HAIR EXTENTIONS: WHAT I'VE LEARNED + WHY I CHOSE THEM

 Okaaaay. I know this is what you all are here for right? hahaha I don't blame you! I'd be curious too!

Again (like I mentioned at the beginning HERE), this is my hair journey, and if you hate extensions or don't care for them, great. If you want to learn about some cool stuff that I have discovered/learned about them, and why I chose them, then stick around friend! 

I've always been interested in hair extensions. I have a SIL who has used them, and I have always thought it would be fun to try them. Not necessarily for length, but for fullness. I'd say that for the past 2 years (since I noticed my hair health lacking), I have been casually compiling information about them. Saving articles and reels and posts to a Pinterest board, and an Instagram board. Well, nothing speeds up an idea or thought like a disaster. So let's go back to that Sunday after I fried my hair at the hot springs (read here if you missed it). I was laying in bed that night, trying to figure out what in the heck to do to help my hair, and to feel confident in my hair again...when I decided I wanted to talk to someone in person about hair extensions. Which is why at 1:30am I scheduled a consultation with Katie for the upcoming Tuesday (so 4 days after the hot springs fiasco).

I found Katie through a popular hair salon I followed on Instagram, that she used to work at in town. I saw that she specializes in blondes and extensions. I can't tell you enough how insanely happy I am that I took the leap and was brave and went in to talk with her! 1.Katie is the cutest nicest human, and 2.She immediately made me feel better about my hair and what options I have and 3.She gave me some valuable information so I could make a decision! 

CONSULT + OPTIONS

I went into the consult thinking I would get clip in extensions or a halo. Just because I thought those were the best options. I honestly NEVER have looked deep into a more permanent option because I thought (and was scared!) it was too much maintenance. You don't know what you don't know. Right?! I found out that clip ins would actually be the most damaging to my thin/fine hair, because you have to tease the hair a little to keep them to stay in/put. And I am especially trying to avoid any teasing at all right now!! (or ever again!!)

I asked about halos, and told her that I exercise almost every day, and-as dumb as it sounds-something that was important to me, was that I wanted to still have fun cute ponytails. I asker her if girls kept their halos in while they worked out, and she said that typically halos are worn for down hairstyles, or a date night out, or lounging around the house. So that, and the fact that the string it sits on can sometimes slip, made me nix that option.

And then I asked about hand tied extensions. Turns out, hand tied extensions are GREAT for fine/thin hair, and blend super well with them actually. AND they are the least damaging of all the options. The hair is placed in silicone beads, and then the hair weft (which is insanely thin) is sewn onto/over the string of beads. This lets my natural hair continue to grow. I was sold. Their biggest downfall is that yes, they do require maintenance. Every 6-8 weeks they need to be moved up. And that time frame depends on how fast your hair grows. These are pricey. They are a big commitment. 

For the next few weeks I dove deeper into hand tied extensions and all the different methods. Who knew there were so many! It all is so fascinating to me now! (Katie does a seamless method which was super important to me as well, and lets me throw my hair up when I want!) I have loved learning about them and how to care for them and what to NOT do with them. Also, during this time period I found out about other friends who had hair extensions that I had NO clue had them! Talking with them was incredibly helpful! I also had another girlfriend get the same type of hand tied ones that I was getting, a week before my appointment, and having her to talk to about the experience-so fresh like that-was the best! Between this friend, my sister, all my other girlfriends and our many Marco Polo conversations, and my hair stylist, I felt I was in good hands and felt confident moving forward with my decision.

MY STRUGGLE

A big internal battle I had with myself this whole time/the last few weeks was: If I get these hair extensions, will people think I'm too fake? What message does this send the Young Women I am around? What will the people and friends around me-that I look up to-think? And you know what, after lots of great conversations with friends, but mainly my sister Alair, she reminded me that 1: who cares what people think, and 2: we all go through phases of life. And right now, I want to try out hand tied extensions. That is not a bad thing! It doesn't make me more "anything", and it doesn't make me less "anything" either. It's for me. Plain and simple. And I'm glad I had that time from my first consult until my install, because I was really able to come to just be happy with me and my hair and where it was at. I knew that if I didn't get extensions, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I came to feel happy with my hair...even in all of its thin scraggly glory! haha. And I think that's what was the most important.

