Extensions 101
Hey everyone! So I always get asked questions about my clip-in extensions and wanted to do a brief 101 and answer some questions about my routine. First off, I have had every type of hair extension under the sun but hated that A. it didn't feel good on my hair & B. it was annoying not to be able to take them out whenever I wanted. So when I moved to New York I researched places to get the best hair possible. I stumbled upon the most heaven sent hair place ever....THE HAIR SHOP! It happened to be in my neighborhood (also have locations in LA) and I was so friggin excited to check it out. When I arrived they buzzed me into what looked like a hair palace. There was wall to wall hair and in the most beautiful shades. I was assisted by one of the employees and I asked for the best quality hair clip-ins and the most seamless because I have fine hair and don't want people to see them through my wimpy mane. I purchased whats called the "skinny clips" in platinum, which is the lightest shade. Back when I purchased my set, my own hair was a lot more ashy so I toned my clip-ins with a quick purple shampoo. I am a hairstylist and have colored extensions for clients but I don't recommend doing drastic colors to extensions because they have already been through a coloring process to get to the color they are when purchased, so its even more damaging. I would ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS consult a professional about coloring extensions, never do an at home dye-job. Okay, so the ones I purchased were seamless, curled amazing, & looked exactly like my hair. As far as maintenence and at-home care I have a treatment, a texture spray, and a leave-in split end treatment that I use pretty regularly on them. My mask treatment from Kevin Murphy called , Re-Store, lightly cleanses the extensions as well as repairs them if it has any damage from heat, styling, extensive brushing, etc. I love this product because I don't need to wash my extensions. I hate washing extensions because I feel like it drys it out and makes it a mess. I also don't workout in my set of hair or sweat in them so I don't feel the need to wash them. Just make sure you are doing a mask every so often to extend the life of the hair. Before I do anything with heat, I grab my Oribe Split End Seal. This stuff is incredible because it repairs split-ends and is also a heat protectant. I apply about a nickel size on dry or wet hair, on my mid-shaft to ends. I use it to protect when blowing out my hair or using any heat styling tools. The last thing I do is add texture/volume to not only my extensions, but my "real" hair too. I have been using Kevin Murphy's, DOO Over, which I spray at my roots for volume/texture and spray on my extensions to break up any curls. It does have a grittier feel to it but thats why I love it. I also use either a Wetbrush or a Mason Pearson brush to brush my extensions. You don't want to damage them by brushing to agressively or using the wrong type of brush. I love the creativity & versatility I can have with my hair now because of extensions. I recently just bought another bundle so that I can have a longer set and a shorter set thats more close to the length of my natural hair. I cut my hair extensions myself using a razor but I have also been doing hair for 8 years. So PLEASE GO TO A PROFESSIONAL who knows how to cut extensions. Once you get the hang of popping them in your hair and blending them in the right sections, it becomes a piece of cake. I won't go over sectioning because honestly there is no right or wrong just whatever blends and works for you. Everyones hair is so different that you never know how many pieces you need or don't need. However, I will tell you with my short set of extensions I wear two pieces of the 2 clips on each side & one 3 clip in the back, lower half of head. Thats it! With my long set I never know how many pieces I will wear, it just depends on the day lol!
I linked all the products in the above paragraph but for the items you can't purchase online, you can locate a local salon through the products website.
#longhairdontcare
XO,
Ashlee Rose