Add Glamour to your Style with Hair Extensions

Add Glamour to your Style with Hair Extensions

by Angie Kay Dilmore

Hair extensions continue to be a go-to choice for women who long for long, lush locks. Options include clip-ins, keratin-bonded extensions, crown extensions, no-show beaded methods, and sew-ins that protect your natural hair. High quality hair extensions are the best way to get thick, long hair quickly and easily, no matter your natural hair type. They come in an impressive variety of hair colors and types – curly, wavy, kinky, straight. There are human hair extensions and those made with synthetics.

Lensi White, a Master Stylist at Signatures Salon in Lake Charles, says there are many reasons why women seek hair extensions – maybe they have alopecia (balding patches randomly throughout the scalp). They might be looking for a particular style such as mermaid hair, or a fuller, short bob. Maybe they received a cut that is shorter than they expected, and they want that length back immediately. Others simply want to enhance the beauty of their natural hair. “Extensions are ideal for any age, any hair texture, and any length,” White adds.

White, an expert in extensions, says human hair extensions are the way to go. It lasts longer, it’s easier to style, and it looks more natural. Another benefit of extensions is that they hold a styled look longer than natural hair. “Styled extensions will hold their wave for days,” she says.

Even with human hair extensions, there are various levels of quality. For women seeking hair extensions, White recommends they look for the qualities of remy hair. “Without these qualities the hair will not last.”

Remy hair is the highest grade of human hair on the market. This is because the hair still has its outer cuticle layer and all the follicles face in the same direction, which prevents matting and tangling. It can be “double drawn” meaning the hair is as thick at the ends as it is at the top. It is 100% human hair, and it leaves the hair cuticle intact. “The cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft and has overlapping scale-like layers that are essential to strengthening and protecting the hair,” explains White. “The requirement and commitment to keeping the cuticle intact is an essential distinction to ensure the hair extension looks healthy and lasts longer.”

But beware of phonies! White says some hair extension companies claim to include only human hair but have added synthetic strands, which can prove to be disastrous after they are installed. 

“Others claim to have remy hair but the cuticles have been stripped and glazed over, leaving the illusion of soft hair that will only wear down shortly after it is installed.” White adds that, with human hair, the client is able to style the hair with heat. Synthetic extensions can’t withstand the heat from styling tools. “Human hair extensions may be more expensive, but the value makes it completely worth the cost.”

Like hair types and styles, there are also numerous methods for installing extensions. Bellami, a well-known worldwide hair care brand, offers six methods – and that is only one company. If you’re thinking of getting extensions, White also recommends you find an extension specialist who has been formally trained and has a lot of experience. “These days, watching a YouTube video or taking a one or two-day course is simply not enough. Extensions are very detailed and require the specialist to have had time to perfect their craft.”

Signatures is a Bellami flagship salon and certifies all employees who express an interest in training. For more information or to make an appointment, call 337-478-4433. Located at 803 W McNeese St, Lake Charles.