Selling hair extensions online is a great way to make extra money.

Have a shipping question not answered in the article? Did this article help you? We want to hear it in the comments below!

A lot of our clients utilize Dropshipping, where the Private Label team will pack & ship the orders for you or you. Others are buying Wholesale Hair and packing the orders themselves. The most successful clients do both.

Today we are going to focus on packing and shipping your hair orders at home or in your office. Our team has packed hundreds of thousands of orders and has tons of experience with shipping hair. 

Now you can learn all the tips and tricks on how to ship hair, what mistakes not to make, what are the best shipping supplies, and more!

*PRO TIP - Dropping GEMS! Make sure you check out my Pro Tips throughout the article!

Best Shipping Supplies

I am not going to make any computer suggestions in this post, but a standard desktop or laptop will be needed.

Your computer will connect you to your online shipping system and, of course, your label printers. 

We can start here.

Best Printers For Shipping Hair Extensions

I suggest having two printers in your shipping station. An inexpensive laser printer to print packing slips as well as a label printer. 

You can get away with printing shipping labels on regular 8.5" X 11" paper, use scissors to cut the label, and then tape to the package, but it's going to look messy, unprofessional, and take a lot of time. 

This is where the label printer comes in. 

Best Printer for Shipping Labels

Our shipping department has had the best results using Dymo Label Printers.

Our favorite is the Dymo 4XL.

Some of our Dymo printers have shipped over 50,000 labels for shipments. What's great about these is that it's a thermal printer and doesn't need ink. That can be a huge money saving when printing. We all know how expensive those ink cartridges can get!

Along with the Dymo printer, you will need the 4" x 6" Dymo Shipping Labels.

If you want to save some money, you might want to try these Dymo Compatible Shipping Labels.

Make sure you have a few extra rolls on hand at all times. There is nothing worse than running out of shipping labels! You know hair clients need their hair ASAP, and you don't have time to run to Staples only to find they are sold out. 

I know from experience btw!

 

These generic Dymo labels usually work just as well as the original labels and can save you big bucks if you start shipping a lot of packages.

*PRO TIP - Be very careful with the Return Address name that is printed on the package. If your name says "Extensions" or "Wigs," then it will be a target for theft. At Private Label Extensions, we just use PLE as the ship from company name. Get it?

Dymo has been the shipping label leader in the industry, so we like to stick with them. Having an excellent printer for shipping labels is crucial!

Best Printer For Packing Slips

Let's talk about packing slips!

Packing slips are usually formatted to be shipped on 8.5" X 11" standard paper. 

You have two options for printing on standard paper, InkJet, and Laser. 

I am not a fan of InkJet Printers because they are generally more expensive to print per page. We also don't need a color printer because this is going to mostly be used to print packing slips to go with your orders.

We highly recommend going with an inexpensive, rock-solid, laser printer.

Check out this budget-friendly Laser Printer from Brother. 

We have recommended this printer to many clients over the years with great success. It's small and light-weight so you can move it around quickly.

Laser printers will print a packings slip in seconds, so you are not wasting any time while shipping out your hair orders. 

Best Shipping Supplies for Hair Extensions

Let's first cover the most cost-effective way to ship hair extensions.

USPS offers competitive shipping rates for weights under one pound using their First Class Mail option. Once you go over one pound, you will need to compare prices between USPS Priority Mail or UPS & FedEx Ground. We will get into that later in the article. 

The key is understanding light-weight shipping because it starts to get expensive when shipping an order of products over 1 pound. 

Lucky for us in the industry, most of your shipments will be under one pound.

Here are some average shipping weights for popular orders:

• Hair Bundle Deals with 3 Bundles - 12 oz
• 3 Bundles and a Closure - 14 oz
• 3 Bundles and a Frontal - Just under 1 pound (Whew!)
• Bob Wig - 7 oz
• Average Lace Front Wig - 9 oz
• 180% Density Wig - 11 oz

As you can see, many of the popular orders will be under 1 pound, which is excellent news for you.

Shipping with Poly Mailers

There is nothing more light-weight for shipping than a Poly Mailer.

There are many different sizes, but the team at Private Label Extensions prefers the 10" X 13" Poly Mailer. 

 

This poly mailer is a versatile size that can easily fit three bundles and a frontal, two wigs, and a combination of products. 

*PRO TIP - If you are shipping a lot of products, you can save on the price per mailer by purchasing 1k at a time. 

I have had clients over the years want to have fancy poly mailers with custom designs and colors. I highly DO NOT RECOMMEND this. 

Learn from Kylie Jenner and her disaster with stolen packages.

There are plenty of SAFER ways to brand your business.

Shipping with Boxes

There is no better place to buy boxes than Uline.

When you have packages over 1lb and need to use a box, make sure you have a couple of different sizes available. If you are going to ship items like Hair Growth Serum, it's essential to have it shipped in a box.

I have been a client of theirs since 2006 and have always received great products and services.

Uline sells packing tape, but we always find ourselves getting Packing Tape from Amazon with free shipping.

