My Hair Extension Story

You can pretty much pick up hair extensions in London anywhere, from your local hair shops to synthetic pieces in places you wouldn’t expect to see. When I was a teen I remember walking into a hair shop with my friend and just thinking “oh wow” hair from ceiling to floor, on every corner! At that time it was a bit over whelming.

From weaves, to glue in’s, clip ins to taped in, long hair, to short hair, Brazilian, Russian, Yaki, Remi…..WHERE DOES ONE START!

It wasn’t until a year or so ago that I was curious about dabbling in the hair extension world and I gave my first set of Remy clip in’s a whirl. Clip in extensions are pre-cut wefts of hair with clips attached to them. You can either clip them in between layers of your own hair, or braid your hair away and clip the extensions into your braids. This is the option I usually go for as your own hair gets to have a little bit of chill out time from styling. Going for the clip in’s worked out well for me and I definitely think that if you’re a hair extension virgin that a set of clip in extensions are the easiest and most hassle free way to go.

Fast forward a few months, my tresses were starting to become what they once were, long, shiny and flowing. I said goodbye to the extensions and lived the natural life until I was talked into getting a weave for a photo shoot. A weave is the most common way to install hair within the afro/Caribbean shops. The hair is braided and wefts of hair are then sewn into the braids. It can last for weeks depending on the hair used and how well you look after it. At first I loved it, spending time on my hair in the mornings was slowly becoming a distant memory, things were going well until….. I really wanted to wash my hair! Don’t get me wrong, you can still wash your hair, but if you’re like me and you really like to give your scalp a good scrub and massage then a weave is probably not the best way to go. After about 2 weeks I ended up removing it and took out a good percentage of my own hair with it (insert sad face). Although a weave is probably the most convenient for some, for me it was an experience I choose to learn from.

Fast forward to today and I’m back to my clip in’s! I was given some Virgin Peruvian hair to review a little while back, I simply cut the wefts to the length I require, doubled them up, and sewed some clips on! Big hair in an instant.

Some people wear extensions everyday some whip them in and out for a bit of ommph when they need it; some just love a touch of glamour. Whatever it is, there’s different hair and styles out there for everyone, it just takes a bit of experimenting….and if all else fails there’s plenty of hairdressers in London you can visit.

Whats your hair extension tips??