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How to Avoid These 5 Common Hair Extension Installation Errors
13-11-2018Share
How do you know when somebody has had a perfect hair extension job? You don’t… unless they tell you. At New Image Hair Extensions in Manchester, we always make sure that every client leaves us with undetectable hair extensions. We’ve been operating for over a decade and because of this, we have long since perfected our installation techniques.
You might assume that installing hair extensions is a simple task, and on paper, perhaps it is - but the reality is that there’s a lot that can go wrong. This article aims to educate anyone thinking of having hair extensions installed, because time and time again we’ve had clients come to us for corrections. It’s a shame that they’ve wasted precious time and money investing in extensions with an unskilled extensionist, but it’s the same in many industries.
You have to know what you’re looking for and which questions to ask to ensure you’re getting a quality product or service. Below is our guide to the most common hair extension installation mistakes; hopefully this will help you avoid costly errors and damage to your natural hair.
1. Common error: Poor Spacing
Your extensionist should be able to look at your hair and assess it wisely. If you have very fine hair or not a lot of it, installing too many hair extensions is asking for trouble. Even if your hair is thick and you have a plenty, it’s still possible to install too many extensions.
There are times in life when less is more, and your extensionist should know when that is. Too many extensions will overload your natural hair, causing pain in the scalp. On top of this, it can look pretty obvious, which defeats the object.
2. Common error: Poor spacing and positioning
At New Image Hair Extensions in Manchester, we understand the importance of proper positioning. That’s why we make sure that extensions are installed in very neat, strategically placed rows. Your extensions won’t be placed too close together; we leave approximately one little finger’s width between extensions. This helps them to appear natural and doesn’t overload your own hair. Poor positioning (as per the below photo) will cause terrible damage to your hair.
We also make sure that the extensions are not placed too close to your hairline, so that you can wear glasses or shades without them getting caught up. This also makes your extensions harder to spot when wearing your hair up. Your natural hair will cover the micro rings or fusion bonds when you gently pull it into a ponytail or bun.
The same goes for the amount of natural hair selected for the base of each extension. Each section of natural hair should be more or less the same size and density as the extension being applied. If it is too thin, it won’t be able to hold the extension in place long term. If it’s too thick, it will look and feel unnatural.
3. Common error: Installing on messy partings
Not everyone has a regular, even parting but when installing hair extensions it’s so important to not install around a messy parting. A clean parting should be set carefully before installation - and in the same position that it will be set ongoing. This will make it easy for you to brush and style your hair every day, which is crucial for good maintenance, lasting extensions and damage limitation.
4. Common error: Mismatching the colour
It is vital to be sure the colour of your extensions is a perfect match to your natural colour. We take into account when your hair has been dyed, and how it may fade over time. We don’t recommend dying your hair extensions, so we take care to get this right from the offset. Dying your own roots is fine, although it is a lot easier to have a professional do this for you.
It is normal for us to blend different colours of hair together to achieve a more natural look for your extensions. We probably won’t use one flat colour over the whole head, unless it’s an exact match to a single-coloured natural hair. We colour match at the ends rather than the roots, and sometimes we’ll use different shades to create highlight or lowlight effects. The more dimensions present in the colour, the more natural extensions tend to look.
5. Common Error: Installing inappropriate lengths
While it may be your dream to have Rapunzel-style locks flowing past your bum, this may not look so great in reality. It all depends on the quality and length of your natural hair. This is something we’ll assess and advise on honestly when you come for a free consultation with us.
If you come to us with a bob asking for 25” extensions, we’ll probably have to say no. We want you to look the best you can, so we’re more likely to add in various lengths of extension to work seamlessly with your natural hairstyle. This kind of layering can make it look like you’ve had a quality haircut, while adding plenty of volume. If your hair is around shoulder length or longer, we’ll be able to apply longer extensions without it looking superficial.
You might end up with 13”, 17”, 21” or 25”, but one thing we’ll take care about is making it look like your hair is all yours. What you’ll find is that wearing properly-installed hair extensions for an extended period allows your natural hair to grow freely, and the longer this grows, the longer your extensions can be next time. Lastly, after we have installed your hair extensions, we’ll slide-cut the extensions around the front and bottom to frame your face and perfect the overall look.
We’re happy to talk to you about installing your extensions, so call us for a chat, a consultation or an appointment whenever you’re ready.
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