Hair Extensions and Shedding Hair

February 14, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

“Will hair extensions cause damage, or hair loss?”

This has to be the number one concern we hear in regards to hair extensions, but Hair Flair’s nano link extensions are the latest technology and were specifically designed for thin, fragile hair. They are the safest, most discreet hair extension option on the market and when fitted correctly by a trained professional, maintained regularly, and cared for, they will not cause any damage to your natural hair.
“If that’s true, why when my hair extensions are removed, do I see a bunch of my natural hair come out?”

The answer is simple.

The average person will lose around 50-100 hairs per day as part of the natural hair cycle. You only have to consider how often you clear out your hair brush to realize that you naturally lose a lot more hair than you realize on a daily basis.
With that in mind, I want you to picture one of your hair extensions clamped on your natural hair with a bead. Your natural hair is still going to shed those hundreds of hairs every day, but instead of coming out in your brush, or falling on the floor, in your bed, in the shower, they remain trapped within the bead with nowhere to go. Over the 6-10 weeks that you have your hair extensions in those shed hairs are going to add up!

Think of it this way: After a month or two (or three) when your hair extensions are due to be moved up or removed, you would have naturally shed around 12,000 hairs, a lot of which have not been able to free themselves from your hair extension bonds.

So for this reason when you come to your maintenance appointment, you’ll undoubtedly notice a lot of natural hair coming out with hair extensions, and this is COMPLETELY NORMAL. The hair extensions have not caused your hair to thin, and have not caused your natural hair to fall out.

Keep in mind that when you are wearing hair extensions for weeks, and months, at a time, you become accustomed to the feeling of having very thick, full, hair. When your hair extensions are removed it is easy to forget what your hair actually looked and felt like before. Just as it took time to get used to having extensions, it will also take time to re-adjust back.

Shedding is just the nature of the beast, however if at any point you do become concerned, contact your hair extensionist. A professional hair extensionist will have many years of experience in dealing with this, and will be able to answer any questions you might have, and really just put your mind at ease.

The key to hair extensions is also in finding a professional, reliable, hair extension specialist who is fully qualified, knowledgeable, and practiced. A simple look in the classifieds or social media platforms, and you will be bombarded with people claiming to be qualified specialists, so do your research and find somebody you feel good about and you’ll have no worries.

The Most Common Aftercare Mistakes

February 11, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

We at Hair Flair Extensions, often tell people to treat their extensions the way you would treat your natural hair, and to not overthink things. The quality of our European hair and the method of installation makes them very easy to work with, however there are a couple of exceptions. Please read on to find out the most common aftercare mistakes and how easy it is to avoid them!

Sleeping with wet hair extensions

Do yourself and your extension technician a favour and do not fall asleep before your hair extensions have fully dried. Your hair is at its weakest when it is wet, so when you go to sleep with your hair wet or damp the roots can become intertwined, and will dry that way. Over time this will cause matting, because your bonds will becoming tangled. For you, this will mean a longer, and more painful maintenance appointment as your extension technician will have to spend a lot of time detangling (a lot of girls charge by the hour too.) As gentle as she is, there will be pain to you and breakage to your hair.

Conditioning your scalp

Another common mistake is over conditioning; rather, conditioning the bond and scalp area. After your extensions are installed, feel free to wash it normally, but you must remember to only condition from the mid lengths to the ends. If you put conditioner on the bonds they will break down faster, product will begin to buildup in the bonds, and the extensions will fall out easier since they’ve been lubricated.

Brushing too rough

Avoid taking your brush and yanking from the scalp downwards. It’ll cause stress at the bond and could pull the extension out prematurely. Instead, grab a section of hair and hold it taut, like in the photo, and brush starting at the tips working your way up. When you get to the top, hold the actual bonds as best as you can to complete brushing.

Too much heat

Never allow the hot stream of air from your dryer to sit too long in one place (near the bonds) as this can melt bonds over a period of time. A better idea would be to dry your extensions first using the cool setting. Same goes with your other heat tool; straighteners, curling rods/irons, etc. Avoid hitting the bonds with your tools – if the bonds do get overheated, the little metal bead gets stuck in the keratin bond and can be a lot harder to remove for your technician, resulting again in a more painful maintenance appointment for you/ potentially damaging your natural hair.

