you! Its you that’s wearing them!!
So those are some of the basics to consider when buying human hair extensions…. I hope this helps and makes the process slightly easier.
I’ll be back with another blog soon but if you need any tips, advice or opinions on anything at all, add me on TWITTER: @laurenexford and don’t hesitate to tweet or message me and ill do what I can to help!
LAUREN. xox