HAIR EXTENSION

The red carpet has a secret: Human hair Human hair extensions. How do you think celebs go from a lob to mermaid hair overnight? And stars like Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian and Mindy Kaling are all about full disclosure. They’re not just for adding length or fullness—wear them to experiment with different styles, like clip-in bangs or strands of blue. But before you take any hair extension or start a new job in reselling this, sharing four rules you need to know about hair extensions.

1. Consider your lifestyle. Essentially barrettes with hair attached, they can be clipped in or out whenever you’d like. The second option is tape extensions; those are held in place with strong, invisible bi-adhesive premium tape that’s undetectable to the touch; they last for up to eight weeks. The third choice is keratin. They’re attached with a high-tech process that binds them with sound activation and keratin attachments; they last for three months or more.

2. Splurge on quality. Synthetic extensions are the most affordable, but they tangle easily and have a super high shine, which makes them look obviously unnatural. And non-virgin hair means it’s been processed—either dyed or treated to change its texture—so it’s also not ideal, since it’s more damaged. Remy hair extensions are the highest quality. They’re the closest to your real hair, so they’ll hold styles and texture the same way and won’t shed as much as the cheaper options.

   3.   Get the right color match. Being off even by a shade is a dead giveaway that you’re wearing faux hair. The most accurate way is to color match with the ends of your locks, not the roots, and go with the color that’s the most prominent in your natural hair

4. Do maintenance work. Just like your natural hair, extensions need regular washing. Wash clip-ins every six to eight times that you wear them, depending on how much product you’re using. Give them a little bath in your sink and dry them on a towel. Before washing clip-ins, remove them and comb out any tangles. Use a shampoo and conditioner free of sulfates and parabens, and blot them with a towel to remove excess water, then let them air dry. Use a gentle shampoo for tape-on and keratin extensions too, focusing on the roots, and condition only from the mid-length of the hair down. Protect your extensions by waiting until they’re mostly dry to use heat styling tools, and avoid using those directly on the tape and keratin bonds. And don’t go to bed with wet hair—make sure your hair is totally dry before you hit the pillow.