Over-toning and purple shampoo

A toner is basically is a semi permanent colour, so it does contain a small percentage of peroxide. We all know you blondes love your toners because they reduce brassiness, but beached hair requires the lowest volume so as not to cause damage. Our extensions do take well to toner, however you need to find someone who really knows what they are doing and has experience. Purple shampoo can certainly be over used as well resulting in dry, brittle feeling hair extensions so use with discretion.

Why you shouldn’t sleep with wet hair when you have hair extensions

February 11, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Can I sleep with wet hair when I have hair extensions?

The answer is NO. Sleeping with wet hair extensions can cause a few problems that you will want to avoid. Lets cover what sleeping with wet hair extensions can do to your hair and your extensions.

1. Sleeping with wet hair extensions can cause tangling and matting

If you go to bed with your extensions wet or even damp, you are going to cause a big problem at the root. When you sleep you tend to toss and turn and this means that your root area is being rubbed back and forth. This causes the root area to become intertwined and results in matting. Once matting occurs there is nothing you can do but go back to your extension stylist to have the extensions removed and the area brushed out.

2. It will be difficult to brush

You will wake up with unruly hair and possibly matted roots that can be much more difficult to brush. You will start brushing your hair more aggressively and not gently, like recommended. The likelihood of the extensions causing your natural hair and scalp damage goes up substantially since you would be a lot more likely to brush your hair more aggressively causing ripping and pulling.

3. Your hair extension bonds will breakdown quicker

Bonds, left damp will absorb extra moisture, and begin to break down prematurely. This means the investment you made in hair extensions you had expected to last for months, and months, is needing to be replaced sooner.

Moral of the story – go to sleep with dry hair. If you normally wash your hair at night, but don’t think you will have time to dry it properly before bed, just spray it generously with some dry shampoo and leave it in while you sleep. Even if your hair still looks oily in the morning, it is better than dealing with matted hair extensions.

Purple Shampoo and Hair Extensions

February 11, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Purple shampoo, the staple product for all of you beautiful blondes. With those icy tones trending big time, a good purple shampoo is a MUST and it’s all about the pigment.

What is purple shampoo?

If you are a blonde you should know what purple shampoo is and if you don’t, you’ve been missing out. Purple shampoo is used to make blonde hair ashier ( think more grey or silver and less yellow). You may think why do I need this? But if you have ever coloured your hair blonde you may have noticed that when it was freshly done the blonde was a perfect cool ashy blonde. But with time your blonde faded to a yellow blonde that you weren’t so fond of. Well purple shampoo can help your hair from turning the dreaded yellow colour and keep it nice and ashy if that’s the look you desire.

Using purple shampoo on your hair extensions

Can purple shampoo be used on extensions? Well yes of course but there are a few things you need to know beforehand.

Keep in mind that purple shampoo isn’t intended for daily use. Wash your hair with purple shampoo once a week or whenever your hair needs it, and keep using your regular shampoo between uses.
Hair extensions are very porous, so purple shampoo will deposit fast. That means that you shouldn’t leave the shampoo on too long otherwise your blonde can turn grey. Apply shampoo liberally to your hair and let it sit for 1 to 5 minutes. If your hair is very yellow, let the purple shampoo sit for about 5-7 minutes. If it still isnt the colour you want then apply again. Rinse your hair with luke warm, or cool water. This will close the cuticle of the hair, sealing in the colour and leaving hair smoother and shinier.
Overuse of purple shampoo can have damaging effects on hair extension bonds. Dont use it too regularly and try to keep it away from the bonds and just use it on the lengths of your extensions. Below is an example of a hair extension bond that has been weakened and is breaking down because of the overuse of purple shampoo.
Make sure your purple shampoo is sulfate free and a professional line. Purple shampoo can be very drying and using a cheap brand will not only wreck your bonds but also dry out your extensions.

What if your hair extensions turn grey or purple?

