Hair weaves have been getting more and more popular since the 1950’s.  They add volume, length, and even change the color of hair without all the harsh chemicals.  But you still don’t know whether you should get one and if you do, what type you should get… or did you not even know there are types?!?!  Let’s go through some of the basics so you have a better idea what you’re getting into.

Why?

The biggest reason is to have longer hair without having to wait months or years for it to grow.  You can go from a bob cut to waist long hair in an afternoon.  But there’s other perks.  It can make your hair look thicker, giving you a bit more va va voom in your style.  It can also change the texture, so if you have thick hair that’s easily tangled or thin hair you’d like to be able to curl easily, you can get manageable hair that does what you want it to.

How?

Once you’ve settled on your dream hair, there’s a couple different ways to weave it in.  You can choose to have it completely cover your natural hair – think wig that’s semi-permanently attached.  It can also be added to your natural hair, which generally works best if you already had straight or slightly wavy hair.  This is often called hair extension instead of hair weaves, but the idea is the same either way.

What?

You have a choice of human hair or synthetic hair.  The biggest difference?  Human hair costs a lot more.  Some people think it looks and feels more natural, but you can check out both when you go to the salon and decide then.  Also, you may have to dye your hair to make it look natural.  If you’re going from jet black to bleach blonde, you don’t want your dark locks sticking out and ruining the effect.

When?

When you have several hours free; this can take a while.  Also, when you want to take it out or change it, expect to head back to the salon.  How long you have between visits depends on how fast your hair grows, but it averages 1-2 months.

Where?

Somewhere that knows what it’s doing.  Don’t be a salon’s first ever weave.  You don’t want to spend hours in the chair, only to find it looks awful.  Visit Health and Style Institute, where not only are the people who teach how to do this participating, the students know their grade rests on your satisfaction.  Plus, this tends to be a pretty costly procedure and Health and Style Institute is able to charge significantly less than most other salons.