INSTALL

Almost exactly 5 weeks later (Thursday, February 26 2022) I went in to get them installed. The night before/morning of I actually think I made myself sick with worry and so much anxiety. Just like any big decision would! The number 1 thing I was scared of, was them not blending with my hair. I knew extensions looked good on other women...but I was afraid they would not look good on me. We most definitely are our own worst critics. It was an internal battle between those thoughts, and the guilt of it costing so much, that made me literally wake up that morning thinking I was going to throw up. I didn't, but I did play with the idea of making an excuse to post pone the install because I was JUST SO NERVOUS! 

Here's a video I recorded showing my before (3 weeks post hot springs):

Here's a vid I shared with another friend after I got home from my appointment I was literally THE HAPPIEST and couldn't stop smiling:

Now some fun pics from the salon!

I am soooo happy and I felt like I was on cloud 9 that first day. It felt unreal to see my hair LONG and healthy looking and CURLED!  For the first time in over 5 weeks! I just felt so excited and relieved. I'm so grateful there are women out there who specialize in these things. We are holding off on adding any highlights to my actual hair (to blend more), to give it more time to heal. And really, I'm happy so happy with how it looks right now. I never thought it would blend so well! I'm grateful for this option, that allows my natural hair to continue to grow, while I most definitely benefit from the confidence that my new "faux healthy hair" gives me. 100% recommend to anyone thinking about trying these for themselves.

WHAT I GOT

I chose to get 2 rows of 18" hand tied extensions installed. At my original consult in January, I had thought I wanted 2 rows of 20" each, then I changed my mind to 18", then changed it again to 16". So when I went back into see Katie and pick out a color match (just a week before my install), I told her to order the 16". And then a few short hours later, I texted her that I didn't want to have any hair regret and told her that if she hadn't put the order in, to charge me for the 18" and order those instead. I always have the option to trim/cut them up. Haha! I'm sure I was a pain. But I am 100 percent happy with what I chose!

Now that I have them, what do I do?! Luckily we have SO many resources and information at our fingertips, and here's some tips from Katie on how to care for hand tied extensions:

HAND TIED EXTENSION CARE + WHAT PRODUCTS I'M USING

• Kevin Murphey: Young.Again: a hair oil I'm using on my extensions morning and night. Turns out extension hair dries out fairly quickly, so that's why we put oil on them. To moisturize them and keep them healthy looking!

• Kevin Murphey: Re.Store: a deep conditioning mask I will be using every other week when I shower my hair. In place of my conditioner for that wash.

• Opalex no.6: heat protectant and bonder (super amazing for my natural split+fried ends. mentioned it back in this post and have been using already for the past 5 weeks) I put it on my damp hair after I shower.

UPDATE 3/3/22

Now that it's been a week I wanted to update you on a few things!

WASHING THE HAIR

I think one of the things I was NOT looking forward to, or was nervous about, was showering/washing ALL THIS NEW HAIR. haha It's a lot! But I did it, and it was not as hard as I was thinking. At all. Promise! I easily have still been able to do scalp massages and was able to get in and just scrub right around the install layers. No big deal. Just like anything new: there's a slight learning curve. And these mean a lot to me, so I do it and get through it and I'm happy to!

CURLING THE HAIR

I was too nervous to curl it for church, so I left it straight. And didn't think it looked horrible! I actually felt good about myself and happy and confident! ugh it sounds so dumb to say/write down, but man, when I feel put together and happy with myself (inside AND out), I definitely just am able to forget about myself and focus on others and that is super important to me!

I curled it later in the week, and it went great. It's more hair so yep it took a little longer, but one of the best things about extension hair is that it will hold curl soooo good and for days! Pretty dang awesome and helps cut down my morning routine for the rest of the week. Big win.

One thing I noticed was that Katie used a longer barrel curling iron on my hair when she styled it in the salon. Super handy for long hair! It's the Bio Ionic Long Barrel Styler (1.25"). 

SLEEPING ON THE EXTENSIONS

This was another thing I was worried about! Mainly because I had asked my friend who had gotten hers installed the week prior, and she had told me it was uncomfortable. Which it totally was! That first night was weird-mostly sleeping on my back, but sleeping on my sides were fine. And I'm a side sleeper anyways. So that first night was hard, then the second better, and by the third I was fine and it feels like nothing. Again, just gotta give it time.

I hope this helps anyone looking into this option for yourself or someone you know! I always love a good recommendation, and I appreciate when other women open up about these things and share the nitty gritty details. I also completely understand wanting to keep things private! Haha trust me, I get it. If you have any questions please ask me! I'm an open book and want to help ♡