Myths About Hair Extensions Put to Rest
Along with Bigfoot's existence, aliens walking amongst us and all of the other crazy things we hear: hair extensions have also fell victim to myths about hair extensions.
I'm here to set some of the myths about hair extensions straight. We have all heard some of the facts and myths about hair extensions. Hair extensions are the go-to, the convenient, versatile, and the style that has women all over the world going crazy. To some, hair extensions may be a no-no, but for most of us, we LOVE our extensions. We love our extensions for many reasons, and we do not mind wearing them regardless of what the nay-sayers have to say.
Facts about hair extensions sometimes tend to get overshadowed by the myths that are out there. Facts and myths about hair extensions can be subjective based on someone's personal experience. There are always those customers who may buy a bad batch of hair and just give up on hair extensions altogether.
Then you have those who do their due diligence and are not afraid to pay for quality. Those who do not mind paying for quality will tell you that the myths they have heard or read have been false and haven't affected them.
Let's take it back to school real quick; myths are defined as invented stories, ideas, or concepts. Myths about hair extensions have been around since the beginning. Take the following myths with a grain of salt because everyone's experience is not the same.
Do note that myths about hair extensions have not stopped any business in this ever-growing industry.
Myth # 1: Hair Extensions Damage Your Real Hair
We have all heard this and ran for the hills, admit it it's ok.
I know when I first learned about hair extensions, I just knew they would pull out all of my hair. Not only do we hear this myth about hair extensions, but people also make it worse by saying that our edges will be gone! Ladies, I know how we feel about our edges, we need those and have to save those at all costs. You even have some extremists that believe that just because of its "fake" hair that factor alone will cause damage to your hair.
Fact: Nothing can damage your hair if it has a strong foundation. PERIOD. When you are installing any form of hair extensions, how it is installed makes all the difference. The braid foundation must be tension free and not stressful for your hair.
Also, your hair must be in a healthy enough condition to even consider wearing hair extensions. Along with the braid foundation, there are additional measures one can take that are foolproof and will protect your hair and braid foundation. Underneath sew-ins you can request your stylist to use a weaving net to protect/cover braid foundation.
Myth # 2: Hair Extensions Prevent Your Hair From Growing
This may be the biggest myth yet; many people believe that wearing hair extensions causes your hair not to grow.
That has to be the craziest thing, simply because hair extensions are a protected style before they are anything else. Naysayers believe that because you have "fake" hair sewed into your hair that it automatically ceases any hair growth. Another part of this myth is that the hair extensions cause tension on your real hair and that contributes to hair not growing. People who believe this myth about hair extensions do also think that they are downright uncomfortable and painful to wear.
Fact: To set this myth about extensions straight, let's present one crucial point. The stylist you choose makes all the difference rather your hair grows or stops growing because of hair extensions. If the hair is sewed-in correctly and taken out correctly, your hair will not be damaged and also will thrive underneath. The stylist should be taking care of your real hair in between weave installs as should you.
Merely greasing your scalp, washing and conditioning hair all before installation can make the difference in hair growth and hair loss. When hair is tucked away and left alone, it does tend to grow on its own. Hair without any help grows half an inch each month so just imagine how much it will grow if it's braided away for a few weeks.
Now when it comes to hair extension being comfortable, that is solely based on one's experience. Having your hair braided and something sew in your hair can be uncomfortable. This is not happening the whole time you wear the extensions. Again your stylist makes this myth false or true so choose your hairstylist correctly.
Myth # 3: Hair Extensions Won't Blend With Your Real Hair
Some people believe that just because it's "fake" hair, it won't match your hair. They think it will show and be visible. This myth holds some truth because of the texture of hair that one chooses to wear. Also, this myth about hair extensions holds truth because of the style of install you decide to get.
Fact: The right texture can make or break an install, especially if it is a partial installation. Partial installs are when you have hair left out to blend on top of extensions. There is nothing wrong with wearing a partial sew-in. However, please be aware that the texture has to match the hair left out. There are no ifs and or buts about it ladies! You feed into this myth about hair extensions by buying hair that does not match nor mimic your real hair that you choose to leave out.
For example, when I decide to wear my hair out with an install I prefer Peruvian or Brazilian hair extensions.
Peruvian and Brazilian hair extensions, in my opinion, tend to be thicker and mimic African American hair straight very well. On the other hand; if I were to purchase Chinese hair extensions and get a partial sew-in, it would not blend. So do not add more fuel to the fire ladies, don't give this myth about hair extensions any power: get the right texture of hair ladies!
Myth # 4: Hair Extensions Cannot be Versatile
People think that just because hair is sewn into your hair that you can only wear it the way it was installed and that's bogus. They don't believe that you can wear your hair extensions just like you would your hair.
To some, hair extensions are wigs that can only be worn in the way bought.
Fact: Just because extensions are sewn into your hair, that does not mean that you cannot wear your hair extensions how you want to. There are now other methods of wearing hair extensions that create more versatility than before. There are several sew-in techniques that one can request that can allow you to wear your hair in a high ponytail, wear bangs, etc.
Along with sew-ins, tape-in, clip-in, quick weaves, full lace wigs, frontals, and closures. Whoever said hair extensions could not be versatile lied, and we will not have it!
Myth # 5: Hair Extensions are Hard to Maintain
We have all seen some cheap and some overly expensive hair extensions so that could fuel this myth. We as humans can look at the price of something and assume that if it's costly, it's high maintenance. Myths about hair extensions being hard to maintain are definitely in the top 3 of misconceptions. This misconception has grown into a myth about hair extensions that seems not to want to go away.
This myth about hair extensions still thrives today after countless articles and customer reviews going against it.
Want to know the reason I think this myth thrives so much?
I think a lot of people are still uneducated about hair extensions regardless of them wearing them or not. If you buy a plant, but you are not aware of how to care for it, guess what? It will die! The same goes for your hair extensions.
Fact: Hair extensions are not hard to manage even after a salon installation. We go to the salon because we do not know how to properly do our hair ourselves or simply because of laziness and convenience. Hair extensions are merely most times than not, for convenience.
There are so many tutorials online and on YouTube that will help DIY extension care.
Stick to the Facts!
As the saying goes: you get what you pay for what you get.
Yes, if you are buying cheap extensions they are harder to maintain. You pay for quality, but with any hair extensions you buy; how they are installed, the care that you take of them, and how long you plan on having them play a factor. It's important to know the best weave for your budget.
It is my hope and duty to explain some myths that are out there and set the record straight with the facts. We all know that with anything new, there is always a gamble; the same goes for wearing hair extensions. Taking risks brings rewards. Get your hands on a beautiful hair bundle and keep it close! Or should I say, you latch on and run to the salon! Either way, there are also two sides to every story: the facts and the myths.
It is up to you to decide what you want to and what not to believe.