In the event your extensions soaked up too much of the pigment, another wash or two with a clarifying shampoo will remove the excess purple, keeping in mind clarifying shampoo isn’t necessarily healthy for your hair either, so try and avoid getting yourself into that situation.

Pre-applying purple shampoo to hair extensions

Most hair extension colours are naturally warm (yellow) so you may want to pre purple shampoo the extensions before installing them. Here are a few tips if you want to apply purple shampoo to extensions before they are installed.

Start off by making sure the extensions are bundled, brushed out, and have some sort of protection around the bond area. In the picture below you’ll see one bundle of Hair Flair Extensions nano links in #60, platinum blonde. We have secured the bond area with a paper towel held in place with an elastic band.

2. Fill your sink or wash station with a few inches of hot water and pour the purple shampoo into the hot water. Mix up the shampoo in the water until there are no clumps of shampoo and the water and shampoo is mixed thoroughly. Keep your extensions bundled and just swirl the hair through water. This will allow the colour to deposit evenly from root to end.

3. Once you achieve a colour that you like rinse the shampoo off to see what the underlying colour is. If you are not happy with it, put the bundle back in the purple shampoo. Repeat this until you are happy with the colour after washing away the purple shampoo. The longer you do this/ leave the hair in the water, more product will be deposited in the extensions. It doesn’t take long for them to go from icy blonde, to purplish – grey, so keep an eye on them.

Result:
Regular Hair Flair bundle of #60 on the left, toned bundle of Hair Flair #60 to the right.

What purple shampoo should I use?

When it comes to purple shampoo, money talks. Professional and salon brands are going to give you better results, so keep this in mind when you make your purchase. Some blondes swear by locking it in with a purple conditioner, however, as the purple shampoo does most of the work, we think it’s OK to use any conditioner you like. Check out our recommendations for purple shampoo here

Nano Link Vs. Tape In, Which is Better For You?

January 14, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Why Nano Link Extensions are recommended versus Tape In Extensions.

As professional hair extension stylists, we have seen it all, from damaging weaves, to poor installation and of course, bad quality hair extensions. However, one of the most common questions we are asked to date as trusted stylists is: Why do we recommend Nano-link extensions over Tape-in extensions? Before we get started on that, lets go back to some basic Nano-Link knowledge.

What are Nano Link Extensions?

Nano links are one of the newest methods of hair extension application techniques, offering a safe, comfortable and discrete application. The process consists of a tiny, metal bead that is 90% smaller than traditional application rings, along with a keratin tip that supports a metal loop, which is squeezed closed to form a strong tip that is inserted into the bead before being clamped with pliers. The extension is fitted behind strands of the clients’ own, natural hair before clamping to secure the bead.

Equipment Needed:

Nano tip hair extensions, Nano beads, looping wire and small application pliers.

Advantages of Nano-Link Extensions:

No heat or adhesives are used in application
No harsh chemicals to remove residues
Suited for medical hair loss (see more information on this)
Suited for even the thinnest hair
Smaller, more discrete installation
Versatile styling possibilities
More accurate colour matching and blending
If a piece falls out its only one piece versus a larger weft (leaving a gap in your hairstyle)
Safe & Innovative Technology
Reusable hair
No Damage
Promotes natural hair growth
Individual strand installation

Disadvantages of Nano-Link Extensions:

Time consuming (1-3 hours) depending on how much hair you’re installing
Regular maintenance
Beads may fade colour with washing
Professional installation only

What are Tape-in Extensions?

Tape in hair extensions consists of thin pre-taped wefts that essentially get placed between the front and the back of a section of hair. These wefts are around 1 inch in width and consist of a glue substance (usually keratin), which simply attach to the hair in minutes and last for around 1-2 months before maintenance.

This sounds lovely, right? WRONG. We will list the pro’s and con’s of this method of extension application as well, with an overall analysis of why we do not recommend tape-ins.

