Do hair extensions ruin your hair?

Many people have asked this question over time, especially those who have found themselves facing hair loss or damage after long-term use of hair extensions. One has to wonder, are the claims that hair extensions ruin hair right? If yes, does that mean all hair extensions are terrible for you? and what is the best way to navigate the world of hair extensions?

Well, let’s find out.

Yes. Hair extensions can ruin your hair and even cause hair loss. Although they add instant length and volume to your hair, overuse or improper use of hair extensions can pull at the hair follicle and cause hair loss.

Before you throw away all your hair extensions, wait. You need to know that extensions are not the enemy, and they can be used properly. Also, some people face hair loss because they were already susceptible, due to weakened hair, aggressive treatment, and the like, and the extra strain causes their hair loss to be more serious.

It is important to note that some hair extensions cause less strain on your hair than others. Let’s look at the most common hair extensions and assess their damaging factors.

Microbead hair extensions are considered the most damaging extensions due to their nature. Using this extension entails attaching the strands to metal loops and attaching them to your hair. This process is potentially unsafe as the weight of the extension weakens your hair roots and causes hair loss over time.

This hair extension is one of the least damaging, especially if you have fine hair. The safest way to use this hair extension is to use micro bonds, which are lightweight and easy to wear. But, if you use keratin bonds and they’re not installed properly, the chances of damage are higher.

Tape-in hair extensions might be considered safe to some people, but it isn’t the safest extension out there. The process entails attaching extension strands on the top and bottom, with your hair in the middle, and tapes holding them together.

This tape-in method will cause more damage to soft, thin hair. However, people with fairly dense hair are at less risk of damage.

This is considered the safest permanent hair extension method because the extensions are hand-tied weft extensions which are sewn by hand, and handled carefully. The hair strands are braided throughout the head, and then the extensions are sewn into tiny braids.

Clip-in hair extensions rival sew-in hair extensions as the least damaging hair extensions. Using this hair extension method, the extended strands are attached to your natural hair using small clips that are easy to clip on and remove.

These extensions are very temporary and can be removed immediately after use and reapplied when necessary.

Many-a-times, we cannot do without hair extensions, so how do we avoid damaging our hair when we use them?

Follow these quick tips.

• Don’t wear hair extensions for too long at a time and too frequently
• Ensure that an expert handles the installation of your semi-permanent and permanent hair extensions.
• If you have normal or thick hair, always follow usage instructions and allow your scalp to rest between installations.
• If your hair is already damaged or prone to damage, avoiding hair extensions might be the best option.