What are hair extensions
Hair extensions are sections of hair that can be used to artificially extend the length of your own natural hair or to simulate the appearance of hair where there is none.
People wear hair extensions for many other reasons including to thicken the appearance of their hair or to try new styles, textures, or colors. There are two types of hair extensions synthetic and human. Synthetic hair extensions are man-made fibers that mimic real hair, while human hair extensions are made with real human hair. Discover more about the types of human hair extensions.
Who installs hair extensions
Hairstylists/Hairdressers, some Barbers, Wig stylists, and Hair Extensionists install hair extensions. Not all of these professionals know how to or can perform all installation methods.
Does the person who installs hair extensions need to be licensed or certified
In some jurisdictions, hairdressers, hairstylists, and barbers are required to hold a valid license to perform certain services. The licensing program is often a 2 or 3 year program combined with on-the-job training. Verify requirements with your local governing bodies. Some professionals may hold a certificate of completion for certain hair extension installation methods. [1][2][3]
What are the different hair extension installation methods
There are 4 ways to attach hair extensions and hair pieces, which can be further broken down into 10 installation methods and they include temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent options.
Wefted Panels
Wefted panels of hair consist of hair that has been stitched or molded together at the tip of each strand to form one long section of hair. The size of a weft varies in length from 1” – 50”+ inches.
What Are Weave-In or Sew-In Extensions
Weaves or Sew-In hair extensions also known as “wefts”, utilize long sections of hair stitched together. The wefts are attached to braided or beaded sections of a client’s hair. The sew-in or weave can be done on a full head (whole head covered), or added to select sections of the head.
What are Beaded-weft, Micro-link, Micro-loop, Micro-bead Extensions
Weft hair extensions are attached to the wearer’s hair strands with small silicon-lined beads that make installation, removal, and touch-ups easy and fast. Beaded-weft Extensions are permanent as the wefts and beads are not as easily loosened.
What Are Tape-in Extensions
Tape-In hair extensions are 1”- 4” wefted sections that are coated with double-sided tape. These sections are used to sandwich a section of the client’s hair to create their desired results.
What Are Glue-in Weave Extensions
The Glue-in installation method utilizes wefts glued to the client’s hair, or glued to a cap for full or partial weaves, or wigs. This option is temporary as the glue may loosen over time with exposure to water and oil.
What Are Clip-in Extensions
Clip-in hair extensions utilize small clips on wefted sections of hair. They are temporary options that can easily be applied by the client at home.
What Are Flip-in or Halo Extensions
Flip-in or Halo hair extensions are another temporary wefted option that is secured to the head using an undetectable wire and can easily be installed by the client at home.
Strand by Strand
The Strand by Strand method involves attaching small pre-measured sections of hair extensions to similar-sized sections of the wearer’s hair. This can be achieved by using 4 different strand-by-strand attachment methods.
What Are Fusion or Bonded Extensions
Bonded hair extension methods utilize a heating tool that is used to warm a keratin bonding agent located at the top of the strand of hair extension. Along with the client’s hair, this warmed keratin bond is rolled to bond the client’s hair with the hair extensions.
What Are Micro Link, Cold Fusion, or I-tip Extensions
Micro Link hair extension methods utilize a small silicone-lined cylinder that is secured near the client’s scalp by a professional tightening tool.
Braided Extensions
What Are Single, Twists, or Box Braid Extensions
Single braids are created by intertwining pre-determined strands of hair into pre-sectioned strands of the client’s hair. The braids hang vertically beginning at the scalp and can be considered semi-permanent, as the braids remain attached to the client’s hair until removed.
Cornrows With Extensions
Cornrows with hair extensions lay flat against the scalp and are created by intertwining pre-determined strands of extension hair into sections of the client’s hair. The braids hang vertically beginning at the scalp and can be considered permanent, as the braids remain attached to the client’s hair until removed.
What Is Crochet or Latch Hook Braid Extensions
Crochet braids utilize cornrows as a base to attach pre-looped hair extensions or bulk hair using a “crochet” or “latch hook”.
Wigs & Hair Pieces
Wig and Hair Piece construction utilizes a strand-by-strand or wefted method and can cover the entire head or a partial area. They are made with either synthetic or human hair and can be applied and installed temporarily, semi-permanently, or permanently.