Extensions: Trying the Trend / 1 Year Review

extensions

Someone else’s hair changed my life. Yes, you can read that again if you need! 

No, I’m not being dramatic, I’m just being real! Just over a year ago, I decided to invest in myself and do something I’d always wanted, get hair extensions. Here’s why: 

Why I FINALLY Got Extensions:

I was struggling really hard with postpartum hair loss and just in a funk. I knew that I wanted to feel better and womanly again; less like a mom and more like the woman I knew I was.

My hair wasn’t all gone, but it was shorter and very fine around the front and I’ve never been able to grow it long. I never felt like my hair was awesome. Sure it was fun, and I did lots of fun colors in it before, (see below for my bright red, copper, pink, and lastly green hair)! 

A fellow stylist in the Sacramento area had posted about offering hand-tied hair extensions (with a beaded weft installation) and I jumped on it. At the time, I was VERY uneducated on the methods of hair types. All I knew was that I wanted more hair and this method and hair type looked BEAUTIFUL when it was done! We were able to schedule my installation in early February of 2019 and here it is, over one year later and I am still rocking extensions!

Take a look at my before and after (courtesy of @yourstruly.elina)

extensions

I decided to enhance my natural color that I was rocking with slightly longer and thicker locks by adding 14 inches of hair extensions in, which resulted in such a big difference with hair that’s not even THAT long! Not all of us want all the INCHES haha.

How Many Rows of Hair Extensions do I have?

I started with 2 ½ rows of hair and rocked that for about 4-5 months until summertime approached in Sacramento and I just couldn’t deal with having that much hair anymore! So I went down to 1 row of extensions and that has been my favorite! Not only has it made it easier for my hair to hold a style, but wearing only one row makes my wash routine a lot easier for me. I’ve a VERY low maintenance person and honestly, having extensions has actually made it easier for me to have low maintenance hair.  

How much hair extensions should someone get? 

1 Row: 4-6 hand-tied wefts / Adds Fullness 

2 Rows: 4-6 hand-tied wefts per row / Adds Fullness and Length

3 Rows: 4-5 hand-tied wefts per row / Adds Fullness & Length — Best for blending blunt cuts 

What is a Hand-Tied Weft?

Pictures speak louder than words! So here are some pictures to illustrate the difference between a hand-tied weft, a machine weft, and tape wefts.

hand tied

(photo courtesy of https://lacedhair.com/)

My Styling/Wash Routine

Sunday: Usually braids or up all day (at home w/ family) 

Monday: Usually braids or up all day (at home w/ my son all day) 

Tuesday: Fresh wash! Straight hair 

Wednesday: Down & Straight or Up (at home w/ my son all day) 

Thursday: Curls or Waves (dry shampoo time!) 

Friday: Curls or Waves from previous day (more dry shampoo) 

Saturday: Fresh wash! Straight or Curls depending on my mood 

If I’m in a pinch and don’t have the energy for a full wash, I’ll only wash the top part of my hair (my hair above my “row”). This can be done in the sink and I’ll be sharing a video a little later on that one, stay tuned 😉 

Here’s what I’ve learned about myself and extensions in the last year: 

  1. If something is important, you’ll make the time and spend the money. I decided in 2019 that I was worth it. 
  2. A little extra time in the beginning means less time in the end. If I spend more time washing my hair with extensions, I can wash less and have an easier style the rest of the week. 
  3. It’s not vain to care about how you look, it can positively affect your mood. I’m so much happier and having that extra hair made me feel so much more confident. 
  4. I’m passionate about my career after my maternity break. I have a new obsession at work and want to spread the extension love all over the Sacramento area! 

If you’re interested in learning more about extensions and the methods that we offer at The Colour Bar, slide into our DMs, head over to our extensions page, or comment on this post! 

You deserve that hair!

This post was brought to you by our stylist Erin!