Advantages of Tape-in Extensions:

Fast and easy installation
Lay relatively flat
May come in high quality
Doesnt require alot of training to install

Disadvantages:

Chemicals required to remove the tape-in weft
When a tape-in falls out, a residue is left on the hair which catches and breaks your natural hair
Cant wear your hair up in a tight ponytail without seeing the weft
Sticky, uncomfortable
Detectable and harder to style hair
Limits possibilities of hair styling
If you lose wefts, a large visible section is noticeably missing
Thins and damages the natural hair with chronic application
Meant to be worn for occasional wear (ex. Wedding, birthday, etc.) Not for permanent long-term use
Susceptible to moulding if hair is not washed or dried properly
Harder to blend colours versus strand by strand application
Not a safe method for Medical Hair loss
Uncomfortable, heavy, thick.

And finally, WHY we do not recommend Tape-Ins:

I mean if those disadvantages are not enough to scare you away from putting these awful things in your hair, let us further elaborate. Through several years of extensive training and application on thousands of clients, collectively we have seen copious amounts of hair loss and stress on the scalp from chronic use of tape-ins. Not to mention, the removal of the wefts are strenuous on the scalp. It feels like someone is ripping your hair apart in order to get these “sandwiched” things out of your hair. Someone with fragile, thin hair will not benefit from this installation as the hair will be too weak and the extensions would be visible once installed.

The option of having single stranded bonds (nano-links) allows for maximum comfort, with no damage, allowing for a versatile look and endless colour blending options. The longevity of nano’s tend to last longer as no harsh glues are needed, resulting in between a 6 month to 1 year of reusable hair. Nano-links are more forgiving in terms of installing in more delicate spots around the face that other methods cannot discreetly provide.

Lastly, Nano-links are a safe method for women experiencing any sort of medical hair loss, as this method is extremely safe and light on fine hair. However, regardless of whichever extension method you personally prefer, just please ensure that you’re going to a licensed and trained professional. Read this to help you pick a trained professional and how to ensure you’re getting the highest quality of hair extensions.

My blonde hair extensions are changing colour!

January 13, 2018March 22, 2018Leave a comment

You have just invested in a brand new set of extensions. You went to your consult and she colour matched you to a tee, yet you notice something odd a couple of weeks later – they are turning orange/pink! How could this happen?! Fear not – there isn’t an issue with the hair extensions and the reason why it has happened is surprisingly simple.

Why do they change colour?

When blonde hair extensions turn pinkish/orange it is from a chemical reaction – it’s the same chemical reaction that causes blonde hair to go dull and brassy after a while.

It all comes down to violet and/or ash pigments.

When blonde hair is coloured, violet and ash pigments are added to balance out the warm tones, and you leave the salon with that perfect bombshell blonde you’ve been dreaming of. Slowly, as you clean your hair over the weeks, you will begin to wash away the violet and ash pigments. If your natural pigments are warm, this will result in your blonde hair looking more, and more, brassy.

This process is pretty slow, so normally by the time you are due back to the salon for a touch up, a toner can be applied, or you can use a purple shampoo to keep your blonde looking cool.

There are factors that can accelerate the “brassy” process, and this includes hair extensions. Our premium hair extensions come from Europe and do not start their life out as platinum blonde. Naturally the hair extensions will be made up of warmer pigments and will require the violet and ash tones to develop the lighter ashier shades available within the industry. Chlorine from swimming pool water, minerals from shower water, salt water, exposure to sun (both natural as well is in the tanning beds), all have the ability to strip away those violet and ash pigments.

When exposed to the above mentioned elements, the violet and ash pigments will gradually be removed, (just as it would from the non-extensioned hair, only at an accelerated pace) leaving an orangey/pink tone by revealing the natural warm tones.

So all of this being said, if you find your hair extensions have changed in colour, it’s not as serious an issue as you probably thought. It’s more or less the exact same problem anyone with blonde hair has encountered when preventing brassiness, the process has just been sped up from the higher level of natural warm pigment.

All you need to do is use a toner (professionals only) or some purple shampoo to help redeposit some violet and ash pigments.

