Are your ponytails falling flat and curls dropping in minutes? We hear you! Anyone with thin hair or fine hair will know the pain of not having voluminous locks and the pitfalls that come with everyday styling. If you’re envious of everyone you come across with lusciously thick hair, the time has come to look into the possibility of hair extensions to thicken your hair. While you may have heard horror stories of the damage that extensions can do to finer hair, this simply isn’t the case. Your personal Angel experts are here to take you through the best hair extensions for thin hair and fine hair, and make your dreams of being a thick-haired beauty a reality.
Best Hair Extensions For Thin Hair and Fine Hair: The Ultimate Guide
Your days of watching Tangled and crying into the remote have finally come to an end. There’s no need to struggle with your favourite Youtube hair tutorials any longer, as we can help you pad out your locks with extensions especially suited to thin hair or fine hair. While there are many products on the market promising to add shine and volume, some are much better than others for anyone challenged in the hair department. Take a look at our top recommendations, along with ways in which you can maintain your extensions to help them last longer.
Which Extensions Should I Choose?
Any good hair extension technician will carefully examine your hair and advise you on the best solution for you. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ service, as there are definitely extension types to avoid depending on the look you’re going for. If this is the case, we would highly recommend avoiding clip-ins, weaves and micro ring extensions for the following reasons:
- Clip-in extensions require a good amount of hair to attach to, which often needs to be back-combed as they are often quite heavy. Thin hair, therefore, will not provide strong enough strands to hold onto the clips.
- Weaves involve the process of sewing in hair extensions in the form of wefts on rows. Because of this, there needs to be a fair amount of hair already in place for the new extensions to attach to, making it harder for those with more delicate locks. The wefts may be visible or poke out if the clients hair is too fine.
- Micro Ring extensions are attached to the hair via small metal rings. In thin hair, especially blonde hair these can be visible, or even slip down on fine hair, so it is not usually recommended.
So which hair extensions should you go for? We’ve listed in detail the three best solutions for thin hair and the benefits you can hope to gain from each. If you live in Buckinghamshire, why not pop into our salon, and one of our stylists will be able to discuss all this with you in person. If not, keep reading, and feel free to contact one of our friendly technicians for any further advice.
Tape In Hair Extensions
These are commonly dubbed the best extensions for thin hair. Applied by a stylist, two-inch hair wefts are taped to your natural hair in a sandwich style. While this may not seem like the most glamorous of methods, a specially formulated hair tape is used, containing no harmful chemicals whatsoever. The process is carried out simply and quickly, with tape sections that are lightweight; perfect for thinner hair, as no strain or pulling will occur. There also doesn’t need to be a large amount of existing hair to carry out this technique, making it ideal.
The finished hair extensions lay completely flat against the head, creating a very natural look, and they do not need to be re-fitted for up to 6 weeks. Check out this tutorial from Zala Hair Extensions, full of fab hairstyles, specifically for those wearing tape hair extensions; we love the side fishtail plait.
Keratin Pre-Bonded Hair Extensions
With tiny, discreet un-detectable clear bonds, this method is very popular for people with thin hair, as they cause no damage to the existing hair. The extensions are applied using a heat connector and fused into the hair to create a secure bond, with recipients claiming that they are comfortable to wear and feel incredibly natural. The removal process is also very simple, as the bonds are crushed and dissolved into a powder, allowing the extensions to slide away.
While Pre-Bonded Hair Extensions are great as most clients report not losing any extensions – making them the most secure method – they only last for 4 months as they can’t be moved up so the hair will need to be completely removed after this time. So you may want to go for an alternative application if you want a method which will last longer. If you liked the sound of these however but aren’t sure if they’d work, don’t worry – keep reading for a fantastic alternative.