What's our favorite? The 3" Shipping Tape from Tape King.

Yes, there is a cheaper 2" version, but we always feel it's just "not enough" when taping up boxes. You then find yourself using more tape when trying to cover up more of the box. 

*PRO TIP - Use the 3" wide tape. It's worth the cost!

Same as with Poly Mailers, buying tape in bulk should save you money. If you are just getting started, you should not go overboard with shipping supplies until you are getting a lot of orders. Please consider that!

Free Shipping Supplies

The major USA shipping carriers offer free packaging to use for shipping. 

Sometimes this is great; sometimes, it ends up costing more.

I honestly see a ton of posts on social media about how USPS has free padded Priority envelopes. 

The problem?

At the time of writing this, the cost to ship one of Priority Mail Padded envelope around $10.50. If you are sending three bundles and a closure to a client, you are paying an additional $5 for shipping.

Are you doing this now? Don't worry; we made the same mistake at Private Label Extensions back in 2014. Once we realized that it's not the best option for shipping smaller orders, we switched to poly mailers and First Class mail. 

*PRO TIP - We wasted thousands of extra dollars shipping with USPS Priority Mail envelopes in 2014. You don't have to make the same mistake!

Shipping costs can add up, and because of places like Amazon, you can't charge a lot for shipping and get a high-volume of orders. Choosing the right shipping option is going to save you a lot of profits!

What Shipping Carrier Should I Use?

You will want to use USPS  as well as either FedEx or UPS.

USPS will be used for most of the lighter packages under 1lb to be shipped via First Class Mail.  

*PRO TIP - USPS First Class Mail will arrive just as fast as Priority Mail. It just costs a lot less and is only available for packages under 1 LB.

I would make my decision between FedEx and UPS by the service offered in your area. If either of them has a local branch near you, it could also be a benefit.

Lost Packages, Stolen Packages, & Customer Issues

You might have done everything right during the shipping process, but I can guarantee you that you will still have to deal with some ongoing shipping issues.  

All carriers lose Packages. That's a fact!

Packages will be stolen off of doorsteps as well as by the carrier if they know something is valuable inside.

PRO TIP - It costs a little more, but having packages with Signature Confirmation can reduce issues related to stolen packages and customers saying they didn't receive them.

I just want to make sure you know this is going to happen and to be prepared for it. It's something all E-commerce businesses that sell physical products deal with.

Best Practices for Shipping Hair Extensions

Here are some of my favorite tips when shipping hair extensions that you should consider following. If you have any additional tips, please leave them in the comments below so we can add to the article and help others.

Take Photos of Every Order Shipped

Want to help reduce the chances of fraud and also make sure you are shipping the orders correctly?

Take a photo of the shipment right before it's going into the box or poly mailer.

We do this for all shipments at Private Label Extensions. At the end of the day, the shipping team will upload the photos to Google Drive for safekeeping. If we get a message that something was shipped incorrectly, we can review the photo. 

Sometimes you might have forgotten to the product inside the shipment, and other times a customer will claim they didn't receive an item. Often after sending a photo of the delivery, the product is miraculously found. 

It's a quick and virtually free way to protect your business.

Add a Thank You Card to the Shipment

If you are shipping a high volume of products, I would suggest getting postcards printed. Maybe you are just starting and have enough time to write a personalized thank you note. That's always a nice touch!

You can keep them very simple with a clean design. It's also a good idea to put your contact number and email address on the card, so it's easy for t to get in touch with you. 

A creative idea could be designing a card that says "Give this to a Friend" and possibly have a client help grow your business.

The sky is the limit with the messages you can use. Be creative and try different ideas to find the best rate of success.

Have a Dropshipping Account as Backup Plan

You have been working hard all year, and it's time for the week vacation you have been so excited about.

WAIT!

Who is going to pack and ship your orders? Your Mom doesn't want to do it?

Having access to Hair Dropshipping can be a total lifesaver in this case. You can manage your orders and have them shipped out while you are busy traveling the world. Doesn't that sound nice? We have tons of clients doing it!

It's always good to have a backup plan for your business.

Ready to Start Shipping?

Shipping hair extensions is not rocket science. If you use the tools and tips in this article, you will do just fine. Don't beat yourself up if you make a few shipping mistakes. It happens to the best of us.

Shipping is a significant expense for your business with equipment, shipping supplies, and the time it takes to ship each package. The faster you become more efficient and learn how to save costs, the more profits you will see.

Have a shipping tip? Comment right below to help the hair community!

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The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Edges Are Thinning

Many women in my family have dealt with thinning edges as they got older. When I was young, my mom had long luscious hair, but as she got older, her hair began to thin.

Often, it’s normal for hair to become thinner with age, but sometimes there are other reasons for edges to thin. I’ve dealt with significant hair loss before that was due to chemicals that damaged my hair.

I have a friend that’s coping with thinning edges due to a condition. No matter the reason, there are many reasons for sides to thin. If you’re dealing with thinning edges, then it’s essential to look at the underlying causes.