Another common problem is the overuse of purple shampoo on extension. See what Purple shampoo can do to your extensions by reading Purple Shampoo and your blonde hair extensions

5 Keys to a successful hair extension business

1. Do it for the right reasons.

When running a hair extension business the most important factor to remember is that its not about you, its about giving the best possible service and product to your customer. They are relying on your expertise, your professionalism, and your experience. If your one of those people that is just looking for the cheapest hair so you can maximize your profit than read no furthur because this article isnt for you. This is written for people who understand the value of quality and customer service and building the foundation for a long lasting business.

2. Invest in training.

All great hair extension artists start out with a great training program. If you want to be successful you need to invest in training. Do your research. Find a company that supports its students, and most importantly offers great quality extensions. Even if you are an amazing extension artist, if you are using cheap hair your customers wont stick around and you’ll gain a bad reputation. Do you want to be the dollarstore of extensions or a company known for great service and quality. By offering great quality hair your customers wont be able to go anywhere else.

3. Set yourself up for success

Like with any business you need to invest in setting up your business. This means investing in tools and a basic stock of hair to get you going. A big mistake alot of people make when starting out is just buying the tools and extensions as needed. Imagine going to a restaurant and ordering a meal and after taking your order the chef has to run to the grocery store to get the supplies. That seems ridiculous doesnt it? As a responsible business owner you should have supplies on hand so you can serve your clients better. It looks much more professional if you have hair on hand that you can show potential customers. You may also cater to last minute clients and upsell adding more hair during a regular maintenace appointment.

4. Be prepared to work hard and continually learn

One of the biggest mistakes I see from students is they take training and are so excited to start, they start taking clients before they are ready. After you complete training you should continue to practice on your mannequin head and friends until you build up speed, your sections are perfect and you have memorized your training materials. We often get questions from students that are covered in the training materials and that is not acceptable. If its covered in training materials you should know it like the back of your hand. That means you should review your materials as many times as necessary. After that you should continue to educate yourself by reading blogs (like this one) and actively searching out new resources materials to learn from.

5. Learn how to market yourself

To be successful in any business you need to learn some basic marketing skills. Learning how to market yourself will help to bring in a continual stream of customers. Marketing really isn’t as scary as it seems and once you start doing it you’ll wonder why you never did it before. We have complied a few articles to get you going in the hair extension business portion of this blog so make sure to look at those. There is also thousands of free marketing courses and resources online.

Hair Contouring with Hair Extensions

November 19, 2017March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Hair Contouring 101

It’s hard to say when contouring really started, but today, many makeup artists credit the legendary Max Factor, for coining the contouring term as well as the technique. Now-a-days, because of celebs like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian West, pretty much everyone is familiar with the miracle that is facial contouring. We use shading and highlighting on the skin to accentuate/manipulate the structure of something, for example the cheekbones. Women worldwide are now using contouring as a way to transform themselves, but this blog isn’t about make-up; it’s about hair contouring using Hair Extensions!

Hair contouring is much of the same idea as facial contouring – its goal is to compliment your face shape and work with your skin tone. It uses a specific and accurate freehand approach to highlighting/shadowing your hair in distinct areas. Depending on your face shape, you can have your stylist target specific areas, or create an all over effect – easily achievable with the use of our hair extensions, and placing them strategically for that contoured effect!

Round & Square Shaped Faces

The Goal: Create a more elongated face shape.

Using Colour: We suggest applying lighter shades nearer to the roots and ends of your hair, and darker shades along the sides. This will create the illusion of a lengthened face with a better defined cheekbone and jawline area.

Using Hair Extensions if you have a rounder face you will want to elongate it. The best way to do this is buy adding length. Adding longer hair will elongate the face and make your face appear thinner.

Diamond, Oblong & Rectangular Shaped Faces

The Goal: We want to “widen” the face.

Using Colour: To create this illusion, you will need darker tones to the roots and nearer the chin/jawline, and lighter sections close to the ear height. By doing this contour trick, the sides of the face will appear wider and fuller, creating that perfect oval shape.

Using Extensions: You want to add extension more in the sides and temples to create more volume around the face. You can use some lighter pieces of extensions around the face to create the illusion of a wider face shape. Dont add really long extensions as it will elongate the face more, you will want to stay with a medium length style.

