Curious about bonded extensions?
As was I...
I'm hear to give you the low down on & all the info that you need to know!
I've heard all about bonds over the years, all the different types you can get, the prices, some horror stories & people that would never live without them again.
I think all these factors above, relate to different types of hair, bonds
& the extensionist who applies them.
I'm no expert on hair or bonds but I do know,
that choosing a bond that is good will be important to the over all appearance of your hair.
As
you want the bond to be as small as possible to prevent people from
seeing where the hair is attached & also give you the option to wear
your hair in up styles etc.
I think, the main factors to look at when thinking of getting bonded hair extensions are;
- The type of bond you want
- Type of hair you want, length, thickness, shade, texture & effect
- Who's applying them & what it costs
What is a bond?
The definition of a bond is to join or be joined securely to something else,
usually by means of an adhesive substance, heat, or pressure.
And this is exactly how the hair extension is attached to your natural hair.
However there are many different types of bond, as you can imagine.
Different methods that extensionists use to adhere the extension.
Some preferred over others, some not as damaging as others, some allot smaller than other
- Microbead
- Wax
- Glue
- or Keratin adhesive
You can look up more of these methods online
Above, is a picture of a row of bonds in my hair.
These particular bonds are keratin bonds.
This picture is super close so you can see what they look like.
On the tips of the strands are micro bonds, this gives the bond an almost invisible effect when the hair is brushed & in its normal position.
This is because of the professional application used by my extensionist, Onagh.
They are as close to the root as possible which will also make them last longer in your hair.
How long do they last?
This all depends on how fast your natural hair grows
This all depends on how fast your natural hair grows
If the application is done well
And if you look after your extensions.
They can last from 3-6months.
Above, is a before & after picture of my hair.
(encase your wondering...
My extensionist Onagh, owns the name/company Luscious Lox
But she is now working full time in 'Platinum hair'.
She is the head trainer & manager there.
So when I took this picture I watermarked it 'LusciousLox' so others couldn't take it)
You can see from the top left picture, before my hair was very thin & uneven.
I did try using a number of different treatments.
Tried getting it cut regular, avoided using heat on it as much as possible but it never grew or thickened anymore than the above picture, unfortunely.
Why should I choose bonded extensions over clip ins?
Good question but a simple answer.
9/10 times you get what you pay for.
Bonded extensions blend much better into your hair, giving a more realistic appearance
because a mixture of tones/shades can be used to blend them in with the natural hair.
Bonds stay in your hair 24/7 unless you choose to remove them.
They last from 3-6months.
Clip ins must be taken out as
1. They will fall out as there is only a clip to hold them onto the hair, which has a huge weight attached, pulling at the hair.
2. If you try keep them in for as long as possible there is a chance that they could pull your real hair out. As there is constant weight & tugging on a small section of hair.
Bonds feel lighter as they are tiny peaces of hair attached to your natural hair.
Above, my bonded extensions curled
Allot of clip ins are a mix of real hair with allot of synthetic hair running through it.
And others are just synthetic hair.
Synethic hair is essentially plastic & heat cannot be used on it or it will singe & melt.
Previously over a number of years I have tried all different clip in extensions from different brands with different types of hair.
Here is something you may not know....
Clip in hair extensions that state on their packaging that it is 100% human hair.
Does NOT mean 100% of that hair in the pack is human.
It's just saying that there is in the pack 100% human hair.
This could mean that only be 40% of the packet of hair is real.
You need to be aware of this because the rest of the hair,
that (60%) is most likely to be synthetic (fake)
Which will result in your "soft" hair turning to singed, course hair quickly.
Above is an example of a clip in hair extension.
If the wind blows or you haven't got enough full hair on the top of your head to cover the clip in piece this is what you'll see. I also find them quite bulky looking
The platinum hair is soft, thick & comes in a range of lengths.
Platinum uses Remy hair.
Stick to the professionals or someone that is well trained in this profession.
Onagh at Platinum hair is very experienced.
Onagh trained with platinum three years ago & is now an educator in platinum herself
She is sought to be one of the best extensionists in Dublin at the moment.
She was very sweet & listened to exactly what I was looking for from the hair extensions.
Would I reccomend Onagh?
Yes
Above, my extensions curled using the wond.
You can see they give lots of volume & length.
Perfectly matched.
I had 150grams of hair applied.
Onagh actually used a mixture of colors through out to add some light & depth to my hair.
Some thing thats great about bonds....
You can add an ombre effect or some light to your hair without having to dye it!
But can you dye your extensions?
Yes, its possible with platinum hair as 100% of the hair is real & it will take to the dye.
However I would reccomend you go to a professional hair dresser to do this,
as you don't want to damage the hair yourself.
Hair Dye may grab & develope to your natural hair quicker depending on its shade etc.
However I did dye my hair with the extensions myself,
as I have been dying my hair a numerous amount of colors over the years
& I've kinda learned allot along the way.
Above, is the hair dye I chose as I wanted my brown hair to have a red/plum tinge.
(This is a permanent box dye)
2 boxes are needed for extra long hair
Above, After I dyed, blow dried & straightened my hair/extensions
I'm extremely happy with the result.
Onagh applied 20inch strands of hair,
as I've always desired long thick hair down to my waist.
This wouldn't be possible for me without the extensions.
I feel very glamors with them
I think they look just as pretty straight too.
I found with clip ins they looked very ratty at the ends & I could never find an exact color match.
Do these extensions damage your hair?
Keratin Pre bonds are NOT damaging on the natural hair
Once maintained, applied, removed correctly & professionally
Your hair still grows as it normally would with them which is great.
Example of extensions applied wrong with bad color matching
Above, a picture of my hair from the front with a slight kink in it.
How do you wash your hair?
Simple. You wash your hair as you usually would
But instead of gathering all your hair on top of your head you just leave it down
& wash into the roots to make sure everywhere is clean & bacteria can't build up around the bond.
I reccomend you brush through your hair before you get into the shower
Just to make sure there's no knots so it won't matte.
Brush your hair morning & evening to prevent the bonds getting matted & to separate them.
I also like to tie my hair up loosely before I go to sleep so there is as little damage to the hair as possible
What do they cost?
Prices vary but this only will range from €200-€300 & no more (with Platinum)
I know that some can be slightly cheaper but this could be due to someone that is inexperienced
Or cheap hair that won't last.
Some places over charge.
When I was doing my research I found Onagh on Facebook which ill link below
I could see very nice pictures of the extensions that she had done, going up on a regular basis.
She also has a great clientele & when I went for my consultation I could see & feel the hair in person. Consultations are arranged upon request.
Platinum Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/platinumhairextension
Aftercare?
After care steps are outlined by Onagh in the consultation phase.
She also gives you an aftercare sheet to take with you encase you forget anything.
I guess the real questions are...
Are they worth it?
Would I go back to Onagh at Platinum hair?
Without a doubt.
#Addicted
Visit the Platinum website here: http://www.platinumhairextensions.ie/
Even to wear my hair tied up in a pony tell looks ten times better than it did previously.
You can see my hair tied up on my
instagram: littlekivaofficial
Its super easy to style, takes a lil longer to dry because there's obviously more hair
A curl can last for days with the extensions
I'm so happy, I'm actually so silly for waiting this long.
I spent hundreds on bad clip in extensions over the years when I could have just saved €250 to get these.
Platinum is located just off Grafton street, Dublin.
Hope you enjoyed reading all about extensions, seeing the pictures & hearing my honest opinion
Wanna see how I curled my hair?
Check out my latest hair tutorial here
This video was filmed before I dyed my hair.
Thanks for stopping by
Love,
Little Kiva
xox