As mentioned before, there are plenty of different reasons for your edges to start thinning. However, there are about five top reasons for thinning edges.

Read up on why you may be suffering from this issue.

Consult A Professional

Before you try to figure out why your edges are thinning, you should consult with a professional. A professional would be a hairstylist that specializes in hair care or a dermatologist. Either one of these professionals should be able to help you get down to the bottom of your thinning issue.

When you visit this professional for a consult, make sure you ask them all the necessary questions during your consult. Don’t be afraid to let them know that your edges are thinning and you need remedies to fix it.

The professional that you choose should be someone that you trust so that you can be the most comfortable while you’re speaking to them. Thinning edges can be a sensitive topic, especially since society puts so much emphasis on hair.

The critical thing to understand is aghast you’re not alone, and there are ways for you to fix the issue you’re facing.

What Are The Top Reasons For Thinning?

There are so many different reasons for thinning edges. There are so many various reasons, but there are five common reasons for thinning edges. When your edges begin to thin, there are five facts that you should pay attention to.

Chemicals, Tight hairstyles, hair extensions, hair manipulation, and health conditions are the top five reasons for thinning edges. Often, it’s a combination of the above reasons that accelerate the hair loss process.

It’s important to be mindful of how you’re treating your hair so that you can avoid thinning edges as much as possible.

Let’s get into each cause and how you can prevent it from becoming an issue for the health of your hair.

Chemicals

Putting chemicals on your hair is the quickest way to suffer from hair loss. In the past, hair products were filled with harmful chemicals that most people were completely unaware of. Nowadays, more and more products are promoting using organic ingredients that won’t damage hair.

When you buy products, you should make sure that you’re looking at the ingredients list. Some chemicals you should avoid are alcohol and formaldehyde.

These ingredients are some of the most harmful because they strip your hair of vital nutrients. Also, the chemicals in perms and relaxers are hazardous to your hair.

If you notice that you’re edges are beginning to thin, it may be time to change your hair routine.

There are so many styles that can be achieved in healthy ways.

Tight Hairstyles

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but different hairstyles can be damaging to your edges that you wouldn’t expect. The common ones are styles that include braids such as individuals or cornrows.

When getting your hair braided in any fashion, you want to make sure that your stylist doesn’t braid your hair too tight. At the very least, ask them to loosen up around the edges.

Another hairstyle that can be tight is ponytail styles.

Any ponytail style can cause your edges to thin so be mindful when wearing them.

Hair Extensions

Hair extensions can create thin edges depending on your installation method. If you braid your hair underneath, the tightness of the braids can accelerate the thinning process along with your extensions.

If you use any glue along the perimeter of your hair, your edges will most likely suffer.

Be mindful of how often you’re utilizing each installation method.

Try to switch up your hairstyles so that you’re not falling victim to the dangers of one installation method.

Health Conditions

Health conditions could be a variation of illnesses. You can suffer from hair loss depending on the illness you’re suffering from. A situation such as alopecia would cause your edges to thin.

Traction alopecia is the primary condition that causes gradual hair loss. It typically begins from edges and continues from there.

Other health conditions that have nothing to do with hair can cause hair loss such as sudden weight loss, stress, and chronic diseases.

Hair Manipulation

Have you ever heard that playing with your hair is the quickest way to lose it? It’s true! Every time that you mess with your hair, you risk losing it.

Activities that can increase hair loss include brushing or combing hair, twirling hair, and pulling on hair.

Hair manipulation creates hair loss over time. Often, it's hair loss that you wouldn’t even notice until it is far too late.

How To Avoid Thinning Edges

There isn’t a manual on how to avoid hair loss, but there are some general things that you can do to keep your nourished and healthy. First, you should avoid all the causes listed above.

To prevent from suffering from thinning edges, remember to hydrate your hair as often as you can. This doesn’t mean you should wash it continuously but keep it moisturized with natural oils and other products that promote healthy hair.

Don’t pull on your hair too tightly or too much. Also, it’s essential to allow your hair to breathe sometimes. Just take care of your hair like it is your priority. Be mindful that even if you do follow all the instructions, your edges can still thin out.

If this does happen, know that it’s not your fault. Consult with your specialist as soon as you can if it continues.

Don’t Forget This!

There are plenty of underlying causes for thinning edges. However, the five reasons listed above are the most common and should be looking out for the most.

Don’t be afraid to consult with a professional and let them know about the issues you’re having with your hair. Be sure to ask all the necessary questions about what may be causing you to suffer from thinning edges.

Remember that chemicals, hair manipulation, health conditions, tight hairstyles, and hair extensions can all be causes for thinning edges. Don’t feel ashamed if your edges are thinning. Losing hair doesn’t make you any less beautiful.

Hair can and will always attempt to grow back, and even if it doesn’t grow back, you are still beautiful. Don’t let your hair issues define how you view yourself.

If you aren’t suffering from thinning edges, make sure to avoid these causes as much as possible to keep your edges intact!

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