Triangle & Heart Shaped Faces

The Goal: Minimize the forehead, widen the jawline

Using Colour: These face shapes are much wider at the forehead, and pointier towards the chin. We recommend applying dark colours near the crown, with lighter shades outlining the edge of the face. This will help create the effect of a narrower forehead. We can soften a pointy chin by using lighter hair at the ends. This is the perfect face shape for ombre or a balayage effect. This can be achieved by adding ombre extensions like these.

Using Extensions: Place most of the extensions in the lower portion of the head and do not add any in the temple region or crown region. Add the bulk of the extensions so it sits at the chin line and below.

How to build speed and get faster at installing hair extensions

November 19, 2017March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Something you should always consider is how fast you are at installing, performing maintenance, and removing extensions. No client wants to spend 5 hours getting her extensions maintained and the longer you take the less money you are able to make. You may also lose clients if they know there is someone else faster than you.
It does take experience and focus to build speed so when your first starting out its more important that you concentrate on proper sectioning and blending. Once you have a few heads under your belt proper sectioning should be second nature to you and then you can start focusing on becoming quicker.

We have compiled our top 5 tips on how to build speed.

1. Have your client pass you the hair extensions.
Its so simple to give your client the hair extensions and pass them to you one at a time. This becomes very useful when your mixing colours as you can tell your client to pass you one light blonde than two medium blondes. Then you are not trying to remember which colour your on and you dont have to fuss with picking up one extension at a time. Another positive is that it gives the client something to do and in turn will make the appointment go faster for the as well.

2. Hold all your tools in one hand and don’t put them down between each extension. When I’m installing nanolinks I will hold the pliers, the loop tool and the extension all in one hand. This saves me considerable time. If you are finding it too hard you can try hooking your pliers on your shirt or pants or have a trolley very close by to put it on. The less time you spend fiddling with your tools the quicker you’ll become

3. Use prebeaded speed threaders Before your client arrives you should have all your beads already threaded and ready to go. We have prebeaded threaders available which you can get here. Or you can thread your own at home. I always have at least 4 threaders in each bead colour ready. Your client doesn’t need to sit there while you thread beads

4. Focus The biggest error I see with new extension artists is that they lose focus when talking to their client. As soon as they start talking their speed drops way down. Of course you want to be friendly and engaging in conversation but you need to multitask and stay focused on what your doing.

5. Practice Even if you dont have paying clients yet you should be practicing on your mannequin head daily. And even once you start doing clients there may be days in between services, you should use these days off to practice building speed. The more you practice the faster youll become and soon you wont have to even think about what your doing it will become second nature to you.

With every appointment you should time yourself and aim to get quicker and quicker. Once you know how long each service takes it will make scheduling appointments much easier. Take a look below to see how your time matches up with our suggested time frames.

You should aim for the following times:

NanoLink and Microlink Times
A full head installation (5 bundles) 1-1.5 hour
Half head install (3 bundles) 45 mins to an hour
Removal 30-45 mins
Touch ups can range depending on if you need to retip or detangle hair but should never take more than 2 hours

Fusion extension time goals
Full head 2-2.5 hours
Half head install 1-1.5 hours
Removal 30 mins to an hour

what-are-the-signs-that-nano-bonds-need-to-be-retipped

5 signs that Nano Extensions Need Retipping

November 14, 2017March 22, 2018Leave a comment

Its common that after extensive wear the nanolink bond will eventually start to break down. It is important as a hair extension technician to identify when a bond is starting to breakdown. We have compiled a list that will let you know if a bond needs retipping.

5 Signs that a nano bond needs retipping:

Has the bond turned white (easy to tell in dark hair)
Is the hair fraying from the top of the bond
Is the bond disintegrating and not fully sealed
Is the client complaining that the hair is shedding a lot
Is the metal post wobbly and not being held in strongly by the bond

If you notice any of these conditions it should alert you that you need to retip the bond before reinstalling the extension. If you need to know how to properly retip a nano extension you can read how to do so here.