What Type Of Hair Extensions Should I Select For My Wedding?

Are you thinking of trying hair extensions for your wedding?

Hair extensions are becoming more and more common these days, especially when it comes to weddings. But with all the options out there, how do you know what’s what?

Let’s take the mystery out of it all.

In this post, we are going to explain everything you need to know to make the right decision when it comes to investing in the right type of hair extensions for your wedding day.

Types Of Hair Extensions:

There are many types of extensions. The most common are:

• Removable pieces
  Tape-in
  Track Sewn
  Hand tied
  Beaded weft
  Beaded individual
  Fusion (Hot or Cold)

 

Here’s the breakdown:

Fusion extensions are, in fact fused to your hair, 1/4″ strand by 1/4″ strand. In higher quality extensions, the bond site is comprised of a synthetic keratin, much like what human hair is made up of. When each tiny strand is applied to a tiny strand of your natural hair, the bond is “softened” with a heat or cold-fusion tool so that it can be molded to your hair. The result allows for the most flexibility of styling. It is the most permanent type of extension, lasting 4-6 months on average. This type of extension is a commitment relative to both time and cost. Application time can take anywhere from 2 hours for just a bit of fullness to already longer hair, all the way up to 8+hours for shorter/thicker hair that needs lots of length added. The price varies from salon to salon as far as labor cost and the hair itself is an additional expense that varies depending how much hair and length is needed and which hair extensions company you order from. These types of extensions can not be reused. However, if you are looking for an option that will allow you to undetectably style your hair any way you’d like, these may be just what you are looking for.  Sarah Crews, hairstylist in Nashville Tn (founder of Black Tie And Blush) is a hair extensions specialist and has been certified in Great Lengths Hair Extensions since 2005.  There are many brands of fusion extensions but these are in our opinion, the highest quality with the most seamless bond. Other brands we like are: Donna Bella and Bellami

Beaded or I-tip extensions are also applied strand by strand as fusion extensions. They last slightly less time than fusion, but are still very flexible and easy to style given their fine application.  Basically, 1/4′ strand of hair is threaded through a tiny bead. An “I-tip” extension (a piece of hair bonded in a way that resembles the end of a shoelace) is then pushed up into the bead with the natural hair. Using a plier-like tool, the bead is then crimped down, flattening it, gripping the hair and holding the extension in place. See the  Donna Bella method here.  The advantage of these is that they can be reused up to 3 times, making this an affordable option. To remove the I-tip, the tool is used to unflatten the bead, opening it up and allowing it to slide off the hair. They take around 2 hours to install. Price of hair varies by company.

Beaded Weft extensions come in one or two large pieces per pack. The hair is attached to a “weft” or a seam that hangs like a curtain of hair. It is usually long enough to double and place across the back of the head reaching from just above the ear on one side all the way to the other. The weft has beads attached to the seam and hair is threaded though the beads like with the I-Tip application. The weft is held on by the hair that is pulled through the beads. The advantage of these types of extensions is that they may be reused. In our experience however, the beads can easily become weak after one or two uses. Some of the beads are made with metal and it is not uncommon for the beads to double over and get stuck on the hair. If this happens, it is difficult to get the hair out of the bead without damage or breakage. Weft hair can be heavy, bulky and less flexible for styling. They usually take about an hour to install. Weft hair is an inexpensive option. Weft hair itself can be worn over and over, the beads however can tend to get weak over time and may need to be replaced. A beaded weft extensions application lasts approx. 4-6 weeks

Hand tied extensions are becoming more and more widely used as more options for extensions methods are introduced. The hand tied method combines a beaded application and sewing wefts into bead-bonded hair. The natural hair is bonded with beads in 2-3 horizontal rows across the back of the head. Then the weft hair is sewn into those bonded strands. Wearability and cost are comparable to beaded weft extensions.

Track sewn extensions are typically sewn into rows of braids along the scalp. The braids serve as a foundation to sew into. The braiding can cause tension on the hair, especially finer hair which can lead to breakage or hair loss over time. It is a relatively inexpensive option but there is a bulkiness at the scalp area that does not allow for a lot of versatility for styling.

Tape in extensions are polyurethane coated wefts/panels with double sided tape attached ranging between 1″ – 4″ long is applied on either side of the wearer’s hair “sandwiching” the user’s hair between two panels. This is our pick for someone who has never worn extensions before and wants something more long lasting than the temporary option of clip-ins or removable piece. Sarah  does a lot of tape in extensions and also wears them herself. They are fast, easy and in our opinion the least damaging of all the methods. This is because each piece is light-weight and the tension is distributed over a larger surface area. Sarah wears her tape ins on the most delicate of fine hairs around her face and hair line without too much concern of damage to the delicate areas. We should mention that tape in extensions are not as undetectable as fusion extensions and are not normally worn near the hairline for this reason. They are also a bit less flexible for ponytails and braid styles. However, because they fall in a curtain,  look extremely natural and are easy and fast to apply and remove,  they are our favorite option.

Clip ins or one piece extensions are temporary and may be worn over and over again. As with the other options most are made of human hair and can be heat-styled. It takes a bit of practice to learn to take them in and out but they are relatively non damaging and can be a great investment since they can be used over and over for a long period of time before needing to be replaced.

So there’s the skinny on what’s what with hair extensions.

If you guys have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at Sarah@blacktieandblush.com

And don’t forget to follow me on Instgram at HairBySarahCrews  and check out this video where I apply tape-in extensions for one bride-to be and talk about the different types you could consider for your wedding day!

Also, on the “gram,  give us a follow at BlackTieAndBlush  for bridal hair, makeup and everything wedding.

Until next time doll.

XO,

Sarah