5.8 how can I put hair extensions in at home?


From: Kathryn Quinn
This is not meant to be worn for a long time, a few days at most. Each hank of extension hair should come in a big loop. You need to take a small section (1cm wide maybe?) of this hair, and plait it into your own hair: Take a small section of your own hair, and as close to the roots as you can manage, use this piece of your own hair as the centre 'stalk' of the plait, with the two sides of the 'loop' of fake hair as the outer 'stalks'. Here goes piss-poor ASCII art attempt to explain.

        
       //  \\ -- this part is the extension
      // || \\
     //  ||  \\
    //   ||   \\
   //    ||    \\
  //     ||     \\
          ^and this part is your own hair

Plait for 2 or 3 inches, then fix with a small rubber band. You can get tiny rubber bands from orthodontists, black hair shops, and also Claire's (I got some of those 'no more snags' rubber bands which were small and clear there, quite cheap).

You only need to do the top of your head, really, to give you more than enough hair to create gigantic ponytails and bunches. You can wear it loose, but it pulls a lot (at least it does if you use the cheapo crappy hair I get), and tends to aggravate the scalp, whereas bunches alleviate much of the pulling.

Presumably for a headful of plaits, you can just keep plaiting :) Be warned though -- I once spent 10 hours braiding my own hair this way, then didn't like it cos the plaits were too fat and exposed lots of my scalp, so I took them all back out again. Sheesh -- what a waste of time...


From: just julia
My mom actually does my extensions because she loves me and they cost $150 and up in the salon. Right. Basically what she does is first get 2-3 pacs of fake hair in a color close to yours (you buy hair in your local black hair care place or a Sally's Beauty Supply store). Separate out smallish bits of hair (smaller than you think) and leave them in the U shaped form that they are in the bag. Take a thin bit of hair and tie the fake hair around the base (a single knot fairly firm, but not too firm) and then braid your real hair with the fake hair. When you run out of real hair, only braid the fake hair. To do my whole head in extensions down past my shoulders takes one full day (9am-12:30pm) plus some more the next day. We burn all my ends because it's neater, and it keeps all the fake hair in one place.

Basic technique: Take healthy, washed, snarl free hair. Take a small section (I suggest using clips to move the hair not being braided away) and loop a section of fake hair around it. Tie a knot around your with the fake hair. Braid fake and real hair together, and when you run out of real hair, keep on braiding down.

Hint: don't make braids super tiny, they are a bitch to get out and often damage your hair. If they are larger, they come out faster.

To take them out: Snip off most of the fake hair. Unbraid extension and gently pull off. After doing lots, gently unsnarl the partially dredded hair (where real hair was exposed, it will be skanky). Pull apart the mess *gently*. A rat-tail comb (like you use to tease your hair) will help. There will be lots of shedded hair, don't worry that's normal. All the hair you shed daily, and barely notice, is in a big pile at your feet because it was trapped in the braid.

Take a bath with one of those clarifying shampoos. Gently shampoo and condition hair. Let it dry naturally until slightly damp (pulling on wet hair makes it break). Then, with a wide tooth comb/fingers detangle hair. Comb gently and it will all come out. Yes, you will see masses of hair come out. That's all the hair that couldn't shed for the 2-3mos your braids were in. Don't freak. After detangling, condition more. Leave your hair unbraided for a day or two (I usually do for a week to 1mo) so it doesn't get mad at you.

Also, check out Plaited Glory : For Colored Girls Who've Considered Braids, Locks, and Twists by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner. It talks about, well, doing braids, locks and twists.


From: Nikki
Well, here are the instructions for braided and curly hair extensions that you can do yourself. You actual hair does need to be at least 3-4 inches long. Unless you have a friend helping you it is virtually impossible to braid your hair if it is any shorter than this.

You'll need the following:

You have to braid you actual hair first. Make the braids small and tight (think Coolio!). Remember that which ever way you braid the hair is the way that is will lay. I made the mistake of braiding my bangs down in front of my face because it was easier and didn't realize that that's where my braids were going to hang!! I find it easier to braid my entire head first rather than do one braid and extension at a time. At the end of each actual braid, either secure it with a rubber band or rub a bit of beeswax to secure the end until you can get the extension around it.

Take a piece of extension hair about 1 1-2 times the thickness of the actual braid. Thread the hair into the loop of thread about 3-4 inches down. Push the needle, loop, and hair through the base of your actual braid as close to your scalp as possible. Pull the hair through until it is easily removed from the thread and hangs evenly on both sides of the braid. At this point all that you have to do is make three section in the hair and braid it AROUND your actual braid. This means that your braid will be completely surrounded by the extension hair. Be careful when you get to the end of your hair and into the extension hair, your hair may try to poke out through the extension so take your time and blend it carefully.

You can put a total of three braided extensions on each of your actual braids for fullness, but be careful. Know your hair type, and don't put too much stress on your actual hair. The curly extensions are done the same way. You add braids and then put the curly pieces right into the braids at the scalp. All you do with the curls is knot it and it will stay. Eventually if you want it to it will dread which looks really cool with some skull beads or whatever.

What to expect and how to care for it:

Your braids will be a little stiff in the beginning and tend to stay in what ever position you style them into. Wash your hair normally either with diluted shampoo or a special braid shampoo. I use both and dilute my shampoo with a mixture of water and astringent to make sure it is penetrating the extension. You want to make the braids tight and close to the scalp but don't pull too tight or you will get little red bumps around the braids that are pulling the scalp too tightly. You can keep the braids in for 3-4 months depending on how fast your hair grows. Yes, as it grows they do get a little fuzzy on top, but it looks cool if you have a combination of dreads and braids.

When you take them out, just clip off the braid just below your actual hair and unbraid the extension. You will notice a lot of hair coming out with it...DON'T PANIC!!!! Most of that is just your normal hair loss that hasn't washed away yet. Do expect some minor breakage and some split ends when you take them out. I take mine out and usually let my hair alone for a few days or even a few weeks if I'm lazy and then start over.

They do take a long time to do in the beginning, but once they are in, they are pretty simple to take care of. Just wash and condition. I use a strong penetrating conditioner on my scalp like Infusium. Conditioner and cream rinse also soften the braids. I've heard that using very diluted fabric softener on the extensions really softens them too, but don't get it on you scalp or near your eyes.

Just a little side note, you can either tie off the end with a small rubber band or burn it. I know that sounds weird, but it works.

Other options:

If you have longer hair and want the sleeker look of long braids you can just braid your own hair and add the extension close to the bottom of it in the same manner rather than so close to your scalp. This looks good if you want really long extensions but it is hard to get a match on the color if your hair isn't dyed black, and it's sometimes hard to match the width of the braid. If you stagger where you add the extension to your own hair, they make all sorts of cool little beads and clips to cover where the two meet if it isn't very neat.

One final thing to remember... this is not a real conservative look. You can try to make it more conservative-looking by wearing them back or making them into a bob, but for the most part it's a pretty stand-out look that doesn't mesh well with some jobs!!



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