Hair weaves and extensions have become so common today, it’s as if every second girl you meet is sporting someone else’s locks. While supplementing your tresses with longer stronger hair can look fab, it’s a process that can also go horribly wrong. Hair weaves and extensions are only worth while if they’re applied by an experienced professional, and even then there are still one or two negative issues you ladies should definitely take into account. Here’s a list of 8 reasons to make the best of your own hair and leave weaves well alone …
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1. Breakage
As I’m sure you ladies already know, wearing a weave over time can be extremely damaging to your hair. Particularly in the case of extensions that are glued and sewn into, routine monthly maintenance at the salon can do serious harm. Weaves need to moved up on a regular basis so they remain consistent with the roots of your hair, and this process of disengaging and then re-attaching can cause hair to snap and even burn (if you’re using glue)!
2. Allergies
If you’ve opted for glue-in extensions, beware! Make sure you take an allergy test at least a week before you head for the salon. The bonding agent used to attach the extensions can cause serious irritation if you have sensitive skin, and result in rashes and open sores (eeek!) on the scalp!
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3. Weight Worries
The extra weight of extensions can cause natural hair to become weak and fragile around the scalp. This is especially problematic since many girls go for extensions specifically so they can grow out a short hairstyle –extensions allow you to have luscious locks even during that difficult, shapeless phase in between a sharp bob and longer styles. But if the weave itself renders hair breakable and thin then there’s no point in wearing it.
4. The Barbie Effect
First of all, tasteless extensions in flat fake yellow look cheap and nasty to begin with, but girls, it gets worse. Hair extensions that are improperly moisturised begin to develop the fuzzy lifeless texture of a ten-year-old Barbie’s hair! Without masses of care and attention, not to mention a truck load of expensive products, frazzled extensions will make you look like Donatella Versace in a world with no conditioner!
5. Human Rights
For a while now we’ve known about dodgy dealings in the hair extension business. There have been terrible reports of women in the developing world being paid almost nothing for their beautiful locks, and, even worse, of children having their heads shaved to provide the industry with soft, silky curls. Ladies, some our weaves are even made with hair taken from corpses, although I have to say, that this doesn’t bother me half as much as the first two stories. Please, girls, if you’re going to get extensions, make sure you know where your hair is coming from, and if there’s even a shadow of a doubt concerning its legitimacy, simply don’t do it.
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6. Potential Baldness
Dermatological studies have shown that traction alopecia – that’s just plain baldness – is on the rise among the female population of developed countries. And, that’s right girls, one of the main causes is, without a doubt, hair extensions. The extensions cause trauma to the scalp, experts say, so that hair is literally pulled out in clumps, leaving bald patched dotted all over the head.
7. Con Potential
Girls, there are a lot of fraudsters out there. Beauty columns are littered with stories of phoney hair dressers covering their clients’ scalps in superglue and the like, so if you do have your heart set on extensions, make sure you find a reputable salon that you’re sure you can trust.
8. Head Aches
Yep, ladies, it’s been documented. The extra weight of the extensions on your scalp can not only cause your hair to thin and become fragile, but can even induce painful head aches!
Top Photo Credit: *Saffy*
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