Rapunzel or Merida: what you need to know about hair extensions

Mega hair or lengthening the strands, no matter what you call it, the hair extension is interesting for those who want to change the look and conquer Rapunzel’s darling long hair or Princess Merida’s voluminous strands.

These accessories have different types and forms of application, which provides varied possibilities of choice for a glorious and dazzling result. Check out the versatility of hair extensions and all the care they require to have the best experience with your new hair.

Types of hair extensions

Hairdresser Jefferson Oliveira, who has been working with mega hair for eight years, explains that it is important to analyze natural strands before choosing your hair extension. It is necessary to know the texture and thickness of the strands in order to choose the strand to achieve the closest characteristic to your hair. There are numerous options on the market that can meet different needs. One example is duration, which offers temporary or long-term alternatives. Understand some examples, advantages and disadvantages of each appliqué that we have selected for you:

Mega hair with keratin glue

The mega hair with keratin glue promises a more natural effect to the hair and offers greater fixation and adherence to the wires. It is performed with a device that promotes the adhesion of the glue with the natural and mega wires.

Also, it is worth mentioning that the procedure must be done by a qualified professional, homemade application is not recommended. Disadvantage: maintenance is required at most every three months, which can make the technique more expensive. In addition, care must be taken when using dryers and flat irons, as the heat from the equipment directly on the exposed wires can melt the glue.

Hair appliqué with microlinks

Microlink appliqués are made from a small amount of strands attached to the natural strands by means of a metallic ring. As it is a resource with a long term duration, concerns such as the oxidation of the rings are valid, however, currently, the market offers aluminum and carbon fiber rings.

In addition, it is a procedure to be performed exclusively by a professional, and home application is not recommended. The disadvantage is that the small rings attached to the hair, even if they are not placed close to the roots, can cause discomfort when sleeping, with the pressure of the head with another surface.

Mega hair with sewn fabric

The appliqué is literally sewn onto the head with a crochet-like thread and needle. The method allows you to use dryers and flat irons, in addition to enjoying various hairstyles at will, which will not damage the appliqué or your hair.

Disadvantage: if the fabric is not well dried after washing and, because it is in direct contact with the head, it can stifle the scalp and cause fungi, and if any of the stitches are loosened, the entire appliqué can be compromised and fall out.

Apply with sticky tape

The technique of applying with adhesive tape consists of tapes with adhesive glue at one end of the lock and which will later be fixed on the natural hair. The process lasts an average of 2 and a half hours, with maintenance to be carried out at most every 2 months.

Adhesive glue does not cause structural interactions with the hair and therefore does not harm the strands. Disadvantage: If placed carelessly or poorly positioned, head movements can cause the tape to show.

box braids

Box braid is a type of appliqué that uses synthetic threads incorporated into the natural ones in the form of braids and provides length to the threads. The braids made manually maintain the integrity of the wires and can offer facilities such as the option of using different colors in relation to your natural wire. The disadvantage is that at least 5 cm of hair is needed to be able to receive the technique.

tic tac hair appliqué

The tic-tac appliqués are bands of hair strands that have a kind of clip at one of their ends. The procedure is as follows: separate the hair into at least two sections; at the bottom, unravel a small portion of the threads; secure the clips in the formed tangle and finally release the upper part of the parting made to blend in with the rest of the hair. The downside is that a more sudden movement can make the clasps come off easily.

tiara appliqué

Also known as “flip in hair”, the tiara appliqué consists of a transparent thread at its ends that supports the lock and rests on the top of the head to, thus, position itself between the threads. It can be used both for those looking for more volume and growth to the highlights, it does not harm the wires or the scalp and does not use chemical products such as glues and fixatives.

Another facilitator is that the accessory contains clips on its upper edge, but the hair does not need to be unraveled to secure it, as in the tic-tac method. The downside is that it can be a fragile appliqué and that it can come off with big impacts.

Feel free to choose what you think will be best for you, however, it is interesting to analyze each type of application and care together with your trusted hairdresser so you don’t go through annoyance or risk of losing your natural wires, if they are weak or brittle.

hair extension price

Some factors are responsible for demonstrating variations in values ​​for the performance of the hair application, they are: qualification of the workforce, type of hair to be applied (human, organic or synthetic), adjustment of the lock’s color to the strands, size and amount of hair and maintenance.

Thus, the average with all these items included can vary from R$ 1,800 to R$ 2,500, as is the case of mega hair with keratin glue. It is worth mentioning that prices may also change depending on your region or state.

For appliqués such as the tic-tac type, which allow home application, prices may vary according to the type and size of the lock, reaching an average of R$30 to R$250 reais.

It is important to consider that the necessary investment will depend on your need and interest. In addition, not just the monetary issue, attention must be paid to the care and maintenance that will be required in each procedure.

hair extension maintenance

The maintenance of the application on the hair is done in an average time calculated depending on the type of application. The keratin type, for example, may require trips to the salon for a longer period: every three months. Hairdresser Jefferson Oliveira also presents some tips that can preserve your wires during maintenance:

• Washing care: The choice of shampoo (with or without salt) and the use of conditioner only from the length to the ends (so as not to cause oiliness to the roots) are necessary washing care to avoid drying the hair and tangling. the application on the hair, which can lead to breakage and cause inflammation such as seborrhea.
• Moisturize your hair at least once a week: Moisturizing is the best way to avoid disorders such as falls and breaks, as it reduces the weakening of the strands and, consequently, provides greater security in fixing the application to the wires.
• Don’t sleep with wet hair: With this tip, you avoid the formation of fungi in the technique and natural wires. In some cases, it is recommended to remove the locks to sleep, as is the case of the tic-tac type, since when pressed, the clips can hurt the scalp.
• Comb the hair with the appropriate comb for extensions: Combing the hair with a brush suitable for extensions is necessary to preserve and not break the direct points of the locks with the hair and/or scalp, as is the case with mega hair extensions with keratin glue, microlinks, sewn fabric and tape.

With these and other tips that your hairdresser gives you, you will be able to go through the maintenance without any impertinence and without the risk of having to stop using the extensions. Talk to a professional about what treatment your hair type will require and rock the highlights.

Tips and care for hair extensions

Check out selected videos below with important tips that can help you better in choosing and caring for hair extensions.

Human or synthetic hair: does it really matter?

Clarify your doubts about the application of natural hair and organic hair (synthetic, but with formulations that bring it closer to the structure of the human), such as care, how to identify at the time of purchase, advantages and disadvantages between one and the other, and more tips .

Ease for what I want you!

Learn how to apply your tic-tac mega hair at home! In addition to finding some precautions you should take during handling and information about the durability of this technique.

Discover the power of the appliqué during the hair transition

In this tutorial you will find the application of curly mega hair with the interlace technique, which consists of a braid made close to the scalp with natural hair and the locks of the application are sewn directly into the braids. In addition, you can find information about a procedure option to resort to while you are in hair transition.

Is it radical change you are looking for? Found!

See the transformation that stretching the wires can make in your look. No matter your need, whether you want volume or longer hair, the result is always wonderful!

Do a lot of research and talk to professionals about the subject before performing any of the procedures. Thus, by knowing your type of wire (thin or thick, which require different care), you avoid annoyances such as falls, breaks and drying of the wires.

If it’s just for a volume in that special hairstyle, to speed up the meeting with the desired length or to go through the hair transition, the extensions are an excellent option for you!