Nano Ring Hair Extensions
Nano Ring hair extensions can be applied to those with thick and thin hair, making it an option to consider if you’re suffering from undeniable hair envy. As the name suggests, the Nano ring is tiny and will go unnoticed once applied to the hair. The process involves your stylist placing individual strands of extensions within the ring and attaching them to your natural hair. Due to the extremely small rings, they will be super discreet, even on the heads of those with fine hair. In fact, this choice is often preferred to Micro Ring hair extensions, as nano rings are 90% smaller, making them perfect for those with super thin hair.
Nano rings, along with all the methods we offer, are available in a variety of colours and will seamlessly blend in with your natural hair colour. If you are looking for Nano ring hair extensions, our stylists will take the time to thoroughly examine your hair and advise on the best course of action.
How Should I Maintain My Extensions?
There are some main rules to follow when caring for hair extensions, whether you have thin hair or not. Although, taking good care of them after application will undoubtedly help prolong their life for those with thinner hair. General points to consider once you have had your hair extensions fitted are as follows:
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- No aggressive pulling – Be gentle! When you’re tying your hair up, brushing or washing, try to be as careful as possible. Any unnecessary force will cause bonds / rings to falter and potentially become defective.
- Never sleep with wet hair – It’s never a good idea to do this anyway, but especially not if you have hair extensions. Sleeping with wet extensions will affect bonds and may cause excess tangling or matting through the night.
- Use products carefully – Your shampoo should be specially designed for use with extensions and is applied from roots to ends, but any other products such as conditioner can only be applied to the lengths and ends. Using serums or oils near the roots for examples can cause the attachment to become slippy and will make it harder for bonds / rings to stay in place.
- No colouring – Don’t be tempted to colour your hair extensions once they are in place, as chemicals found in some colouring products can have an adverse on the condition of the extension hair and also makes the guarantee void. You should always speak with a stylist if you are wanting to make a change to your colour and they will be able to advise you accordingly.
As well as the above things to avoid, there are a few extra things that you can actively do, in order to make sure that your thin hair is plumped and volumized for as long as possible!
Your Washing Routine
We touched on this slightly before, but it’s worth going into a little more detail. When washing, try and do so from the crown down, as this will prevent hair from tangling and putting unnecessary force on the extensions. Gently massage your shampoo in circles as this will ensure to clean not only the extensions, but your natural hair underneath as well. Rinse thoroughly to make sure that no products are left in your hair, to prevent bonds from slipping. This goes for conditioner too, which should only be applied to the lengths and ends.
Dry & Detangle
Rather than reaching straight for the hairdryer, towel dry your hair first and get rid of any excess water. Supima Cotton is known to be the most absorbent material, so why not invest in one of these from Soak & Sleep to help soak up as much as possible. Always avoid rubbing the scalp area as this may tug on the bonds. Keep your hairdryer on a low heat setting and use a soft bristled brush or tangle teezer to remain as gentle as possible. You could use a detangling spray formulated especially for hair extensions as well, such as this one from Additional Lengths. It’s also a good idea to sleep with your hair in a plait or low ponytail, to keep the tangling to an absolute minimum.
Avoid Oil Based Products
It’s a given that any oily products applied near the roots will cause bonds to slip and extensions to fall out of place. Nano ring hair extensions, in particular, find it hard to cling onto oily or silky hair, so it’s best to avoid it at all costs. Pay close attention to the ingredients in your cleaning and styling products, as these could easily contain oily components or silicon / sulphate. It may be worth investing in a new sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner; The Body Shop has a fantastic range to choose from, but we would only recommend shampoo designed specifically for hair extensions.
Your Route To Lucious Locks Starts Here!
If thin hair has been the bane of your life for too long, we hope that we’ve managed to ease the frustration just a little. There’s still hope, so don’t despair! As we’ve discussed, there are more than enough options to consider if your locks are on the finer side, so there’s no need to fret.
Our personal favourite method has got to be the Nano Rings. If you’re looking for Nano Ring hair extensions in Harpenden or surrounding areas, you’re in luck! Our technicians are easily the best in the area and will have you flaunting beautiful new hair in no time at all.
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